| | Wallraf-Richartz-Museum celebrates sesquicentennial with exhibition of hidden treasures
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A woman looks at the painting 'Lion Fight' by Simon Meister in Cologne. The special exhibition 'Panopticon - The Secret Treasures of the Wallraf' runs from 21 October 2011 until 22 January 2012 at the Wallraf Richartz Museum in Cologne. EPA/OLIVERBERG.
COLOGNE.- 150 years ago the collection of Ferdinand Franz Wallraf found a home in its first museum building. Since then it has been divided up, diminished, added to, and moved around a number of times. Like many other museums around the world, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud has a problem: it can only put a relatively small proportion of its treasures on display at any one time. Even today, about three-quarters of the paintings ‘enjoy’ a Sleeping Beauty existence in the depository, a place only accessible to a privileged few. To mark the museum's sesquicentennial, it would like to show a little more of what they have. And so they had the idea of exhibiting the ‘hidden’ items under the title ‘Panopticon’. This word is derived from the Greek ‘pan’ (all) and ‘optikós’ (seeing), and has mostly been used in English to describe a circular prison where one warder c ... More |
| More than two dozen antique rugs highlighted from prestigious inventory of art-level collection | | Abu Dhabi firm backtracks on Guggenheim contract, raising questions about the future | | Harvard Art Museums Receive Gift of Outsider Art from Didi and David Barrett | 
Antique Persian Tabriz, attributed to the master carpet designer, Hadji Jallili, 7ft 6in x 11ft 2in, circa 1850.
OAKLAND, CA.- Claremont Rug Company, globally-recognized as the world’s leading dealer of art level, 19thcentury Oriental carpets, has produced its latest brochure, featuring more than 24 highly collectible rugs. This issue contains beautifully photographed pieces dating to the early 19th century in formats ranging from area-size rugs to palace-size carpets as large as 13 x 24. “In our 31-year history, we have issued only two or three brochures annually,” said Christine Winitz, Claremont vice president, “and spend many hours selecting and photographing the rugs to be shown. While we have 4000 antique pieces in our inventory, what we choose to include is designed to provide a glimpse of the art and grandeur that rugs from the Second Golden Age of Persian Weaving represent." The brochure is available for ordering from the Claremont website. The website also contains nearly 1000 photos of rugs, includi ... More | | 
Guggenheim Aby Dhabi. Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP.
By: Adam Schreck, AP Business Writer
DUBAI (AP).- The Abu Dhabi company building a branch of the Guggenheim museum in the Emirati capital said Sunday it has temporarily dropped plans to award a major construction contract, raising questions about the future of the high profile project. The state-run Tourism Development and Investment Co. said it recalled the tender for concrete work on the Frank Gehry-designed museum because it is reviewing its strategy for handing out jobs to contractors. It didn't say when it would again seek bids. The Guggenheim is one of the showcase museums TDIC is building on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island, a planned cultural district overlooking the Persian Gulf. The island is also slated to contain a national museum, performing arts center and a branch of the Louvre. A spokeswoman insisted Sunday that the Guggenheim project ... More | | 
Thornton Dial Sr., Talk Show, 1990s. Paint, canvas, wood, wire screen, paint-can lids, and industrial sealing compound on canvas mounted on wood. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Collection of Didi and David Barrett ‘71, 2011.40. Photo: Harvard Art Museums, © 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College.
CAMBRIDGE, MA.- The Harvard Art Museums announce a gift of 38 drawings, paintings, and sculpture from Didi and David Barrett’s 20th-century American Collection of Self-Taught, Folk, and Outsider Art. The gift comprises works by 24 American “outsider” artists, mostly from the 1930s through the 1990s. Among the notable figures represented in the collection are Bill Traylor, Joseph Yoakum, and Nellie Mae Rowe, whose work first came to public attention in the important Corcoran Gallery of Art exhibition Black Folk Art in America, 1930–1980. In addition, the Barretts’ gift includes three rare “ledger book drawings” made by members of the Plains Indian tribes in the late 19th century. “We are grateful to Didi and David ... More |
| The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton and Antarctic Photography at The Queen's Gallery | | Alexander Calder and Leonard Tsuguharu Foujita highlight Bonhams Modern & Contemporary Art auction | | 150 years of the completion of the transcontinental telegraph, a primitive Internet united the USA | 
Herbert Ponting, Captain Scott, February 1911.
