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Louvre
still most visited museum
The Voice of
Russia, 3 January 2012
PARIS, FRANCE – "The Louvre has preserved its
status as the most visited museum in the world. This is reported by Agence
France-Presse, with reference to a statement of the management of the Paris Museum.
In 2011,
according to the administration of the Louvre, the museum was visited by 8.8
million people. From 2008 to 2010, the Paris Museum received annually 8.5
million people. 66% of visitors to the Louvre were tourists from foreign
countries, primarily from the U.S., as well as from Brazil, Italy, Australia and China."
[See also Aussies truly Louvre famed museum,
By Brigid Andersen, ABC, 3 January 2012, and The Louvre visitor numbers rise to 8.8 million, CBC
News, 3 January 2012]
Au Louvre, un toit doré pour les arts de l'islam
Le Figaro, 4 janvier 2012
PARIS, FRANCE – "Cour Visconti, le gros œuvre s'achève. Vingt
ans après la création de la pyramide de Peï, la dernière tranche du Grand Louvre - le Département des Arts de l'Islam - n'est plus qu'une question
d'aménagement intérieur. Cet été, les 13 000 pièces concernées seront
installées à proximité de 5000 autres relevant de la section Méditerranée orientale romaine."
Top museums in Spanish capital post record attendance numbers
last year
The China
Post, 5 January 2012
MADRID, SPAIN – "Madrid's top three museums — the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza — received a record number of
visitors last year as blockbuster exhibits drew crowds despite a weak economy.
The private Thyssen-Bornemisza, which displays works by artists ranging from El Greco to
Picasso, posted the biggest rise in visitor numbers of the three museums that
make up the Spanish capital's so-called "Golden Triangle of Art."
It drew 1,070,390 visitors, a 30.4 percent jump over the previous year and the
biggest number since the museum opened its doors in 1992. [text omitted]
The Guggenheim Bilbao in northern Spain also saw an uptick in visitors.
It was visited by 962,358 people last year, a rise of 1.0 percent
which the museum said in a statement surpassed its expectations."
Legendary architect Legorreta, who designed new Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, dies at 80
Star-Telegram, 31 December 2011
MEXICO CITY,
MEXICO – "Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, who
designed the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, has died at age
80.
Mr. Legorreta's
best-known work is Mexico City's Camino Real hotel, which was built in 1968.
He also oversaw the remodeling of Los Angeles' Pershing Square in 1993.
Mr. Legorreta was the architect for the new Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, which
he called "a happy building," with his use of vivid colors, clean lines and natural light creating a bright environment."
Miami's new science museum gets $10 million Knight pledge
Hannah Sampson, Miami Herald, 4 January 2012
MIAMI, FL – "The Miami Science Museum has another big donor: The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which has pledged $10 million to the new building — with a $20 million match required.
"It's a very good start to a new year for us," said Gillian Thomas, the museum's president and CEO."We're all action go now."
Already the
beneficiary of community largesse, the museum will be called the Patricia and
Phillip Frost Museum of Science when it opens in early 2015, thanks to a $35
million gift from the couple."
Tourists add 9/11 memorial to NYC itinerary
USA Today, 29 December 2011
NEW YORK, NY – "Despite security hurdles and ongoing
construction, tourists from around the world have made the National
September 11 Memorial & Museum a regular stop on their visits to New
York City.
Since it opened
to the public Sept. 12, following the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks,
more than 1 million people have visited the memorial plaza at the World Trade
Center, officials announced Thursday."
[See also The arts in 2012: architecture: Jonathan Glancey picks his
highlights of the year ahead, Jonathan Glancey, The Guardian, 29 December 2011]
Brooks + Scarpa Conjure Up An Airy Cloud-Like Form For the
Kimball Art Center Renovation
Bridgette Meinhold, Inhabitat, 4 January 2012
PARK CITY, UT – "Brooks + Scarpa is not just a talented architecture
firm - it seems they're also magicians capable of procuring clouds out of
thin air to top off the Kimball Art Center transformation project in
Park City, UT. Yesterday we explored BIG's twisting timber tower concept and
today we'll check out what B+S has up its sleeve. Encased in a translucent
honeycomb paneling, the Kimball Cloud is a light and bright space that makes
use of solar passive design, heat exchange and natural ventilation to provide
energy efficient climate control. The renovation of the arts and culture
center in Park City's old town center is a chance to make a name for itself
in the international art world and Brooks + Scarpa's proposal could easily
catapult it into the stratosphere."
« La France en relief », première exposition de la Maison de
l'histoire de France
culture.fr, janvier 2012
PARIS, FRANCE – "Depuis le 1er janvier 2012, la Maison de l'histoire de France est érigé en établissement public administratif
(EPA). L'ouverture, le 18 janvier, de l'exposition «
La France en relief – Chefs d' œuvre de la collection des plans-reliefs de Louis XIV à Napoléon III » sous la nef du Grand-Palais à Paris, sera la
première grande opération de cette nouvelle institution consacrée à notre histoire."
Crystal Bridges museum hosts 90K in first weeks
Baxter
Bulletin, 3 January 2012
BENTONVILLE, AR
– "The Crystal Bridges Museum of American
Art, bankrolled by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. heiress Alice Walton, has hosted about 90,000 visitors since it opened in November.
As more people learn about the museum, it could start drawing more visitors, said Rod
Bigelow, Crystal Bridges' deputy director of operations and administration.
Crystal Bridges, which features works by American painters and sculptors from colonial times through the present, was the only U.S. location listed in
Travel and Leisure magazine's "Hottest Travel Destinations of 2012."
La BNF s'investit dans le projet de Cité de l'Économie et de la Monnaie
Artclair, 5 janvier 2012
PARIS, FRANCE – "Le projet de Cité de l'Économie et de la Monnaie dirigé et financé par la Banque de France compte un nouvel associé. Un accord de partenariat
scientifique a été signé avec la Bibliothèque nationale de France."
Children's Museum attendance hits another record
Indianapolis Business Journal, 3
January 2012
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – "The Children's Museum of Indianapolis set a new attendance record last year by attracting 1.27 million visitors.
The number is 9.4 percent higher than the previous record of 1.16 million visitors set in
2010, the museum said Tuesday afternoon."
Docklands Museum wins German Olympic funding
Museum will be able to upgrade its galleries in return for hosting German Olympic team
Patrick Steel, Museums Journal, 3 January 2012
LONDON, ENGLAND – "In return for hosting the German team at this summer's Olympics, Museum of London (MoL) Docklands is to receive
funding from the German Olympic Committee towards an upgrade of its galleries.
