Lord Cultural Resources logo Cultural News Mar 16-22, 2012

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Broad/MSU launches Virtual Broad Art Museum with original digital artworks on view in multi-user online environment

Recent News, artdaily.org, 17 March 2012

 

EAST LANSING, MI – "The Virtual Broad Art Museum, a multi-user online environment developed in anticipation of the fall 2012 opening of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University (Broad/MSU), launched today. Created by internationally recognized intermedia artists John Fillwalk and Adam Brown, the virtual space mirrors the architecture of the Zaha Hadid-designed museum, and provides an innovative and globally accessible venue for the presentation of cutting-edge interactive digital artworks. Four original works by Fillwalk, which make use of the Virtual Museum’s capacity to facilitate interaction between users and with the environment itself, have been created for the project launch. As the virtual world evolves, the work of other artists will also be integrated into the space." [See also Broad Art Museum turns virtual with new website, by Andrew Krietz, The State News, 21 March 2012]

 


Cultural News, a free service of Lord Cultural Resources, is released at the end of every week. Excerpts are directly quoted from the articles – please click on the links to read the full articles on the original news sites. To receive it in your inbox rain or shine, please press the subscribe button above - it will take less than 30 seconds to become a subscriber. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest digest of cultural news.

 


Our Clients and Lord Cultural Resources in the News

 

Culture: on ferme le robinet

Paul Journet, La Presse, 21 mars 2012

 

QUÉBEC, CANADA – "Après une croissance de 34,6% des dépenses en culture depuis 10 ans, Québec commence à fermer le robinet. Les dépenses se stabilisent. Les nouvelles mesures annoncées dans le budget Bachand sont ciblées. La principale annonce: un «legs» de 125 millions pour célébrer le 375e anniversaire de Montréal, en 2017. L'argent ira notamment à l'Espace pour la vie (45 millions pour un nouveau pavillon de verre au Jardin botanique, un cinquième écosystème au Biodôme, l'agrandissement de l'Insectarium et le nouveau Planétarium)."

 

Un nouveau musée pour l’IMA

Le Connaissance des Arts, 21 Mars 2012

 

PARIS, FRANCE - "Plus qu’une rénovation, c’est une véritable refondation de son musée qu’a menée l’Institut du monde arabe depuis trois ans. Il convie désormais le visiteur à un parcours promenade thématique, à la découverte des cultures arabes, anciennes et contemporaines."

 

Grand Paris : le mirage d’une Tate à Gonesse ?

Le Journal des Arts, 16 Mars 2012

 

GONESSE, FRANCE - "Projet titanesque d’une filiale du groupe Auchan, "Europa City" est un équipement touristique unique en son genre, qui doit voir le jour sur des terrains agricoles situés non loin de l’aéroport Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle. Les promoteurs ont imaginé un "mall" où se côtoieraient commerces, loisirs et activités culturelles, dont une grande halle d’exposition qui pourrait se mesurer au Grand Palais."

 

Gail Lord: Sustaining Chicago as a Premium City

Chcago Artists Resource, 20 March 2012

 

CHICAGO, IL – "Learn about the Chicago Cultural Plan from Gail Lord, Co-President of Lord Cultural Resources, the firm overseeing the new plan.  Ms. Lord's talk, "Sustaining Chicago as a Premium City" will discuss Chicago's plan in relation to the international planning work her firm has implemented in the past 30 years. Gail Dexter Lord is Co-President of Lord Cultural Resources Planning and Management Inc., which she co-founded with her husband Barry Lord in 1981. With a network of offices in Toronto, New York, Paris, Beijing, and Mumbai, Lord Cultural Resources has grown to become the largest cultural planning firm in the world having completed over 1,900 cultural planning and management projects in 50 countries and on 6 continents. Cities such as Toronto, New York, Seattle, Munich, and Florence have employed Gail to assist public, private and civic sector leaders develop their cultural capital. Most recently she is especially excited about working on Chicago's Cultural Plan."

 

Cultural Jewels in the Gulf

Vinita Bharadwaj, The New York Times, 20 March 2012

 

ABU DHABI, UAE – "A group of about 30 young men and women from the Abu Dhabi Ambassador Program are gathered around a miniature model representing the cultural ambitions of their emirate. The program trains Emiratis to be future "tourism ambassadors" and requires them to be familiar with all aspects of the emirate. They listen attentively as the guide at the Manarat Al Saadiyat, a 15,400 square-meter, or 165,800 square-foot, arts and culture space, explains the Saadiyat story: a $27 billion development project featuring three "starchitect" museums: the Jean Nouvel-designed Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum by Norman Foster and the Frank Gehry-rendered Guggenheim Abu Dhabi."

 

Debate over Chimczuk money heats up at council

CBC News, 20 March 2012

 

WINDSOR, ON – "There were some strange exchanges and pointed questions at Windsor city council Monday over the "Chimczuk money." Auto worker Joseph Chimczuk left the cash the city when he died more than 20 years ago. He specified it be used to build a museum with his name attached. More than $3 million is now available. David Wonham, a retired doctor, has no ties to Chimczuk or the money, but said he has legally registered a company called Chimczuk Museum Inc. [text omitted] City council is exploring its legal options. It's also awaiting a study that will make recommendations on where and how to create the museum."

 

Proposed development would house new Windsor museum

Dave Hall, The Windsor Star, 16 March 2012

 

WINDSOR, ON - "Two Windsor entrepreneurs are proposing a multi-million dollar cultural and restaurant development for an under-utilized stretch of University Avenue West. George Sofos, who operated the Junction family restaurant, is proposing redeveloping a former casino recruitment centre at 1100 University into a community museum with an adjoining archives and cultural centre at 1200 University, perhaps even housing a relocated Science City. Business partner Van Niforos, who has operated the popular Penalty Box restaurant for 20 years, is planning to relocate his Walker Road restaurant into the former Butler building at 1220 University. Sofos said his development offers an alternative to a suggestion that the city locate a museum and library in the art gallery adjacent to a new aquatic centre. [text omitted] And Sofos believes renovating the former casino recruitment and training centre could be done for much less than the cost of constructing a new building. A recent draft report by a cultural consultant hired by the city suggested using the Chimczuk funds for an expanded facility shared with the art gallery and library, adjacent to the new aquatic centre. But Sofos believes his proposal provides for more space and ample parking which he believes is lacking in the suggested development. "We're just offering another option," said Sofos. Sofos and Niforos have presented their proposals to city councillors and Mayor Eddie Francis and are hoping for an opportunity to discuss them further before a final decision is made. Coun. Al Maghnieh said he saw the concept briefly but that he does not know whether the city administration is considering it as part of the museum feasibility process. "We'll wait for the administrative recommendations to come forward," Maghnieh said. "It looks nice," he said of Sofos' and Niforos' proposal, "But I don't know how feasible it is. I look forward to seeing the reports from the administration."

 

DCASE launches a new Chicago Cultural Plan

Lord Cultural Resources asks Chicagoans how to strengthen the arts.