LONDON.- It is a story of heroism and bravery, and ultimately of tragedy, that has mesmerised generations. One hundred years on from their epic voyages to the very limits of the Earth, and of man’s endurance, the legends of Scott and Shackleton live on. To mark the centenary of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's expedition to the South Pole, the Royal Collection brings together, for the first time, a collection of the photographs presented to King George V by the official photographers from Scott’s Terra Nova expedition of 1910–13 and Shackleton’s expedition on Endurance in 1914–16, and unique artefacts, such as the flag given to Scott by Queen Alexandra (widow of King Edward VII) and taken to the Pole. The exhibition documents the dramatic landscapes and harsh conditions the men experienced, through the work of expedition photographers Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley. These sets of photographs are among the finest examples of the artists’ work in ... More | | 
Highlighting the sale are two paintings by Japanese/French painter Leonard Tsuguharu Foujita. Photo: Bonhams.
NEW YORK, N.Y.- Bonhams present a striking selection of well-known artists in various media in the Modern and Contemporary Art auction on November 7. Taking place in New York, this auction boasts 116 lots across a variety of price points that will appeal to a wide array of bidders, both private and trade. Sharon Goodman Squires, Bonhams Senior Specialist of Modern and Contemporary Art, states about the sale, “We are thrilled to offer this array of Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary paintings, drawings and sculptures and we expect very good results. I am especially excited about the impressionist and modern works on paper since they continually prove to be strong performers in the auction room." Leading the sale is one of American sculptor Alexander Calder’s highly recognizable mobiles titled Deux blancs en dessous (est. $400,000-600 ... More | | 
This circa 1863 photo provided by the U.S. Library of Congress shows a repairman working on a telegraph line. AP Photo/Library of Congress.
By: John Rogers, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP).- Long before there was an Internet or an iPad, before people were social networking and instant messaging, Americans had already gotten wired. Monday marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental telegraph. From sea to sea, it electronically knitted together a nation that was simultaneously tearing itself apart, North and South, in the Civil War. Americans soon saw that a breakthrough in the spread of technology could enhance national identity and, just as today, that it could vastly change lives. "It was huge," says Amy Fischer, archivist for Western Union, which strung the line across mountains, canyons and tribal lands to make the final connection. "... With the Civil War just a few months old, the idea that California, ... More |
| Property from the Collections of Lily & Edmond J. Safra brings $45.9 Million at Sotheby's New York | | Don Presley to auction Beverly Hills private collection of exquisite antique clocks, porcelain, silver and art | | Clark Art Institute announces campus expansion by Tadao Ando and launches ClarkNOW | 
Louis XVI Ormolu-Mounted Japanese Lacquer Commode with secretaire en suite, attributed to Adam Weisweiler. Est. $5/7 million. Photo: Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s four-day auction of Property from the Collections of Lily & Edmond J. Safra concluded on Friday with a total of $45,900,064 (est. in excess of $40 million). The Collections offered more than 800 lots of magnificent European furniture and works of art, Russian works of art, silver, paintings and bookbindings, and were led by an extraordinary group of French 18th-century lacquer furniture that arguably is the most important to appear at auction since the iconic 1882 sale of the Collection of the 12th Duke of Hamilton from Hamilton Palace in Scotland. Together the group achieved $12.5 million, led by a Louis XVI Ormolu-Mounted Japanese Lacquer Commode with secretaire en suite, attributed to Adam Weisweiler, which sold for $6,914,500 (est. $5/7 million). “The results of this remarkable auction are an affirmation of the taste, passion and connoisseurship of both Lily and ... More | | 
Gilt and ormolu bronze clock with cherubs. From a Beverly Hills private collection. Don Presley Auction image.
ORANGE, CA.- The 90210 zip code has become a familiar destination for Southern California auctioneer Don Presley, and on Nov. 5-6, Presley will again present a premier private collection sourced directly from a Beverly Hills estate. This time the contents consist of superb clocks, silver, porcelains and other fine and decorative art from a collector whom Presley describes as having “an eye for the exquisite.” A fine jewelry wholesaler by profession, the consignor has always selected pieces of the highest quality for their collection, never settling for anything less. The Beverly Hills collection comprises 400 of the 1,000 lots to be auctioned, and features 200 absolutely fresh to the market antique European and American clocks. “This is such a great clock collection that visitors to our gallery have been asking if a high-end antique store went out of business – but that’s not the case. Thi ... More | | 
File photo of Japanese architect Tadao Ando stands in front of the art and exhibition complex which he designed at the Hombroich missile station, a former NATO base. EPA/Achim Scheidemann.
