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Featured Story Abu Dhabi developer outlines a new timetable for opening of Louvre, Guggenheim Adam Schreck (AP Business Writer), Recent News, artdaily.org, 26 January 2012 DUBAI, UAE – "The developer of an ambitious cultural district in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday outlined a new timetable for the stalled project, with its first attraction — a branch of the Louvre — now slated to open in 2015. A division of the Guggenheim will follow in 2017, which like the outpost of the French art institution will make its debut in the Emirati capital years later than originally planned. The landmark projects on the emirate's multi-billion dollar Saadiyat Island development have been hit by a series of delays since being unveiled five years ago, including an announcement last year that the government-backed developer was dropping plans to award a major construction contract. That renewed questions about Abu Dhabi's commitment to the project, which aims to turn the fast-growing city into a major cultural and tourism hub." [see also Le Louvre Abou Dhabi ouvrira ses portes en 2015, Artclair, 25 janvier 2012; TDIC Announces Opening Dates of Saadiyat Cultural District Museums, TDIC, 25 January 2012; and An Ambitious Arab Capital Reaffirms Its Grand Cultural Vision, by Anthony Shadid, The New York Times, 24 January 2012]
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Our Clients and Lord Cultural Resources in the News £80 million plans unveiled today to create world's leading design museum in London Recent News, artdaily.org, 25 January 2012 LONDON, ENGLAND – "The Design Museum today unveiled plans to create the world's leading museum of design and architecture at the former Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington, London. Designs for the site have been produced by two of the world's most innovative architectural practices: John Pawson has redesigned the interior of the Grade 2* listed building and OMA has planned the surrounding residential development. The move will allow the new Design Museum to become a word class centre for design, nurturing British talent and its international influence on design of all kinds. It will bring the museum into Kensington's cultural quarter, where it will join the V&A, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Royal College of Art and Serpentine Gallery, creating a platform for the promotion and support of the next generation of creative talent. The new building will open to the public in 2014, giving the Design Museum three times more space to showcase its unique collection. The museum aims to double its visitor numbers to 500,000 a year, and will greatly expand its education and public events programme with state of the art facilities." France returns 20 Maori heads to New Zealand Preparing the biggest homecoming yet of its kind, authorities in New Zealand on Monday received 20 ancestral heads of Maori ethnic people once held in several French museums as a cultural curiosity. The Telegraph, 23 January 2012 NEW ZEALAND / FRANCE - "French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand and New Zealand's ambassador presided over a solemn ceremony at Quai Branly museum in Paris, where the heads were encased in a box – the largest single handover of Maori heads to be repatriated, New Zealand's embassy said. Since 2003, the South Pacific country has embarked on an ambitious programme of collecting back Maori heads and skeletal remains from museums around the world." [see also La France restitue vingt têtes maories à la Nouvelle-Zélande, Le Monde, 23 janvier 2012] Purdue University President France Cordova becomes Smithsonian Institution chairwoman Brett Zongker (Associated Press), Recent News, artdaily.org, 25 January 2012 WASHINGTON, DC – "Purdue University President France Cordova was installed Monday as chairwoman of the Smithsonian Institution's governing board as the museum complex expands with the coming construction of a new black history museum and amid calls for another focused on Latino American heritage. As Cordova begins her three-year term, she will maintain her post at the Indiana university. She will lead oversight and support fundraising for the world's largest group of museums and research centers. Cordova is an astrophysicist and previously held posts in the University of California system and was chief scientist at NASA." Over 1 million visitors to the National Museum of Ireland in 2011 Recent News, artdaily.org, 25 January 2012 DUBLIN, IRELAND - "The total visitor figures to the 4 sites of the National Museum of Ireland for 2011 is 1,096,027 which was not only a 10% increase on 2010 but also the highest figure ever for visits to the Museum. The reasons for this increase were public programming, the exhibitions and galleries but also Free Admission which given the current economic climate, means everyone can visit the museum regardless of income. In addition, the number of tourists visiting Ireland increased by 7% in 2011 which also contributed to the increase in the NMI visitor figures." War of 1812 'Tecumseh flag' a buried treasure May have covered chief’s body Anne Jarvis, The Windsor Star, 25 January 2012 WINDSOR, ON – "Folded up, in a concrete bunker nicknamed "the fort" in the bowels of Windsor's tiny museum, is an incredible piece of Canada's history. Tattered and discoloured, it's a British flag purported to have been used to cover the body of the great Shawnee chief Tecumseh after he was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812. But it hasn't seen the light of day in at least 20 years, in part because the cramped museum doesn't have space for it. [text omitted] It's