“In the case of … the riotously sculptural $100-million Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, the story is about the depths — and ultimately the limits — of the human mind. It’s the poignancy of that architectural narrative that ultimately helps the building … overcome its reliance on some of Gehry’s most recognizable architectural gestures.”
Tag: 05.19.10
Palladio In America
Andrea Palladio is “the godfather of American civic architecture.” The Renaissance master “combines practicality with grandeur…, which particularly appealed to American sensibilities. Since Palladio’s designs could be achieved in a variety of materials, and with a variety of means–grand and modest–they particularly suited a democracy.”
Taggers Scribble On Banksy’s Latest
“Street artists in the city seem to be under siege at the moment. The Banksy markings come on the heels of a massive tagging attack on Shepard Fairey’s mural on East Houston Street. … Police say they’re investigating the tagging, and note that Banksy lacked a permit for at least one of his drawings.”
It’s Not You, It’s Us: How Curators Say ‘No, Thank You’
“Most museums acquire 90% or more of their collections as donations, but they don’t want everything…. Responding to inquiries for donations requires considerable tact, if for no other reason than a collector offering one unwanted object may have one or more others in which the museum would be far more interested.”
Elie Wiesel Objects, Theatre Backs Away From Madoff Play
“In the fictional play, Madoff in his prison cell recalls a long-ago, all-night discussion with Wiesel in the author’s study. No such meeting ever took place.” Playwright Deb Margolin said that “the 81-year-old Wiesel wrote a letter to her describing the play as ‘obscene’ and ‘defamatory’ and stating that he would have his lawyer stop the production.”
Baltimore Tries To Create A Third Arts District (But Why?)
“Maryland already has 18 state-approved arts districts, including two in Baltimore. In each district, developers receive property tax reductions for building or renovating arts-related properties. In addition, artists are exempt from Maryland income tax for work created in the district.” The cost of the exemption to the state is unknown.
The Impossible Achieved: Lincoln Center Looks Nearly Hip
Diller, Scofidio & Renfro “have conjured … magical yet subtle alterations throughout the complex” in “[t]he latest phase in a years-long, $1.2 billion overhaul” that has “transformed the tired bombast of the architectural ensemble. None of the three theaters can be mistaken for great architecture, but now they seem to stand tall and throw their shoulders back.”
What’s A Poor Arts Org To Do When Part Of Its Building Is Named For BP?
“With the BP Sea Otter Habitat set to open this week [at the Aquarium in Long Beach], a potential feel-good moment has turned into a public relations landmine,” thanks to the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Many organizations – in SoCal alone, they include LACMA and public television’s KCET – face similar dilemmas, thanks to BP’s corporate largess.