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA.- The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute announced the launch of the final phase of its campus expansion project and a series of programs that will extend the Clark’s reach and engagement during the time of construction on its Williamstown site. The series of programs, called ClarkNOW, encompasses more than 60 projects over the next three years in Williamstown, New York, and around the globe, including exhibitions, installations, and academic programs. The Clark’s Director Michael Conforti announced substantial completion of a major infrastructure project launched last year and the initiation of construction activities to continue work on the final phase of the campus expansion program. The project includes construction of a new 44,400-square-foot Visitor, Exhibition, and Conference Center designed by ... More |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology's List Visual Arts Center presents Hans Haacke 1967 | | Laura Raicovich, Deputy Director of Dia Art Foundation, among those set to spearhead new public art initiatives | | Aspen Art Museum presents exhibition of the work of Rhode Island artist Don ZanFagna | 
Hans Haacke, Sphere in Oblique Air Jet, 1964-67. Photo courtesy: the artist.
CAMBRIDGE, MA.- The MIT List Visual Arts Center presents Hans Haacke 1967, an exhibition that revisits Hans Haacke’s solo exhibition at MIT from that year, together with ephemeral works that both preceded and followed the 1967 show. When invited to do a solo exhibition in 1967, Haacke was known as a “kinetic” artist—yet he made it clear upon arriving that his works were now to be called “systems,” produced with the “explicit intention of having their components physically communicate with each other, and the whole communicate physically with the environment,” according to the artist’s statements in 1967. The exhibition included Grass, in which a mound of dirt was seeded with grass that grew inside the gallery; Weather Cube, in which water droplets condensed in response to the gallery temperature and humidity; Ice Stick, a six-foot refrigerated column on which amb ... More | | 
As Director of Global Initiatives, Ms. Raicovich will be charged with envisioning and developing a triad of internationally based public art programs. Photo: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.
NEW YORK, NY.- Anne Pasternak, President and Artistic Director of New York City-based public arts presenter Creative Time, announced that Laura Raicovich has been appointed Creative Time’s Director of Global Initiatives. Ms. Raicovich, who will take her post in January 2012, is currently Deputy Director at Dia Art Foundation, where she has held a range of positions over the past decade. As Director of Global Initiatives, Ms. Raicovich will be charged with envisioning and developing a triad of internationally based public art programs. She will oversee a series of global residencies that provide artists with opportunities for research and engagement in communities around the world. She will expand upon Creative Time’s annual Summit conference, which explores the implications of politically-engaged art, working closely with Chief Curator Nato ... More | | 
Don ZanFagna, Pulse Dome 28, 1977 (detail). Mixed media. Courtesy of the Don ZanFagna Foundation.
ASPEN, CO.- The Aspen Art Museum presents an exhibition of the work of artist Don ZanFagna, on view from Friday, October 21, through Sunday, November 20, 2011. Since the 1950s, Don ZanFagna has been creating stunning works that examine the creative potential of ecological design. Manifested through extensive journals, drawings, collages, and architectural models, his work combines environmental consciousness, technological savvy, and utopian spirit. His works have been presented at internationally renowned museums such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. ZanFagna's Aspen Art Museum exhibition will feature selections from his Pulse Domes (1975-79) series: vividly imaginative drawings of homes created, constructed, and maintained entirely with organic processes. The designs presented here are similar to, yet predate, other self-sustaining research environments like B ... More |
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 Cheekwood unveils Visions of the American West from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center Collection NASHVILLE, TN.