Lauren Weinberg, Time Out Chicago, 17 March 2012

 

CHICAGO, IL – "The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events organized four town hall meetings last month to solicit opinions on the forthcoming Chicago Cultural Plan. I went to the last meeting, held February 21 at the National Museum of Mexican Art, with the lowest possible expectations. The artists and arts administrators I know were wary. The city hadn't bothered to issue a Cultural Plan after Mayor Harold Washington's administration created the first one in 1986. Since December 2010, the Department of Cultural Affairs has dismissed many employees as it merged with the Mayor's Office of Special Events, shifted some positions to the renamed Office of Tourism and Culture, and then decided to move them back under new DCASE commissioner Michelle Boone. So, when Lord Cultural Resources, the Toronto-based consulting firm developing the new plan, invited the town hall attendees to share their "vision of Chicago in 2030," I wondered if there was any point—especially after a participant identified Taste of Chicago as a "significant cultural experience." But once we broke into groups to continue the discussion, I realized that my fellow citizens have great ideas. When we shared our findings at the end of the meeting, one group suggested each ward hire an artist-in-residence. Another asked the city to set up a barter system for arts organizations, so they can exchange goods and services without seeking nonexistent funds. [text omitted] According to Lord senior consultant Orit Sarfaty, her firm's extensive international experience gives it the perspective to evaluate Chicagoans' recommendations. Lord learned that London's attempt to give its artists pop-up spaces failed, for example, so "we spoke with the director of the space brokerage and tried to find what the lessons were," Sarfaty says. The town hall meetings identified six key issues to be discussed in more depth at the public neighborhood meetings DCASE is convening through April 4. They include demands for comprehensive arts education in public schools, more live/work and rehearsal spaces, a living wage for artists, and events that are more accessible financially and geographically." [See also The West Side joins Chicago's cultural plan conversation, Ellyn Fortino, Austin Talks, 19 March 2012]

 

Royal Ontario Museum focuses on accessibility with tactile exhibit design

Jeff Hayward, Design Edge Canada, 16 March 2012

 

TORONTO, ON — "Sometimes the traditional way of designing works best to create something new. That's the case at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, where 'tactile' casts of artifacts are popping up, geared at providing a richer experience for the visually impaired. The current Maya: Secrets of their Ancient World exhibit at the ROM uses several of these casts; in fact, there are 14 touchable reproductions resembling Mayan sculptures, ceramics and masks. "It's sort of a new trend in museums," said Georgia Guenther, a senior artist at the Toronto museum, about the reproductions. "We're trying to give people a tactile experience as well as visual." "

 

TIFF's urban filmmaking spotlight to shine on Mumbai

City to City program to showcase filmmakers based in Mumbai

CBC News Posted: Mar 16, 2012 11:44 AM ET Last Updated: Mar 16, 2012 11:40 AM ET

 

TORONTO, ON - "Mumbai will share the spotlight at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, which has unveiled the Indian metropolis as the focus of its City to City program this September. TIFF artistic director Cameron Bailey made the announcement late Thursday from Mumbai, where he is attending the media and entertainment convention FICCI Frames. "There's been an exciting evolution recently that's seen local independent films emerge to contrast with Bollywood's dazzling commercial movies," Bailey said in a statement. "Whether you call it Mumbai or Bombay, this city is a massive player in the global film world, and a place I've grown to love in all its diversity. Toronto audiences are in for a thrill this September." " [see also TIFF 2012: Festival to spotlight films from Mumbai, The Canadian Press, Toronto.com, Mar 16, 2012]

 

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Museums

 

La Turquie réclame 18 antiquités au Metropolitan Museum de New-York

Le Journal des Arts, 22 Mars 2012

 

NEW YORK, ÉTATS-UNIS – "Début mars, le gouvernement turc avait entrepris des mesures offensives pour faire valoir ses revendications sur des antiquités supposées volées. Il a ainsi refusé de nombreux prêts pour des expositions anglaises et américaines. La Turquie réclame désormais au Metropolitan Museum la restitution de 18 œuvres dont la légalité de la provenance est mise en doute."

 

Imperial War Museums submits plans to transform its flagship branch, IWM London

Recent News, artdaily.org, 22 March 2012

 

LONDON, UK – "Imperial War Museums has submitted a listed building and planning application to the London Borough of Southwark to transform its flagship branch, IWM London. The planning application focuses on Phase One of a longer term Masterplan for the building, developed with architects Foster + Partners. The first phase will be completed in time to commemorate the Centenary of the outbreak of the First World War in 2014 and includes:

- New larger First World War galleries significantly larger than the current First World War galleries, allowing IWM to display much more of its exceptional First World War collections
- A reconfigured central hall at the heart of the museum
- New central hall terrace displays, re-interpreting our iconic large objects to make it easier to understand their historical significance and context
- Additional gallery space at the top of the museum for exhibitions relating to contemporary conflicts
- A new museum Café opening onto the Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park and a new shop"

 

TrendsWatch 2012: Museums and the Pulse of the Future

AAM Center for the Future of Museums, 21 March 2012

 

UNITED STATES - TrendsWatch is a new annual report that helps museums paint a picture of the future, and find practical applications for the information presented in CFM's popular e-newsletter, Dispatches from the Future of Museums.

 

Challenges for first science museum in the Philippines

Robert P. Crease, New Scientist, 11:33 21 March 2012

 

TAGUIG, THE PHILIPPINES - "DURING the construction of the Philippines' first real science museum, curator Maria Isabel Garcia insisted that workers decorate their crane to look like a Tyrannosaurus rex. The country's largest newspaper ran a front-page picture. The caption: "Dinosaurs at Work!" Garcia had her work cut out. Getting the public to connect with science is a challenge in one of Asia's most Catholic nations, where topics like fossils and evolution are flashpoints. The Philippines also ranks poorly in science test scores: a 2003 study placed the nation 42nd out of 45 countries for high school results. And Garcia's project is expensive - $25 million - for a country buffeted by the economic crisis. But her enthusiasm has not wavered. "The Philippines is relatively poor and more religious than other countries," she says. "We are often forced to beg for many things - aid, investments, a voice in international arenas - why should we be beggars for a sense of discovery?"

 

Society eyes permanent museum

Coquitlam Heritage Society members concerned about closure of Riverview exhibit

Kendra Wong, Coquitlam Now, March 21, 2012

 

COQUITLAM, BC - "After years of housing a piece of Coquitlam's history, the museum at Riverview Hospital is getting set to close its doors. The closure is part of a series of building closures that will eventually lead to the termination of operations at the hospital later this year, said Jill Cook, executive director of the Coquitlam Heritage Society (CHS). [text omitted] Following its closure on May 31, the collection will be placed in storage until exhibit space can be found. The CHS said finding new exhibit space is a top priority, however it does not have any locations in mind to house the Riverview collection. Postma and Cook called the closure of the space the "tipping point," signalling an immediate need for dedicated museum space in the city."