a huge flag — with a huge story, and it's just a fraction of the neat stuff the museum keeps in storage. Lord Cultural Resources, the consultant hired to conduct a feasibility study for a new museum, will meet with the public at Mackenzie Hall next week." [see also Forum to discuss museum study, The Windsor Star, 26 January 2012] Task force recommends no major changes to arts funding Liam Casey, The Toronto Star, 24 January 2012 TORONTO, ON - "Shortly after arts funding was salvaged in the budget, a mayor’s task force has recommended that no major changes be made in the administration of those funds — for now. On Tuesday, Councillor Gary Crawford, the task force’s chair, announced a status-quo recommendation for the short term, which included maintaining the existing granting process for the three theatres, Sony Centre, St. Lawrence Centre and Toronto Centre for the Arts and for local arts groups." [task force member Chris Lorway is Director, Festivals and Performing Arts at Lord Cultural Resources; see also the task force’s full report Recommendations on the Theatres] Share Your Opinion About Kingston's History & Stories Harvey Kirkpatrick, Kingstonist, 19 January 2012 KINGSTON, ON – "As part of the continuing work on the Kingston Culture Plan, the City has launched a Your Opinion survey to ask Kingston residents, businesses and institutions how they perceive the city's history and stories. "With so many significant anniversaries and celebrations coming up in the next few years, this process of gathering and sharing stories is getting underway with a brief opinion survey to help identify those things, past and present, that have helped to make Kingston what it is today," says Colin Wiginton, Manager of Cultural Services. "The stories, memories, suggestions and personal perspectives of Kingston’s citizens are vital to the success of this initiative." This information will be used as part of the Integrated Cultural Tourism and Cultural Heritage Strategy that was recommended in the Kingston Culture Plan. In partnership with Tourism Kingston, a division of Kingston Economic Development Corporation, the City is currently working with Lord Cultural Resources to develop: A Cultural Tourism Strategy that leverages Kingston's arts, heritage and cultural assets, including the feasibility of a summer festival A Cultural Heritage Strategy that develops Kingston's powerful historical narrative, built heritage and natural heritage features into a broad-based strategy for telling Kingston's stories Guidelines to provide the City of Kingston direction for support of other national and international commemorative events in preparation for a number of upcoming anniversaries." Peterborough Museum and Archives seeking an extra $500,000 for more storage, archive space Brendan Wedley, Peterborough Examiner, 21 January 2012 PETERBOROUGH, ON – "It would be an understatement to say the Peterborough Museum and Archives is cramped for space for its roughly 40,000 artifacts and archives. Museum staff are quick to point out that they are meeting requirements, but they acknowledge they're not able to follow best practices in some cases. That's why they're asking to increase the budget for improvements to the collection storage and archives areas to $650,000 from the approved $150,000. [text omitted] The plan to improve the situation goes to city council's committee of the whole meeting Monday. The city would pull $400,000 from the museum renovation reserve fund to add to the $95,000 in funding that was already included in the 2012 budget for the upgrades. The city would apply to the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund for the other $155,000 for the project. The upgrades would include a compact storage system for the archives to increase the storage capacity of the archives by 30%; creating an accessible public washroom; adding a public research space for researchers to use when they're accessing the archives; converting storage space into space for the development of exhibits before artifacts are moved upstairs to the public gallery; and expanded research space." Cristián Samper to step down As Director of Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History Recent News, artdaily.org, 24 January 2012 WASHINGTON, DC – "Cristián Samper, a biologist and international leader in the field of conservation biology, announced his resignation from the National Museum of Natural History where he has served as director since 2003. Samper was Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian from March 2007 until July 2008, when he returned to the Museum of Natural History. Samper will continue as director through July. Samper is leaving the Smithsonian to become president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society headquartered in New York City." 100 jours au Parlementarium et déjà plus de 64 000 visiteurs European Parliament, 24 janvier 2012 BRUXELLES, BELGIUM – "Le Parlamentarium, le centre des visiteurs du Parlement européen - le plus grand dans son genre en Europe - célèbre aujourd'hui son centième jour d'ouverture. Il a déjà accueilli plus de 64 000 visiteurs intéressés par le fonctionnement de l'Union européenne et du Parlement." Le Louvre aura la responsabilité de l'hôtel de la Marine Le Monde, 24 janvier 2012 PARIS, FRANCE – "Le bâtiment historique de l'hôtel de la Marine à Paris restera dans le giron de l'Etat et accueillera, sous la responsabilité du Louvre, des expositions, ainsi que l'a recommandé l'ancien président Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, a annoncé mardi 24 janvier Nicolas Sarkozy." Significant areas of England left without Renaissance funding No funding for East Midlands and Museums