| | 47 Million Pound Renovation Restores Victorian Glory to National Museum of Scotland
| | | | 
Visitors walk amongst displays during the reopening of the National Museum of Scotland, after its three-year £47 million redevelopment in Edinburgh, Scotland July 29, 2011. REUTERS/David Moir
EDINBURGH (REUTERS).- The National Museum of Scotland reopened to the public on Friday after a 47-million-pound renovation that has restored its Victorian glory while giving it a spectacular boost into the 21st century. Before the three-year makeover -- completed on time and under budget -- "the building was looking a bit tired and a little bit sad," said museum director Gordon Rintoul. "Now it's an entirely new museum." The central hall is in itself an eye-catching exhibit, soaring three storeys to a glass roof supported by the original iron columns which were at the cutting edge of technology when the museum first opened in 1866. Around 8,000 objects are on show, of which 80 percent have been tucked away in dingy storage spaces and not seen for generations. "We just assembled objects because they were surprising, or beautiful, or thought-provoking," said science and technology curator Alex ... More |
 |
Henri Cartier-Bresson's "Decisive Moments" to Be Shown at Queensland Art Gallery
Henri Cartier-Bresson, INDIA. Kashmir. Srinagar, 1948 (detail). Collection: Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, Magnum Photos. © Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photo.
QUEENSLAND.- Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), the French photographer who redefined both photojournalism and his craft as an art form, will be celebrated in a major exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery from August 27 to November 27, 2011. Queensland Art Gallery Director Tony Ellwood said "Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Man, The Image & The World‟ would feature work from throughout the renowned photographer‟s extraordinary career, which spanned over 70 years. "Cartier-Bresson‟s photography is exceptional for capturing “the decisive moment”, an illustration of action, emotion and an entire story ... More | | Italian Archaeologists Dig Through Ancient Rome and Find Mosaic Depicting Apollo
A worker brushes a mosaic mural depicting Apollo. REUTERS/Tony Gentile.
ROME (AP).- Excavations in the bowels of an ancient Roman hill have turned up a well-preserved, late 1st century wall mosaic with a figure of Apollo, nude except for a colorful mantle over a shoulder. Archaeologists and city officials unveiled the recent find to reporters Friday on the Oppian Hill. The mosaic-covered wall is 16 meters (53 feet) wide and at least 2 meters (6.6 feet) high. Officials think the wall continues down some 8 meters (26.5 feet) more. Archaeologists say the wall appears to be in a tunnel built to help support Trajan's Baths, named for the emperor who ruled from 98 till 117. The mosaic, which also depicts a Muse, apparently embellished a room where wealthy Romans gathered to hear music and discuss art. ... More | | Visual Chronicle of Spanish Cinema at ROSPHOTO: State Museum and Exhibition Centre
Carmen la de Ronda. Director: Tulio Demichelli. 1959.
SAINT PETERSBURG.- The exhibition in ROSPHOTO’s Front Building exhibition hall is presented by the Embassy of Spain in Moscow, Honourable Consulate of Spain and Center ADELANTE. Photographs made by cinema historian Jesús García de Dueñas are dedicated to Spanish cinema and comprise visual chronicle of this unique phenomenon which since its inception in 1896 and until now has evolved within European cinematographic tradition, however without losing its national flavor. Over one hundred forty photographs, including many unknown to wide audience, introduce to St.-Petersburg audience the great masters of Spanish cinema and their films. The exhibition opens with the history of the first decades of Spanish cinema outlining its specific ... More |
Statue Placed in Suburban Saint Louis Honors Rock and Roll Legend Chuck Berry
A bronze statue of legendary musician Chuck Berry. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson.