 

Surprise du budget Bachand

Un nouveau pavillon au MBAM pour accueillir une collection unique d'une valeur de 75 millions de dollars

Isabelle Paré, Le Devoir, le mercredi 21 mars 2012

 

MONTRÉAL, QC – "Surprise dans le budget Bachand: Québec financera la construction d'un cinquième pavillon dédié à l'art international au Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (MBAM) pour accueillir le plus important don d'œuvres d'art jamais fait dans l'histoire des musées au Québec. Le MBAM a levé le voile hier en fin d'après-midi sur la nature de ce don d'une collection exceptionnelle, d'une valeur de 75 millions de dollars, fait par Michal et Renata Hornstein, de grands philanthropes montréalais liés depuis des décennies à l'essor du musée de la rue Sherbrooke."

 

English Heritage tackles crime against heritage sites

70,000 listed buildings harmed by theft and vandalism in 2011

Simon Stephens, Museums Journal, 21.03.2012

 

UNITED KINGDOM - "English Heritage is developing a new document to help people prevent crime against heritage sites following the publication of a report that has highlighted the extent of the problem. [text omitted] The crime prevention advice document that will be published next month is part of a programme English Heritage started two years ago to help tackle heritage crime."

 

Dubai to Build Modern Art Museum and Opera House District

Dubai Chronicle, 21 March 2012

 

DUBAI, UAE - "His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, today announced the launch of the Dubai Modern Art Museum and Opera House District, a stylish cultural destination to be located in Emaar’s flagship development, Downtown Dubai, and billed to be the UAE’s newest arts and cultural nerve-centre. The Dubai Modern Art Museum and Opera House District aims to further strengthen UAE’s emerging role as the cultural hub of the region, and builds on Dubai’s current repertoire of over 50 art galleries and globally acclaimed art showcases including Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai and SIKKA, all of which also contribute to attracting high-end cultural tourists."

 

Academy creates two new posts to manage film museum project [Updated]

Los Angeles Times, March 21, 2012 |  5:29 pm

 

LOS ANGELES, CA - "The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has named Heather Cochran and Bill Kramer to oversee the management of the ambitious academy film museum to be housed on the campus of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Heather Cochran, who has been a part of the academy's efforts to establish a film museum in Los Angeles since 2004, will serve as managing director, academy museum project, while veteran fundraiser Bill Kramer will be the managing director, development. Both will report to academy chief executive Dawn Hudson. Cochran will be charged with managing and executing the overall vision for the project, while Kramer will oversee the museum's capital campaign and fundraising efforts." [see also Cochran, Kramer to run Acad museum: Move advances plan for long-awaited institution, By Christy Grosz, Variety, 21 March 2012]

 

Diana's Kensington Palace, part museum, part royal abode, reopens to public

Jill Lawless (Associated Press), Recent News, artdaily.org, 21 March 2012

 

LONDON, UK – "It's the past home of Queen Victoria and Princess Diana, the future residence of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge — and, it's hoped, a stop on tourists' London itineraries. Kensington Palace — part museum, part royal abode — is reopening to the public after a two-year, 12-million-pound ($19-million) makeover designed to give visitors a sense of what it is like to live in a centuries-old building that has witnessed both affairs of state and affairs of the heart."

 

El Sistema Nacional de Museos de Uruguay organiza Encuentro Internacional

"Museos, Plataformas Digitales y Colecciones. Acciones para democratizar y proteger el patrimonio museológico"

Ibermuseus Ibermuseos, 2012/03/20

 

URUGUAY - "La propuesta del Encuentro Internacional "Museos, Plataformas Digitales y Colecciones. Acciones para democratizar y proteger el patrimonio museológico", es la socialización de experiencias de normalización y digitalización de acervos en países iberoamericanos de referencia en la materia. Las reuniones tendrán lugar los días 26 y 27 de marzo en el Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales de Montevideo, y contarán con la presencia de especialistas invitados de Portugal (Plataforma MATRIZ 3.0), España (Plataformas DOMUS y CERES), Cuba (Sistema de inventario automatizado del patrimonio cultural y natural), Chile (Plataforma SUR), Argentina (Plataforma CONar) y Brasil (Programa "Acesso digital ampliado ao patrimônio museológico dos países de língua portuguesa")."

 

Dallas Museum of Art appoints Mark Leonard as Chief Conservator, expanding conservation program

Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 March 2012

 

DALLAS, TX – "Maxwell L. Anderson, The Eugene McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art, today announced the appointment of Mark Leonard as the Museum's first Chief Conservator, effective July 1, 2012. Leonard's appointment signals the initial phase of the development of the DMA's conservation program, which will include the addition of staff and the renovation of its onsite spaces to include a paintings conservation studio. Leonard, who stepped down in 2010 as the Head of the Paintings Conservation Department at the J. Paul Getty Museum to pursue his career as an artist, will work with Anderson and the DMA's senior staff to establish the more comprehensive Conservation Department and further develop the Museum's Collections and Exhibitions program, informed by his scholarship in the care and preservation of paintings from across the Museum's encyclopedic collection."

 

Feds: Some artifacts were stolen from Custer-themed museum in southeast Montana

Matthew Brown (Associated Press), Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 March 2012

 

BILLINGS, MT – "A cache of American Indian artifacts seized during raids on a Custer-themed museum in southeast Montana includes items allegedly stolen from members of the Crow Tribe. The allegation was detailed in court documents filed by the government to explain why it still has the artifacts three years after federal agents dropped their criminal probe of the Custer Battlefield Museum in Garryowen. Federal officials investigated museum director Christopher Kortlander for more than four years for alleged artifact fraud. No charges were filed, and the case was dropped in 2009."

 

National museum soon to showcase Indian medical heritage

Kounteya Sinha (TNN), The Times of India, Mar 20, 2012, 03.01AM IST

 

NEW DELHI, INDIA - "A permanent national museum to showcase India's rich medical heritage is on the cards. The Planning Commission's steering committee on Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) for the 12th five-year Plan has recommended creation of an international standard medical museum, besides travelling exhibitions to showcase the indigenous rich heritage of traditional medicine."

 

A Makeover for Contemporary Art in Sydney

Ginanne Brownell, The New York Times, 20 March 2012

 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — "Few contemporary art museums can boast of having both a breathtaking view and a superb location in the heart of a city. But the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) here is doubly blessed. First constructed for the Maritime Services Board in the 1950s with a faux 1930s façade, the museum is located in Circular Quay, in the heart of Sydney Harbor. "Its location has been central to its success," said Elizabeth Fortescue, an art critic for the city’s Daily Telegraph newspaper. "And that will attract some people who think that contemporary art is not for them." Since August 2010, the MCA has been undergoing a makeover worth 53 million Australian dollars, or about $56 million, and has gained 50 percent more space. It will reopen March 29 as the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia — a name that reflects its status as the only contemporary art museum in the country with a permanent collection." [see also Museum of Contemporary Art Australia 2012 Reopening Program, e-flux, 20 March 2012]

 

Aspen Art Museum announces new $1.5 million gift from donors Allen and Kelli Questrom

Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 March 2012

 

ASPEN, CO – "The Aspen Art Museum announced a major new gift of $1,500,000 to the ongoing Capital and Endowment Campaign. The gift, generously made by the Allen and Kelli Questrom Foundation, establishes the Questrom Education Fund. This gift substantially increases the Questrom Foundation campaign donation to the museum, augmenting their 2008 gift of $1,000,000 establishing the Questrom Lecture Series."