Sheffield to appeal decision Sharon Heal, Museums Journal, 24.01.2012 ENGLAND - "The Arts Council England today announced its 16 major partner museums that will be funded as part of the Renaissance programme. There are some newcomers on the list such as the Cumbria Museums consortium, which includes the Wordsworth Trust and the Lakelands Arts Trust, which weren’t previously part of the hub structure. But there were also some significant losers. There is no major partner museum in the East Midlands despite the fact that Derby and Nottingham museum services applied as a partnership. And Museums Sheffield, which also made an unsuccessful application, has vowed to appeal the decision." [see also Major grant allocations announced, by Patrick Steel, Museums Association, 24.01.2012; and Manchester art galleries and museums to share £60m windfall, by Yakub Qureshi, Manchester Evening News, January 25, 2012] Smithsonian reports dip in visitors and increase in donations Jacqueline Trescott, The Washington Post, 07:00 PM ET, 01/23/2012 WASHINGTON, DC - "Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough reported Monday that the number of visitors to the Smithsonian had declined by 2 percent. That meant only 29 million people had visited the museums, still making the complex bulging with visitors. At the same time donations from the private sector had exceeded the Smithsonian’s own goal for last year and brought in $182 million. "We are pleased with this trend and how the gifts fit into our strategic plan," Clough said at a press briefing." A Jewish Museum Shifts Identity Edward Rothstein, The New York Times, 22 January 2012 BERKELEY, CA — "The story of how the Judah L. Magnes Museum — whose collection of Judaica is the third largest in the country — became the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at the Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley, might not seem terribly ripe with complication or implication. In recent years small private museums facing financial strain have often sought refuge by negotiating new lives within universities. Perhaps on Sunday, when the Magnes opened its doors to the public in a building it had long owned near the campus here, it was simply inaugurating another phase of its 50-year life. But along the way the Magnes has had more than its share of high drama, including a much anticipated union with another local Jewish museum in 2002, closely followed by a quickie divorce on grounds of irreconcilable differences." La Maison de l’Histoire de France devrait s’installer dans le bâtiment Chamson des Archives nationales Connaissance des Arts, 20 janvier 2012 PARIS, FRANCE – "Dans un entretien au journal "Le Monde", Maryvonne de Saint Pulgent a présenté sa stratégie pour la Maison de l’Histoire de France. Toujours sans contenu officiel ni budget, la Maison de l'Histoire de France voit son adresse précisée par sa directrice. Elle devrait s'installer dans le bâtiment Chamson des Archives nationales, construit en 1962." WDM seeks provincial funding hike Jeremy Warren, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, 20 January 2012 SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA – "The Western Development Museum is hoping the new "boom town" economy of Saskatchewan puts a little extra cash in its annual funding from the provincial government. The museum, which operates in four cities, is asking the province for a significant increase to its annual operating grant from the Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport. The museum says the extra funding is needed to manage a growing collection of Saskatchewan's history and renovate its properties." Museums Museum Undergoing $15m Expansion Alan Wood, The Press, 26 January 2012 CHRISTCHURCH, NZ - "Christchurch's quake damaged tourism industry is planning ahead to bring convention business back into the city with the help of a $15 million expansion of Christchurch's Air Force Museum. The demolition of the quake-hit Christchurch Convention Centre starts this week and tourism bosses are looking forward to when the Air Force Museum will be able to provide extra space to host convention events and up to 1000 people at a time. Air Force Museum director Therese Angelo said the original plans to enlarge the museum space by 4200 square metres had been further extended to 6200 square metres of extra space. This would more than double the museum building's existing footprint of around 5000 square metres." La National Gallery of Art de Washington rouvre ses espaces dédiés à l’impressionnisme français Artclair, 26 janvier 2012 WASHINGTON, DC – "Après 2 ans de travaux, les 14 salles de la National Gallery of Art de Washington, consacrées à l’impressionnisme français et au post-impressionnisme, rouvrent samedi 28 janvier 2012. 120 toiles sont exposées selon un nouvel accrochage thématique afin de "faire converser les œuvres", explique Mary Morton, directrice du département des Peintures françaises au musée." Saab museum saved by Wallenberg millions Oliver Gee, The Local, 25 January 2012 TROLHÄTTAN, SWEDEN - "The Saab museum of automobile rarities, which has struggled to find a buyer following the company’s recent bankruptcy, has been saved by a Wallenberg-family trust that wanted the museum to remain intact. "It feels great! Saab’s cars are a part of Trollhättan’s history and now we’ve saved a bit of Swedish industrial heritage," Paul Åkerlund, the chair of the Trollhättan municipal council, said in a statement. The municipality, together with funding from Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Memorial Fund and defence company Saab AB, have agreed to purchase the museum for 28 million kronor ($4.15 million)." James Holloway