An MoL spokesman said the upgrade was still being costed and planned, but would include the
provision of water and power to areas of the museum currently without them, as well as other infrastructure improvements."
How the American Museum of Natural History will train the next generation of science teachers
Annalee Newitz, io9.com, 5 January 2012
NEW YORK, NY – "It's no secret that the U.S. education system is hurting, especially when it comes to science teachers. Public
schools are chronically underfunded, and the most talented college graduates
shy away from entering the teaching profession when its future seems so grim.
But hope isn't lost. A pioneering program at New York's American Museum of
Natural History aims to make the future better for science teachers by
starting a new kind of Master of Arts program in science teaching. Starting
this June, the program will provide 50 teachers-in-training with a thorough
education in Earth science, along with a year's classroom work experience,
all while paying a modest stipend."
Le Musée Toulouse-Lautrec d'Albi
ferme pendant 3 mois pour sa dernière phase de rénovation
Artclair, 4 janvier 2012
ALBI, FRANCE – "Avant de dévoiler des salles entièrement rénovées,
le Musée Toulouse-Lautrec à Albi a fermé ses portes le 2 janvier 2012 pour
une durée de 3 mois. Commencés en 2001, les travaux ont déjà permis de créer
un auditorium et un nouvel espace de 470 m2 dédié aux expositions
temporaires. Cette dernière phase est consacrée à la mise en place d'une nouvelle muséographie proposant un parcours à deux vitesses."
Le Musée Rodin va être entièrement rénové
Une nouvelle directrice est chargée de mener de front travaux et accueil du public
Claire Bommelaer, Le Figaro, 5 January 2012
PARIS, FRANCE – "Une nouvelle directrice, Catherine Chevillot, et le lancement d'une
campagne de rénovation: le Musée Rodin est à un tournant de son histoire.
Conservateur en chef du patrimoine, spécialiste de la sculpture, âgée de 50 ans, Catherine Chevillot a fait l'essentiel de sa carrière au Musée d'Orsay.
Elle y était responsable du département des sculptures et exerçait également des fonctions administratives et financières. Des compétences utiles alors
qu'elle devra mener de front travaux et accueil du public jusqu'en 2014."
The Art of the Steal: Access
& Controversy at the Barnes Foundation
Nina Simon, Museum
2.0, 4 January 2012
PHILADELPHIA, PA – "Last week, I finally watched The Art of the Steal, an
arresting documentary on the controversy around the evolution of the Barnes
Foundation from a suburban educational art facility to a major urban art
museum (to open in May 2012). The documentary raises basic questions about
donor intent, legal execution of eccentric peoples' wills, and, most
interesting to me, the definition of access to a collection."
Washington readies Lincoln museum, center
New center expansion will celebrate legacy
James R. Carroll, The Courier-Journal, 2 January 2012
WASHINGTON, DC – "Up the center of the winding staircase, nearly four stories high, soars
a pillar of 7,000 books on Abraham Lincoln, a symbol of a nation's enduring
fascination with the Kentucky-born president who led the United States during
the Civil War.
The tower of
books is one of the striking features of a new, $25 million museum and
education center focused on the 16th president that is scheduled to open in
the days around his Feb. 12 birthday.
The Center on
Education and Leadership will become part of an expanding Ford's Theatre campus
on both sides of Washington's 10th Street Northwest. With the dedication of
that new center, the place where Lincoln was assassinated will embark on a
new mission: celebrating the lasting impact on American society of the man many historians consider the nation's greatest president."
La Cité de l'immigration et l'Aquarium de la Porte Dorée réunis en Établissement public
Artclair, 2 janvier 2012
PARIS, FRANCE – "Par un décret du 28 décembre 2011, la Cité nationale de l'immigration et l'Aquarium de la Porte Dorée ont été
rassemblés en un établissement public unique. Si les missions scientifiques et culturelles de chaque institution ne changent pas, l'EPA aura pour fonction de gérer et faire connaitre l'histoire du bâtiment qui les abrite. Construit en 1931 lors de l'Exposition universelle, le Palais de la Porte Dorée est classé
monument historique depuis 1987."
Winners announced for new museum garden design
Recent News, artdaily.org, 2 January 2011
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – With their winning project "SMK Back into the Park" the Polyform office will be behind the revitalisation of the 7,500m² area in front of the National Gallery of
Denmark. The winning project was presented by the Gallery and the City of
Copenhagen earlier today at a reception held at the Gallery. On that occasion
the architectural office SLA was awarded second prize for their design
proposal. Polyform's winning design and seven other proposals will be
exhibited at the Gallery until 15 January 2012. The inauguration of the new
Museum Garden is projected for 2013."
As Boston museums surge, galleries struggle to keep up
Cate McQuaid, The Boston Globe, 1 January 2012
BOSTON, MA – "Contemporary art is surging in Boston. So why does the gallery scene
here continue to be overlooked?
With the
Institute of Contemporary Art's growing presence, and the Linde Family Wing
for Contemporary Art opening last September at the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston is moving from the sidelines to center stage in the world of
contemporary art. And there's more institutional attention to come, with a
new wing opening this month at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and an
expansion in the offing at the Harvard Art Museums.
This is all
terrific news, and it can only help local art galleries, as institutions
cultivate a larger audience for contemporary work. But Boston commercial
galleries are in a delicate position in a struggling economy, in a city that
has not been viewed as supportive of their particular passion since the days
of John Singer Sargent. Throw in a rapidly changing business model in which
brick-and-mortar shops are less important than art fairs and buying on the
Internet, and you've got an especially challenging environment."
Tar Heel of the Year: Betsy Bennett transforms state science museum
Newsobserver.com, 1 January 2012
RALEIGH, NC – "Betsy Bennett's office, her mission control, is cool. Totally cool, as
she likes to say.
On the fifth floor of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, Bennett's glass walls overlook
the "Terror of the South" exhibit, with its 40-foot Acrocanthosaurus, a 110-million-year-old fossil, and flying pterosaurs
circling ominously above. In the distance, across the street, is another peril: the legislative building, a place Bennett has managed to tame.
Transforming the landscape nearby is the museum's new wing and the Daily Planet, a three-story
multimedia sphere that will bring a wondrous world of science to the people of North Carolina. It is scheduled to open in April.
In two decades, Bennett has managed to bag dinosaurs, lure scientists, sell lawmakers and
inspire captains of industry to build a museum that captures the imagination of 700,000 visitors each year."
John Buchanan, Fine Arts Museums director, dies
Kenneth Baker, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 January 2012
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – "John Buchanan, the ebullient and controversial director of the
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco since 2006, died Friday at his San Francisco home of cancer. He was 58.
