The Broad Collection Location Announced
Philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad officially confirmed the location of their
new contemporary art museum, The Broad Collection, and headquarters of The Broad Art Foundation's worldwide lending library will be on Grand Avenue in Downtown LA. Following unanimous support by the Los Angeles City Council and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the site was approved by Grand Avenue Authority clearing way for the project. Broad said in a recent statement that Grand Avenue had been his top choice and expressed his confidence that the museum will help turn "create a downtown cultural alliance," noting the location's proximity to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Broad also announced the selection of the New York architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro to design the approximately 120,000-square-foot museum. The project includes approximately 50,000 square feet of sky-lit gallery space, a lecture hall for up to 200 people, public lobby with display space, museum shop, and a state-of-the-art archive, study and art storage space that will be available to scholars and curators to study the collection. Plans are slated to be released as early as October.
"Arts in Education Week" Passes in Congress
The US House of Representatives recently passed H.Con.Res. 275, legislation designating the second week of September as "Arts in Education Week." Authored and introduced by California Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA), this resolution is the first Congressional expression of support celebrating all the disciplines comprising arts education. Among the objectives of the bill, the resolution seeks to create awareness of how "arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline, alternative ways to communicate and express ideas, and cross-cultural understanding." For more information, visit: www.artsusa.org
Portland Museum Announcement
The Portland Museum of Art has named Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson curator of Northwest art. Laing-Malcolmson recently served for ten years as the president of Portland's Oregon College of Art and Craft (OCAC). She previously held a variety of leadership and curatorial positions at numerous regional arts organizations including the The Beall Park Art Center in Bozeman, Montana, and Portland's Pacific Northwest College of Art. Her responsibilities include the research, documentation, and building of the collection and presenting exhibitions based on the collection and the work of artists working in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming from the late 19th century to the present day. Laing-Malcolmson is scheduled to begin work at the museum on August 30.
Crocker Art Museum Expansion Celebration
The Crocker Art Museum will celebrate the opening of its 125,000-square-foot expansion on October 10 with a series of exhibitions including: Wayne Thiebaud: Homecoming and Tomorrow's Legacies: Gifts Celebrating the Next 125 Years, 125 promised gifts to the Crocker, including works of contemporary California art.
Artist Cai Guo-Qiang Commission Announced
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), has commissioned internationally known artist Cai Guo-Qiang to create his first permanent, site-specific installation in a US museum. The monumental ethereal landscape will line the four walls of the MFAH's Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Arts of China Gallery, which is scheduled to open October 17. The drawing, titled Odyssey, is the latest in the artist's two-decades-long signature series of gunpowder drawings.
Anne Shih Election Announced
The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art's Board of Governors has elected Anne Shih as its chairwoman of the board. Shih, who has served on the museum board since 1996, has been cited as crucial to the Bowers Museum's emergence as a venue for exhibitions from China. "No one has had more impact on the Bowers Museum's success than Anne," president Peter Keller said in a recent statement. Such exhibitions include the 1997 exhibition, "Jade: Chi'ng Dynasty Treasures," and the recent, "Secrets of the Silk Road: Mystery Mummies From China."
Satellite Location in Palm Desert Announced
The City of Palm Desert and the Palm Springs Art Museum recently released a joint announcement for the Art Museum to lease from the City the building that currently houses the Palm Desert Visitors Center, and marks the end of a multi-year search for a satellite location to better serve the community. The new location will feature a wide range of art and education programs, and house a sculpture garden in the Eric Johnson Memorial Gardens, which surround the site of the new museum building, which will be known as the Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Desert.
Julian Cox Appointed Founding Curator
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) has announced the appointment of Julian Cox as Founding Curator of Photography for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Chief Curator of the de Young Museum. Julian Cox previously served as Curator of Photography at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta for the past five years. Cox will oversee FAMSF's department of photography and will also assume senior management responsibilities at the de Young Museum coordinating the curatorial program between for the departments. He is slated to begin in September 2010.
Herman Leonard Dies in Los Angeles
Herman Leonard, internationally renowned photographer of jazz musicians, died Saturday August 14, in Los Angeles. He was 87. A resident of Pasadena, CA, Leonard died after a short illness, Geraldine Baum director of Herman Leonard Photography said in a recent statement. In a prolific career spanning several decades, Leonard's signature work captured musicians in darkened interiors amid ubiquitous drifting trails of cigarette smoke. He shot many of his best-known images in New York between 1948 and 1956, and his work includes legends Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald. The now familiar images remained largely unknown until his book "The Eye of Jazz" was published in France in 1985. He is survived by four children and six grandchildren.
New Appointment at Hammer Museum
The Hammer Museum, recently announced the appointment of Brooke Hodge, as the Hammer's Director of Exhibition Management and Publications. "She is a colleague we have long admired and I know that her organizational prowess and many years of institutional experience will serve the Hammer well -- she is a great compliment to our curatorial department," Ann Philbin, the museum's director, said in a recent interview. Hodge served as Curator of Architecture and Design at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles from 2001-2009. Before that, Hodge previously held the position of Director of Exhibitions and Publications at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, where she was Adjunct Curator of Architecture at the Fogg Art Museum and Assistant Dean of Arts Programs at the Graduate School of Design.
The Art World Catches its Breath
The business of art... ...continued
Artist Sergio Sanchez Receives Urban Landscape Award
Sergio Sanchez, a Mentor Program Member of the California Art Club, received the art ltd. Magazine Urban Landscape Award for his painting Great Steaks at the Club's 99th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. Pictured next to Sanchez is art ltd. publisher, Peter Fehler.
Kimbell Art Museum's New Build Design
The Kimbell Art Museum has released the final design for a new building designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. The new structure will be located to the west of the existing Kahn building, designed by Louis I. Kahn, and will re-orient the main focus of the museum's campus back to the main entrance on the west facade of the Kahn building. The new building will provide 'much needed' gallery space to house rotating exhibitions, library space, and includes expanded facilities for classrooms and studios to enhance the education program. The new structure is scheduled to open in 2013.