 

Polémique relancée autour de l’ouverture d’un MuséoParc à Alésia

Le Connaissance des Arts, 19 Mars 2012

 

ALÉSIA, FRANCE - "Le 26 mars, un MuséoParc, dédié au site d’Alésia et à la fameuse bataille opposant Vercingétorix à César en - 52 avant J.C, va ouvrir ses portes dans la commune d’Alise-Sainte-Reine en Bourgogne."

 

Les directeurs des musées nationaux italiens se plaignent de leur salaire « indécent »

Le Journal des Arts, 19 Mars 2012

 

ROME, ITALIE – "Les directeurs de certains prestigieux musées italiens ont décidé de participer à l’opération "Transparence" lancée par Mario Monti. Ils ont dévoilé leurs salaires dans une lettre ouverte, mettant en évidence la grande disparité entre leurs revenus et ceux des hauts fonctionnaires."

 

New York City's Anne Frank Center opens in new location

David Rising (Associated Press), Recent News, artdaily.org, 18 March 2012

 

NEW YORK, NY – "New York City's Anne Frank Center has moved to a new Manhattan location near ground zero.

The first phase of the new 2,700-square-foot space opened to the public on Thursday. The center is dedicated to raising awareness of intolerance. It had been located in a much smaller space in the city's Soho neighborhood."

 

Reopening Erland Lee Museum subject of talks

The Hamilton Spectator, 17 March 2012

 

STONEY CREEK, ON - "The Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario (FWIO) continues to discuss plans to reopen the Erland Lee Museum. The FWIO board has approved a two-year pilot that would involve volunteers operating the museum, which was closed in December 2011 after the organization decided to cut costs due to a projected deficit budget."

 

Museum of St Albans to move to city's Old Town Hall

A Hertfordshire museum is relocating to a city centre site to allow it to expand.

BBC News, 17 March 2012

 

ST ALBANS, UK - ">St Albans District Council has agreed to develop its grade II listed Old Town Hall to house the Museum of St Albans. The plan could cost between £2m and £5m and it is hoped the sale of the museum's current building in Hatfield Road will help raise some of the funds. The council will also look for grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Arts Council."

 

Berlin's German Historical Museum ordered to return Nazi-seized art to American man

Recent News, artdaily.org, 17 March 2012

 

BERLIN, GERMANY – "A Berlin museum must return thousands of rare posters to an American man, part of his Jewish father's unique collection that had been seized by the Nazis, Germany's top federal appeals court ruled Friday. The Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe confirmed Peter Sachs, 74, was the rightful owner of the posters collected by his father Hans and ruled he is entitled to receive them back from the German Historical Museum. The ruling ended seven years of legal battles over a vast collection dating back to the late 19th century that is now believed to be worth between euro4.5 million and euro16 million ($6 million and $21 million). The court said if the museum kept the posters it would be akin to perpetuating the crimes of the Nazis."

 

Les honneurs obtenus ouvrent des portes à la Pointe-du-Buisson

Normand Morand, Le Soleil de Valleyfield, 17 mars 2012

 

BEAUHARNOIS, QC – "En 2011, les 25 ans du Musée québécois d'archéologie de la Pointe-du-Buisson, à Beauharnois, secteur Melocheville, ont été dignement soulignés puisque l'établissement s'est mérité de nombreux honneurs. Quant à la présente année, elle sera axée sur l'innovation. Au tout début de ce 25e anniversaire, le musée était reconnu "Lieu d'intérêt historique national" puis a suivi une mention d'honneur dans le cadre des prix Histoire Canada. Par la suite, le Prix Innovation lui a été décerné par Tourisme Suroît et la Chambre de commerce et de l'industrie Beauharnois-Valleyfield l'a nommé Organisme culturel de l'année."

 

Travel Picks: Top 10 Best Non-Art Museums

VirtualTourist.com, Reuters, 16 March 2012

 

WORLD - When you mention the word "museum," most travelers imagine the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the throngs of people trying to sneak a peek at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. While art may be the first thing to come to mind, many other subjects can be found in museums around the world. To help you culture vultures plan ahead, the members and editors of travel website VirtualTourist.com (www.virtualtourist.com) have compiled a list of the "Top 10 Best Non-Art Museums." Reuters has not endorsed this list:

1. The Egyptian Museum - Cairo, Egypt [text omitted]

2. National Air & Space Museum - Washington, D.C., USA [text omitted]

3. Lower East Side Tenement Museum - New York City, NY, USA

Although Ellis Island reveals that immigrants' hardships continued upon arriving in America, few museums or landmarks illustrate the plight of immigrants in major metropolitan cities. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is such a place. It is housed in an original tenement building that was discovered intact in the late 1980s. A guided tour through the dark, cramped quarters shows what living conditions could be like in New York City before housing laws were established. Ironically, the Lower East Side is experiencing a great resurgence, due to its proximity to popular Soho and trendy East Village restaurants - the contrast between the inside of 97 Orchard Street and what's occurring outside the museum's walls is truly remarkable." [see article for full list]

 

New Olympia children's museum taking shape

The Hands On Children's Museum is expected to move in the fall into a new building with new and much-expanded exhibits.

Matt Batcheldor (The Olympian), The Seattle Times, 16 March 2012

 

OLYMPIA, WA - "Sliding down nearly three stories from an interpretive eagle's nest to an artistic rendition of the Puget Sound. Shooting Nerf balls up a maze of tubes with bursts of air. Building a race car and racing it on special tracks. These are all things children will be able to do at the new $18.5 million Hands On Children's Museum, which is expected to open this fall in Olympia. Executive Director Patty Belmonte said crews will begin building exhibits in the next couple of weeks. The outside of the building (at Jefferson Street and Olympia Avenue) is substantially finished."

 

Whitby museum falling behind the times

Site on the verge of closing due to lack of funding

Parvaneh Pessian, DurhamRegion.com, 16 March 2012

 

WHITBY, ON – "It's appropriate that the Whitby History Museum sits in the heart of Whitby's bustling downtown core, overshadowed by a cluster of businesses. The non-profit organization, which offers a rare glimpse into the town's rich history through a display of unique artifacts from the early 1900s, is slowly falling behind its commercial counterparts. Waning public interest and lack of funds to keep the museum running over the past few months has placed it on the verge of closing."

 

UCLA’s Hammer Museum Launches Art Prize; Visitors Will Select $100K Winner

Stephanie Murg, Unbeige, March 16, 2012 1:25 PM

 

LOS ANGELES, CA - "The Hammer Museum (of art), which is not to be confused with the Hammer Museum (of hammers), is introducing an $100,000 award as part of its “Made in L.A. 2012” biennial, opening June 2 across three venues: the Hammer, LAXART, and the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park."