"He's been brilliant and wonderful fun to work with. I can't imagine what it will be
like without him," said Dede Wilsey, president of the Fine Arts Museums' board and the institution's biggest benefactor."
[See also Director of S.F. museums dies of cancer at age 58, The Oakland Tribune, 1 January 2012]
Enough already: Museum takes another hit with break-in
Andrea Johnson, Minot
Daily News, 1 January 2012
MINOT, ND – "Things just keep piling on at the Ward County
Historical Society, which is in dire need of help to help it recover from summer's devastating flood, said board member Sue Bergan.
On Friday someone broke into the Harmon House on the museum grounds. Glass panes on the
front door were shattered and glass littered the floor.
A Ward County Sheriff's Department deputy said the person who broke in was probably trying
to steal an air conditioner for its metal components. The air conditioner was not taken and Bergan didn't immediately notice anything missing."
State tribal arts museum getting ready in city
Prakash
Hatvalne, The Times of India, 31 December 2011
BHOPAL, INDIA –
"The Madhya Pradesh government is setting up a state tribal arts museum
on a seven-acre land at Shamla hills here.
The museum,
founded under the aegis of the Culture department, will have five galleries,
a library, a seminar hall, an auditorium and a photographs gallery.
Ashok Mishra,
editor of Choumasa, a magazine devoted to the tribal art and culture told
TOI, "This would probably be the first museum of its kind in the
country-- dedicated entirely to the state's tribal art. Life, culture, art
and gods and goddesses of nine major tribes of Madhya Pradesh: Gond, Bhil,
Baiga, Korku, Bhariya, Saharia, Kol, Bijwar and Bharta will be depicted at
the museum.
A section of
tribal artists are not happy about the manner in which selections have been
made for display of exhibits and setting up the museum. They charged the
Culture department of nepotism in selectng works for display in the museum,
besides in engaging tribal artists to give shape to the museum."
Archives of American Art Open Carnegie Institute, Museum of
Art Exhibition Records
MuseumPublicity.com,
31 December 2011
WASHINGTON, DC –
"The Smithsonian's Archives of American Art announce the completion of a
major project funded in 2007 by the Brown Foundation Inc. to fully arrange,
preserve and describe the Carnegie Institute, Museum of Art Exhibition
Records (264 linear feet). One of the Archives' most significant collections
is now fully accessible to researchers and includes a detailed online finding
aid."
Ashmolean Museum set to open in Broadway village
BBC News, 30
December 2011
BROADWAY,
WORCHESTERSHIRE, UK – "Plans to bring a world-renowned museum to
Worcestershire have moved a step closer after the city council approved a
£200,000 grant.
Campaigners now
need to raise a further £80,000 to open a branch of Oxford's Ashmolean in the
village of Broadway."
Hausse de la fréquentation pour des musées et monuments
français
Artclair, 30 December 2011
PARIS, FRANCE – "Chaque fin d'année sonne l'heure des
bilans de fréquentation. Les monuments nationaux ont reçu en 2011 plus de
neuf millions de visiteurs, soit une hausse de 5,5 % par rapport à 2010. Les
musées de France peuvent espérer un chiffre similaire."
Eco-building plan at Norfolk museum
Daisy Wallage, Evening
News 24, 30 December 2011
"DEREHAM, NORFOLK, UK – Gressenhall
Farm and Workhouse, near Dereham, is seeking planning permission for the
resource centre on its grounds after a similar application was withdrawn last year.
The glass-fronted building would house three toilets, two stores, a staff
refreshment area and a multi-use reception space to be used for meetings, exhibitions and teaching.
Visitors will also enter the museum through the building on its event days, held around ten
times a year."
Federal funding for game museum 'wasteful'?
Kyle Orland, In-Game,
msnbc.com, 30 December 2011
ROCHESTER, NY – "While politicians routinely cite video
games as a contributing cause for everything from childhood obesity and lower
test scores to youth violence, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) recently labeled a
video game museum as something else — a waste of taxpayer funds.
At No. 9 on Sen.
Coburn's "Wastebook 2011" list of 100 federal programs he sees as
frivolous is over $113,000 in funding for the International Center for the
History of Electronic Games (ICHEG), an outgrowth of the Strong Museum of
Play in Rochester, N.Y."
Sad days for Lancaster city museums
Bernard Harris, Intelligencer Journal, 30 December 2011
LANCASTER, PA – "Leading a tour through Lancaster Quilt
& Textile Museum on Friday, Kay Cameron told visitors how generous donors
raised $1.3 million in 2002 to bring the famous Esprit quilt collection home
to Lancaster County.
Now, Cameron and others are hoping people will again save the
collection and the institution in which it is housed. [text omitted]
A "for sale" sign will be hung on the 37 N. Market St.
building next month. The museum will be open only for special events in the
coming year.
At the same time, the doors will be locked on the Heritage Center
Museum on Penn Square. That building, which has operated as a showcase of
Lancaster County's decorative arts since 1976, reverted to city ownership on
Friday morning. The building, which was once City Hall, state offices and a
Masonic Hall, will be closed for renovation. Whether it will reopen as a
museum or for some other use is undecided."
Apple's
Museum That Never Was: Why Does Stanford Keep it Secret? [VIDEO]
Sam Laird,
Mashable.com, 29 December 2011
PALO ALTO, CA – "Where does the world's largest collection
of Apple-related history live? In a fascinating archive owned and operated by
Stanford University.
But good luck
actually finding the trove of hardware, software, recorded interviews,
revealing documents, candid photos and internal videos. Everything is stored
in a secret Bay Area location away from the Stanford campus. [text omitted]
The Associated
Press was recently granted a rare visit to the secret space — but only after
agreeing not to divulge its location. Given the swell of public interest in
Apple's story since Jobs' death in October, could a public museum now be in
the works?
The bulk of the
collection was originally intended for an Apple corporate museum that never
got built. Apple donated the materials to Stanford in 1997, soon after Jobs
rejoined the company. The university has since acquired more than 20
additional collections from former Apple employees, executives and business
partners to complement the company's original donation."
Les musées reçoivent une aide financière
Joanie Harvey, Le Courrier du Saguenay, 29 décembre 2011
SAGUENAY-LAC-SAINT-JEAN, QC – "Le Réseau muséal et patrimonial
du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean obtient une aide financière de 226 600 $ du
gouvernement du Québec pour l’achat d’équipements spécialisés.
«Grâce au Réseau muséal et patrimonial du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean,
les institutions de la région peuvent accroître leur performance, bonifier
leur expertise et attirer une plus large clientèle locale et touristique»,
explique le ministre Serge Simard."