- In a landmark collaboration, Cheekwood and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center bring the epic romance and adventure of the American West to Nashville in Visions of the American West: Masterworks from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The 200-piece exhibition, which will inhabit every gallery space at Cheekwood, debuts October 22. Its residence at Cheekwood marks the exhibition’s inaugural venture away from its home in Cody, Wyoming. “The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is one of the best destinations in the world to learn about the West,” said Jochen Wierich, Cheekwood’s Curator of Art. “Native Americans and Cowboys, landscape, technology, history, art, and, of course, Buffalo Bill -- the BBHC tells the story of all these facets of the West through a vast collection contained within five distinct museums.” The original Buffalo Bill Wild West Show captivated audiences in Nashvill ... More Exhibition at Romer Young Gallery examines the instability of remaining upright against gravity SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Romer Young Gallery presents its second solo exhibition with Kirk Stoller, I Hope I Don’t Fall Down. I Hope I Don’t Fall Down examines the instability of remaining upright against gravity but explores this from a point of view where doubt is explicit, and determination an underlying question. This exhibition is a companion show to Stoller's recent exhibition at Galerie Axel Obiger in Berlin. For that show, I Will Stay Erect, Stoller adopted the opposite point of reference; a hint of self-doubt betrayed the determination of the show’s title. Connection and support are consistent themes in Stoller's work. Stoller builds sculptures using found wood, plastics, and parts of things that he divorces from their original context. These weathered materials are then combined with glossy and colorful surfaces which the artist handcrafts with careful consideration. Stoller accentuates relationsh ... More Shipment theft reported of a newly discovered and finest known 1870-CC $20, NGC AU58 DALLAS, TX.- A Brinks shipment from Professional Coin Grading Service to Heritage Auctions on October 17th was apparently broken into, and the finest known 1870-CC $20 stolen. The coin is graded AU58 by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and carries NGC Certification ID 3414402-001. “When we opened the Brinks bag, it was evident that the shipping box had been sliced open, and the PCGS box within was empty,” said Paul Minshull COO of Heritage Auctions. “We immediately called PCGS, who confirmed that their security surveillance video showed that the box and package with the coin were shipped as usual and in good order. At that point, we contacted Brinks security and our insurance company, and their investigations have started. We have also reached out to the FBI.” “In my 29 years at Heritage I have not heard of a coin loss in a Brink shipment before,” said Minshull, “so this is an extremely ... More W. R. Leigh's Home Sweet Home, expected to bring $400,000+ at Heritage Auctions DALLAS, TX.- Two spectacular western paintings by W.R. Leigh, Home Sweet Home, 1932 and Renegade at Bay, 1941, are estimated to bring in a combined $700,000+ when they are offered as part of Heritage Auctions’ Nov. 5 Art of the American West Signature® Auction, at the company’s Design District Annex, 1518 Slocum Street. The paintings carry $400,000+ and $300,000+ estimates, respectively. “Acquired in the early 1940s, these works belonged to Eric Jonsson, co-founder of Texas Instruments and one of the most revered mayors Dallas has ever known, deservedly credited with putting Dallas on the business map,” said Kirsty Buchanan, Consignment Director for Western Art at Heritage. “Home Sweet Home and Renegade at Bay both demonstrate Leigh’s expert draftsmanship and evoke the strong narrative quality that collectors seek in his work.” “Home Sweet Home was painted ... More Gavin Gardiner sale includes rifle built for an Italian King LONDON.- A rifle belonging to King Umberto of Italy will be offered by Gavin Gardiner (in association with Sotheby’s) in a sale of Fine Modern and Vintage Sporting Guns and Rifles on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at Sotheby’s, 34-35 New Bond Street, London. A keen shot, Umberto I (1844-1900) was King of Italy from 1878 until his death in 1900 when he was assassinated. This .577 hammer rifle was built in 1883 by famous London gunmaker Holland & Holland and is estimated at £2,500-3,500. Commenting on the auction, Gavin Gardiner said: “Over the years I have sold many guns with a Royal connection... most recently a rifle built for King Edward VII, as well as numerous guns built for King Edward VIII when he was Prince of Wales, and a gun built for King George VI. I have also sold a pair of guns that belonged to Lord Louis Mountbatten, Uncle to the current Prince of Wales, as well as many guns built for Europea ... More Old-time radio convention meets for last time NEWARK (AP).- For one weekend a year, the ghosts and survivors of Jack Benny, Benny Goodman, Goodman Ace and hundreds of other legends of the old days of radio hold court at a hotel across the road from Newark Airport. The annual Friends of Old-Time Radio Convention has been meeting for 36 years. But when it signs off Saturday night, it will be for the last time. The reason is simple, says Jay Hickerson, a musician who has been running the show from the beginning: the march of time. "Lack of OTR (old-time radio) guests. And the committee is getting older," he said. The gathering, humble as it is, used to be able to call on a constellation of stars from the early days of radio. Now it's down to former child stars in their 80s and 90s. Arthur Anderson, 88, who acted as a teenager with Orson Welles, is an honored guest. Grandsons of 1930s song and dance star Eddie Cantor and Brace Beemer, the voice of the ... More |
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