CBE to retire as Director of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Recent News, artdaily.org, 25 January 2012 EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – "The National Galleries of Scotland announced that James Holloway CBE will retire from his post as Director of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery at the end of January 2012. James Holloway (b. 1948) began his career in Scotland back in 1972 as a Research Assistant and Assistant Keeper at the National Gallery of Scotland (Department of Prints and Drawings). After a period as Assistant Keeper at the National Museum of Wales from 1980-1983, he returned to Scotland, joining the Portrait Gallery as Deputy Keeper. In 1997 he followed Dr Duncan Thomson as Keeper of the PG, a position later re-titled as Director. [text omitted] The National Galleries has appointed Nicola Kalinsky, Chief Curator and Deputy Director to be the Interim Director of the PG. The search to find a successor for James Holloway is now underway and will be assisted by Odgers Berndtson." The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston announces historical endowment Recent News, artdaily.org, 25 January 2012 BOSTON, MA – "Charles Brizius, President of the Board of Trustees at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, announced at a museum board meeting last night that both the Director and Chief Curator positions have been endowed for the first time in the museum's 75 year history. Ellen Poss has endowed the Director position, now named the Ellen Matilda Poss Director; and Barbara Lee has endowed the Chief Curator post, now named the Barbara Lee Chief Curator. These gifts are part of a $50 million campaign of which more than $25 million has already been raised, including a total of 10 seven-figure gifts. Lead gifts of close to $17 million have been given by ICA Board Chairman, Paul Buttenwieser, Fotene Demoulas, who has named the Fotene Demoulas Gallery, Poss and Lee. The campaign paves the way for the next phase of the ICA's development and solidifies its position as one of the most influential forces on artistic, educational and civic life in Boston." Museum breaks ground on new wing Ed Kemp, hattiesburgamerican.com, 25 January 2012 LAUREL, MS - "Lauren Rogers Museum of Art registrar Tommie Rogers looked at the crowd of museum friends and supporters who packed the American Gallery from wall-to-wall Wednesday and laughed. "Next year this won't be a problem. It won't even matter," she said. It won't be a problem because 2013 is the year in which the museum will open 3,425 square feet of new gallery space with the ability to hold lectures and concerts. The LRMA broke ground for the new wing Wednesday afternoon, four months after announcing its $5 million Framing the Future capital campaign." Cultivating a More Diverse Audience: The Future of Museums Elizabeth Quaglieri, Technology in the Arts, January 25, 2012 UNITED STATES - "A 2010 report published by the Center for the Future of Museums, an initiative of American Association of Museums, forecasts the changing face of the United States over the next four decades and the future of museums in light of an increasingly diverse population and “majority minority” society. The report, “Demographic Transformation and the Future of Museums” is a must-read for museum managers and administration- if only for the graphics and statistics projecting the upcoming drastic and rapid shift in demographics in the United States. A concise report, complete with graphics, a call to action, and a list of online resources for demographic information and socio-economic indicators, the American Association of Museums (AAM) analyzes the data on patterns of museum use and trends in societal growth to answer the questions: How will people use museums in the future? And which people will use them?" 2012 World’s Top 10 Science Centers Mark Walhimer, Museum Planning, 24 January 2012 WORLD – “World’s Top 10 Science Centers, most visited Science Museums, data as of 2010 / 2011 Top 10 Science Centers – Worldwide 1. Citi des Sciences et de l’Industrie 5,000,000 2. Science Museum, London 2,700,000 3. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, 2,500,000 [see full article for complete list] Top 10 Science Centers – USA 1. Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago 1,605,020 2. Pacific Science Center, Seattle 1,602,000 3. Museum of Science, Boston 1,600,000 [see full article for complete list] Dino museum still facing funding challenge Construction still slated to begin this spring; cost now up to $30 million Kirsten Goruk, Grande Prairie Herald Tribune, 24 January 2012 GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB – "Construction on the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum is scheduled to begin in the spring despite the fact fundraising efforts needs more than $16 million. "PCL is preparing to go to tender and as soon as we can announce that we've secured the rest of the funding, they're ready to go right away," said Brian Brake, executive director of the Pipestone Creek Dinosaur Initiative, the group behind the museum. "The first of May is the date that I have in mind and I'm still aiming for that." In December, the County of Grande Prairie announced $2.4 million in funding over four years and PCDI board chairman Ross Sutherland sees that as a good sign." Vingt ans, vingt rendez-vous à Pointe-à-Callière Éric Clément, La Presse, 24 janvier 2012 MONTRÉAL, QC – "Pour marquer son 20e anniversaire, Pointe-à-Callière, le Musée d'archéologie et d'histoire de Montréal, proposera 20 rendez-vous culturels cette année, dont l'ouverture d'un nouveau pavillon, la Maison-des-Marins, et une grande exposition sur les Étrusques. Le musée a été inauguré en 1992, durant les festivités du 350e anniversaire de Montréal. Pour marquer ce 20e anniversaire, Pointe-à-Callière procédera cet automne à l'ouverture d'un cinquième pavillon, la Maison-des-Marins, dans un bâtiment actuellement réhabilité sur la place d'Youville, près de l'ancienne douane." Developer donates land for Massey Hall expansion Kaleigh Rogers, Globe and Mail Update, Published Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 2:18PM EST TORONTO, ON – "Massey Hall will be getting a little more room to breathe with a land donation from Toronto's MOD Developments Inc. The development firm recently purchased Massey Hall’s neighbour, the historic Canadian Bank of Commerce Building, and will be donating a 4,804 square-foot section of land to the concert hall. "We’re just thrilled," Charles Cutts, president and CEO of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, said. He said Massey Hall is in much need of expansion and the land donation will give them the space to do it. "The hall’s had three major renovations in its 118-year history. We had commissioned a study even as recently as a year ago with a noted international theatre planner. But at that point in time, we didn’t have the option of additional land." " Spain's Prado museum takes steps to fight budget cuts Iciar Reinlein, Reuters, Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:21am EST MADRID, SPAIN (Reuters) - "Madrid's Prado Museum has started opening seven days a week and will lengthen its highly visited special exhibitions to offset the pain of government cutbacks. Despite enjoying record attendance, the home of masterpieces by Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez is feeling the blow of a 6 million euro ($7.75 million) subsidy cut as Spain tries to rein in its swollen deficit. The Prado currently has a 42 million euro annual budget, about half of which had come from public subsidies. That figure will now fall to 30 percent of the total budget until 2013, forcing the museum to make up for the shortfall." 'Soft opening' prepares Guelph Civic Museum for grand opening Rob O’Flanagan, Guelph Mercury, 22 January 2012 GUELPH, ON – "Soft opening, tons of fun. The main attraction at the new Guelph Civic Museum over the weekend was a children's area that is equal parts playroom and classroom. Director Katherine McCracken opened the Catholic Hill location Saturday, calling it a soft opening — a kind of preliminary opening stage, about five weeks in duration, needed to work out all the bugs, as well as put the finishing touches on the renovations, and complete the new location's first exhibits." Esther Trépanier honorée par la France Denise Martel, Le Journal de Québec, 20 janvier 2012 QUÉBEC, CANADA – "Directrice générale du Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec de 2008 à 2011, Esther Trépanier a reçu, hier, au consulat général de France à Québec, le titre de Chevalier de l'Ordre des arts et des lettres." Telus donne 900 000 $ aux organismes de l'Est-du-Québec Anybel Roussy, L'Avantage, 19 janvier 2012 RIMOUSKI, QC – "C'est ce matin qu’avait lieu la Célébration communautaire de Telus. Lors de l'événement tenu à l’Hôtel Rimouski, l'entreprise spécialisée dans le domaine des télécommunications au Québec et au Canada annonçait qu'elle avait appuyé près de 50 organismes dans l'Est-du-Québec, pour un montant total de 900 000 $ en 2011. Le rendez-vous annuel, soulignant les efforts déployés ainsi que le travail remarquables des organismes ommunautaires au Bas-Saint-Laurent, en Gaspésie et sur la Côte-Nord, a également permis de récompenser un organisme s'étant démarqué sur le plan de l'innovation technologique grâce au prix Innovation Telus. Cette année, les trois finalistes étaient le Musée régional de Rimouski pour son projet « L'Art en ligne », le Bioparc de la Gaspésie pour son programme éducatif scolaire visant à exporter le Bioparc dans les écoles primaires de la région ainsi qu'Action autisme T.E.D. Haute-Côte-Nord–Manicouagan grâce au développement d'outils de communication et d'intégration conceptuelle destinés aux personnes ayant un trouble envahissant du développement." Architecture Five design teams make short-list for Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art temporary pavilion Recent News, artdaily.org, 24 January 2012 KANSAS CITY, MO – "Following a late-November request for proposals, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has chosen five design teams from a pool of 15 to construct a temporary pavilion on the museum grounds to coincide with the exhibition Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs 1851–1939, which opens April 14. A panel of judges, including Bloch Building architect Steven Holl, will choose the winning design, which will be announced on Feb. 1. Designers and architects were encouraged to work in collaborative teams. The five teams competing are: • Ex3 • Hufft Projects • Edwin Blue • Derek Porter Studio • Lea Griggs, artist The teams will make a presentation to selected Nelson-Atkins staff later in January, and the winning team will be decided by a panel of judges including Holl." No Shades of Gray Ellsworth Kelly has been collaborating with architects since the 1950s. His latest project with Peter Zellner turns an L.A. gallery into public art. Laura Raskin, Architectural Record, 23 January 2012 LOS ANGELES, CA – "When architect Peter Zellner first unveiled his design for the new Matthew Marks Gallery in West Hollywood, it was met with enthusiasm from the planning department and the mayor. But the city has strict design guidelines on the books: New buildings must have windows and architectural detail. The gallery was, well, an "ice cube," says Zellner, and Marks was in uncharted territory, choosing to make his West Coast debut in the scruffy neighborhood between La Brea and Fairfax Avenues rather than the established art scene in Culver City. But Zellner was able to skirt the guidelines with the addition of Ellsworth Kelly’s 40-foot-long, 5,000-pound, rectangular, black metal minimalist sculpture to the gallery’s facade; now the entire building is considered a treasured piece of public art." Let’s Raze Javits Center (but First Finish Renovations) Robin Pogrebin, The New York Times, 22 January 2012 NEW YORK CITY - "Part of architecture’s appeal, at least to architects, is posterity: the notion that what they design will last. So it came as something of a shock to the architect Bruce S. Fowle this month when he learned that a building he was renovating is already on death row. In his State of the State address on Jan. 4 Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced plans to demolish the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which Mr. Fowle has been working to repair and redesign for the past six years. "The waste of creative energy, money and material that would result in its being torn down is painful to think about," Mr. Fowle said during a walk through the center last week." Washington Monument gets $7.5 million for repairs from billionaire history buff Brett Zongker (Associated Press), Recent News, artdaily.org, 21 January 2012 WASHINGTON, DC – "A billionaire history buff has stepped forward to donate a $7.5 million matching gift that's needed to start repairing cracks near the top of the Washington Monument caused by last summer's East Coast earthquake. Businessman David Rubenstein said he was inspired to help fund the repairs to the 555-foot obelisk when it became clear how severely damaged it was by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake Aug. 23. The National Park Service and nonprofit Trust for the National Mall announced Rubenstein's gift Thursday morning. It is the largest gift to the nonprofit group, which aims to raise $350 million to restore the mall's grounds and facilities." Technology 3-D It Yourself, Thanks to New Library Site Jennifer Schuessler, The New York Times, January 26, 2012, 7:00 am NEW YORK CITY - "Four years ago, a San Francisco artist and writer named Joshua Heineman began making animated versions of digitized vintage stereographs from the New York Public Library’s collection and posting them on his blog. The project quickly went viral, attracting as many as 70,000 visitors a day to its mesmerizing 3-D animations of old-school cyclists zipping around on penny-farthings and heavy-skirted matrons reclining over a picnic. Now the library itself has done Mr. Heineman’s populist raid on the archives one better and created its own Stereogranimator, a graphic tool that allows users to try their hand at bringing the more than 40,000 digitized stereographs from its collection back to flickering life." Museum releases iPhone app for bird, butterfly and plant identification University of Florida News, 24 January 2012 GAINESVILLE, FL — "With the touch of a finger, iPhone users can access information to help identify birds, butterflies and flowering plants seen along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail and throughout the state. The Florida Museum of Natural History’s new app, currently available through the iTunes store, "Nature Viewing Along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Viewing Trail," allows users to search for 200 birds, 106 butterflies and 247 flowering plants through a variety of options including name, color, shape and size. The app provides photographs and information about each species." Landmark resource for 20th-century Latin American and Latino art launches at the MFA in Houston Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 January 2012 HOUSTON, TX – "The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and its research institute, the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA), have devoted 10 years and $50 million to initiatives in 20th-century Latin American and Latino art. In January 2012, the MFAH and ICAA launched the first phase of a digital archive of some 10,000 primary-source materials, culled by hundreds of researchers based in 16 cities in the United States and throughout Latin America. The Documents of 20th-Century Latin American and Latino Art online archive are 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 digital archive went online at www.icaadocs.mfah.org on Friday, January 20. The phased, multiyear 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." From iconic to obscure: the push to save Canadian commercials Susan Krashinsky, The Globe and Mail, 20 January 2012 CANADA – "It's so famous many consumers may not even know it's Canadian. One of the original "Caramilk Secret" commercials, it is the only ad from this country to make it into the Hall of Fame of the coveted Clio awards in the United States. It's also exactly the type of campaign destined to be preserved in the budding collection at the new online Canadian Advertising Museum, which is looking to honour Canada's best campaigns throughout history." Art and Culture Record numbers attend 24th London Art Fair Recent News, artdaily.org, 26 January 2012 LONDON, ENGLAND – "London Art Fair today reports a record attendance for the 24th edition of the UK’s largest and longest running fair for contemporary and Modern British art. 25,020 visitors attended the event at the Business Design Centre, Islington between 18-22 January 2012, compared with the previous record of 24,389 in 2011. Many of the 120 galleries exhibiting have reported strong sales as a result of the increased interest, with the busiest day, Saturday 21 January, 1,000 up on visitor numbers for the previous year." Can Art Exchanges Ever Make Financial Sense? Shane Ferro, BLOUIN ARTINFO, 26 January 2012 LUXEMBOURG - "It's been a while since BLOUIN ARTINFO took up the subject of the art exchange, where investors buy and sell shares of artworks on an open market. However, there is a new exchange in the works — an enterprise based in Luxembourg called SplitArt — which was featured in the Deloitte Luxembourg-ArtTactic 2011 art market report (previously discussed in relation to SWAG, the latest bundled cultural commodity). According to an interview with founder and general manager Dror Chevion, the new exchange is in the process of being approved by regulators and could be the world's first regulated art exchange that securitizes artworks and sells shares to investors, lending it a certain legitimacy that other exchanges have yet to realize. But even if it gets approved by regulators, that doesn't mean it's a good investment idea." Toronto International Design Festival 2012 Robyn Urback, BlogTO, 25 January 2012 TORONTO, ON - "The 2012 Toronto International Design Festival gets underway in earnest tomorrow, and there are plenty of exhibits and activities for both the tradeshow-averse and their more tolerant counterparts. The festival seduces some of the best designers and craftspeople from around the world, while also highlighting Toronto's stars in the realm of interior design. There's the Interior Design Show, of course, which is the weekend's main event, but also a variety of other exhibitions and events highlighting local artists, designers, and craftspeople and their work." W.A.G.E. Searches for a Fair System to Pay Artists, Artists Space to Be Test Case Claire Breukel, Hyperallergic, 24 January 2012 "Two weeks ago, I wrote an article that covered a talk by Hans Abbing who authored the book Why Are Artists Poor?. The event was hosted by W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy). The incentive behind this presentation was to set the tone for a much larger debate concerning the fair and systematic payment of artists. W.A.G.E. describe themselves as, “An activist group of artists, art workers, performers and independent curators fighting to get paid for making the world more interesting.” Where I am often wary of workers unions becoming hamstrung by bureaucracy, W.A.G.E. seems to be very clear about positioning themselves in a sphere that is realistic for the creative field and with viable and attainable goals. The question now it seems is how to make a payment system sustainable." Dream of saving old terminal won't fly Aviation museum eyes move to site of former airport building Aldo Santin, Winnipeg Free Press, 24 January 2012 WINNIPEG, MB – "Heritage Winnipeg has given up its campaign to save the city's old airport terminal from demolition. Cindy Tugwell, executive director of Heritage Winnipeg, said the effort was doomed from the start because it lacked the support of anyone or any authority willing to champion the effort. "We couldn't persuade anyone," Tugwell said. The admission from Heritage Winnipeg comes as the Western Canadian Aviation Museum announces its capital campaign for a new museum facility on the site of the old terminal building." À Londres et à Séville, l’Unesco menace de déclasser certains sites de la Liste du patrimoine mondial Artclair, 24 janvier 2012 LONDON / SEVILLA / PARIS – "Deux bâtiments actuellement en cours de construction, l’un à Londres, l’autre à Séville, pourraient mettre en péril l’inscription au patrimoine mondial des deux villes. L’UNESCO estime que la construction de ces tours aux dimensions vertigineuses aura un impact négatif sur le paysage urbain. Figurer sur la « liste noire » des sites déclassés par l’Unesco serait une perte de prestige conséquente pour Séville et Londres." Guimarães et Maribor sont les deux capitales européennes de la Culture de 2012 Artclair, 24 janvier 2012 GUIMARÃES, PORTUGAL / MARIBOR, SLOVENIA – "Les deux nouvelles capitales européennes de la Culture ont débuté les festivités. Musique, théâtre, danse et expositions vont animer Guimarães et Maribor durant toute l’année 2012. Chaque ville espère recevoir plus d’1,5 million de visiteurs." Marseille-Provence 2013 célèbre la culture méditerranéenne Artclair, 23 janvier 2012 MARSEILLE, FRANCE – "Un an avant son lancement, l’association Marseille-Provence 2013 a dévoilé à la presse et aux élus le programme de la manifestation. Divisée en 3 thématiques - le cosmopolitisme, les relations à la nature et l’art de vivre ensemble - Marseille-Provence, capitale européenne de la culture, devrait accueillir 500 évènements dont une vingtaine d’expositions majeures." The Most Artistic City in America? The Answer Might Surprise You Sean Bowie, Technology in the Arts, January 23, 2012 UNITED STATES - "Merely the question itself is bound to spark controversy: what is the most artistic city in America? It is a difficult question, and the answer is often hard to gauge. Just what do we mean by “artistic?” And how does one measure how “artistic” a city is? Cities across America will often claim their museums are better and more unique, their shows are of superior quality, and their artistic communities are thriving. But when it comes to actually quantitatively measuring how artistic a city actually is, the answers are few and far in between. Thankfully, two writers have sought to settle the debate once and for all: which city holds the crown as the most artistic city in America? The answer might surprise you." Zhong Gallery for contemporary Chinese art opens in Berlin Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 