 

Welsh culture minister promises heritage bill

Museums could become statutory service

Sharon Heal, Museums Journal, 16.03.2012

 

WALES - "Huw Lewis, the Welsh minister for housing, regeneration and heritage, has said that he hoped Wales would have its first ever heritage act in place by 2014. Speaking at the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales conference this week, Lewis said that there would be a heritage conference in July as part of the process of consultation on the bill, and that he hoped a strategy for the historic environment would be in place by autumn."

 

Cumberland Museum asking Village for increased funds

Lise Broadley, Comox Valley Echo, 16 March 2012

 

CUMBERLAND, BC – "Representatives from the Cumberland Museum and Archives are asking the Village to consider providing three times more funding than last year, up to $24,000 in 2012 from $8,000 in 2011. The requested funding would go toward building maintenance and staffing costs."

 

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Architecture

 

Restauration du maître-autel de la cathédrale de Séville

Le Journal des Arts, 21 Mars 2012

 

SÉVILLE, ESPAGNE – "Le colossal retable gothique de la cathédrale Santa María de la Sede s’apprête à être restauré. Haut de 27,8 mètres et large de 20,1 mètres, ce maître-autel, réalisé par Pierre Dancart entre les XVe et XVIe siècles, comporte 45 panneaux sculptés représentant des scènes de la vie du Christ et de la Vierge Marie. 1,6 million d’euros et 28 mois de travaux seront nécessaires à la restauration totale de ce chef-d’œuvre."

 

La Cour des comptes de Venise réclame des indemnités à l’architecte du Ponte della Costituzione

Le Journal des Arts, 20 Mars 2012

 

VENISE, ITALIE – "Santiago Calatrava, l’architecte espagnol qui a conçu le Ponte della Costituzione sur le Grand canal de Venise, a été mis en cause par le procureur de la Cour des comptes de Vénétie. Ce dernier réclame 3,4 millions d’euros pour « dommages et intérêts au Trésor public » suite à des erreurs dans la construction du pont qui ont entraîné des dépenses excessives."

 

James Corner Field Operations’ Team Wins Chicago’s Navy Pier Redesign Competition

Steve Delahoyde, Unbeige, March 20, 2012 10:21 PM

 

CHICAGO, IL - "Anymore when a large urban landscape project is in the works, you could fairly safely guess that New York’s High Line co-designers, James Corner Field Operations, would either be on the short list or had just won (it’s even been speculated that all the High Line enthusiasm could be the next “Bilbao effect”). And so it has happened again, right here in Chicago. Back in September you might recall, the organization behind the city’s Navy Pier, which juts out into Lake Michigan and offers spectacular views of the skyline and therefore should be an inviting experience but is, instead, a soul crushing tourist trap, announced plans for a major, let’s-actually-make-this-place-inviting redesign competition. The original list included teams upon teams of industry heavies, which was then whittled down, somewhat surprisingly, to some less household name teams. In the end, this week it was revealed that James Corner’s group, which also includes Bruce Mau Design, nArchitects, and Ed Marszewski, along with twelve other firms, has won the project." [see also Chicago Navy Pier Competition, USA : Illinois Design Contest, e-architect, 19 March 2012]

 

La situation des musées de Bosnie-Herzégovine inquiète l’Icom

Le Journal des Arts, 19 Mars 2012

 

BOSNIE-HERZÉGOVINE – "Les musées de Bosnie-Herzégovine sont en danger. Problèmes administratifs et difficultés économiques ont obligé certaines institutions à fermer leurs portes. Le Conseil international des musées (Icom) a apporté son soutien aux institutions et professionnels de la culture qui tentent d’agir "en faveur de la réouverture des musées et du renforcement de leur capacité budgétaire "."

 

Richard Driehaus: It Isn't Too Late to Get the Eisenhower Memorial Right

Richard H. Driehaus (The Washington Post), Architectural Record, 03/18/2012

 

WASHINGTON, DC - "Controversy has erupted over the memorial to President Dwight Eisenhower proposed by Frank Gehry for a site next to the Mall. The memorial's large size and unconventional emphasis on Eisenhower as a "barefoot boy from Kansas" drew objections from the Eisenhower family, which in December called for it to be redesigned. A mounting public debate has since coalesced around familiar cultural positions. Supporters praise the plan as a memorial for the 21st century; critics charge that it disrespects its subject and context. This increasingly contentious debate, however, has shifted attention away from the high-handed and undemocratic process that produced Mr. Gehry's design. The Eisenhower Memorial Commission chose its architect from a short list of predictable names, disregarding a tradition of designing national memorials through open design competitions." [see also Eisenhower Memorial architect Frank Gehry open to changes; not enough emphasis on his achievements, Brett Zongker (Associated Press), Recent News, artdaily.org, 22 March 2012]

 

Building the American Dream in China

Brook Larmer, The New York Times, 16 March 2012

 

CHINA - "Daniel Gillen is afraid of heights. The young American architect didn’t think to tell me this until we had already climbed up a construction ladder and started walking gingerly across the curved roof of an unfinished building in northeastern China. [text omitted] "When I first came here two years ago, this area was just a bunch of fields covered with construction cranes," said Gillen, who is 32. Now the farmlands outside Harbin have been transformed into one of the dozens of insta-cities rising around China. "Standing here," Gillen said, "you just have to be in awe of what China can accomplish." The building beneath Gillen’s black leather boots inspired a different sort of wonder. A whimsical, torquing 660-foot-long tube sheathed in stainless steel, the Harbin Wood Sculpture Museum is the architectural fantasy of Gillen’s boss, Ma Yansong, and his team at MAD Architects in Beijing. The building’s design evokes the natural world — an iceberg, say, or a piece of driftwood — but given its backdrop, I couldn’t help thinking that it looked like a shimmering spaceship that had touched down unexpectedly in an alien urban landscape. [text omitted] Over the past three years, foreign architects and designers have poured into China, fleeing economic crises at home and pinning their hopes on this country’s explosive growth. It is, after all, a place that McKinsey & Company predicts will build 50,000 skyscrapers in the next two decades, the equivalent of 10 New Yorks. MAD’s staff consisted almost entirely of mainland Chinese when Gillen arrived in mid-2009; today, nearly half of his 50 colleagues are foreigners, with designers from Holland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Colombia, Japan and Thailand. >"The economic crisis," Gillen says, "is a heavy factor in everybody’s thought process." This is the expected global economic formula flipped on its head: instead of American workers losing out to the Chinese, China is providing jobs for foreign architects. Even more surprising is the degree of imaginative license that China offers, even demands of, its foreign building designers. With new cities materializing seemingly overnight, international architects are free to think big, to experiment with cutting-edge designs, to introduce green technologies. All at a frantic pace. In a top-down system that favors political will and connections over regulatory oversight and public debate, large-scale projects in China can be designed, built and put to use in the space of just a few years."

 

Montreal's new gateway to culture: Le 2-22 opens in the Quartier Des Spectacles

World Architecture News, 15 March 2012

 

MONTREAL, QC - "As the gateway to Montreal’s arts and entertainment district, Le 2-22, designed by Aedificia, a team of architects, designers, engineers and communication specialists, had to make a bold statement; a grand gesture that would anchor the neighbourhood and speak to culture and urbanism in one fell swoop. The building does that and more, from its eye-catching façade - an innovative twin walled skin the outer glass layer of which is designed to fully retract in the summer revealing a wooden envelope beneath with punched openings that reads like an abstract tapestry - to its large-scaled recessed angular entrance that frees up the sidewalk for dense pedestrian traffic, which the area experiences during festivals. The space created by superimposing the two materials will be used for multimedia installations."

 

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Technology

 

artCircles iPad app helps people find the art they love

Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 March 2012

 

EMERYVILLE, CA – "Art.com, Inc., providing modern, easy access to the world's largest selection of hand-picked art images, today introduced artCircles™, a new, free app for iPad. artCircles takes you on a journey of discovery through the world’s most inspiring art collection seen through the eyes of various curators, including designer, Yves Behar; technology innovator, Michael Hawley; president of Rhode Island School of Design, John Maeda; community organizer, Yosi Sergant; Pianist, Eric Lewis (ELEW); National Geographic explorer, Elizabeth Lindsey; and children's book author, Leslie McGuirk, among others. You can also view art works inspired by 20 different words and colors from quirky to ethereal and cyan to coquelicot."

 

New Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney gets a digital make over

Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 March 2012

 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – "The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia is pleased to announce the launch of its new website and smart phone apps. These technological developments will effectively enhance the Museum's core activities and use innovative technology to improve and enrich visitors' experience before, during and after their visit to the MCA."

 

Trove of free, public domain HD video

Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing, at 5:56 am Monday, Mar 19, 2012

 

"Rick Prelinger sez,

I'm delighted to let everyone know about our newest Internet Archive collection which, for want of a cooler title, we're calling 35mm Stock Footage. Digitized from 35mm original negatives and release prints dating back to the first decade of the 20th century, these unedited sequences were shot for feature films but never used. Studio librarians saved them for use in future productions, and now you can download and use them yourself in a variety of formats, including 720p HD, absolutely free. As far as I know, this is Internet Archive's first all-HD collection."

 

Upstate NY museum posts GE film archive on YouTube

Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, 16 March 2012

 

SCHENECTADY, NY — "An upstate New York museum is using YouTube to share its rarely-seen archive of more than 1,000 General Electric Co. films. The Daily Gazette of Schenectady reports (http://bit.ly/AuQVvT) the Schenectady Museum began digitizing the films, some dating to 1915 and many on 16 mm film, about a year ago. There's footage of equipment tests and company events, advertisements and General Electric Theater episodes hosted by Ronald Reagan."

 

National Gallery of Art (U.S.) Launches NGA Images Database and Open Access Policy

Gary Price, INFOdocket, 16 March 2012

 

"From a National Gallery of Art (NGA) Announcement: The National Gallery of Art announces the launch today of NGA Images, a new online resource that revolutionizes the way the public may interact with its world-class collection at http://images.nga.gov. This repository of digital images documenting the National Gallery of Art collections allows users to search, browse, share, and download images believed to be in the public domain."

 

Artists Find Benefactors in Web Crowd

Patricia Cohen, The New York Times, 16 March 2012

 

UNITED STATES - "In the last year alone, money troubles have pushed the New Mexico Symphony to close, New York City Opera to slash its budget by two-thirds and the State of Kansas to eliminate all public financing for the arts. As formerly reliable employers and patrons struggle to pay their own bills, artists have been forced to intensify their hunt for new fund-raising strategies. Even fictional artists have been affected. On the new NBC series “Smash,” the Broadway producer Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston) tries to sell her beloved Degas just to finance a workshop. Which is why the prospect of financial crowd-sourcing on the Internet has been enthusiastically embraced by some as an important new model for the future of arts financing. The question is, how important?"

 

Museum of Email & Digital Communications Opens

Actively Records Revolutionary Impact of New Computer-Based Communications

Press Release: Museum of Email and Digital Communications, Marketwire, Thu, Mar 15, 2012 5:24 PM EDT

 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - "The Museum of Email & Digital Communications (www.email-museum.com) opens on March 27, 2012. The museum records and interprets computer-based ways that people communicate, such as email, social media, instant messaging, texting, and videoconferencing."

 

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Art and Culture

 

UK loosens visa restrictions for non-European Union artists

Britain’s widely criticised points-based immigration visa rule to be relaxed, allowing foreign artists to stay for a month if officially invited

Ermanno Rivetti, The Art Newspaper, Web only, Published online: 22 March 2012

 

UNITED KINGDOM - "The Home Office has relaxed its immigration rules for non-EU artists who are temporarily visiting the UK. The previous "points-based immigration system" effectively classed visiting non-EU artists as migrants and forced them into long, and sometimes unsuccessful, visa application processes. It drew widespread criticism from the art world and London’s municipal government, but despite the change, it seems there is still some progress to be made on the issue. The new "permitted paid engagements" entry route, effective from 6 April, allows non-EU artists a one month leave to enter the UK without having to go through the points-based system, provided they have been officially invited to undertake engagements with a pre-arranged fee. The UK organisation hosting the artist will no longer need to apply to become a licensed sponsor and it will no longer be required to keep the artist’s contact details, passport entry stamps and biometric details. However, even a formal invitation for a period longer than one month will require the artist and the host institution to apply through the points-based system, and should the initial visit need to be extended, the artist will have to leave the country and reapply through the "permitted paid engagement" scheme. "

 

Edinburgh to host biennial arts summit

The Herald, reposted on Coalition for Cultural Diversity, 21 March 2012

 

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - "EDINBURGH will become the centre of the world’s artistic political elite every two years, in a regular series of summits for arts ministers. Jonathan Mills, the artistic director of the Edinburgh International Festival, which unveils its ambitious 2012 programme today, has revealed plans for the Scottish capital to host biennial August meetings of more than 40 government arts ministers. The group will not only meet and discuss policy and partnerships, but take in the cultural offerings of the annual festival, Fringe, and book festival. The first International Culture Summit will take place on August 13 and 14, during the Edinburgh Festival and just after the close of the 2012 London Olympics. The summit, where arts ministers will debate "culture as an international dialogue", has been set up as a collaboration between the Scottish Government, the UK Government, the Edinburgh International Festival and the British Council."

 

Dubai art district to double in size

Colin Simpson, The National (UAE), 21 March 2012

 

DUBAI, UAE - "It is the UAE’s answer to New York’s West Chelsea and London’s Hoxton... industrial districts that have become homes to thriving art scenes. And now Alserkal Avenue at Al Quoz industrial area is going to get a whole lot bigger. Plans were announced yesterday to double its size by demolishing an adjacent marble factory and replacing it with purpose-built units to be used as galleries and studios. Alserkal Avenue has grown steadily since 2007 with the support of entrepreneur Abdelmonem Alserkal. The expansion plan is a response to increasing demand for space and is due to be completed in 2014, with the entire Dh50 million cost being met by the Alserkal family."

 

Provincial Profiles of Arts, Culture and Heritage Activities in 2010  

37th Statistical Insights on the Arts report

Hill Strategies Research Inc., 21 March 2012

 

CANADA - "This report analyzes provincial data regarding the number and percentage of Canadians 15 or older who, in 2010:
• Visited art galleries or other museums;
• Attended live performances;
• Visited historic sites and other heritage organizations;
• Read newspapers, magazines or books;
• Watched movies or videos; or
• Listened to recorded music.

Individuals are counted only once in each activity regardless of how many times they participated in the activity.

Overall, the report finds that:
• All residents in each province participated in at least one arts, culture or heritage activity in 2010.
• In all provinces, participation in many arts, culture and heritage activities has increased over the past 18 years."
[Provincial summaries, a national summary and the full report are available on the Hill Strategies website]

 

Kroeller-Mueller Museum confirms through new X-Ray technique that still life is by Vincent van Gogh

Mike Corder (Associated Press), Recent News, artdaily.org, 21 March 2012

 

THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS – "It was, it wasn't, it is: A still life once thought to be by Vincent van Gogh but later downgraded to being the work of an anonymous artist is indeed by the tormented Dutch impressionist himself, researchers announced Tuesday. The process leading to the confirmation of the painting's authenticity reads like a cold case detective story. A new X-ray technique helped experts re-examine what they already knew about "Still life with meadow flowers and roses" and draw on a growing pool of scholarly Van Gogh research. A detailed X-ray of an underlying painting of two wrestlers and knowledge of the painter's period at a Belgian art academy led a team of researchers to conclude that the painting really is by Van Gogh."

 

Art Dubaï encore plus à l’Est

Le Connaissance des Arts, 21 Mars 2012

 

DUBAI, UAE - "Pour sa sixième édition, la foire "Art Dubaï" affirme avec force son rôle de carrefour du marché de l’art du Moyen-Orient et développe son ouverture vers l’Indonésie et la Chine en invitant leurs galeristes, collectionneurs et conservateurs de musées."

   

La Fondation Carmignac Gestion s’installe sur l’île de Porquerolles

Le Journal des Arts, 21 Mars 2012

 

PARIS, FRANCE – "La Fondation Carmignac Gestion veut créer un lieu dédié à l’art contemporain sur l’île de Porquerolles au large de la ville d’Hyères. Ouverture prévue à l’été 2014."

 

Les souhaits des Français en matière de politique culturelle

Le Journal des Arts, 20 Mars 2012

 

PARIS, FRANCE – "Un sondage BVA met en évidence les aspirations des Français en matière de politique culturelle. Sur ce sujet, François Hollande l’emporte largement sur Nicolas Sarkozy. Plus surprenant, les Français souhaitent que le privé intervienne davantage dans le financement de la culture."

 

Jornada de Cooperación Iberoamericana en Quito

Ibermuseos presenta las acciones del Programa en Ecuador

Ibermuseus Ibermuseos, 2012/03/20

 

QUITO, ECUADOR - "Durante los días 14 y 15 de marzo se celebraron en Quito las Jornadas de Cooperación en Ecuador. Convocadas por la Secretaría Técnica de Cooperación Internacional (SETECI) y la Secretaría General Iberoamericana (SEGIB), en ellas se presentó la actividad de los programas de la Cooperación Iberoamericana."

 

China overtakes the United States to become the world's largest art and antiques market

Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 March 2012

 

MAASTRICHT, THE NETHERLANDS – "China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest market for art and antiques ending decades of American domination. This historic turning point, which is also an important indicator of seismic shifts in the wider global economy, is revealed in a new report published Friday 16 March. The International Art Market in 2011: Observations on the Art Trade over 25 Years has been commissioned by The European Fine Art Foundation, organisers of The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), which opens to the public in the Dutch city of Maastricht tomorrow. TEFAF Maastricht, the world's best art and antiques fair, is being held from 16 to 25 March in the MECC (Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre) and this year celebrates its Silver Jubilee." [see also Un rapport de la Tefaf place la Chine au sommet du marché mondial de l’art, Le Journal des Arts, 19 Mars 2012]

 

Palais De Tokyo Expands Before Paris Triennale

Alice Pfeiffer, The New York Times, 20 March 2012

 

PARIS, FRANCE — "Originally built for the World’s Fair in 1937, the Palais de Tokyo went on to serve as a cinema school, an archival space and, briefly, a squat. The Modernist edifice will soon be busier than ever: It is not only celebrating its 10th anniversary as a contemporary art center this year but also reopening on April 12 after 10 months of renovations that will add 14,000 square meters, or more than 150,000 square feet, to the original 8,000-square-meter space. Plus, the center, which does not have a permanent collection, will at the end of April host the Paris Triennale, a ontemporary-art event that will provide a political and social critique of France and its immigration issue, amid the presidential election. The new space will stretch over four floors, several of which existed but had been closed off and left unused. This includes a vast, warehouselike basement that had been sealed after World War II and stretches to a neighboring structure, the Musée d’Art Moderne."

 

Federal Heritage minister hints at good budget news for the arts

Marsha Lederman, The Globe and Mail, 20 March 2012

 

VANCOUVER, BC – "Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore is hinting at some "good news" for the Canada Council for the Arts in next week's federal budget – despite the budgetary belt-tightening that is expected to deal with an estimated $31-billion deficit. At a funding announcement in Vancouver on Tuesday, Moore lamented arts-funding cuts in other countries, and suggested that things are different here. "In Canada, we decided to increase the funding for the Canada Council for the Arts by 20 per cent, and there'll be good news in the budget coming up."

 

Le milieu culturel accueille positivement le budget

Gabrielle Duchaine, La Presse, 20 mars 2012

 

MONTRÉAL, QC – "Le budget Bachand est relativement bien accueilli par le milieu culturel québécois. "Dans un contexte d'équilibre budgétaire, on est heureux de constater qu'il n'y a aucun recul," se réjouit le Président, Culture Montréal, Simon Brault. Le Mouvement pour les arts et les lettres (MAL) parle d'un budget "favorable au patrimoine bâti, aux musées et aux festivals et aux événements majeurs" Culture Montréal salue notamment l'augmentation une somme de 3,6 M$ destinés aux organismes de la danse."

 

War of 1812 commemoration takes shape

$28 million to mark 200th anniversary

Randy Boswell (Postmedia News), Ottawa Citizen, 20 March 2012

 

OTTAWA, ON – "The Canadian government has announced close to $5 million in funding for 24 projects commemorating this year's bicentennial of the War of 1812, including almost $1 million to help create a series of interactive exhibits at Vancouver's Canada Place to "bring the heroes and stories of the War of 1812 to life" more than 3,000 kilometres west of the conflict's most famous battlegrounds in southern Ontario. The geographic breadth of the funded projects is in keeping with the government's framing of the war as a seminal event in the evolution of Canadian nationhood, one that citizens from coast to coast to coast should better understand and reflect upon during the upcoming three years of anniversary commemorations running until late 2014."

 

Chinese farmer gets thirteen years for Forbidden City palace "spur-of-the-moment" art theft

Recent News, artdaily.org, 20 March 2012

 

BEIJING, CHINA – "A Beijing court sentenced a Chinese farmer to 13 years in jail on Monday for stealing art pieces from the Forbidden City, the heavily guarded former imperial palace in China's capital. The official Xinhua News Agency said Shi Baikui, 27, was also fined $2,100 for taking the nine items made of gold and jewels in May 2011. It said six were recovered but three pieces worth an estimated $23,800 remain missing."

 

Le Centre Pompidou hérite d’une partie de la collection personnelle des Wagner

Le Connaissance des Arts, 20 Mars 2012

 

PARIS, FRANCE - "Selon Vincent Noce, journaliste à Libération, le Centre Pompidou va prochainement recevoir, par l’intermédiaire de la Centre Pompidou Foundation, un lot de trois cents œuvres en provenance de la collection personnelle des Wagner, un couple de mécènes américains. C'est l'une des plus importantes donations d'art contemporain qu'a connu la France dans ces dernières décennies. "

 

 A Maastricht, on chine à l'heure chinoise

Le Monde, 17 Mars 2012

 

MAASTRICHT - "Une femme sans âge, aux habits cheap, le corps alourdi par des ballots et par la vie, s'était invitée au vernissage de la Foire Tefaf, qui a ouvert ses portes jeudi 15 mars à Maastricht. Ne vous y méprenez pas ! L'événement, qui fête ses 25 ans, ne s'est guère démocratisé, avec un tarif d'entrée dissuasif de 55 euros. Cette créature est juste une sculpture hyperréaliste de Duane Hanson sur le stand de la galerie Christophe Van de Veghe. Car les convives, les vrais, étaient autrement plus triés sur le volet, du collectionneur de dessins anciens Juan de Beistegui, de retour après quinze ans d'absence, à Daniel et Florence Guerlain, présents pour la première fois, sans parler des directeurs des grands musées parisiens, Guy Cogeval et Alfred Pacquement."

 

Stencil artist breaks traditional barrier as a finalist for the prestigious Archibald Prize 2012

Recent News, artdaily.org, 17 March 2012

 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – "Project Five street artist Luke Cornish (E.L.K.) has made history by being the first stencil artist to be announced as a finalist for the prestigious Archibald Prize 2012."

 

Le candidat Nicolas Sarkozy et la culture

Le Journal des Arts, 16 Mars 2012

 

PARIS, FRANCE – "C’est sur le site du magazine >"Le Point" que le président de la République, candidat à son renouvellement, s’est récemment confié sur ses projets en matière culturelle. Il signale notamment au cours de cet entretien que "la culture est un authentique investissement d'avenir, y compris pour les finances publiques."  "

 

Jonathan Mills to leave Edinburgh Internatinal Festival in 2014

Thom Dibdin, The Stage, Published Thursday 15 March 2012 at 14:40

 

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - "Edinburgh International Festival artistic director Jonathan Mills has announced that he is to stand down from the post in 2014, when he will have been in post for eight years. Mills took up the position in the autumn of 2006 with a five-year contract up to the festival of 2011. He has extended that twice - first for a year to include the 2012 Olympics and then up to 2014, the year of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games."

 

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Cultural Tourism, Government

 

L’État devance l’Unesco au sujet des éoliennes du Mont-Saint-Michel

Le Connaissance des Arts, 20 Mars 2012

 

"Le 16 mars, l’Etat français a annoncé la préparation d’un périmètre de 20 à 40 km autour du Mont Saint-Michel visant à exclure toute présence d’éoliennes dans cette zone. Ce périmètre d'exclusion permettrait entre autres d'éviter que les éoliennes ne soient visibles du Mont Saint-Michel ou lorsque l'on regarde le Mont depuis le continent.

 

Québec investira jusqu'à 5,3 M $ sans la station touristique KB-3

Nelson Fecteau, La Tribune, 19 mars 2012

 

THETFORD MINES, QC – "Jamais n'aura-t-on entendu aussi souvent les mots fierté, histoire et patrimoine que lors de l'annonce par le ministre Laurent Lessard d'une aide gouvernementale pouvant atteindre 5 315 670 $ pour la création de la station touristique KB-3 au centre-ville de Thetford Mines. Le ministre Lessard a aussi employé les expressions "devoir de mémoire" et "prolongement de l'offre muséale" du Musée minéralogique et minier de Thetford Mines quand il en a fait l'annonce." Il s'agit de la revalorisation du site qui appartient au patrimoine architectural du Québec. La réalisation de ce projet permettra de faire valoir et d'apprécier davantage le patrimoine miner de la ville de Thetford Mines, véritable musée urbain à ciel ouvert," a affirmé le ministre Lessard."

 

Developing cultural tourism into a reliable WNY magnet

Success of conference energizes sales pitch

Mark Sommer, 19 March 2012

 

BUFFALO/WESTERN NEW YORK - "Cultural tourism advocates have been on cloud nine over the glowing reports that Buffalo and Western New York received during the National Preservation Conference in October -- and are hoping for more. Visitors marveled over the many historic, cultural and architectural destinations, and expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality. Visit Buffalo Niagara and cultural organizations say the next step is to capitalize on that success. To continue the momentum, Visit Buffalo Niagara plans to do more of what it says has been working: attracting conventions that appeal to culturally minded travelers, pitching stories and placing advertising in front-line and specialty publications, as it did recently in Toronto, and enlisting newly motivated volunteers to present Buffalo at its best."

 

1940 census documenting Great Depression to be released by the U.S. government

Cristian Salazar (Associated Press), Randy Herschaft (Associated Press), Recent News, artdaily.org, 19 March 2012

 

UNITED STATES – "It was a decade when tens of millions of people in the U.S. experienced mass unemployment and social upheaval as the nation clawed its way out of the Great Depression and rumblings of global war were heard from abroad. Now, intimate details of 132 million people who lived through the 1930s will be disclosed as the U.S. government releases the 1940 census on April 2 to the public for the first time after 72 years of privacy protection lapses. Access to the records will be free and open to anyone on the Internet — but they will not be immediately name searchable. For genealogists and family historians, the 1940 census release is the most important disclosure of ancestral secrets in a decade and could shake the branches of many family trees. Scholars expect the records to help draw a more pointillistic portrait of a transformative decade in American life."

 

Cultural tourism strategy launched

A new strategy to promote heritage and cultural tourism was launched by Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Friday.

The Citizen, 16 March 2012 | Sapa

 

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - "A new strategy to promote heritage and cultural tourism was launched by Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Friday. By growing heritage and cultural tourism, South Africa would develop its entire tourism sector, enhancing the country as a tourism destination, and create jobs, said Van Schalkwyk. The strategy aimed to guide the integration of heritage and cultural resources into mainstream tourism. It would also stimulate sustainable livelihoods through heritage and cultural tourism products. The strategy also aimed to diversify the tourism sector and raise awareness of heritage and cultural resources. Currently, South Africa was promoted around the wildlife experiences it could offer, he said. Heritage and cultural tourism was the fastest emerging competitive niche within domestic and international tourism markets. This category accounted for 40 percent of international tourism. "The combination of culture, heritage, and tourism is therefore an extremely potent economic engine," said Van Schalkwyk."

 

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Creating Cultural Capital


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