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Story Jaclyn Tersigni, The Globe and Mail, October 27, 2011 TORONTO – “Faced with research that its admission prices were too high and dissuading visitors, the Royal Ontario Museum has slashed some of its ticket prices by as much as 37 per cent. The changes took effect on Thursday. Canada’s largest cultural institution receives just under half of its funding from government grants, and until now, had some of the highest admission prices in Canada. Janet Carding, ROM director and CEO, said the ROM’s own initiatives drove the decision announced on Thursday. The new prices reflect rates that participants in ROM’s research said would be more appealing.
“This is our decision,” Ms. Carding said in a phone interview on Thursday. “We decided for ourselves as part of our strategic planning that we wanted to do some research, speak to our visitors across the GTA and speak to people who haven’t come to visit us for a while. We were looking to see how we could encourage more repeat visitors and encourage more first-time visitors, and what we uncovered in that research is that the price was a barrier to people coming to us.” The ROM worked with Strategic Counsel, a research company, and Lord Cultural Resources to conduct research through avenues like surveys and focus groups. Adult admission is now $15. Seniors and students will pay $13.50, a 35 per cent decrease, and child admission is $12, down by 25 per cent. The museum has discontinued its free two-hour period on Wednesday nights. …” | |
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Cultural News, a free service of Lord Cultural Resources, is released at the end of every week by our Librarians: Brenda Taylor and Danielle Manning, with contributions from Ameline Coulombier and Camille Balmand of Lordculture. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest digest of cultural news. |
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Our Clients and Lord Cultural
Resources in the News
National Civil Rights Museum project gets $21 million
jump-start, asks public to join Michael Lollar (Memphis
Commercial Appeal), Knoxville News
Sentinel, Posted October 26, 2011 at 8:29 a.m. MEMPHIS – “The National Civil Rights Museum
announced Tuesday that corporate and state donations already have raised
about 77 percent of the $27 million construction budget for renovation and
redesign of the 20-year-old institution. At an event to kick off the public
phase of the fundraising effort, museum president Beverly Robertson said the
museum will shut down its main building at the end of 2012 for the work. It
is expected to be closed for 12 to 14 months, but the museum annex across the
street on Mulberry will remain open. The annex, which tells the story of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassin, James Earl Ray, includes the rooming house
from which Ray fired the fatal bullet while King stood on the balcony of the
Lorraine Motel, now part of the museum. Robertson said state and corporate donations
have produced $21 million of the $27 million construction budget. The
museum's total fundraising goal is $40 million, with $13 million to go to an
endowment fund, largely to promote educational projects. …” Madison Children’s Museum Earns 2011 National Medal for
Museum Service Madison Children’s Museum, The Madison Times, October 26, 2011 MADISON, TENNESSEE — “Madison Children’s Museum has been
awarded the 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, a
once-in-a-lifetime honor for any museum or library in the country. Each year,
the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces five museums
and five libraries from across the country to receive this ultimate
recognition. The medal—the first won by any Wisconsin museum—was announced
and celebrated locally this morning at the downtown museum with supporters,
member families, staff, legislative representatives, and others connected to
the nonprofit institution. The official award will be presented to museum
representatives in late winter or early spring in Washington, D.C. Madison
Children’s Museum will receive $10,000 for achieving the honor, and the funds
will be used to support its Access for Everyone program that affords ALL
individuals the opportunity to visit the museum regardless of economic,
physical, or other barriers …” Wal-Mart gives $5 million to help build Smithsonian black
history museum on National Mall Associated Press, The Washington Post, 25 October, 2011 WASHINGTON — “Wal-Mart donated
$5 million Tuesday to help build the Smithsonian Institution’s planned National Museum of African American
History and Culture on the National Mall. The gift makes the world’s
largest retailer one of the project’s “founding donors” who have given more than
$1 million. Construction is scheduled to begin next year for a $500 million
museum on a five-acre site near the Washington Monument next year. The
project is on track to open in fall 2015, Museum Director Lonnie Bunch said
Tuesday. …” Abu Dhabi developer vows to open Louvre Museum branch designed by Jean Nouvel in late 2013 Adam Schreck (AP Business Writer), Recent News, artdaily.org, 24 October 2011
DUBAI – “The Abu Dhabi developer building a vast cultural district in the Emirati capital said Monday a branch of the famed Louvre museum will open there in late 2013, despite questions about the timetable for another part of the project. The Tourism Development and Investment Co. told The Associated Press that a branch of the Parisian art institution will be the first museum to open in the Saadiyat Island cultural district, a year behind schedule. Plans originally called for a 2012 opening date. TDIC's comments came a day after the state-run developer disclosed it had dropped a tender seeking bids for major construction work on a branch of the Guggenheim Museum, raising questions about that project's future. The developer insisted that all projects on the island will be completed, however. "TDIC continuously monitors the delivery of its projects to ensure they remain on schedule, within budget and that TDIC's high standards are upheld throughout the process. TDIC is moving forward as planned with all of its announced projects including all the projects on Saadiyat," the company said in response to questions from the AP. TDIC said work on the Louvre is "progressing as planned," with initial ground preparation and design work already complete. …”
Abu Dhabi firm backtracks on Guggenheim contract, raising questions about the future Adam Schreck (AP Business Writer), Recent News, artdaily.org, 23 October 2011
DUBAI – “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 is still moving ahead, but didn't provide details.