By: Jim Salter, Associated Press
UNIVERSITY CITY, MO. (AP).- The image is timeless Americana: Chuck Berry hunched over, ready to launch into his famous Duck Walk, picking his Gibson guitar and wailing a song. It's the image captured in the statue of the man considered by many to be the father of rock and roll, dedicated Friday in the University City Loop area of suburban St. Louis. Berry, now 84, still performs monthly at Blueberry Hill, a club and restaurant across the street from the new statue. He spoke only briefly at the dedication ceremony on a sweltering day as hundreds paid tribute to the St. Louis native. "I don't know how to speak — I can sing a little bit," Berry, wearing his signature captain's hat and bolo tie, said after thanking people for braving the heat to come out. "I'm going to say thank you again and I love you all." Other legends of rock paid tribute to the man whose many hits included "Johnny B. Goode," ''Sweet Little Sixteen," ... More | | Rosa Parks Essay Residing at Guernsey's Auctioneers Reveals Rape Attempt
The Presidential Medal of Freedom presented to Rosa Parks by President Bill Clinton, its certificate, and the dress she wore for the occasion, are shown in this is photo at Guernsey's auction house, in New York. AP Photo/Richard Drew.
By Ula Ilnytzky, Associated Press
NEW YORK, N.Y. (AP).- Long before Rosa Parks was hailed as the "mother of the civil rights movement," she wrote a detailed and harrowing account of nearly being raped by a white neighbor who employed her as a housekeeper in 1931. The six-page essay, written in her own hand many years after the incident, is among thousands of her personal items currently residing in the Manhattan warehouse and cramped offices of Guernsey's Auctioneers, which has been selected by a Michigan court to find an institution to buy and preserve the complete archive. Civil rights historian Danielle McGuire said she had never before heard of the attempted rape of Parks and called the find among Parks' papers astounding. It helps explain what triggered Parks' lifelong campaign ... More | | Pair of University of Cambridge Researchers Say Humans Crowded Out Neanderthals
A reconstructed Neanderthal skeleton. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP).- Were the Neanderthals simply crowded out by the ancestors of modern humans That's the theory of a pair of British researchers, who say early modern humans outnumbered Neanderthals by 10-to-1 in a region of southwestern France they studied. Scientists have long debated the circumstances in which modern people replaced Neanderthals across Europe about 40,000 years ago. Leading researchers in the field challenged the research methods in the new study and added that the idea of a larger population prevailing is not new. Other theories have focused on climate change, differences in Neanderthals' ability to think and other possibilities. In the report, in Friday's edition of the journal Science, Paul Mellars and Jennifer C. French of England's Cambridge University contend that "numerical supremacy alone may have been a critical factor" in human dominance. They conducted a statistical ... More |
Exhibition on Notable Artist Liu Kang to Commemorate Centennial Year of His Birth
Liu Kang, Life by the River, 1975 (detail). Oil on canvas, 126 x 203 cm. Collection of National Heritage Board.
SINGAPORE.- To commemorate the 100th year of the birth of Liu Kang, a highly regarded and respected Singapore artist, the a href="http://nationalartgallery.sg/" target="_blank">National Art Gallery, Singapore has organised Liu Kang: A Centennial Celebration. Featuring 100 artworks, sketches, writings and artefacts, the exhibition invites art enthusiasts and visitors alike to explore the life and mind of the prolific artist known for being one of the founders of the Nanyang movement. Visitors can also learn about his artistic beliefs and his insights on art and culture. The late Liu Kang (1911 to 2004) played a key role in the development of Singapore’s art scene. In 1952, along with Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee and Chen Wen Hsi, Liu made the historic field trip to Bali. The visual inspiration gathered then provided the catalyst for some of his later works. In the eyes of many arts ... More | | Henry Moore Institute Opens First Solo Exhibition by Artist Mario Merz in the UK for Nearly Thirty Years
Merz Mario, Il Ponte, 1969-1990 inv. D-2003.0.6.1.5. © Photo: F. Delpech.
LEEDS.- This is the first solo exhibition by artist Mario Merz in the UK for nearly thirty years. It is also the first major show curated at the Henry Moore Institute by Lisa Le Feuvre, its new Head of Sculpture Studies. Mario Merz (1925 - 2003) was a leading figure of Arte Povera, a term referring to a loose grouping of Italian artists who turned their attention to their surrounding environment in the immediate post-war period. Merz rethought the possibilities of sculpture by observing the world around him. The title of this exhibition is a question central to Merz's approach to art making. His work was driven by asking: what can an artist do in the face of a precarious future? Along with other Arte Povera artists, Merz turned away from representing modernity for its own sake, instead seeking to explore the role of art in day-to-day human experience, turning to materials that were ready at hand. In Merz's case, these inc ... More | | Eskenazi to Show Chinese Huanghuali Furniture During 14th Asian Art in London
Huanghuali high yoke-back armchair.