San Francisco Arts Commission Artist Selections Announced
San Francisco Arts Commission has announced the selection of 13 local and national artists to create major permanent artworks for the new General Hospital
and Trauma Center's (SFGH) new inpatient care facility. The Arts Commission approved the master plan in 2008 for the General Hospital inpatient care facility public art program, which was developed in collaboration with representatives from the hospital and the architectural project team. The working plan identified multiple interior and exterior sites for medium to large-scale permanent public artworks including commissions of outdoor sculpture, art glass, terrazzo floor design, tile mosaic murals, artist-designed seating, and video and light based artwork. The artists announced for the project are: Nancy Blum, Stephen Galloway, Rupert Garcia, Cliff Garten, Mildred Howard, Paul Kos, Alan Masaoka, Julio Cesar Morales, Anna Valentina Murch, Masayuki Nagase, Tom Otterness, Arthur Stern and Lena Wolf.
Crocker Art Museum Expansion Recently Completed
The Crocker Art Museum recently announced the completion of construction of the125,000-square-foot expansion designed by New York based-architecture firm Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects (GSAA). The museum is currently closed during the installation of art in the new Teel Family Pavilion, which will triple the size of the current facility. In addition to extensive new galleries for temporary exhibitions and the display of the Crocker's permanent collection, the new pavilion includes expanded educational and studio space, an educational resource center, a space for participatory arts programming for children and adults, an expanded library, and student exhibition space. The museum is scheduled to re-open to the public on October 10, 2010.
Getty Trust President, James N. Wood Dies
Getty Trust President and chief executive James N. Wood died June 11 of natural causes at his home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Wood, 69, came out of retirement in December 2006 to accept the job as the Trust president, following the resignation of Barry Munitz. Previously, he had served as director of the Art Institute of Chicago for 25 years before his retirement to Rhode Island. Wood's former positions included the directorship of the St. Louis Art Museum, as well as trustee positions at Harvard University Art Museums and the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. He was also a longtime member of the Association of Art Museum Directors. Wood received his undergraduate degree in art history from Williams College, Massachusetts, and his masters from the Institute for Fine Arts at New York University. Wood is survived by his wife, and daughters and their families.
Jay Belloli at Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena Announces Retirement
Jay Belloli, who had led the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, for 20 years has retired, effective June 30, 2010. During his tenure which began as a 3-year Irvine Foundation grant, Belloli oversaw the phenonmenal growth of the institution, including the $2.4 million restoration in 2002, which added new studio spaces for drawing and painting, digital arts, and photography,in addition to 6,800 square feet allocated for educational arts programming. The space has earned renown for bringing internationally recognized artists to the region, as well as promoting the work of emerging and lesser-known artists. His legacy at the center will be honored through the establishment of The Jay Belloli Gallery Program Fund.
Kathryn Kanjo New Chief Curator at MCASD
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), has announced Kathryn Kanjo as the new Chief Curator and Head of the Curatorial Department. Kanjo has been Director of the University Art Museum at the University of California, Santa Barbara since 2006. Previously she served for seven years (2000-2006) as Executive Director of Artpace San Antonio after serving as the Curator of Contemporary Art at the Portland Art Museum from 1996-1999. Preceding these positions, Kanjo's first curatorial appointment was at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego where she served as Assistant Curator (1992-1994) and later Associate Curator (1994-1995). Kanjo is scheduled to assume her new responsibilities at MCASD on July 20, 2010.
"Million Plates Campaign for the Arts" in California
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver have joined forces with the California Arts Council, the Creative Coalition and artists from across the state to support the "Million Plates Campaign for the Arts." This campaign represents a dedication to raise money to fund the California Arts Council's hundreds of programs across the state. Renowned California artist Wayne Thiebaud designed the license plate's image of the California sunset and palm trees, "Coastline," in 1993. Numerous painters, photographers, actors, musicians, and writers including Frank Gehry, John Baldessari, Billy Al Bengston, Robert Redford, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Quincy Jones, and Morgan Freeman have joined the effort as "Ambassadors for the Arts." Currently over 60 percent of the California Art Council's budget comes from the Arts License Plate. Meeting the goal of one million plates (For information, please visit: www.artsplate.org) would provide $40 million dollars that would directly support arts activities in California schools and communities.
The Dallas Museum of Art
The Dallas Museum of Art recently announced its 2010 Awards to Artists. The Museum's Clare Hart DeGolyer Memorial Fund and the Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund were established in 1980 to recognize exceptional talent and potential in young visual artists who show a commitment to continuing their artistic endeavors. The 2010 Clare Hart DeGolyer Memorial Fund Award recipients are: Courtney Brown, Rachel Brownlee, Tamara Joy Hunt, Nicole Loehr, Chelsey Mulnix, Melisa Oporto, and John Osburn. The seven artists receiving the 2010 Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund Award are: Sonya Berg, Rachel Cox, Jasmyne Graybill, Clayton Hurt, Alfredo Salazar-Caro, Trey Wright and Billy Zinser. The DMA also announces the 2010 Otis and Velma Davis Dozier Travel Grant, which were established in 1990 to honor the memory of Dallas artists Otis and Velma Dozier, who strongly believed in the enriching influence of travel on an artist's work. The two 2010 Otis and Velma Davis Dozier Travel Grant recipients are Wura-Natasha Ogunji and Jeremy Smith.
The Pacific Northwest College of Art
The Pacific Northwest College of Art faculty members Daniel Duford and David Eckard are two of three Oregon visual artists were recently awarded the inaugural Hallie Ford Fellows by The Ford Family Foundation. Daniel Duford teaches Advanced Studios, Foundations, Illustration, Intermedia, and Sculpture, and David Eckard is Chair of the Sculpture Department and Associate Professor of Intermedia and Sculpture at PNCA. The fellowships are the first to be launched as part of the Foundation's $3.5 million, five-year visual arts program established in the memory of Mrs. Hallie Ford. Each of the recipients named are awarded $25,000 each for demonstrating excellence in their work and exhibiting significant potential for future accomplishments
Artist Louise Bourgeois dies at 98
Bourgeois and "Eye to Eye," 1970"
Guggenheim Museum, AP / June 25, 2008
Internationally respected artist Louise Bourgeois who gained recognition for wickedly disturbing sculptures including a giant spider entitled Maman as a tribute to her "clever, patient and neat as a spider" mother died Monday after suffering a heart attack according to Wendy Williams, managing director of the Louise Bourgeois Studio in New York.
Art historian Robert Storr commented that Bourgeois was "among the most inquisitive and best-informed artists of her generation." A 1982 Museum of Modern Art in New York retrospective exhibition launched Bourgeois into the rarified sphere of fame and influence that extended far beyond New York's contemporary art circles.
During her life, she was the recipient of dozens of awards, including the French Ministry of Culture's Grand Prix National de Sculpture in 1992 and the United States' National Medal of Arts in 1997. In 1993, Bourgeois represented the United States at the Venice Biennale and was the first living artist to have an exhibition at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2002.