TDIC has previously said it would open the museum by 2013. …” [see also La
construction du musée Guggenheim d’Abu Dhabi est suspendue, Artclair, 26
October 2011]
Harvard Art Museums Receive Gift of Outsider Art from Didi and David Barrett Recent News, artdaily.org, 23 October 2011
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 Barrett for their generous gift,” said Thomas W. Lentz, Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director of the Harvard Art Museums. “These ‘outsider’ works take our holdings of American contemporary art in an exciting new direction, providing a unique opportunity for study and appreciation by students, scholars, and visitors.” …”
Clark Art Institute announces campus expansion by Tadao Ando and launches ClarkNOW Recent News, artdaily.org, 23 October 2011
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 Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando; renovation of the existing museum building and Manton Research Center by architect Annabelle Selldorf; and a sweeping new landscape design by Gary Hilderbrand that will reorient the visitor experience on the Clark’s 140-acre property to highlight its natural setting and enhance sustainability. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2014. …” Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Awards Feasibility Study Contract Government of Nova Scotia, Canada Views, 21 October 2011
NOVA SCOTIA – “Lord Cultural Resources will study the costs and benefits of a new, larger facility for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. The Ontario-based consulting firm was the successful bidder on the feasibility study and will begin Monday, Oct. 24. The governments of Nova Scotia and Canada and the art gallery are paying for the $120,000 study, which will examine the costs of designing, constructing and managing a new Halifax facility. It will also forecast operating costs and revenue potential. […] “On behalf of the board of governors of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, we are pleased to be working with Lord Cultural Resources and we look forward to their completed study in the new year,” said Mark Bursey, chair of the AGNS board of governors. The consulting firm will work with Nova Scotia companies WHW Architects, RBR Development Associates and A.L. Arbic Consulting on the study, which is expected to be complete by early spring.” [For more commentary on this topic, see also Firm chosen to lead Halifax art gallery study, The Canadian Press, Publisher 21 October 2011 9:33AM, Last modified 21 October 2011 9:43AM, and Feasibility study commences for design, construction of Halifax art gallery, Daily Commercial News, 21 October 2011]
Rubin Museum receives $25 million gift from Shelley and Donald Rubin Recent News, artdaily.org, 21 October 2011
NEW YORK, N.Y. – “Robert M. Baylis, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Rubin Museum announced that the Museum has received a $25 million gift from Shelley and Donald Rubin, the Museum’s founders. The gift will be dedicated to helping fund operations, exhibitions and programs over the next five years as the Rubin continues its initiatives to diversify its leadership and broaden its funding base. In support of these goals, Mr. Baylis concurrently announced that Patrick Sears has been named Deputy Director of the Museum and Cynthia Guyer has been appointed to the newly created position of Head of External Affairs. …”
Exhibition at Royal Ontario Museum showcases some of the biggest names in its collection Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 October 2011
TORONTO, ON – “The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) showcases some of its biggest names as it presents the original exhibition The Art of Collecting. Opening on Saturday, October 22, 2011, the exhibition will be displayed in the ROM’s Level 3 Samuel European Galleries for approximately one year. The exhibition provides the ROM the opportunity to acknowledge its many generous donors who have made the ROM’s European Decorative Art Collection the most comprehensive in Canada. …”
Museums
Museum unveils £1.2m redevelopment plans James Cox, Clacton & Frinton
Gazette, 1:00pm Thursday 27th October 2011 COLCHESTER, ESSEX – “A MUSEUM has submitted plans to make £1.2million
of improvements in the next ten years. East Anglian Railway Museum, at
Chappel Station, wants to build a new exhibition and heritage centre, storage
and refurbishment facilities and a mock-up station scene. An outline
application has been made to Colchester Council. Museum bosses said the
investment will help preserve artefacts and boost visitor numbers. It would
also help the local economy and create new jobs. …” Australian curator resigns over stalled indigenous gallery Hetti Perkins plans to fulfil her vision for a national indigenous
cultural centre in Sydney Elizabeth Fortescue, The Art
Newspaper, Web only, Published online 27 Oct 2011 SYDNEY – “One of Australia’s most influential indigenous art curators,
Hetti Perkins, has resigned in “frustration” from the Art Gallery of New
South Wales (AGNSW) and will now strive to fulfil her vision for a national
indigenous cultural centre in Sydney. Perkins’ resignation letter, addressed
to AGNSW director Edmund Capon, who retires at the end of 2011, expressed
dismay that her exhibition proposals “are not progressed beyond successive
presentations”, and that the AGNSW’s Yiribana gallery for indigenous art had
stagnated. …” Marine Museum loses nonprofit status for not complying with
filing rules Michael Holtzman, The Herald
News, Posted Oct 26, 2011 @ 11:15 PM, Last update Oct 27, 2011 @ 12:14 AM FALL RIVER, MA — “The Marine Museum, established in 1968 with a
donated collection that includes models from the original U.S.S. Titanic 1953
movie and replicas of the Fall River Line steamers, has lost its nonprofit
status for failIng to comply with federal filing regulations, the IRS
reported this month. “The organization’s exempt status was automatically
revoked by the IRS for failure to file a Form 990 … for three consecutive
years,” according to GuideStar, an Internet database that tracks information
on nonprofits. The IRS website confirms the private nonprofit had its tax
status revoked on Feb. 15 and the revocation posted on Oct. 7. …” Museum to improve accessibility for visitors with
disabilities Global Accessibility News (from www.thehindu.com), Oct 26, 2011 CHENNAI, INDIA – “The Government Museum is gearing up to receive more
visitors with disabilities with a host of amenities for them set to come up
in the next few months on its sprawling campus in Egmore. From more ramps
with hand railings near the galleries to elevators to tactile flooring to
modified toilets, work on a few of the proposed facilities to make the museum
more disabled-friendly has already begun. A public address system is also to
be installed. Around 3.5 lakh people visit the Museum’s various galleries
annually, entry to which is by way of tickets. At least 50 per cent of them
are children. The Museum is also a sought-after destination for school
excursions. “We want to make this an inclusive museum and one for all,” said
S.S. Jawahar, Commissioner of Museums. …” Occupy Museums Takes a Step in the Right Direction Liza Eliano, Hyperallergic,
October 26, 2011 “The face of Occupy Museums is evolving, and possibly for the better. After an aggressive rhetoric that seemed to blindly go after any large museum with money, the movement has toned down its mission. In its second week, Occupy Museums now seeks a more inclusive discussion, proven by this statement from the Occupy Museums event page: “At its core, the Occupy Movement is about imagining and building a just and democratic future. It is generative not destructive. We are shifting collective consciousness. We are here to envision what the museum can be, what art can be, and how we can create a society that works for the 100%.” This sounds like a step in the right direction and allows for a more nuanced look at how museums function. After all, the lack of government funding these institutions receive is a large part of why they must rely so heavily on rich board members. …” [see also Occupy Museums to protest at art exhibits in New York, Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 20 October 2011] Mexican Museum wins $800,000 grant Stephanie Lee, San Francisco
Chronicle, City Insider Blog,
Oct 26, 2011 at 4:08 pm SAN FRANCISCO – “The Mexican Museum has won an $800,000 grant to
design and develop its long-sought permanent home in the city’s Yerba Buena
neighborhood. Awarded by the California Cultural and Historical Endowment,
the money will go toward drawing up plans for a 40,000-square-foot space,
preparing construction documents and helping oversee the building process.
Prominent Mexican architect Enrique Norten is designing the museum, whose
collection includes 14,000 pieces of Mexican and Mexican-American art. …” Plans for PEI museum gathering dust Nancy MacPhee, The Journal
Pioneer, 26 October 2011 SUMMERSIDE, PEI – “Plans for a provincial museum are at a standstill
and the Province isn’t saying whether money for the project is in the
upcoming capital budget. The issue was at the forefront at Tuesday night’s
annual meeting of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, the group
lobbying for a facility to house and showcase artifacts now stored at its
collections facility in Charlottetown. That facility, known as the
artifactory, is bursting at the seams. The foundation has recently had to
rent a 3,000-square-foot space at a cost of $27,000 a year. Newly minted
Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Henderson said his government is
committed to the concept of a provincial museum. …” New York's Met Museum showcases a world of Islamic treasures Reopened department's galleries feature 12,000 objects that aim to
promote 'mutual understanding and education' Charlotte Higgins, The Guardian,
26 October 2011 NEW YORK – “The timing could hardly be more symbolic. The Metropolitan
Museum of Art's Islamic department closed in 2003, as war loomed with Iraq.
Now, on 1 November, just over a decade after 9/11, the department reopens in
a grandiose suite of new galleries displaying 12,000 objects in 19,000 square
feet of space. Here are priceless Persian carpets, delicate Iznik ceramics,
exquisite Mughal miniatures, and a 14th-century tiled prayer niche from medieval
Isfahan inscribed with verses from the Qur'an. There is an astrolabe, dated
1291, made by a Rasulid prince from modern Yemen; and a voluptuous Safavid
tile panel from 17th-century Iran, showing a sexily deshabillé courtesan
desporting herself in a garden, with a be-ruffed European merchant kneeling
at her feet. […] At the official
ribbon-cutting ceremony for the galleries, Thomas P Campbell, the
British-born director of the museum, was clear about the political urgency of
the galleries. "We must recognise," he told the assembled great and
good, politicians and donors who had gathered in the Met's central foyer,
"that we live in a nation where a widespread consciousness about the
Islamic world really did not exist until 10 years ago, and that awareness
came at one of the darkest hours in American history." He added:
"It is our job and the great achievement of these galleries to educate
our audience about the depths and magnificence of the Islamic
tradition." …” Calls grow for national design museum The Local (Germany’s News in
English), 25 Oct 11 09:04 CET BERLIN – “Despite the worldwide acclaim German-designed products
receive, there's no national museum for design. But that could soon change.
Germany is renowned for great design: from Bauhaus to Dieter Rams' work for
Braun, it has helped shape the country both economically and visually. So
it's perhaps surprising that there is no central museum to showcase one of
Germany's most impressive export industries. But the National German Design
Council has started a campaign to rectify the omission. A foundation has been
formed, plans are being drawn up and a somewhat controversial proposal has
been made. …” The National Museum of Taiwan History will open Oct. 29 in
Tainan, after 12 years of work. June Tsai (Courtesy of Council for Cultural Affairs), Taiwan Today, 10/25/2011 TAINAN CITY, TAIWAN – “The National Museum of Taiwan History will hold
its grand opening in Tainan City Oct. 29, following 12 years of preparation,
museum authorities announced. We will present the history of the Taiwanese
people, in a museum designed for them,” Director Lu Li-cheng said at a news
conference in Taipei Oct. 24. To this purpose, more than 60,000 items have
been collected from home and abroad, including materials and documents
pertaining to local cultural life, interactions among ethnic groups and folk
heritage, Lu said. …” Changing Exhibitions at Museums – Part One Reach Advisors, Museum Audience
Insight, 25 October 2011 “Exhibitions are crucial to museums.
After all, that is what most people come to museums to see. But how
important are changing exhibitions to visitors? Do they drive attendance? Membership?
Or are people fairly content with permanent exhibitions? We were
recently asked what our existing data sets say about museum visitors and
changing exhibitions, and while our data is limited in scope-we’ve never
explicitly asked about this topic-we were able to pull out some interesting
points that can start to give us an idea of the value of changing
exhibitions. …” Community garden: A museum of living art Adrian Higgins, The Washington
Post (Arts Post Blog), 25 October 2011 RICHMOND, VA – “You can find direct and amusing parallels between
traditional museums and botanical gardens. Both house works of beauty that
are artfully displayed, and the shows come and go.
Viewing the sculptural and priceless bonsai collection at the National
Arboretum, for example, has to be every bit as thrilling as seeing a great
art show with the added frisson that these century-old plants (and older) are
alive and someone has to keep them that way. But botanical gardens have taken
on a greater value in recent years as they have found their work touching on
some of the most pressing social and environmental issues of the day. Local
and sustainable agriculture, urban farms, crises of diet and nutrition and
the ecologically minded life: All these strands now intersect in the world of
public horticulture. On Tuesday, the D.C.-based Institute of Museum and
Library Services announced its 2011 National Medal awards. Among the 10
recipients was the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, only the third
garden to receive the award. …” Le
Musée d'Orsay en grève pour le sixième jour consécutif Le Monde, 25 October 2011 PARIS - "Le Musée d'Orsay restait fermé, mardi 25 octobre, pour le
sixième jour consécutif, en raison d'un mouvement de grève d'une partie des
personnels qui dénoncent un manque d'effectifs, a indiqué la direction de
l'établissement. Les salariés étaient réunis en assemblée générale mardi matin pour
décider de la suite du mouvement. Lundi, la grève n'avait pas eu d'incidence
pour les visiteurs, puisque c'était le jour de fermeture hebdomadaire du musée." Une lueur d’espoir pour Exploramer Pierre Morel, L’Avantage, 24 octobre 2011
QUEBEC – “Malgré le départ de celle qui était considérée comme la marraine d’Exploramer, Nathalie Normandeau, la directrice du musée de Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Sandra Gauthier, croît à une ouverture de la part du ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine dans le dossier du financement des musées. Précisant que depuis 2006, on a démontré que le moratoire lié au financement de ces institutions causait un problème majeur pour leur survie, Sandra Gauthier souligne que les musées reconnus, mais non soutenus ont décidé de se regrouper autour d’une coalition. « Après s’être allié avec les musées de la Gaspésie et puis ceux du Bas-Saint-Laurent ça n’a pas bougé, mais là nous avons formé une coalition de trente musées répartis dans treize régions du Québec », dit-elle. …”
British Museum announces new funding to collect contemporary Middle Eastern Art Recent News, artdaily.org, 23 October 2011
LONDON – “The British Museum has been collecting modern and contemporary art from the Middle East since the 1980s. To date, this collection contains works by over 200 established and emerging artists from across the region, many of which featured in the influential exhibition Word into Art in 2006 (which travelled to Dubai in 2008). The Museum has been a pioneer in the acquisition of this material and now, in its fourth decade of collecting, houses the pre-eminent collection of art from this region in the UK. Modern artworks in the British Museum collection are principally works on paper, and are selected to complement the historical collections because they ‘speak of their time’. The collection of modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art, therefore, represents social and historical realities of the modern Middle East. …”
Museum project 8 months late, over budget: Whitchurch-Stouffville considers litigation Sandra Bolan, YorkRegion.com, 21 October 2011
WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE – “The town has fired its museum addition contractor in a dispute that could go to court and the project will be between $300,000 and $400,000 over budget when finally complete — about eight months behind schedule. To date, $2,596,000 has been spent on the Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum and Community Centre project. It has a budget of $3,256,555, but is expected to cost $3,556,555. However, due to the delay in getting the project done on time, the town anticipates an additional $300,000 in expenditures, plus a potential $100,000 in lost grant money. Two thirds of the project is being funded by federal and provincial grant money. The remaining one-third is being paid for by the municipality. …”
Pierre Landry accède à la présidence de la Société des musées québécois Voir, 21 octobre 2011
QUEBEC – “La Société des musées québécois (SMQ) a annoncé cette semaine que Pierre Landry, directeur général du Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent à Rivière-du-Loup, accédait à la présidence de l’organisme qui agit à titre de porte-parole des institutions muséales du Québec et des professionnels de la muséologie. …”
Goodbye Triangle. Hello Museum of Contemporary Art Calgary
CALGARY, ALBERTA – “When the federal government declared Calgary the Cultural Capital of Canada last week Jeffrey Spalding, recently appointed artistic director of the Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts took that designation as a challenge. The renowned artist, curator and academic was determined that the gallery – which has been a staple of Calgary’s art scene since its inception in 1988 – needed to step up its game and his ambitious vision for that involves “repurposing, rebranding and seeking relocation.” Step one goes into effect today with the Triangle Gallery set to announce a name change during the opening of its newest exhibition, Calgary Modern. Goodbye Triangle Gallery, hello Museum of Contemporary Art Calgary. …”
Libeskind’s Museum of Military History Opens in Dresden The architect splits open a neoclassical building—and the exhibitions inside—with a dramatic, v-shaped shard Michael Dumiak, Architectural Record, 20 October 2011
DRSEDEN – “Studio Daniel Libeskind’s new home for the Museum of Military History in Dresden, Germany, opened to the public on Saturday. Set in the middle of a sprawling decommissioned military complex north of the city’s historic center, the museum is housed in a former arsenal building, which Libeskind has renovated and expanded with a v-shaped shard that rises 100 feet above grade. The glass, concrete, and steel triangle cants up and out from the center of the existing building, appearing to slice through it. The architect says he wanted to create an aggressive “intervention” in the neoclassical symmetry of the 1873 arsenal, built under the direction of a pupil of the architect Gottfried Semper …”
Architecture
What we talk about when we talk about buildings How will critics react to
the Tel Aviv Museum of Art’s new wing, and how will it fit into the city’s
architectural story? A symposium next week aims to answer these questions. Noam Dvir, Haaretz, Published 03:42 27.10.11
Latest update 03:42 27.10.11 TEL AVIV – “Next week Tel
Aviv joins the long list of cities around the world with art museums in
contemporary, state-of-the-art buildings. What began with the Guggenheim
Museum Bilbao in Spain in the late 1990s began a mushrooming global trend of
investing in the architecture of cultural institutions. Bilbao turned from a
sleepy industrial city into a Mecca for lovers of art and design and
experienced an economic renaissance. The museum's architect, Frank Gehry, set
a new standard for architectural grandstanding and became a pole of
attraction for other cities seeking similar recognition. Once conservative
and inflexible institutions, museums today are urban landmarks, playgrounds
for bold architectural games. …” Green-Roofed Jeju Natural Heritage Center is Carved from
South Korea’s Volcanic Landscape Andrew Michler, Inhabitat, 10/27/2011 JEJU, SOUTH KOREA – “Jeju
is a small volcanic island off the southern coast of South Korea that is home
to some of the nation’s most beautiful landscapes - including the highest
mountain in the country. The diverse and wild land is celebrated in the
design of the Jeju Natural Heritage Center by architecture firm poly.m.ur.
The project's undulating form topped with a green roof mimics the volcanic
formations of the island. Rather than being placed in the landscape the
Center is formed out of the landscape, providing a unique relationship for
visitors who can explore every facet of the building. …” Frieze Art Fair Pavilions Wrap Regent’s Park in Timber and
Plastic Lori Zimmer, Inhabitat, 10/26/2011 LONDON – “Each year the
Frieze Art Fair brings top galleries and artists from around the world to
London. This year, architects Carmody Groarke were asked to create temporary
pavilions for the fair in Regent’s Park. Built from timber and plastic, the
pavilions were spacious venues flooded with light during the day that glowed
brightly at night. Best of all, each of the pavilions were recycled after the
fair was over …” Frank Gehry Looks to Asia for Projects as U.S. Growth Slows Nadja Brandt, Bloomberg Businessweek, October 26,
2011, 9:11 PM EDT Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) –
“Frank Gehry, designer of Los Angeles’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, is seeking
projects in Asian countries including China and India as slower U.S. growth
crimps development in the world’s largest economy. The architect said he’s
competing to plan a museum in one of China’s fast-expanding metropolitan
areas, as well as a “very spiritual kind of a building” in India. He declined
to give further details. Gehry, 82, is turning to Asia as developers start
few projects in the U.S. The Architecture Billings Index, an indicator of
American construction, plunged to 46.9 last month from 51.4 in August,
reflecting lower demand for design services, according to the American
Institute of Architects. Any score less than 50 indicates
a decline in billings. Meanwhile, “there’s an art explosion in China,” Gehry
said in an Oct. 25 interview at Bloomberg’s Los Angeles offices. “It’s really
great -- very exciting.” …” Holcim Announces Winners of 2011 Sustainable Design Awards
for North America Beth Broome, Architectural Record, 26 October 2011 NORTH AMERICA – “On October 20 the Holcim Foundation announced the
North American winners of its third international awards competition for
sustainable design at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. A
total of $300,000 went to ten regional winners, which include projects
ranging from a network of Inuit food gathering nodes, to an energy-efficient
military installation, to a storm-management system that integrates mangrove
forests with engineered structures. The gold, silver, and bronze winners will
advance as candidates for Holcim’s global awards, which come with a total of
$500,000 in prize money and which will be announced in the second quarter of
2012. Projects from five regions are considered: North America, Europe, Latin
America, Africa/Middle East, and Asia Pacific. …” Gehry Forms Alliance of Architects To Promote Technological Integration Jeff Rubenstone, Architectural Record, 19 October 2011
LOS ANGELES – “Gehry Technologies is forming a new strategic alliance of prominent architects to serve as an advisory board that will promote new technologies in design and construction. Frank Gehry, who founded the Los Angeles-based company in 2002, said in a statement on Oct. 18 "I am dedicated to giving architects better control of the process so they can deliver the fruits of their imagination, which is what our clients expect." Gehry emphasized the shared goals of the group, whose roster contains some of the biggest names in architecture. “I have gathered a group of my friends together who believe in this mission as much as I do and who can help me find the solutions that will ultimately lead to better buildings throughout the world." The distinguished group includes David Childs, Massimo Colomban, Zaha Hadid, Greg Lynn, Laurie Olin, Wolf. D. Prix, David Rockwell, Moshe Safdie, Matthias Schuler, Patrik Schumacher, Ben van Berkel and Richard Saul Wurman. …”
Technology
mfah.org, e-flux, 27 October 2011 HOUSTON – “Initiatives are
a catalyst for the future of the field of 20th-century Latin American and
Latino art. Some 10,000 primary-source documents will be available worldwide
for the first time, launching with materials from Mexico, Argentina and the
American Midwest. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and its research
institute, the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA), have
devoted ten years and 50 million USD to initiatives in 20th-century Latin
American and Latino art. In January 2012, the MFAH and ICAA will launch a
digital archive of some 10,000 primary-source materials, culled by hundreds
of researchers based in 16 cities in the U.S. and throughout Latin America.
The online archive will be available worldwide, free of charge, and is
intended as a catalyst for the future of a field that has been notoriously
lacking in accessible resources. The phased, multi-year launch begins with 2,500
documents from Argentina, Mexico and the American Midwest, capping the
10th-anniversary year for the Latin American program. Documents from other
countries and communities will continue to be uploaded and made available.
The first volume in a companion series of 13 annotated books will be
published with the archive launch, with subsequent volumes in the series
published annually. …” artnet auctions announces artnet DesignTV Recent News, artdaily.org, 27 October 2011 NEW YORK – “artnet just
launched this week artnet DesignTV, a new series of video interviews of
Design-world persons. Shot at the artnet downtown New York City headquarters,
the videos feature important figures in the Design and Architecture fields.
Included will be industrial designers, interior designers, architects,
curators, critics, gallerists, collectors, and other influential Design-world
luminaries. The brief interviews will enable each to discuss recent and
upcoming projects, their overall approach to their work, and to tell the
stories behind the projects which define them. …” What Makes Me, innovation from Down Under André Bouchard, Technology in the Arts, October 25,
2011 AUSTRALIA – “There’s a
project going on in Australia that is the largest online digital storytelling
project in the country. The project invites people to tell stories about what
has made the arts special to them and how they’ve been touched by the arts.
They tell their stories through audio, video and writing. The cool thing
about it is, anyone in Australia can do it. As of today, it has several thousand
entries. The project was launched in July of 2010 and the results are
aggregated into a into a giant, growing testimonial
page with search-able contents by genre. This website is called “What Makes Me”. There are
three different sections: What Makes Me, What Makes You, What
Makes Us. Each person claims a cube, a cleverly designed multimedia enabled
object online and they decorate it with their images, video, and audio files.
…” Rendezvous With Art and Ardent Jennifer Preston, The New York Times, 21 October 2011
NEW YORK, NY – “With so
many museums, exhibits, art galleries and lectures to choose from every day,
how does a busy young arts professional
keep up? For Francesca Merlino and
about two dozen of her colleagues who work for museums and arts groups in New
York City, it’s following each other’s 140-character updates on Twitter and
the hashtag, #artstech.
Unlike some people who never step outside of their online Twitter streams,
members of this group use the micro-blogging service to help them follow each
other in real life. “We use Twitter to not only to connect with one another,
but to share what we feel brings value to a larger online arts community,”
said Ms. Merlino, 26, senior marketing manager at
the Guggenheim Museum. “It has enabled us to form both professional and personal relationships that has
provided countless opportunities for learning and collaboration.” …” Art Meets Technology in New York City Sean Bowie, Technology in the Arts, October 24,
2011 “For many of us in the arts
community, especially in cities that feature a wide variety of art
opportunities to explore, we are often tasked with a dilemma: what is the
best way to find not only events that are close to me, but also events that
my friends and I will enjoy the most? As is often the case, this is where
technology comes in. The New York Times reported yesterday on a group of
young arts professionals in New York City who are using social media to not
only find those very events that are the most appealing to them, but also to
organize like-minded individuals to join them at the newest buzz-worthy art
gallery opening or museum exhibit. The tools and tactics these arts
professionals are using can serve as an excellent model for artists and art
lovers in any city where the arts are appreciated. For those who are looking
for more targeted art opportunities, there are a number of social media
outlets where you can discover more information. …” George Eastman House taps Clickworker for iconic global
crowdsourcing project Recent News, artdaily.org, 21 October 2011 ROCHESTER, N.Y. – “George Eastman House the world’s oldest photography
museum founded in 1947 on the estate of Kodak founder George Eastman, and
Clickworker, an innovator in the global crowdsourcing and workforce solutions
space, announce the kick-off of a large-scale, iconic crowdsourcing project.
The project involves photo-tagging of more than 400,000 images from George
Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. Utilizing
Clickworker’s innovative crowdsourcing technology, George Eastman House is
able to bring archives into the digital age, making them easily accessible to
the public — in many instances, for the very first time. To meet the needs of
this expansive project, Clickworker leverages its global crowd of more than
115,000 to efficiently tag and catalog the museum’s vast collection of images
from around the world. “Clickworker is excited to help the renowned George
Eastman House archive world art and history in our latest corporate
responsibility project,” said Wolfgang Kitza, Clickworker CEO. “It’s not just
one country or one cause – but we’re actually helping archive the world. The
collection offers the most intimate look at the pioneers of photography and
their art. It is truly a perfect partnership to showcase our international
and multifaceted services. And as a result, the world will have an accessible
visual library.” …”
Art and Culture
Online petition to reinstate the outgoing chair reaches more than
3,800 signatures Helen Stoilas, The Art
Newspaper, Web only, Published online 27 Oct 2011 VENICE –“An online petition to reinstate the outgoing chairman of the
Venice Biennale foundation, Paolo Baratta, has reached 3,800 signatures.
Among the petition’s supporters are leading art world figures, including
Nicholas Serota, the director of Tate, and Bice Curiger, the curator of this
year’s biennial. “In these four years the Biennale increased the
international prestige of the Fondazione and was useful in creating a strong
relationship with the city and its institutions,” the online petition states.
“For this reason we ask the minister of culture, Giancarlo Galan, to maintain
the experience of Paolo Baratta as the president of Biennale. It's very
important to guarantee the continuity of his work for the city.” …” Sharjah in bid to become a world heritage site Rym Ghazal, The National (UAE),
Oct 27, 2011 SHARJAH –“Only a few decades have passed since people travelled from
across the Emirates to Souq Al Arsa in Sharjah for wood and other vital
commodities. Piles of goods were carried on camels, which were often raced
from the docking dhows to the heart of the market as merchants sought to
catch the earliest buyers. The souq's name is an old expression for something
dried up, like the wood that was once traded there. However, except for the
recollections of a handful of surviving elders, the heritage behind the
200-year-old market has been all but forgotten. "Those who really know
the stories and histories behind places are either dying or already
dead," said Dr Parween Arif, the folklore expert at the Sharjah
Department of Culture and Information. To keep the history alive, Dr Arif and
a team of experts at the department launched two major projects at the end of
last year. …” Gorky Park director appointed head of Moscow's culture
department Sergei Kapkov has transformed the park, where the Garage Center for
Contemporary Art is due to move Sophia Kishkovsky, The Art
Newspaper, Web only, Published online 26 Oct 2011 MOSCOW – “Sergei Kapkov, who was appointed last spring as the director
of the iconic Stalin-era Gorky Park and transformed it, within months, from a
symbol of post-Soviet decline into a trendy venue for nature and public
art—thanks to funding from billionaire Roman Abramovich—has been appointed
head of Moscow's culture department. Kapkov replaces Sergei Khudyakov, who
has directed the department since 2001. …” Après
la mort de Kadhafi, l’UNESCO s’inquiète pour le patrimoine culturel libyen Artclair, 25 October 2011 PARIS - "L’UNESCO a organisé une réunion le 21 octobre 2011 pour
faire le point sur l’état du patrimoine culturel libyen après huit mois de
guerre civile. Plusieurs spécialistes internationaux étaient présents,
notamment les membres de la mission du Bouclier bleu qui se sont rendus dans
le pays fin septembre 2011. Si aucun dégât important n’a été relevé sur les
sites classés, les responsables de l’UNESCO ont mis en garde contre les
pillages, fréquents à la fin d’un conflit. Récemment, un important trésor a
disparu à Benghazi." Do You Have a Good Argument for Your Institution? Nina Simon, Museum 2.0, October
25, 2011 “At my grocery store, if you bring your own shopping bag, they give
you tokens that you can use to donate money to local nonprofits. As I drop 5
cent tokens into my slots of choice, I often wonder: could my museum be on
this list? Would it be appropriate to ask for donations here alongside the
food bank and the women's shelter? Would anyone put their token in our slot?
This boils down to a fairly basic question: what's the value of our
institutions? We all have arguments we make to prove our worth--economic,
educational, social--but many of those arguments are
insider-focused. They are successful with audiences who already believe in
the intrinsic power of art or the role art plays in civic engagement, but
it's unclear how helpful they are to the people who aren't attending,
participating, or supporting. I don't think many of them pass the the grocery
store token test. Last year, the Fine Arts Fund in Cincinnati (now called
ArtsWave) released a terrific report that examined this question in detail.
The Fund wanted to find the most effective ways to promote public action for
the arts in their city--not among established arts supporters, but among
diverse members of the public who may have only a glancing relationship with
arts institutions. …” [see also the full report The Arts Ripple Effect: A Research-Based Strategy to Build
Shared Responsibility for the Arts, produced
by the Topos Partnership for the Fine Arts Fund, 2010; webinar & articles
about the research are also available at http://www.theartswave.org/about/research-reports] As metal prices boom in the markets, copper thieves target South African bronze art Donna Bryson (Associated Press), Recent News, artdaily.org, 25 October 2011
JOHANNESBURG – “One of the bronze sculptures stolen from the Johannesburg Art Gallery is worth about $16,000. Curators fear thieves sold it to a scrap dealer for a mere $250. Prices for metals with industrial uses like copper — the main component in bronze — have been booming. And as the stolen bronzes fail to turn up at auction houses, galleries can only fear the worst. "I understand that art will be stolen," said Noah Charney, who founded a think tank called the Association for Research into Crimes Against Art. "But I get very upset when art is destroyed ... that is an irrevocable attack on beauty, culture and civilization." …”
Conceptual Framework for Culture Statistics 2011 Statistics Canada, 24 October 2011 CANADA - “Acknowledgements: The Conceptual Framework for Culture Statistics 2011 was written by Marla Waltman Daschko, former Chief of Statistics Canada’s Culture Statistics Program. The work involved extensive consultation and research to update and expand the original 2004 Canadian conceptual framework. We gratefully acknowledge the expertise she brought to the project and her enthusiasm for the subject matter. The 2011 Canadian Framework for Culture Statistics is the result of a long-standing and close collaborative effort between the Culture Statistics Program of Statistics Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage. The enthusiastic participation of our many colleagues at Canadian Heritage was instrumental at every stage in the development of this framework …” The loss of Canada’s heritage buildings demands community action The Globe and Mail, 24 October 2011
CANADA – “Canada’s heritage buildings are disappearing. In the past 30 years, more than one in every five pre-1920 heritage buildings have had a date with the wrecker’s ball. Even as this nation embarks on a massive program to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, our history is being dismantled, brick by brick. Rather than wring hands or wait for the federal government to leap to the rescue, why don’t communities launch One Building programs, along the lines of the One City, One Book programs of hundreds of cities in North America? …”
Conservatives cut back on rented art Glen McGregor, Ottawa Citizen, 23 October 2011
OTTAWA — “In a reflection of differing tastes or perhaps a desire to cut costs, the Conservative government has sharply reduced the number of rented works of art hanging on the walls of federal offices. Since the Conservatives came to power in 2006, federal departments have removed hundreds of works of art and returned them to the Art Bank run by the Canada Council for the Arts. The list of works sent back include those by famed Canadian contemporary artists such as Jean-Paul Riopelle, Michael Snow and Evergon. The Canada Council’s Art Bank holds 18,000 pieces of contemporary art it rents out to government institutions and corporations. Prices run between $120 and $3,600 annually on two-year contracts, depending on the calibre of the work. …”
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford a no-show at annual Mayor’s Arts Awards lunch James Adams and Patrick White, The Globe and Mail, 21 October 2011
TORONTO – “Cash prizes totalling more than $40,000 were handed out Thursday afternoon at the 2011 Toronto Arts Foundation awards ceremony, held as part of the sixth annual Mayor’s Arts Awards lunch. Mayor Rob Ford was a no-show at what would have been his first Mayor’s Arts Awards. Presenting greetings on behalf of the city was Councillor Gary Crawford, chair of the recently formed Mayor’s Task Force on Arts and Theatres. …”
Le futur centre d'archives dans le Vieux-Lévis? Nathalie St-Pierre, Ici Lévis, 20 octobre 2011
LÉVIS, QUÉBEC – “La Société d'histoire régionale de Lévis (SHRL) vient de déposer un mémoire à la Ville de Lévis concernant la localisation du futur Centre d'archives agréé. Pour l'organisme, il ne fait aucun doute que le Vieux-Lévis est l'endroit parfait pour y établir le futur centre d'archives jumelé à un musée. Considérant que ce lieu de préservation de l'histoire doit être installé dans un endroit significatif, la SHRL avance entre autres comme raison la proximité avec le Vieux-Québec et, par le fait même, avec les quelque 5 millions de touristes qui y transitent chaque année. …”
Christine Moore déplore la décision du fédéral dans le dossier de Capitale culturelle 2012 au Canada Dominic Chamberland, Abitibi Express, 19 octobre 2011
CANADA – “La députée d’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Christine Moore, a sauté sur l’occasion pour varloper le gouvernement fédéral dans le dossier de Capitale culturelle 2012 au Canada. Selon elle, le gouvernement Harper a fait la démonstration, une fois de plus, de son profond mépris pour les régions et le milieu culturel. «La décision de Patrimoine Canada de retirer la catégorie des villes de moins de 50 000 habitants de son programme Capitale culturelle du Canada 2012 en est une illustration éloquente, soutient Mme Moore par voie de communiqué. «Le gagnant de cette catégorie aurait pu compter jusqu’à 500 000 $ (en subventions) afin de réaliser divers projets en arts et culture. Rouyn-Noranda avait déposé un dossier qui laissait présager le meilleur», souligne-t-elle. …” Creative Economies, Urban Planning
and Demographics
If you build a shiny new
performing-arts center, will the creative class come? Hampton Stevens, The Atlantic, November 2011 KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI –
“From the south, the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, in Kansas
City, Missouri, looks like the world’s biggest terrarium. The building’s
entire southern façade is transparent, with more than 48,000 square feet of
glass suspended by a system of columns and steel cables, exposing to public
view the four-story lobby inside and its Guggenheim-ish stacks of white
balconies. Designed by Moshe Safdie (known for Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust
museum, among other projects), the $326 million Kauffman Center is set on a hilltop,
astride a half-block of terraced, landscaped public space overlooking the
galleries and studios in the city’s downtown Crossroads Arts District. Seen
from the north, the center looms up as a mismatched pair of segmented silver
domes, sheathed in bead-blasted stainless steel and looking like Art Deco
airplane hangars, or a giant, slightly misshapen bra for Maria the robot in
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. […] That’s a bold
statement for Kansas City, a metroplex whose 2 million souls make it only
America’s 29th-largest, and a town better known for barbecue and
long-suffering sports fans than great opera. Even more remarkably, it’s a
statement being made largely by individual donors and companies: the taxpayer
contribution to the Kauffman Center’s construction was a 1,000-space
underground garage. …” Cape Town to become World Design Capital 2014 Mark Vanderbeeken, core77, 26 Oct 2011 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA –
“The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID)
announced today, that the City of Cape Town (South Africa) has been
designated the World Design Capital (WDC) 2014. Cape Town is the fourth city
(after Torino, Seoul and Helsinki) to hold this biennial appointment and
marks the first for the African continent. For Cape Town, the WDC appointment
comes exactly two decades after reaching democracy. Cape Town's vision of
design is based on socially responsible design, sustainability and
innovation, with a focus on enhancing the city's infrastructure to make it a
more liveable African City. …” [see also A Look at the World Design Capital Bid Videos, Posted by
hipstomp, core77, 26 Oct 2011] UN: World will miss economic benefit of 1.8 billion young people Population report says lack of education, infrastructure and jobs will mean a generation's potential will be wasted Fiona Harvery, The Guardian, 26 October 2011
“The world is in danger of missing a golden opportunity for development and economic growth, a "demographic dividend", as the largest cohort of young people ever known see their most economically productive years wasted, a major UN population report warned on Wednesday. The potential economic benefits of having such a large global population of young people will go unfulfilled, as a generation suffers from a lack of education, and investment in infrastructure and job creation, the authors said. "When young people can claim their rights to health, education and decent working conditions, they become a powerful force for economic development and positive change. "This opportunity [for] a demographic dividend is a fleeting moment that must be claimed quickly or lost," said the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), in its Global Population Report, published just days before the UN forecasted the world population will pass 7 billion. Of this 7 billion, 1.8 billion are aged between 10 and 24, and 90% of those live in the developing world …” [see also interactive graphic presentation of data in The UN predicts the world's population explosion: visualized, Simon Rogers, The Guardian, 26 October 2011; Will Canada see ‘demographic dividend’ as world hits seven billion? Campbell Clark, Globe and Mail Update, Published Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011 8:00AM EDT Last updated
Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011 8:27AM EDT; and full UNFPA report State of World
Population 2011 at http://www.unfpa.org/swp/] Le
Centre national de musique, sujet star Sylvain Siclier, Le Monde, 22 October 2011 PARIS - "Cinq personnalités chargées de réfléchir à la filière
musicale avaient remis, le 30 septembre, au ministre de la culture, un
rapport allant dans ce sens (Le Monde du 4 octobre). La présentation
officielle, vendredi, en a redit les grandes lignes : "rationaliser les
dispositifs éclatés existants" - comprendre regrouper dans un organisme,
le CNM, une multitude de structures - et "apporter les moyens
supplémentaires nécessaires à la filière" - comprendre trouver de
l'argent du côté des opérateurs de télécommunications fournisseurs d'accès
Internet." …” |
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