LONDON.- A superb private collection of Chinese furniture, all made of the South-east Asian hardwood that has come to be known as huanghuali, will be exhibited at Eskenazi, one of the world’s leading dealers in Chinese works of art, at 10 Clifford Street, London W1, from Thursday 3 to Friday 25 November 2011. The exhibition will coincide with the 14th staging of Asian Art in London which takes place from 3 to 12 November 2011, an annual event that unites London’s Asian art dealers, major auction houses and societies in a series of selling exhibitions, auctions, receptions, lectures and seminars that attract visitors from around the world. The history of Chinese furniture dates back some two and a half thousand years, the designs gradually evolving over the centuries and reaching their apex in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, c. 1600-1700, the classic period from which come all the pieces in the Eskenazi e ... More |
Much-Beloved Bandelier National Monument Rising from Ashes of Largest New Mexico Fire
A charred log left behind by the Las Conchas fire along a trail at Bandelier. AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan.
By: Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
THE BOTTOM OF FRIJOLES CANYON, N.M. (AP).- Tourist season is peaking in northern New Mexico but there are no visitors at the heart of much-loved Bandelier National Monument, tucked into the ancient canyons northwest of Santa Fe. No one is climbing the wooden ladders that reach up to the centuries-old dwellings that were carved into the canyon walls by ancestors of the Native American pueblos that surround the area. No one is picnicking along Frijoles Creek as it bubbles by. There's just the silence of a devastated landscape and it could remain that way for years. Nearly two-thirds of the monument was scorched during the last month by the largest wildfire in New Mexico history. The flames of the Las Conchas fire burned across mesa tops and down canyons dotted with hundreds of archaeological sites. The fire stopped a mile from the monument's largest concentration of ... More | | Four Historic Merchant Ships are Featured on New United States Postage Stamps
The four Forever stamps were released in ceremonies at Kings Point, N.Y., home of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP).- In an era of modern airplanes it's easy to forget how much the United States depends on merchant ships — and always has. A new set of postage stamps is honoring their tradition. On sale starting Thursday, the four Forever stamps are being released in ceremonies at Kings Point, N.Y., home of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. "The men and women who built and sailed the ships depicted in these four postal stamps have buoyed our prosperity, liberty and way of life," David T. Matsuda, head of the U.S. Maritime Administration, said in a statement. "Their sacrifice is worthy of remembrance, as they continue to be an integral part of America's economy and national security." Featured on the stamps are: A clipper ship, with art based on an undated Frank Vining Smith lithograph of the famous clipper Sovereign of the Seas, which launched in 1852. Noted for their streamlined shape and square-rigged sails, these vessels set numerous speed records. An auxiliary ... More | | Art San Diego: Contemporary Art Fair Announces Exhibitors and Programming for Its 2011 Show
Ronnie Wood, “Voodoo Mick”, 1997. Edition of 295. Symbolic Collection Gallery, San Diego, CA, USA.