When asked how she would like to be remembered as a artist, she commented "Art history is one thing and being an artist is another. I know I'm part of history, just a tiny stone in a very big wall."
Bourgeois is survived by sons Alain and Jean-Louis, two grandchildren and one great grandchild.
The Plan to Save Watts Towers
As the budget crisis in Los Angeles worsens, LACMA may step up as conservator for the Watts Towers. Olga Garay from L.A.'s Department of Cultural Affairs had a very encouraging meeting with top officials from LACMA in April on behalf of the national historic landmark which is owned by the state and maintained by L.A.
Under this plan, LACMA would assume responsibility for conservation of the towers with the city providing the manpower and materials necessary for maintenance, beginning in July, 2010.
Additionally, LACMA President Melody Kanschat stated the museum could lend its influence and connections to help raise additional funding necessary for the ongoing conservation efforts of the Watts Towers.
San Luis Obispo Art Center Announces Name Change
San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (formerly San Luis Obispo Art Center) has a new name that better reflects its visual art offerings to residents of the California Central Coast region. The new name will take effect this summer. "We knew the public was up to the challenge, and they really came through," said Joseph Timmons, board president. "We received over one hundred and twenty-five name ideas, then hundreds of voters spoke. Seventy-two percent of the votes went to San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. We are very happy with the new name and grateful to those who donated their time and creativity to this project." Architects Barcelon & Jang of San Francisco designed the new building and have worked wtih the museum board and staff for 10 years for approval to move forward with fundraising efforts.
Massive Turnout at Arts Advocacy Day in D.C.
On April 13, more than 550 arts supporters visited more than 250 Congressional offices during Arts Advocacy Day 2010, marking the largest turnout in recent years. At the Congressional Arts Kick Off prior to the hearing, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) received the 2010 Congressional Arts Leadership Award from Americans for the Arts and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. April 13 also marked the launch of the newly redesigned website for the Americans for the Arts Action Fund, at www.artsactionfund.org, and the inaugural "Tweet Arts Day," an international grassroots effort to bring increased visibility to the arts and Arts Advocacy Day.
LACMA & Hammer Museum Announce Joint Acquisition
The Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts at the Hammer Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have announced the joint acquisition of the complete archive of prints by Los Angeles publisher Edition Jacob Samuel. The acquisition, which was just recently finalized, comes after over two years of collaboration between the two institutions. This summer the Hammer will host an exhibition to highlight the collection, "Outside the Box: Edition Jacob Samuel, 1988-2010." Since 1988, Jacob Samuel published 43 portfolios, and his archive comprises more than 800 prints made by a wide range of over 50 international artists, including Marina Abramovic, John Baldessari, Chris Burden, Anish Kapoor, Barry McGee, Ed Moses, Wangechi Mutu, Gabriel Orozco, Nancy Rubins, Ed Ruscha, Robert Therrien, and Andrea Zittel, and many others.
Heard Museum and Smithsonian Announce New Affiliation
The Heard Museum and the Smithsonian Institution recently entered into a long-term affiliation, which will benefit both institutions through shared scholarship, exhibits and publications. The partnership was announced in late February to Heard Museum members by Dr. Letitia Chambers, the director of the Heard Museum, and Dr. Harold A. Closter, director of Smithsonian Affiliations. The Heard and Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian have recently collaborated on the contemporary exhibition REMIX, which was exhibited both at the Heard and at NMAI in 2007-2008.
Record Photographic Donations Announced
The J. Paul Getty Museum has announced the receipt of record donations to the photographic collection in 2009. Over 1,000 photographs were donated by 41 individuals, many of which were inspired by a special initiative commemorating the Department of Photographs 25th anniversary led by Dan Solomon, a active member of the Getty's Photographs Council. Judith Keller, newly named senior curator for the Department of Photographs, recently spoke of on behalf of the museum. "We are grateful to all the donors who chose the Getty for their contributions in 2009," Keller said, "Their donations have deeply enriched our holdings by introducing artists not previously held at the Getty, like Gilles Peress, Robert Polidori, Liza Ryan, Brian Ulrich, Peter Wegner, and Pinar Yolacan."
Michael Darling Appointed James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator
After an international search, Madeleine Grynsztejn, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, has announced Michael Darling as the newly appointed James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator. Darling is currently the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). Darling played a pivotal role in the reopening of the expanded downtown location of SAM that tripled the space for contemporary art. He also began the SAM Next contemporary art series in 2008 to identify new artistic talent such as Enrico David, who was later nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize. Prior to SAM, Darling was associate curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles. Among his achievements while at MOCA, Darling co-curated "The Architecture of R.M. Schindler" in 2001, and organized "Superflat" in collaboration with the artist Takashi. Darling plans to assume his new responsibilities at the MCA on July 12, 2010.
Boulder Museum
The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) was recently awarded the Historic Boulder's 2009 Award Of Merit in recognition of distinguished accomplishment in historic preservation for the renovation of the entry and main gallery. The museum is based in a historic landmark building in downtown Boulder, which recently underwent structural renovations. The redesigned entry space to the museum was executed by The University of Colorado DenverÕs College of Architecture and Planning "Design Build" class of 2009 led by professors Rick Sommerfeld and Rob Pyatt.
Laura Russo (1943-2010)
The Northwest lost one of its most important art figures on February 11, when Laura Russo died of esophageal cancer at age 66. As head of the gallery that bore her name for 23 years, Russo was synonymous with local and regional artists of the highest caliber. Iconic stylists such as Gregory Grenon, Mary Josephson, Lucinda Parker, Mel Katz, Henk Pander, Tom Cramer, Michael Brophy, Sherrie Wolf, Rae Mahaffey, and Margot Voorhies Thompson were just a few of the more than 40 artists Russo represented, in addition to the estates of historic artists associated with the Northwest such as Louis Bunce, Manuel Izquierdo, and Carl and Hilda Morris.
Born in Waterbury, Connecticut in 1943, Russo moved to Portland in her late teens to live with her uncle and aunt, the artists Michele Russo and Sally Haley, and to study at the Portland Museum Art School, the precursor to todayÕs Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). She later married John Lawrence and had two children, Dylan and Maia Lawrence. After the couple divorced, Russo had a long and simpatico relationship with companion Michihiro Kosuge, an accomplished sculptor. From the mid-1970s to the mid-80s, she worked alongside her friend, art maven and philanthropist Arlene Schnitzer, at Schnitzer's Fountain Gallery. In the process she learned much about the region's rich culture of artists, curators, critics, and collectors. When Fountain closed, Russo opened her eponymous gallery, which quickly became, and remained, a critically celebrated and financially successful presence in the West Coast art firmament. Russo's even-keeled disposition helped her accomodate a wide range of artistic temperaments, from affable to prickly. Speaking at her memorial service about her relationship with artists, Dylan Lawrence remarked that of all his mother's qualities, he most respected "her unique talent and ability to nurture people's spirits and help them find and make beauty in their lives."
During her final months Russo received the Governor's Arts Award and a citation for years of her service to the Portland Art Dealer's Association, of which she was a founding member. In addition, the Pacific Northwest College of Art established an award in her name for distinguished alumni. After Russo's death, ownership of the gallery was assumed by longtime manager Martha Lee, who has worked at Laura Russo Gallery since 1996. Lee faces the formidable challenge of continuing the legacy of excellence that Russo established while rooting out new talent to keep the gallery au courant. The gallery will keep Russo's name, artist stable, and philosophy of shepherding regional artists who address universal themes.
LA Arts Month
Los Angeles Arts Month returns this January with increased programming and participation from a broad spectrum of arts organizations across the city. LA Arts Month is a collaboration between arts leaders, private partners, and local arts organizations, including Arts for LA, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, The J. Paul Getty Trust, LACMA, The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Los Angeles Art Show, MOCA, and art ltd. magazine.
Los Angeles Art Fair
An active supporter of LA Arts Month, the Los Angeles Art Fair returns to the Convention Center in downtown LA, welcoming over 110 domestic and international galleries, from January 21-24. Now in its 15th year, the show will feature the inaugural presentation of the Guest Country Program, with curator Gustavo Tabares, and the exhibition, "34° 53' 0" S - 56° 10' 0" W." The IFPDA Print Fair will be held concurrently at the Convention Center featuring fine prints across a broad spectrum of prints and demonstrations of printmaking techniques.
Photo LA, 2010
The 19th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition, Photo LA, is returning to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium from January 14-17. An opening night reception benefiting the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, hosted by photographer David LaChapelle and actor Chris Lowell, will take place on the 14th, from 6-9 pm. Art LA will also be held at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium the following weekend, from January 21-24. Hosting its sixth annual event, the contemporary art fair, featuring progressive contemporary art galleries Los Angeles, the greater United States and abroad.
Art Los Angeles Contemporary, January 2010
The premiere exhibition of Art Los Angeles Contemporary: The International Contemporary Art Fair of L.A. will close out the month-long series of fairs, taking place during the final weekend of January, 28 - 31, at the Pacific Design Center. The new fair presents 50 national and international galleries, artist talks and an artist film screening series at the PDC.
Lightcatcher Building Opens at the Whatcom Museum
The Whatcom Museum in Bellevue, Washington held opening ceremonies for the new Lightcatcher Building on Novermber 14. The architectural firm Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen using earth friendly materials designed the new modern structure, with its curved 180-foot-long glass wall. The new 42,000 square foot facilities will house traveling and local exhibitions, and the Family Interactive Gallery (FIG).
Getty Foundation Grant Announced
The Getty Foundation has announced a $2.2 million grant over three years to support the Getty Leadership Institute move to Claremont Graduate University. The institute will now be known as The Getty Leadership Institute at the Claremont Graduate University. The relocation to CGU represents an opportunity for the GLI to expand through collaboration with the School of Arts and Humanities and the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management.
American Sculptor Peter Forakis
Peter Forakis, influential American sculptor, died Thursday, November 26, 2009 at Petaluma Valley hospital in Petaluma, California from complications of pneumonia. He was 82. Forakis was a student at the California School of Fine Arts (now San Francisco Art Institute) in the mid-50s, where he was a member of the avant-garde Six Gallery in San Francisco. After moving to New York in 1958, he co-founded the co-op Park Place Gallery (1963-1967) where developed his innovative explorations of geometry and space. After returning to California, Forakis developed a new technique for fabricating his sculptural works. He received noteworthy commissions, such as the Atlanta Gateway, and was given a retrospective at Windham College in Putney, Vermont in 1968. Forakis is survived by his three children.
Fisher Collection Comes to SFMOMA
SFMOMA announced today the development of a groundbreaking relationship with Doris and Donald Fisher that would provide the Fisher Collection -- one of the world's leading collections of contemporary art -- with a home at SFMOMA. The Fishers, who founded Gap Inc. in 1969, have long envisioned keeping their collection, which includes works by artists such as Alexander Calder, Chuck Close, Willem De Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Anselm Kiefer, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein, Brice Marden, Agnes Martin, Gerhard Richter, Richard Serra, Cy Twombly and Andy Warhol intact.
In announcing this partnership, Don Fisher commented "Doris and I share a vision with SFMOMA to enhance its collections and prog''s standing as one of the world's great contemporary art museums."
"This extraordinary partnership with the Fisher family will greatly advance SFMOMA's standing as one of the world's leading museums for contemporary art," says Charles Schwab, chairman of the Board of Trustees at SFMOMA.
Oakland Museum of CA Receives New Grant Award
The Oakland Museum of California was awarded 3.1 million dollars in new grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the S. D. Bechtel, Jr., The James Irvine, and The Kresge Foundations to support the renovation and expansion of the Kevin Roche building, the reinstallation of art and history collections, and aid in the development of new exhibition programming.
Major Gift Announcement at Palm Springs Art Museum
The Palm Springs Art Museum has announced the gift of a major collection of Modern and Contemporary art from local art collectors Donna and Cargill MacMillan, to be featured in a new exhibition titled, “The Passionate Pursuit: Gifts and Promised Works from Donna and Cargill MacMillan,” scheduled to open September 5, 2009. The MacMillan’s gift will expand the museum’s holdings towards a broader national and international range of work, featuring 75 contemporary paintings, sculptures, design objects and works on paper, by artists such as Anish Kapoor, Anselm, Louise Bourgeois, Andy Warhol, Gary Hume and Robert Rauschenberg.
LACMA Announces New Department Head
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) announced Britt Salvesen as new Department Head and Curator of the Wallis Annenberg Department of Photography, and Department Head and Curator of Prints and Drawings. Salvesen previously served Director and Chief Curator at the Center for Creative Photography, at the University of Arizona since 2004.
Joint Operations Agreement Reached
The Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), and the Museum of Contemporary Craft (MoCC), recently announced the adoption of a joint operations agreement leading to their formal integration. Under the joint operations agreement, both PNCA and MoCC will retain their respective identities, but work towards future goals of coordinated programming, finance and fundraising efforts. PNCA will enjoy increased interaction between their students and faculty with the curatorial staff of MoCC, which will broaden its collection to incorporate a greater focus on elements of design.
Julius Shulman
Photo: Julius Shulman and Juergen Nogai
Courtesy of Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Julius Shulman, renowned photographer of mid-century modern architecture died Wednesday, July 15, at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 98. Shulman was born October 10, 1910 in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. The family moved to a farm in Connecticut before relocating to Los Angeles when Shulman was 10.
Shulman's career began after a chance encounter in 1936, when his sister's roommate took him to see a house by Richard Neutra in the Hollywood Hills. Armed with a Kodak Vest Pocket camera, Shulman snapped a few exposures that he subsequently sent to the architect. Nuetra asked to meet the young photographer, and proceeded to give him his first assignments. The rest became history.
Over the duration of career lasting more than half a century, Shulman's photographs have become intrinsically linked with Southern California-postwar Modernist architecture, including the work of Rudolf M. Schindler, Gregory Ain, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Eames, Raphael S. Soriano, John Lautner, and Pierre Koenig. Shulman characteristically favored black-and-white film, subtly emphasizing the geometry of his subjects. Shulman was also among the first to include the residents in his pictures, creating a sense of intimacy within the modern architectural framework, as famously illustrated in his photograph of Pierre Koenig's ÒCase Study House #22Ó taken in 1960.
Shulman is survived by his daughter and grandson.
Craig Krull Gallery is currently exhibiting a series of work created in collaboration with Juergen Nogai, in Santa Monica, through August 29, in conjunction with "Julius Shulman: Early Photographs from the Bay Area" showing at Robert Berman's E6 Gallery in San Francisco.
Abstract Painter Frederick Hammersley Dead at 90
Frederick Hammersley, abstract painter, died peacefully on Sunday, May 31, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the age of 90. Hammersley is known as one of the Los Angeles-based Abstract Classicists whose work gained international attention through the exhibition “Four Abstract Classicists” organized by Jules Langsner and Peter Selz—as well as their peer Helen Lundeberg at the Los Angeles County Museum in 1959. Hammersley attended Chouinard Art School from 1940-42 where he took classes taught by Rico Lebrun, served in the Army from 1942-46, returned to Chouinard in 1946-47, before attending Jepson Art School from 1947-50. He later taught at Jepson, Pomona College, Chouinard, and the University of New Mexico until the early 1970s. His works are included in the collections many institutions, including Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Orange County Museum of Art, Pomona College Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, The Albuquerque Museum, New Mexico Museum of Art, and the University of New Mexico Art Museum.
Four Major Arts Grants Awarded by James Irvine Foundation
The James Irvine Foundation’s Arts Innovation Fund for Artist Driven Programs to Engage Visitors and Activate Spaces has awarded four major grants in the state of California, three of which will support the visual arts. The James Irvine Foundation, established in 1937, is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation, with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California “to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society.” Among the recipients, the Hammer Museum received a $1 million grant, which will support their continuing artist-in-residence and artist council programs and implement a new visitor services program. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) received $750,000 that will provide vital resources to highlight unique identities for the two locations of the institution, labFORUM. The downtown location will house The Lab featuring a studio where contemporary artists to produce new commissioned works, and the Forum, in La Jolla, will feature rotating exhibitions, temporary shows, and provide resources for research on contemporary art. The Oakland Museum of California also received a grant which will be allocated to envision new ways to reinstall their permanent collection of California art.
Upcoming Beyond the Border Art Fair
Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair (BTB ICAF) will be holding their inaugural 3-day event, September 2-4 at The Grand Del Mar, just north of San Diego, CA. The fair brings together national and international galleries featuring emerging and established contemporary artists, including San Diego Art Prize winners: Kim McConnel, Brian Dick, Richard Allen Morris, and Tom Driscoll. art ltd. magazine is pleased be in partnership with BTB ICAF, and will be sponsoring the Dave Hickey Luncheon in the Capella on September 3rd, immediately following symposium, “Art Talk with Dave Hickey.”
Tamarind Institute Receives $100,000 Grant
World-renowned lithography studio and gallery, the Tamarind Institute at the University of New Mexico, has been awarded $100,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of its 50th anniversary exhibition and catalogue. The exhibition, with a working title of “Impressive Impressions: Fifty Years of Tamarind Lithographs,” will feature a selection of 80 lithographs representing the wide range of work created during Tamarind’s five decades, including lithographs by Tamarind’s founding directors, June Wayne, Clinton Adams, and Garo Antreasian. The exhibition, scheduled to open on September 10, 2010, will be organized by Tamarind in cooperation with the University of New Mexico Art Museum. The Tamarind Institute recently hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on June 26, for its new 14,000 square foot building designed by architect Devendra Contractor. The new building will provide more space for educational programming, and improve health and safety standards, and is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2010.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden joins with AFTA
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is proud to join with ART From the Ashes (AFTA) to begin work on an upcoming exhibition and silent auction. The event, to take place in October of 2009, will showcase art created from raw materials obtained from the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden after the Jesusita Fire in May of 2009. AFTA (www.artfromtheashes.org) is a non-profit collaborative of independent artisans and volunteers, founded by native Californian Joy Feuer, who contribute talent, time and energy to benefit the individuals, businesses and communities that have been devastated by fire.
Artist Christian Moeller Awarded Commission
Artist rendering of the “Hands” mesh artwork, soon to be completed on the San Jose airport garage.
The San José Public Art Program recently commissioned artist Christian Moeller to develop a symbol of art, culture, technological innovation and progress for the City. Moeller’s project, “Hands” uses images of hands to represent the 52 languages and over 20 cultures located within borders of San José. The “bitwall” image 1,200 by 63 feet, consisting of approximately 400,000 plastic disks, will be installed via mesh form on the parking structure of newly renovated Mineta San José International Airport.
L.A. C.O.L.A. Awards Announced
The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) recently announced the recipients of the 2009 City of Los Angeles (C.O.L.A.) Individual Artist Fellowships. Grants are awarded to active Los Angeles-based literary, visual and performing artists, demonstrating a compelling and relevant progression of thematic content in their work. Each of the entrants is peer-reviewed in a non-thematic competitive selection process, of which 15 are chosen to receive the $10,000 award. The 2009 C.O.L.A. Fellowships in the visual arts were awarded to: Natalie Bookchin, Jane Castillo (shown above), Joe Davidson, David DiMichele, Bia Gayotto, Willie Robert Middlebrook, Jr., Maureen Selwood, Eloy Torrez, and Shirley Tse. An exhibition of the recipient’s work, organized by Mark Steven Greenfield, Curator and Director of Exhibits at DCA’s Municipal Art Gallery, will be on display May 14 to July 12, at the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery at Barnsdall Park.
Philanthropist Leonore Annenberg Passes Away
Noted philanthropist and widow of publisher and former Ambassador Walter Annenberg, Leonore Annenberg, passed away March 12 in her Rancho Mirage, CA, home at the age of 91. Annenberg, who had overseen the Annenberg Foundation since Mr. Annenberg’s death in 2002, also served as trustee emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was on the boards of the New York Metropolitan Opera, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Orchestra, The National Gallery of Art, and many other organizations. Among her contributions, Annenberg provided integral support to the Palm Springs Art Museum for more than five decades while serving as a trustee and patron, where the museum’s Annenberg Theater and Annenberg Wing was named in honor of the Annenbergs' extraordinary legacy and contributions.
Los Angeles Artwalks
The transition from spring into summer is accompanied by numerous annual artwalks throughout the greater Los Angeles region. The Santa Fe Art Colony will hold their 20th Annual Open Studio on the first weekend in May, featuring over 40 open artist residencies. The Venice Artwalk and Auction, celebrating its 30th Anniversary, occurs on May 17, with open artists studios throughout Venice. The admission to the event provides support the free Venice Family Clinic. LACMA Muse ArtWalk 2009 Miracle Mile will offer free general admission to LACMA, the Page Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum, Craft Folk and Art Museum, with more than 30 galleries, featuring emerging and established artists, along the Miracle Mile Art Walk on May 30. Also taking place on Saturday is, Artwalk Culver City, a free, self-guided tour consisting of over forty galleries and exhibition spaces from the Culver City Arts District, and participation from MOCA Contemporaries of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA).
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Opens Rooftop Garden
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has announced the opening of the recently completed Rooftop Garden, on May 10. San Francisco-based Jensen Architects, who won an invitational competition in 2006, designed the 14,400-square-foot Rooftop Garden, which connects to the museum’s fifth-floor galleries through a glass-enclosed bridge. The multi-functional design features two open-air spaces and glass pavilion that will provide an extension of the museum’s exhibition and programming resources.
Denver Art Museum Announces New Appointment
Frederic C. Hamilton, Chairman of the Board of the Denver Art Museum, has announced the appointment of Cathey McClain Finlon, currently serving on the Museum’s Board of Trustees, as Interim President of the Denver Art Museum. Finlon started her career with ten years of development experience at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences and the Denver Art Museum. Lewis I. Sharp, who has indicated he will retire within the next two years, has served as director of the museum for nearly twenty years, during which he led the institution through a period of expansive growth, tripling the size of the collection and nearly doubling the facility.
The Los Angeles Art Show Reports Record Attendance
The Los Angeles Art Show reported record attendance at its new Los Angeles Convention Center location, with 35,000 people attending the 4-day fair. The expanded roster of events included an opening gala benefit with an attendance of 2,800, in support of the Environmental Media Association, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Inner City Arts. Despite the economic climate, approximately 1,000 works of art were sold over the course of the fair, with galleries posting sales in excess of $500,000. artLA also at its new venue, attracted over 8,000 collectors, curators, artists and contemporary art enthusiasts to the Barkar Hanger in Santa Monica, with an expanded roster including an opening night after party at Royal/T artspace. Geared towards the cutting-edge contemporary art scene, the show brought together over 60 regional, national and international galleries.
"East Meets West: The Rise of Contemporary Asian Art" Panel Discussion at the 2009 Los Angeles Art Show, sponsored by art ltd. magazine and moderated by Editor George Melrod.
SMOCA Awards Catalyst Award
The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art''s (SMoCA) recently awarded Cindy Dach & Greg Esser the fourth annual Contemporary Catalyst Award during the Museum's 10th Anniversary Benefit. The award honors individuals who are committed to the contemporary art scene and have contributed to the cultural growth of the greater community. Dach & Esser are both artists who have worked collectively to initiate a vibrant art economy in downtown Phoenix and greatly contributed to the development of the Valley's burgeoning scene. Wendell Burnette, Bentley Calverley, Nan Ellin, and Rachel Sacco, 2009 Contemporary Catalyst Award finalists, were also honored during SMoCA's 10th Anniversary Benefit gala.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver) has selected Adam Lerner as their new director, effective March 16. Lerner currently serves as Executive Director at The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmar (The Lab) in Lakewood, and previously held the position of Master Teacher for Modern and Contemporary Art at the Denver Art Museum. As part of Lerner's acceptance of the new position, the Boards of Trustees of MCA Denver and The Lab at Belmar have agreed to merge the two institutions programming to integrate the innovative work Lerner has accomplished with The Lab into MCA Denver’s future agenda.
The Nevada Museum of Art
The Nevada Museum of Art recently unveiled the Center for Art + Environment following the success of last fall’s Art + Environment Conference. Art critic, science writer, and cultural geographer William L. Fox has been named the new Center's director, and will be responsible for developing a long-range plan of growth and programming. The Center will build on the Museum's collection of artworks expressing the interaction between people and their environment, which includes the collection titled The Altered Landscape: The Carol Franc Buck Collection which focuses on the changing topography of the West.
Hammer Museum Announces New Appointments
The Director of the Hammer Museum, Ann Philbin, has announced two appointments to the Hammer's curatorial team. Douglas Fogle, currently the curator of contemporary art at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, has been appointed Chief Curator and Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs at the Hammer. Anne Ellegood, currently curator of contemporary art at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C., has been appointed the Hammer’s new Senior Curator.
The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH)
The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) has announced Bill Arning as the new Director, effective April 6. Arning is currently curator at the MIT List Visual Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has previously worked with the Blaffer Gallery at the University of Houston. In other news, CAMH Senior Curator Toby Kamps, and curator Valerie Cassel Oliver, have been recognized separately for their curatorial achievements. Kamp's 2008 exhibition "The Old, Weird America" received the prestigious award of "Best Thematic Museum Show Nationally" from the United States section of the International Art Critics Association (AICA/USA), and Cassel Oliver is one of ten curators in the nation to have been chosen to participate in the 2009 fellowship program of the Center for Curatorial Leadership (CCL).
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC)
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) has announced the recipients of the 2009 Grants which are distributed to a wide range interests, including Cultural Equity Initiatives, Creative Space Grants, Individual Artist Commissions, Native American Arts and Cultural Traditions Grants. Among the artists receiving Individual Artist Grants were: Tyson Ayers, Jacqueline Gordon, Gigi Janchang, and Kirsten Stolle. Stolle's proposal, "Anatomy of a Future Forest," is a visual arts and educational project that explores future ecological scenarios within the context of global warming and other environmental concerns, culminating in an exhibition at Dolby Chadwick Gallery in 2010.
Chinatown Art Night
The Los Angeles Chinatown Galleries recently held their inaugural "Chinatown Art Night" on January 24. The quarterly event features contemporary art, furniture, clothing, music, design and performance. Among the participating galleries were: Acuna-Hansen, Charlie James, Chung King Projects, David Salow, Fifth Floor, The Happy Lion, Jancar, Mesler and Hug, and Sam Lee. The next Chinatown Art Night is scheduled for Saturday, April 25 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.
The Sam Francis Foundation
The Sam Francis Foundation recently donated a monumental work by the California abstract expressionist to The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. The work, entitled Free Floating Clouds (1980), consists of overlapping layers of shimmering color and bridges Francis’ earlier interest in grid-like structure with his later gestural style. The painting will be featured in the opening of the redesigned Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art, scheduled to re-open on May 30.
LACMA Statement on MOCA Resolution
We are pleased that MOCA has worked to resolve its financial situation and is on a new path. MOCA's survival is key to the continued growth and health of Los Angeles's thriving cultural life. We hope we were able to broaden the discussion and offer our community support to help MOCA imagine its future. We should all support and visit MOCA to help ensure the continuation of its exceptional contemporary art programs.
—Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director
Los Angeles Arts Month 2009
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined artists, First Lady Maria Shriver, and regional arts leaders to launch the inaugural Los Angeles Arts Month 2009, a new tradition celebrating the rich arts and diverse communities found throughout the city. During the month of January, events are planned to unite the “rich tapestry of galleries, small performance venues, and lively festivals” found throughout the city. Led by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Cultural Affairs Commission, LA INC., The Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Arts for LA, Los Angeles Arts Month represents collaboration between dozens of local arts organizations, arts and civic leaders, artists, philanthropists, and committed public and private partners.
Los Angeles Art Show
At the center of Los Angeles Art Month, the 14th Annual Los Angeles Art Show is opening at its new location, the Los Angeles Convention Center. After achieving record-breaking sales in 2008, this year’s event provides a combination of historic and contemporary art spanning five centuries with 175 prominent galleries from around the globe exhibiting at the over 200,000 square foot venue. The LA Art show is scheduled for an extended weekend show, running January 22 - 25, with an opening night Gala on Wednesday, January 21. This year’s show marks the second year of an ongoing affiliation between the LA Art Show and the International Fine Print Dealers Association (ifpda) Print Fair, which is showing concurrently at the convention center.
ArtLA
ArtLA, the New Los Angeles International Contemporary Art Fair, is moving to the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport, showing
January 23 - 25. The fair brings together 60 leading established and emerging galleries representing a wide spectrum of today’s contemporary art trends. Dedicated to draw attention to the Los Angeles art scene and its prominence within current international artistic trends, half of the exhibiting galleries at ART LA are from the Los Angeles region, with the remaining from the greater United States and abroad. PhotoLA will also be held at the Barker Hanger earlier in the month, from January 9 - 11, with a similar blend of national and international galleries, focusing on photo-based art, video, and mixed-media.
The Getty Foundation
The Getty Foundation recently awarded 15 grants to Southern California museums totaling nearly $2.8 million, to fund a series of exhibitions examining the post-World War II art scene in Los Angeles, titled Pacific Standard Time, Art in LA 1945-1980. These awards were issued in addition to 18 previous grants, totaling just under $2.7 million, that were given to libraries, archives, and museums with significant archival holdings documenting this period. Slated to take place in fall 2011, these concurrent exhibitions mark the largest collaborative project taken on by these regional institutions. The diverse series of exhibitions in scheduled to include: MOCA’s California Culture, 1969-1980: Pluralism in the Postmodern Era; LACMA’s California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way; OCMA’s Circa 1969: California Art on the Cusp. The Hammer Museum will exhibit a survey of works by African American artists in Los Angeles during the 1960s and 1970s, and AMOCA will explore the innovations of artist Millard Sheets in Searching for Peace, Post WWII Innovations in Clay.
The Oceanside Museum of Art
The Oceanside Museum of Art was recently awarded the prestigious Orchid Architecture Award at the San Diego Architecture Foundation Annual Orchids and Onions Awards. The Central Pavilion, designed by Frederick Fisher, joins the two buildings designed by Irving Gill, Oceanside’s 1934 City Hall with the Gill Firehouse #1 (1929). Fisher’s minimalist design provides the museum with a new entry and spacious lobby, two additional gallery spaces, catering kitchen, and a complex of administrative offices.
Terry Toedtemeier
Terry Toedtemeier, avid photographer and Curator of Photography at the Portland Art Museum, passed away December 11 just after giving a lecture at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River. Toedtemeier had been battling an undiagnosed heart ailment for the past year, according to his wife, Prudence Fenwick Roberts. As the museum’s first curator of photography, Toedtemeier assembled a collection of over 5,000 images, and was curator of the museum’s current exhibition, “Wild Beauty.”
Daniel Foster
Daniel Foster recently resigned as Executive Director of the Riverside Art Museum, to accept the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of The Community Foundation Serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. During his five-year tenure at the museum, Foster worked closely with the staff, board, community leaders and volunteers bringing a period of unprecedented growth and opportunity to the institution. Notable achievements while at RAM include increasing the operating budget from $420,000 to $1.1 million, increasing the Museum’s visibility through a vigorous re-branding and marketing campaign, and receiving the Outstanding Nonprofit Executive Director Award from the Agency Executives Association for Riverside County.
The Center for Curatorial Leadership
The Center for Curatorial Leadership (CCL), recently selected ten curators from art museums and institutions across the country to participate in its second annual fellowship program. The Center was established in 2008 to recognize excellence and train selected curators for future leadership positions. 2009 fellows include: Robin Held, Chief Curator of the Frye Art Museum, Seattle; Kevin Salatino, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and Britt Salvesen from the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona.