Meryl Streep's next project: A national women's history
museum
Los Angeles
Times blog, 28 December
2011
WASHINGTON, DC – "Meryl Streep arrives in movie theaters
Friday with "The Iron Lady," playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — the first female head of state in the Western world.
Women's place in
history is a subject on Streep's mind of late. Her next off-screen project is
the National Women's History Museum, an entity that exists so far only in
cyberspace and that the actress is trying to get erected in brick and mortar
on a site adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C."
[See also Meryl Streep Plans To Open Women's History Museum, Huffington Post, 29 December 2011, and Streep donates to women's museum, NewsChannel 9 WSYR,
29 December 2011]
Brasil aporta su experiencia en la construcción de museos
comunitarios en La Paz
Ibermuseus, 12 December 2011
LA PAZ, BOLIVIA – "El director del Departamento de Procesos
Museales del Instituto Brasileño de Museos (IBRAM), el profesor Mário Chagas,
viajó a Bolivia entre los días 27 de noviembre y el 1 de diciembre con el objeto
de realizar un taller para el desarrollo del proyecto de Museo Comunitario /
Puntos de Memoria, adaptado a la realidad del país anfitrión.
El viaje hace parte del proyecto bilateral entre los Ministerios de Cultura de Brasil y de
Bolivia "Intercambio de Experiencias y Conocimientos para la Gestión de las Culturas", coordinado por la Agência Brasileira de Cooperação
(ABC), en el que el IBRAM participa con la visita de Mário Chagas y la invitación recíproca de técnicos bolivianos para visitar Brasil.
El taller
llevado a cabo en Bolivia da continuidad a las actividades previamente
acordadas en el proyecto y constituye una actividad de gran relevancia para
la cooperación bilateral entre Bolivia y Brasil en el campo del patrimonio y
de los museos."
Sri Lanka to build tallest tower in South Asia
Qadijah Irshad, Khaleej
Times, 5 January 2012
COLOMBO, SRI
LANKA – "Sri Lanka is set to build the tallest tower in the South Asian region, the government announced recently. The 350
metre high tower building, the promoters claim, will be visible to India and Bangladesh.
Estimated to cost
more than $104 million, the "Lotus Tower" will provide facilities for 50 television services,
50 broadcasting services and 10 telecommunication providers. In addition to
its primary function, the tower podium, which is proposed to be four storeys
high, will accommodate a telecommunication museum, food courts, offices,
conference hall and exhibition spaces."
Zaha Hadid's fantastic future
London 2012's
jaw-dropping centrepiece – and many more architectural wonders – are the
product of one woman's formidable mind. So where's her invite to the Games?
John Preston, The
Telegraph, 1 January 2012
CLERKENWELL, GREATER LONDON, UK – "At a time when architects around the
world are gazing gloomily at empty order books, Hadid has six projects
scheduled for completion, including a cultural centre in Azerbaijan and a
huge archive/library in Provence. There's also her first-ever private house
outside Moscow, where the main bedroom sits on top of a concrete stalk above
the tree line, allowing its owner an uninterrupted view of the sunrise.
But the building
that's likely to get the most attention over here is the London Aquatics
Centre on the Olympic site in Stratford, where the swimming and diving events
will take place. Like all Hadid projects, it's prompted plenty of controversy
and, like quite a few of them, it's cost rather more than it was meant to –
£214 million, around three times its original estimate.
Yet the result
already looks like being a triumph, a space that's both airy and dramatic and
topped off by one of her trademark roofs which manages to be suggestive of
both a wave and a dolphin's back – she describes it as being inspired by her work
on "fluid morphology"."
The Struggle to Define L.A.'s Transitional Moment
Nate Berg, The
Atlantic Cities, 5 January 2012
LOS ANGELES, CA – "Last January, Los Angeles Times
architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne kicked off a year-long project to
explore his city through its literature. He picked 24 – plus three more reader suggestions – of the "most significant books on Southern California
architecture and urbanism." The Reading L.A. project covers the city's growth,
development, design, infrastructure and culture, including well-known titles
like Reyner Banham's 1971 Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies,
as well as less prominent books like David Brodsly's 1981 L.A Freeway: An
Appreciative Essay. His final installment of the series was published
earlier this week."
Artclair, Le Journal des Arts, 6 janvier 2012
BUSSY-SAINT-MARTIN, FRANCE – "Plus qu'une réhabilitation, c'est une transformation complète en œuvre d'art
que le château de Rentilly s'apprête à expérimenter. Propriété de la
communauté d'agglomération de Marne et Gondoire (Seine-et-Marne), ce lieu d'exposition va être restructuré et recouvert
de plaques en acier, sous la houlette du cabinet d'architecte Bona-Lemercier et de l'artiste Xavier Veilhan."
[See also Xavier Veilhan : « J’ai eu envie de faire entrer le jardin
dans le château », Artclair, 5 January
2012]
Rising Architects Hit the "Street" in Shenzhen With
a Show of Futuristic Façades
Janelle Zara, ARTINFO,
4 January 2012
SHENZHEN, CHINA – "The fourth annual Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City
Biennale Of Urbanism\Architecture, titled "Architecture Creates Cities. Cities Create
Architecture," is well underway, helmed by former Miami
Art Museum director and current partner at architectural firm K/R, Terence
Riley.
Riley (whom you
may remember stunned the art world by abruptly departing from his post at MAM
in 2009) is the first non-Chinese person to serve as the biennale's chief curator.
He is presenting a program of more than 30 exhibitions, symposiums, panel
discussions, and performances that explore architecture as an agent for
cultural growth in cities, as well as address issues of sustainability and
urban vitality."
Italy probes report that Colosseum stones fall
Recent News, artdaily.org, 30 December 2011
ROME, ITALY – "Italy's culture ministry said Wednesday that it
is investigating reports that bits of rock have fallen from the Colosseum.
Witnesses reported seeing the fallen masonry Sunday. Italian news
agency ANSA reported another bit fell Tuesday, but Colosseum director
Rossella Rea denied it and blamed the false report on a "psychosis"
that occurs every so often that Rome's iconic stadium is crumbling."
2011's Most Interesting Cultural Buildings
Mark Byrnes, The
Atlantic Cities, 30 December 2011
[GLOBAL] – "As municipal budgets tighten across
America and Europe, commissions for new libraries, museums and other
community facilities continue to decline. Despite financial obstacles, here
are some projects that were not only completed in 2011 but should serve as
architectural icons for their community well into the future."
The Year in Architecture: See ARTINFO's Picks for the Best of
2011, From Frank Gehry to Ice Cube
Janelle Zara, ARTINFO,
30 December 2011
[GLOBAL] – "Between the inverted-discoball boutiques,
towering skyscrapers, upsets, freak-outs, and absolutely stunning new
structures we've witnessed, we couldn’t have asked for a more interesting
year in architecture."
Apple gadget designer Jonathan Ive knighted in U.K.
Alex Veiga, The
Globe and Mail, 3 January 2012
BRITAIN – "Fans
of the clean, inviting look of the iPhone, iPad and other blockbuster Apple
products are legion, and that includes Queen Elizabeth II.
The British
monarch has awarded a knighthood to Jonathan Paul Ive, a Brit and head of
Apple Inc.'s design team since the mid-'90s.
Mr. Ive received
a KBE, short for Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British
Empire. The honour was announced Saturday for services to design and
enterprise."
There's an App for That: World Design Capital Helsinki 2012
Stephanie Murg, Unbeige,
4 January 2012
HELSINKI, FINLAND – "The new, even-numbered year is upon us and with it
comes a new world design capital: Helsinki (along with the Finnish cities of
Espoo, Vantaa, Lahti, and Kauniainen). Following in the footsteps of Turin
(World Design Capital 2008) and Seoul (2010), Helsinki kicked off its
year-long designfest with a "New Year’s Eve of Design" bash in the capital city's Senate Square
and is now getting down to business with a slate of 300 events, projects, and
initiatives that "explore the benefits and value of design, and
showcase the various ways it can improve all of our lives." Meanwhile, the organizers are working to
improve visitors' experiences with a mobile app. Launched today and developed
in collaboration with Fjord, the WDC 2012 app provides on-the-go access to
the ever-changing program of events, related news, and a map, all in your
choice of Finnish, Swedish, or English."
First in a series of remarkable time painting apps for iPad
released by Red Hill Studios
Recent News,
artdaily.com, 3 January 2012
SAN FRANCISCO,
CA – "Red Hill Studios announces the release of
the Painting with Time iPad app – the first in a series of remarkable time
painting apps – that lets you explore how the world around you changes over
time.
"The
Painting with Time app makes it fun to manipulate time," says Red Hill
Studios Creative Director Bob Hone. "Your fingers literally paint with
time – transforming everyday scenes into amazing time composites."
Brought to you by the creators of the Exploring Time international
documentary series, and the Playing with Time traveling museum exhibition,
this free educational app lets you make leaves magically appear on trees and
then paint on the incredible colors of Fall. Fill up a tidal pool in Monterey
with the incoming tide. Display the shades of San Francisco over a day. Each
scene reveals a slow natural process that we can't normally see."
Are we on information overload?
The Internet has
transformed knowledge. An expert explains why it's launched the greatest
period in human history
Thomas Rogers,
Salon.com, 3 January 2012
CAMBRIDGE, MA – "The last two decades have completely transformed the
way we know. Thanks to the rise of the Internet, information is far
more accessible than ever before. It's more connected to other pieces of
information and more open to debate. Organizations — and even governmental
projects like Data.gov — are putting more previously inaccessible data on the
Web than people in the pre-Internet age could possibly have imagined. But
this change raises another, more ominous question: Is this deluge
overwhelming our brains?
In his new book,
"Too Big to Know," David Weinberger, a senior researcher at
Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, attempts to answer that
question by looking at the ways our newly interconnected society is
transforming the media, science and our everyday lives."
Celebrated ceramics artist Eva Zeisel dies
HousewaresLive.net,
3 January 2012
UNITED STATES – "Zeisel was considered to be one of the most
important industrial designers of the 20th century, enjoying a career that
extended over nine decades.
She is credited
with creating modernist tableware and glassware styles that were acceptable
to a mainstream American audience following the Second World War, and
examples of her characteristically organic work are held in museums around
the world."
[See also Mort d’Eva Zeisel, designer américaine spécialiste des arts
de la table, Artclair, 3 January 2012,
and Eva Zeisel Passes Away at 105, Posted by hipstomp, Core
77, 3 January 2012]
How the Unconscious Mind Boosts Creative Output
New research
finds we're better able to identify genuinely creative ideas when they've
emerged from the unconscious mind
Tom Jacobs, Miller-McCune,
3 January 2012
NIJMEGEN, THE
NETHERLANDS – "Truly
creative ideas are both highly prized and, for most of us, maddeningly
elusive. If our best efforts produce nothing brilliant, we're often advised
to put aside the issue at hand and give our unconscious minds a chance to
work.
Newly published
research suggests that is indeed a good idea — but not for the reason you
might think."
Heart of Brooklyn launches national initiative
Recent News,
artdaily.org, 5 January 2012
BROOKLYN, NY – "Heart of Brooklyn, a cultural partnership
of six neighboring cultural institutions anchored around Grand Army Plaza in
central Brooklyn, announces the next phase of Building Strong Community
Networks — a catalyst for promoting critical change and inclusive civic and
cultural engagement in Brooklyn."
Seeking New York's Next 'Other' Opera Company
Zachary Woolfe, The
New York Times, 4 January 2012
NEW YORK, NY – "By now enough people have gotten on
enough soapboxes about New York City Opera's sorry financial state. But while
the company remains in limbo, its precarious situation should be a reminder
to look at the bigger picture.
Institutions
come and go; what is important is the preservation of core values. So what do
we want from opera in New York?"
New study shows architecture, arts degrees yield highest
unemployment
Peter Whoriskey,
The Washington Post, 4 January 2012
WASHINGTON, DC –
"College kids may choose to spend their
campus days studying the glories of Plato, Shakespeare and Le Corbusier.
But, as a new
study points out, there may be a steep price to pay.
Recent college
graduates with bachelor's degrees in the arts, humanities and architecture
experienced significantly higher rates of joblessness, according to a study
being released Wednesday by Georgetown University's Center on Education and
the Workforce."
[See also Architecture Ranks Highest in Report Analyzing Recent
Graduate Unemployment by Major, Arts Degrees Not Far Behind, By Steve Delahoyde, Unbeige, 5 January 2012]
Report calls for mandatory arts and culture education
Art subjects
should be compulsory to the age of 16, report says
Rebecca
Atkinson, Museums Journal, 3 January 2012
UNITED KINGDOM – "A report commissioned by the Department of Education
has recommended that arts subjects should become part of the basic curriculum
for pupils aged between 14 and 16.
The report by
the panel for the national curriculum review proposes that a wider range of
subjects should be compulsory to the age of 16, including arts subjects.
"Bearing
in mind the influence that the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is having on the
provision of academic courses in Key Stage 4 for a larger proportion of
pupils, we are concerned, as in primary education, that the role of art and
music in a broad, balanced and effective education should not be lost," the report states."