SAN DIEGO, C.A.- The third edition of ART SAN DIEGO Contemporary Art Fair, which will take place September 1 – 4, 2011 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, offers a blend of leading and emerging international galleries alongside focused solo-artist exhibitions by Spotlight Artists and contemporary furniture designers. ART SAN DIEGO also provides a strong focus on the city and culture of San Diego, through Art Labs. These combined events create an opportunity to showcase the diversity of San Diego’s artistic community. This year ART SAN DIEGO presents 19 Art Labs featuring single and multi-artist exhibitions, and a variety of activities ranging from performance art at the airport by local emerging Afro-Cuban artist Silfredo La O; multimedia installations on the grounds of the Hilton like the massive Picnic with an art exhibition, community discussion, zine display, and parade-watching on San Diego’s long ... More |
| More News |
 Historic Locomotive Arrives in Coventry's Electric Railway MuseumCOVENTRY.- One of the fastest and most influential trains in the world has been welcomed into its new home at Coventry’s Electric Railway Museum. The Advanced Passenger Train Prototype’s non-driving power car, number 49006, arrived on loan from the National Railway Museum and will undergo restoration work by Electric Railway Museum volunteers. The Advanced Passenger Train Prototype (APT-P) was the first to successfully implement an active tilt mechanism, increasing speeds significantly on tight rail curves. The most powerful domestic train to have operated in Britain, it set the UK rail speed record of 162.2 mph in December 1979 – a record that stood for 23 years. The power car was built by British Rail in Derby in 1983 and saw service until 1985 on the West Coast Main Line, between London Euston and Glasgow. It was then used for electric locomotive development work, resulting in the Class 91 de ... More Guggenheim Museum Produces a Special Exhibition Site for Lee Ufan: Marking Infinity NEW YORK, N.Y.- For the exhibition Lee Ufan: Marking Infinity, on view through September 28, 2011, the Guggenheim has produced a special exhibition site charting Lee Ufan’s creation of a visual, conceptual, and theoretical terrain that has radically expanded the possibilities for painting and sculpture since the 1960s. View the exhibition site. Organized chronologically by series, the site traces Lee’s work starting with his involvement in Mono-ha, an antiformalist, materials-based art movement that developed in Tokyo around a series of seminal writings Lee published between 1968 and 1971, through his recent Dialogue series of paintings, which incorporates peformative elements. For each series, explanatory overview texts and curatorial analysis of selected works are provided along with a slideshow of images. Excerpts from Lee’s writings, drawn from his critical and philosophical essays, appear throughout, o ... More Tate and Vodafone Begin New Partnership by Launching Tate DebatesLONDON.- Tate and Vodafone today announced a new partnership to develop online and mobile technologies for Tate’s galleries and website. The partnership launches with Tate Debates, a weekly online discussion on Tate’s blog to encourage people to share their ideas and opinions about art. In the coming year Vodafone will continue to support Tate’s digital activities, working together to bring new technology into use in the galleries and on the internet. Further projects will be instigated over the coming months, including the creation of mobile services to complement Tate’s website, which receives over 18 million visitors a year. Tate Debates, sponsored by Vodafone, launches this week as the latest way audiences can interact and engage with Tate. Hosted on www.tate.org.uk, it will offer online visitors a chance to come together and discuss artists, exhibitions and wider issues relating to galleries and the vi ... More Rare Fossil of Sea Reptile Found on Alaska BeachANCHORAGE, AK (REUTERS).- Alaska scientists have discovered the fossil of a rare, prehistoric marine reptile that is likely the most complete remnant of the creature ever found in North America. The nearly complete fossilized skeleton is of a thalattosaur, a long-tailed sea creature that plied warm, shallow waters in the early days of dinosaurs and became extinct at the end of the Triassic period some 200 million years ago. The discovery of the fossil, found during an extreme low tide along the shore of the Tongass National Forest, was announced this week by the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. "We were just having our morning coffee out on the outcropping when somebody said, 'What's that?'" Jim Baichtal, the U.S. Forest Service's Tongass geologist and part of the discovery team, said on Thursday. Geologists had been conducting field surveys at the site when the fossil was spotted. Unlike most th ... More Patrick Keiller to Create the Tate Britain Commission 2012 LONDON.- Renowned artist and film-maker Patrick Keiller, will create an ambitious new project for the Tate Britain Commission 2012, supported by Sotheby’s. His unique installation, developed especially for the neoclassical Duveen galleries at the heart of Tate Britain, will be unveiled on 27 March 2012. The Tate Britain Commission invites an artist to develop a new work in response to the Tate Collection, highlighting the continuum of visual and intellectual ideas between historic and contemporary art. Patrick Keiller is one of Britain’s most critically acclaimed independent film-makers. Over the past 30 years he has developed a range of imaginative and highly original films which combine deadpan images of British landscape, rural and urban, with a witty narration which draws together wide-ranging literary anecdotes, historical episodes, current affairs, economic critique and offbeat humour. The most notable exampl ... More |
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment