A New Zealand gallery-owner is selling six paintings he maintains are by Paul Gauguin and worth a fortune. But critics say the paintings are fake, the work of master forger Karl Sim, aka C.F. Goldie. – New Zealand Herald
Tag: 02.09.00
BEYOND THE LOUVRE
A group of French museum directors begins a tour of American regional museums. Last fall officials from nine French and nine American art museums formed a consortium to promote exchanges of artworks, technical expertise and exhibitions. The organization is called FRAME, an acronym for French Regional and American Museum Exchange. – The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
MORE THAN A MUSEUM
Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum has become a major repository for the work of the pop artist. Now, “it wants to become an adventurous and vital cultural center that also hosts dance performances, plays, performance artists and concerts, offers lectures and symposia on topical issues, acts as an incubator for the region’s avant-garde artists and serves as a gathering place for young people.” – Pittsburgh Post Gazette
CHRISTIE’S/SOTHEBY’S PRICE FIXING SCANDAL —
— could have big repercussions for art Down Under. – Sydney Morning Herald
- Australian dealers have long suspected collusion. – The Age (Melbourne)
ALOOF BALTIMORE MUSEUM —
— reopens its front doors, redefines its mission and invites in the community. – New York Times
AL GORE’S MUSICAL DEBUT
Don’t quit your day job. – MSNBC (AP)
ATLANTA SYMPHONY chooses –
– Brooklyn Philharmonic’s well-regarded Robert Spano as its new music director. Atlanta’s budget is $21 million and has an endowment nearing $70 million, making it the largest performing arts organization in the Southeastern US. It is ranked 13th in budget size by the American Symphony Orchestra League. Spano is considered among the most important young American conductors. – New York Times
- San Francisco Opera music director Donald Runnicles appointed Atlanta’s principle guest conductor. – San Francisco Chronicle 02/09/00
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC –
– records a $2.7 million deficit for last season, its largest ever. – Los Angeles Times
FROM OBSCURITY TO OPRAH
No one’s complaining, mind you. After all, when you’ve planned only a 10,000-copy run of a new book, and getting picked by Oprah ups it to half-a-million, you’ve hit the jackpot. But for a smallish literary press used to lower stakes, the logistical hassles of just getting the book out on this scale are enormous. – Salon
BOOK-BUSTING
A tide of vandalism has swept most of the UK’s libraries clean of musical texts and scores, writes Norman Lebrecht. “Glasgow, Liverpool and most London boroughs have lost their music libraries. The BBC has wantonly trashed thousands of scores. British library managers are burning more books than any group since Hitler’s stormtroopers.” Now comes the Manchester City Council. – The Telegraph (UK)