Albania becomes 37th country to participate in EU Culture
Programme
European
Festivals Association, 5
January 2012
ALBANIA – "A Memoranda of Understanding was signed
on 20 December 2011 by the Director General for DG Education and Culture, Mr
Jan Truszczynski, and Albania's Ambassador to the EU, Mrs Mimoza Halimi,
clearing the way for Albania to fully benefit from cultural cooperation
opportunities in the framework of the Culture Programme."
Czech-Canadian writer Josef Skvorecky dies
Won Governor
General's Literary Award for The Engineer of Souls
CBC News, 3 January 2012
TORONTO, ON – "Josef Skvorecky, a Czech dissident writer who spent most of his life
in exile in Canada, has died. He was 87.
He died Tuesday
in a Toronto hospital after battling cancer.
Skvorecky won
the Governor General's Literary Award in 1984 for The Engineer of Human
Souls, a comic novel about the plight of a Czech dissident writer who is
trying to make a new life in Canada."
Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge to become a Royal Patron
of The Art Room
Recent News,
artdaily.org, 5 January 2012
OXFORD, UK – "The Duchess of Cambridge announced that
she will become a Royal Patron for The Art Room, a small charity based in
Oxford and London which uses art to provide therapy for children and young
people with challenges.
The Founder
Director of The Art Room Juli Beattie said: "This is wonderful news. On behalf of all of our
Trustees and staff and the children and young people we support, I want to
thank The Duchess for choosing The Art Room. It is a fantastic endorsement of
the work we do and the role that art and creativity can play in helping
children and young people whose start in life has been difficult."
Chinese authorities to review Ai Weiwei tax case
AFP, 5 January 2012
BEIJING, CHINA –
"Chinese authorities agreed Thursday to
review a fine imposed on a firm linked to controversial artist Ai Weiwei, who
has said the $2.4 million penalty is an effort by the government to stifle
his activism.
"They have
two months to review the case. If we are not satisfied with the results, we
can bring the case to court," said Pu Zhiqiang, a lawyer for Fake
Cultural Development Ltd, a firm founded by Ai but registered to his wife."
The Ara Gallery — Arab art galvanized
Mariam Nihal,
Arabnews.com, 4 January 2012
DUBAI, UAE – "Art has the incredible ability to
transport one to a familiar past or an unseen future. The Ara Gallery is a
concept gallery in Downtown Dubai that showcases a vision of the future with
emerging Arab artists. Ara, which means to decorate or add beauty to in
Arabic, opened in April 2011 and quickly garnered accolades for displaying
quality art by aspiring Arab artists. Their mission is to cultivate art
culture and emerging artists from the region and showcase their talents to
the world. [text omitted]
Eventually, The Ara Gallery hopes to expand the current location into
a holistic concept that combines art, culture and experience."
Cónclave
de autoridades de Cultura consensuó y aprobó las líneas generales de la
Política Cultural Centroamericana
Presidencia de
la República de El Salvador, Secretaría de Cultura, [no date]
EL SALVADOR – "Las autoridades gubernamentales de
Cultura en Centroamérica llevaron a cabo este miércoles 30 de noviembre la
16ª Reunión del Consejo de Ministros y Altas Autoridades de Cultura de la
Coordinación Educativa y Cultural Centroamericana del SICA (CECC/SICA).
El Secretario de
Cultura de la Presidencia y Presidente pro Témpore del Consejo de Cultura,
Dr. Héctor Samour, lideró la reunión en la que participaron los funcionarios
de la región, para discutir el plan de trabajo 2012-15, iniciativas y
proyectos de carácter regional entre otros aspectos relacionados a la cultura
de paz, la formación en gestión cultural, el tema del patrimonio cultural, la
producción cultural y la microempresa cultural."
Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival
MuseumPublicity.com,
3 January 2012
CALIFORNIA, US –
"The art of Pacific Standard Time heads
into the streets, clubs and public spaces of Southern California from January
19 through 29, 2012, during the Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public
Art Festival. This 11-day celebration will feature more than 30 extraordinary
performances, including contemporary re-enactments of iconic works by artists
such as Eleanor Antin, Judy Chicago, Suzanne Lacy, and James Turrell, and
interventions both large and small in the public sphere. The festival will
present a series of adaptations, re-inventions, and commissions that are
inspired by the performance and installation artists working in Los Angeles
between 1945 and 1980."
The Wonderful Global Walls of Wynwood, Miami
Luna Park, Hyperallergic, 3 January 2012
MIAMI, FL – "Thanks to the efforts of organizations such as Primary Flight and
Wynwood Walls, the Wynwood district in Miami is undergoing a radical transformation through art. The neighborhood boasts an incredible density of walls painted by some of the world’s most renowned graffiti and street artists, many of whom have made the annual pilgrimage to Miami for Art Basel in recent years."
David Hockney joins Order of Merit
Artist who
refused to paint the Queen or accept knighthood is appointed to the exclusive
royal order
Robert Booth, The
Guardian, 1 January 2012
BRITAIN – "He was the 1960s radical who turned British painting on its head, but on Sunday the Queen sealed David Hockney's
transformation into national treasure by appointing him to the Order of Merit.
Buckingham Palace announced that the 74-year-old Bradford-born painter and photographer
would join the select group of individuals who have achieved distinction in the arts, learning, science and public service."
[See
also David Hockney choisi par la reine d'Angleterre, par Béatrice De Rochebouet, Le Figaro, 2 January 2012]
David Hockney vs Damien Hirst: the Queen's chosen one puts
king of the YBAs on the spot
A day after his
New Year honour, Yorkshire's finest attacks artist for failing to make his
own work
Nick Clark, The
Independent, 2 January 2012
BRITAIN –
"A row is threatening to break out between two of Britain's most
celebrated artists after David Hockney criticised Damien Hirst for the
"insulting" use of assistants to create his works.
Hockney, whose
new exhibition opens later this month, has taken a swing at his fellow
artists, saying they should create their own work.
Posters for his
show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London read: "All the works here
were made by the artist himself, personally." He confirmed that it was
particularly a dig at Damien Hirst, who famously used assistants on his spot
paintings. Hockney, who was awarded the Order of Merit on Sunday, told the
Radio Times: "It's a little insulting to craftsmen, skilful
craftsmen."
[See
also Michael Petry: Assistants were always used by the greats, By Michael Petry, The Independent, 3 January
2012, and David Hockney s’en prend à Damien Hirst, Artclair,
5 January 2012]
Philharmonic joins suit against man who allegedly stole
historic documents
The collector is
accused of stealing hundreds of valuable documents from Philharmonic
Orchestra archives and putting them up for sale on eBay
Nir Hasson,
Haaretz.com, 2 January 2012
ISRAEL –
"The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra submitted a request to a Jerusalem
court last week to join the suit filed by the National Library against a
collector who allegedly stole hundreds of valuable documents from their
archives and put them up for sale on eBay.
