The Legend Of Leo Castelli

“Treated to the silken manners and melting gaze of the small, neat man from Trieste–with his unplaceable accent, which Tom Wolfe described as “soft, suave, and slightly humid, like a cross between Peter Lorre and the first secretary of a French embassy”–I felt like a farm boy with cow pies in my pockets.”

Nadine Gordimer: Books Are Best For The Imagination

“There is no substitute for the book, and it would be a great deprivation and danger if the book should disappear and be replaced by something with a battery. I am not talking in a fuddy-duddy way about this. These things are wonderful for disseminating information. But for poetry, for novels, stories – those things that have the imagination at their heart – there is no substitute for the book.”

Aussie Art Dealers Lament New Royalties Law

“The royalty, part of Labor’s arts policy at the 2007 election, comes into effect on June 9. After that date, artists and their estates will be entitled to a 5 per cent royalty when their works are resold for more than $1000 in Australia. But commercial galleries across the nation are anxiously preparing for the start of a scheme they only barely understand.”

Barnes Collection Move Signals What’s Wrong With Today’s Museums

“Although there are exceptions, most recent museum renovations and expansions have been more about the ambitions of museum directors, the egos of patrons, and the self-centered expressions of A-list architects than about serving the needs of art. Museums increasingly attempt to attract viewers through every avenue but that of art; through movies, restaurants, classes, gift shops, parties, pop-cultural exhibits, and interactive computers.”