January 2012 BERLIN, GERMANY – "The Zhong Gallery in Berlin will open its doors on January 21 as Europe's first gallery for contemporary art founded by Chinese gallerists, presenting perspectives on Chinese art which have received little attention from the European art scene so far. The opening exhibition "Dawn – New Art from China" will be showing work by the artists Chen Yujun, Li Jikai, Li Qing, Wang Guangle, Wang Yabin, Wu Di, Yuan Yuan and UNMASK." Renewed culture plan gets vocal public backing as it passes committee Neco Cockburn, The Ottawa Citizen, January 19, 2012 OTTAWA, ON — "Council’s community and protective services committee heard plenty of support Thursday for a renewed six-year, $5-million plan for arts, heritage and culture — and for the consultation process that led to the proposal. Representatives from a wide range of communities — archeologists and First Nations leaders to arts and heritage enthusiasts — lined up to cheer elements of the "renewed action plan for arts, heritage and culture" from 2013 to 2018, the work of a steering committee and city staff. "In my view, it is as coherent and comprehensive a document for going forward as you are ever going to find," said Catherine O’Grady, chair of the city’s arts, heritage and culture advisory committee. The committee unanimously approved the plan, which would see most of the money go toward funding for cultural programs and facilities." Vast public collection tells Alberta's artistic story Provincial foundation's archive is one of the biggest in Canada Janice Ryan, Edmonton Journal, 19 January 2012 ALBERTA, CANADA – "One organization often mentioned on artists' CVs is the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Artists proudly note work included in the AFA art collection, as well as AFA project grants. As a supporter of visual, literary and performing artists and arts organizations, the AFA's programs also aim to serve the people of Alberta. The art collection, valued at $12 million, is one of the largest public collections in Alberta, with 8,250 works of all media - painting, sculpture, fibre art, ceramics, drawing, printmaking, photography, glass and mixed media - created by almost 2,000 artists, each with a significant connection to the province." Governments, Urban Planning & Cultural Tourism President Obama’s Fourth State of the Union Speech The New York Times, 25 January 2012 UNITED STATES - "In his election-year State of the Union address, President Obama set forth a long list of domestic economic proposals, many of which centered on jobs and changing the tax code. Watch his speech and follow along with fact checks and analysis from Times reporters." [see also related article In Address, Obama Makes Pitch for Economic Fairness, by Helene Cooper, The New York Times, 24 January 2012] Cultural Tourism and Economic Strategy for the Arts Robert Booker, Arizona Commission on the Arts, 25 January 2012 ARIZONA, UNITED STATES - "Cultural Tourism is an important component of economic development and revenue for most any community large or small. The Arts Commission supports the development of cultural tourism in communities across Arizona through seminars, grants and informational resources. Most recently, we partnered with the Arizona Humanities Council and Smithsonian Magazine. Our statewide arts and cultural industry and artists contribute to the richness of our state and attract tourists from across the world. As President Obama speaks about tourism as an economic driver and source of jobs in Arizona this week, we thought it was important to bring the focus in just a little closer, and further discuss tourism from an Arts and Culture point of view." First edition of Art and Tourism will debut in Florence this May eTurboNews, 25 January 2012 FLORENCE, ITALY - "More than 25,000 international visitors are expected at the first edition of Art & Tourism, the art and cultural tourism fair making its debut in Florence from May 18-20, 2012. Art & Tourism will be the ideal showcase for destinations to display and promote all their cultural heritage, and so encourage an increase in tourist flows from all over the world to their destinations. Exhibitions, shows, conventions, open spaces dedicated to the main tourist and cultural attractions, are all planned within the Art & Tourism fair." Havana: Bracing for a Boom Jenna M. McKnight and Tamar Wilner, Architectural Record, 19 January 2012 HAVANA, CUBA – "For decades, Havana has charmed foreigners who visited the Caribbean city well-known for its sultry music, world-class cigars, and cacharros, the vintage American automobiles imported to the country prior to the 1959 revolution. The urban landscape is like few others: Located on Cuba's northern coast, this city of 2.1 million people is endowed with a range of architectural styles, from Renaissance, Moorish, and Baroque to Neoclassical and Mid-Century modern. In 1982, UNESCO named Old Havana a World Heritage Site. "Havana was not ruined by overdevelopment or the urban renewal programs of the 1960s," says Julio César Pérez, a 54-year-old practicing architect in Havana who travels internationally to speak about Cuba. "We are proud of our city, our culture, our architectural heritage. We love our country, and we want the best for it." This devotion is what led Pérez to start developing a master plan for Havana a decade ago while a Loeb Fellow at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. Fearing a future building frenzy that could erode the city's soul, Pérez conceived a multifaceted scheme that calls for historic preservation combined with sensitive new development."
	Creating Cultural Capital
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