The collector,
Meir Biezunski of Haifa, is also accused of stealing documents from the
Jewish National Fund and the state archives."
Strange case of a fake Ibsen play that has gripped
Scandinavia
Literary experts
embarrassed after 'lost fragments' of work by Norway's famous playwright are
alleged to have been forged
Richard Orange, The
Observer, 1 January 2012
NORWAY – "It's the case that has absorbed Scandinavia's elite artistic circles and tested some of Norway's finest literary experts.
Over the next
few months, investigators from the Norwegian police's economic crimes unit
will be combing the market for supposed possessions and letters relating to
the playwright Henrik Ibsen, and the Nobel-winning novelist – and Nazi
sympathiser – Knut Hamsun as part of investigations into an alleged scam that
exploited the nation's interest in its most celebrated authors."
2012 outlook for UAE culture
Hala Khalaf, The
National, 1 January 2012
DUBAI, UAE – "In the world of art, London's Delfina Foundation will initiate Artist In Residence Dubai (AIR Dubai) with Art Dubai and Tashkeel, which invites six major international artists into the Bastakiya heritage quarter near Dubai Creek for a three-month working period beginning in January.
In March, Design
Days Dubai, the inaugural outing of the region's first contemporary-design
festival, will bring some of the world's biggest design galleries."
Ten people who changed the world: Ai Weiwei, Chinese artist became a truly global force
Whether in the cut-throat field of politics or the fashion industry's corridors of power,
this year they left our planet a better place. Celebrate 10 of the best, nominated by Independent writers
Alice Jones, The
Independent, 31 December 2011
UNITED KINGDOM – "Ai became the loudest arts story of the year and an internationally
recognised symbol for China – the face of both its creative potential and its
human rights abuses. From the Tate to the Guggenheim, major galleries organised
protests, petitions and installations around his arrest, while a wave of
graffiti, Mao-style billboards and impromptu performances hit the streets. If
Ai Weiwei isn't allowed to make art, they seemed to say, we'll make it for
him. "It's never about me," said the artist. "My supporters
use me as a mark for themselves to recognise their own form of life: I become
their medium."
Arab protesters put their art on the streets
Artists have
used the walls of Cairo, Damascus and Tripoli to document the uprisings
Anny Shaw and
Gareth Harris, The Art Newspaper, 30 December 2011
CAIRO, EGYPT – "The Cairo-based artist Ganzeer's stencil
of Egyptian riot police, bravely painted on the side of the Mogamma
government building on Tahrir Square last month, is the latest in a long line
of works of art that have flourished in Egypt's streets since Hosni Mubarak
was ousted in February 2011. In Libya and Syria too, radical publishing and
pamphleteering, street art and graffiti have thrived, even appearing in
deeply conservative Saudi Arabia."
Former Lewis County museum director suspect in $100,000 theft
Christopher
Brewer, The Seattle Times, 29 December 2011
CENTRALIA, WA – "Since November, Lewis County Historical
Museum officials have been trying to figure out how more than $460,000 could
have disappeared from the museum's endowment fund in less than three years.
Chehalis police
Thursday believe they have solved a piece of the puzzle, and the person most
closely associated with the museum's day-to-day operation for over five years
is now accused of stealing more than $100,000 from the fund."
The arts in 2012: the British blind spot
Mark Lawson
kicks off our 2012 arts special by looking at how the Olympic Games will
highlight the cracks in our culture
Mark Lawson, The
Guardian, 29 December 2011
BRITAIN –
"A theatre director recently told me that he would not be applying for
the currently vacant job of artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare
Company, because he wasn't sure what any of the three words in the
organisation's name mean any more: monarchy, Elizabethan authorship and
permanent acting troupes are all concepts currently in flux. In the same way,
anyone seeking to promote "British culture" – a key marketing
concept in the year of the 2012 London Olympics – faces the problem that the
definition of the United Kingdom is contracting while the definition of
culture is expanding."
City arts staff gone missing—again
Deanna Isaacs, Chicago
Reader, 29 December 2011
CHICAGO, IL – "Yikes! An email sent to the city's widely
admired music programmer Michael Orlove this week came back with this
auto-reply: "I no longer work for the Chicago Office of Tourism and
Culture."
Orlove's
innovations include the World Music Festival, Downtown Sound, and
SummerDance; his departure would be a huge loss—if it should actually happen.
It might or
might not, since what we have here is round two of the city's magic arts and
culture staffing show: now you see a whole team of arts workers, now you
don't.
Department of
Cultural Affairs employees who were sacked a year ago (because of problems
with anti-patronage regulations) and then hired to do the same jobs by the
"private" nonprofit Tourism Fund (aka Office of Tourism and
Culture), are either out of work again, or soon to be, their positions at
Tourism eliminated."
Occupying the Arts, a Seat at a Time
Anthony
Tommasini, The New York Times, 29 December 2011
NEW YORK, NY – "Yes, the arts, especially in America,
where government support is so paltry compared with Europe, have relied on
backing from the wealthiest sliver of society. And, yes, top ticket prices at
prestigious performing-arts institutions are out of reach for many among the
99 percent.
But as we try to
grasp what the committed Occupy Wall Street activists are saying to the
performing arts, can we all agree to put aside at last the charge of elitism?
Especially, I would say from my partisan perspective, regarding classical
music? At least in New York and in many other American cities, as well as
most college towns, there are abundant opportunities to attend free or very
affordable concerts and operas."
L'euro pousse à s'intéresser à la culture européenne
Florian Dèbes, Le
Figaro, 29 December 2011
EUROPE – "La face nationale des pièces favorise la
connaissance qu'ont les Européens de l'histoire de leurs voisins.
Marianne,
Mozart, Cervantes, le Colisée et la porte de Brandebourg sont dans nos
poches. Sur les pièces en euro, le revers est commun à tous les pays
d'émission mais l'avers est propre à chaque partenaire européen.
Depuis dix ans
qu'elles s'échangent d'un porte-monnaie à l'autre, et d'un pays à l'autre de
la zone euro, la France a choisi d'y faire figurer l'allégorie de la
République et un arbre de vie, l'Autriche a opté pour son compositeur le plus
célèbre, l'Espagne pour l'auteur de Don Quichotte, etc. Au-delà de la volonté
des fondateurs de l'euro de garder une caractéristique nationale à la
monnaie, cette face différenciée contribue aussi à la diffusion d'une culture
européenne."
Apropos Appropriation
Randy Kennedy, The
New York Times, 28 December 2011
NEW YORK, NY – "One recent afternoon in the offices of the Midtown law firm run by
David Boies and his powerful litigation partners, a large black clamshell box
sat on a conference table. Inside were raucous, sometimes wildly funny
collages of photographs and magazine pages handmade by the artist Richard
Prince, works of art that have become the ur-texts of one of the most closely
watched copyright cases ever to rattle the world of fine art.
In March a
federal district court judge in Manhattan ruled that Mr. Prince — whose
career was built on appropriating imagery created by others — broke the law
by taking photographs from a book about Rastafarians and using them without
permission to create the collages and a series of paintings based on them,
which quickly sold for serious money even by today’s gilded art-world
standards: almost $2.5 million for one of the works."
Parks Canada struggles with poor C.B. buildings
Louisbourg, Bell
Museum faced costly repairs
CBC News, 27 December 2011
CAPE BRETON, NS – "A Cape Breton official for Parks Canada says it's
doing a good job maintaining its buildings, despite a database on the
Treasury Board website showing many federal buildings are in critical or poor
condition.
Among the
buildings listed as being in rough shape are the Fortress of Louisbourg, its
interior fortress the iconic King's Bastion, as well as smaller structures
such as visitor centres and tool sheds."
Último cargamento de piezas de Machu Picchu llegará en el
2012
Ministerio de Cultura, Perú, 19 December 2011
PERÚ – "El Ministro de Cultura, Luis Peirano, se presentó ante
el "Grupo de trabajo de seguimiento de la situación y recuperación de
los bienes arqueológicos y culturales del Perú en el exterior" del
Congreso de la República, para informar sobre el proceso de repatriación de
las piezas de Machu Picchu, los textiles en poder del Reino de Suecia y los
libros y documentos sustraídos durante la Guerra con Chile.
Durante la exposición, confirmó que en el 2012 arribará a nuestro
país el último lote de piezas de Machu Picchu devueltas por la Universidad de
Yale."
Steven Litt, Cleveland.com, 4 January 2012
CLEVELAND, OH – "The Cleveland Museum of Art has long argued
that cultural activity can boost the local economy.
Today, it gave that notion a new twist by hosting a morning-long
symposium about how regional governments and businesses could benefit from
building a relationship with China — an economic and cultural powerhouse with
which the museum has had fruitful exchanges."
Why Some Cities Are Healthier Than Others
Richard Florida, The Atlantic Cities, 4 January 2012
UNITED STATES – "Yesterday, I mapped the metro areas across the
United States where smoking and obesity are the most and least prevalent. A
great many studies have examined the health consequences of obesity and
smoking and the characteristics of individuals who are most susceptible to
them, but I wanted to better understand them geographically.
With the help of my Martin Prosperity Institute colleague Charlotta
Mellander, I looked into the factors that might impact regional variations in
smoking and obesity, such as income, education, and even the ways people
commute to work."
Number of Chinese tourists expected to increase in Chinese
Culture Year
Today's Zaman, 2 January 2012
ISTANBUL, TURKEY – "The number of Chinese tourists to Turkey is
expected to increase in 2012 as result of cultural activities to be held as
part of the Year of Chinese Culture, Özgür Özaslan, assistant undersecretary
of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, told the Anatolia news agency on
Monday.
Visited by over 30 million foreign tourists in 2011, Turkey seeks to
increase this number in the coming years, especially by attracting visitors
from the Far East."
Chinese families head to science museums for holiday
Xinhuanet.com, 2 January 2012
SHANGHAI, CHINA – "After years of visiting popular attractions
crowded with people, Chinese families are beginning to show an increasing
preference for the quiet calm of the country's museums.
The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum received a large number of
visitors on Monday, the second day of the three-day New Year holiday. Many
parents took their children to the museum, one of the largest in China, for a
special one-day tour featuring interactive games and programs."
Norwich museum forging regional ties
Programs aimed
at bringing more visitors
James Mosher, Norwich
Bulletin, 2 January 2011
NORWICH, CT – "The Leffingwell House Museum is joining a
regional project that will link it to Windham County as it begins a two-year
program designed to boost interest and involvement in the Norwich tourist
site.
Leffingwell
House is one of 12 Eastern Connecticut sites that will become home to
historic letterboxes this spring, Volunteer Program Coordinator Beryl
Fishbone said last week.
The Last Green
Valley Inc., a Danielson-based tourism promoter and nature advocacy group, is
part of the project. Sites in Franklin and Lebanon are among those chosen to
have letterboxes."
Travel: Quebec City lights up the night
David Johnston, The
Gazette, 1 January 2012
QUÉBEC CITY, QC
– "Quebec's innovative Plan lumière has
given la vieille capitale a spectacular look and feel after dark.
As part of the
preparations for the 400th, the provincial Commission de la capitale
nationale du Québec proposed a new light plan, or Plan lumière, for Quebec
City. In 1998, the CCNQ identified 63 important public and private properties
for special lighting projects, with costs to be shared by public and private
sources. The goal was to install new showcase lighting on as many of these 63
properties as possible by 2008. In the end, 22 projects were completed – the
last one being the Price Building in Old Quebec, whose cornerstone was laid
on Oct. 29, 1929, the day of the Black Tuesday stock-market crash. After a
four-year pause, a second phase of new showcase night lighting is to be
unveiled in 2012.
Quebec's Plan
lumière, which Montreal has been studying very closely, is based on
architectural-lighting plans that were introduced in Europe in the 1980s; the
main inspiration for Quebec City has been Lyon, France."
The world's most creative cities
Tel Aviv, London, Sydney, Stockholm and Shanghai are booming with
talent
Andrew Braithwaite, Steve Brearton, Omar El Akkad, Iain Marlow and
Nancy Won, The Globe and Mail, 29 December 2011
TORONTO, ON – "Innovation can happen anywhere. It shouldn't be
solely entrusted to Cupertino or Mountain View nor should it be limited to
self-styled visionaries in New Balance sneakers. But it does seem to happen
in clusters. Why Silicon Valley? Why Waterloo? Because creativity is
cultural. For the better part of a decade, the Martin Prosperity Institute at
U of T's Rotman School of Management has been studying the complex web of
factors that encourage and sustain innovation in regions around the world.
First published in 2004, the institute’s Global Creativity Index measures a
nation's innovation potential, focusing on what it calls the Three Ts:
technology, talent and tolerance. We used this index, but also dove deeper,
to choose cities that are best positioned to nurture their creative edge into
the future." | 
LordCultural 
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