Melanie Fales
Melanie Fales, Interim Executive Director and Curator of Education for the Boise Art Museum (BAM), has been promoted to Executive Director. Fales began her career at BAM in 1996 as an art educator, and was named Curator of Education in 2002. She served as BAM’s Interim Executive Director and Curator of Education for 14 months from 2006/07, where she collaborated with staff, board and members from the community to make improvements in all areas of the Museum including leading the process
for successful national re-accreditation.
Laguna Art Museum
Grace Kook-Anderson recently joined The Laguna Art Museum as the new as the Curator of Exhibitions. Kook-Anderson comes from San Francisco, where she was Assistant Curator of the Amateurs Exhibition at the California College of the Arts Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art. She received her B.A. in Art History and Art Practice from the University of California, Berkeley, and received her M.A. in Curatorial Practice from the California College of the Arts, San Francisco. Kook-Anderson will now be responsible for the administration of the Museum’s curatorial program, act as adviser to the director and the board of trustees regarding curatorial matters, and participate in the development and management of museum exhibitions.
William Claxton
Widely recognized as the preeminent photographer of jazz musicians, William Claxton, passed away on October 11 in Los Angeles. Born and raised in southern California, Claxton focused largely on the West-Coast music scene, known for placing musicians in unorthodox settings favoring outdoor locations. In 2007, Claxton’s photography was featured as a defining element of mid-century trends in last year’s “Birth of the Cool” exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art. According to family members, Claxton died from complications of congestive heart failure Saturday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art received a $45 million donation and the promise of $10 million in artworks from Lynda and Stewart Resnick, longtime benefactors of the museum. The gift will be used to finance a new 45,000-square-foot exhibition pavilion designed by Renzo Piano, which will be named the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion, to honor their generosity. The Resnick Pavilion will be a single-story, glass and marble building located north of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM). The design of the Resnick Pavilion will complement BCAM, featuring a glass roof that will flood the flexible open-plan galleries with natural light. The new Pavilion, a central focus of Phase II of LACMA’s Transformation Project, is planned to accommodate special exhibitions, freeing up existing gallery space for the museum’s permanent collection. Construction on the new building began in 2008 and is expected to by completed by mid 2010.
11th Cairo Biennale
Southern California will be well-represented among the curators brought together for the upcoming 11th Cairo Biennale. Established in 1989, the Cairo International Biennale is the largest international visual-arts exhibition in the Arab world, attracting a significant number of participants from Europe, Asia and Latin America. Heading the team of American curators will be Kimberli Meyer, Director of MAK Center of Art and Architecture. Meyer will be working with the curatorial team of Malik Gaines, CalArts instructor and writer; Chip Tom of Heather James Fine Art, Palm Springs; Sherin Guirguis, Egyptian-born, Los Angeles-based visual artist; and Nizan Shaked, video artist and Assistant Professor at California State University Long Beach.
The Henry Art Gallery
The Henry Art Gallery in Seattle recently announced “The Brink,” a non-restricted biennial award for emerging artists in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. Established by John and Shari Behnke, longtime Henry Art Gallery benefactors and Seattle arts supporters, the $12,500 award is intended to recognize and encourage an individual artist at the beginning stages of a professional career. The recipient will hold a solo exhibition at the Henry, with a work of art to be acquired for the museum’s permanent collection. The Henry seeks nominations for the award from regional arts professionals including artists, curators, writers, teachers, and arts administrators.
The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
The winning architects of “Flip a Strip,” a design competition-turned-exhibition organized by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art were revealed during the Museum’s Fall Opening Reception. Created to “envision a new future” for outmoded strip malls, SMoCA received 175 registrants from 11 countries, dealing with issues as varied as parking and new-energy solutions. Although the competition was a theoretical redesign of existing locations, the entries were screened by a technical jury for economic viability before the final review by a prestigious national design jury. The “Flip a Strip” Design Jury awarded the top prize to MOS of New Haven, Connecticut, for their project Urban Battery, which focused on the Scottsdale strip mall proposal site.
The Pilchuck Glass School
The Pilchuck Glass School has announced Arthur Jacobus as the new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the school, effective October 27, 2008. Jacobus succeeds Executive Director Patricia Watkinson, who retired from the position May 16, and Interim Executive Director Ralph Bufano, bringing his experience as an accomplished arts executive with strong ties to the Northwest community to the school. Jacobus previously gained recognition serving as executive director of the San Francisco Ballet, where he helped build a $30M endowment that focused on national and international touring.
49 Geary Street
New doors are opening at 49 Geary Street in San Francisco. After 12 years on Hayes Street, Micaëla Gallery is moving to a new location on Geary, maintaining their dedication to conceptual work influenced by contemporary culture events. Also, room for painting room for paper is a new gallery offering two contiguous exhibition programs, with one space dedicated to contemporary painting, and the other for works on paper, including photography, drawing and collage.
Patricia Faure
Long respected Los Angeles gallerist, Patricia Faure, died Tuesday, October 21, of natural causes at the age of 80. Before opening the Patricia Faure Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, she was the director of the notable Nicholas Wilder Gallery before partnering with the late Betty Asher to form Asher/Faure Gallery. Throughout her long career, she championed the work of many talented artists, including Joe Goode, Salomon Huerta, and Margaret Nielsen.
Cain Schulte Gallery
Co-directors Marina Cain and Kit Schulte announced the change of their gallery name from MM Galleries to Cain Schulte Gallery. Established in 2006, the gallery has maintained a consistent focus on introducing emerging artists to the San Francisco arts scene.
Los Angeles Art Show
After record-breaking sales and attendance for the 13th Annual Los Angeles Art Show at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, the Fine Art Dealers Association (FADA) and KR Martindale Show Management have announced a move to the Los Angeles Convention Center for the 2009 show. The new location will nearly double the size of the LA Art Show, bringing together over 175 top galleries from around the world, and promises an increase in artistic programming in addition to the total number of exhibitors. ...continued
The Claremont Museum of Art
The Museum received a $10 million donation, the largest gift to the museum from an individual to date. Executive Director William Moreno noted that while the gift was unrestricted, the donor expressed an interest in supporting museum programs geared towards teaching children and young adults the importance of the arts in everyday life.
California Hall of Fame
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver recently announced 12 new inductees into the California Hall of Fame. Among this year’s recipients are Theodor Geisel (“Dr. Suess”), depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange, architect Julia Morgan, best-known for her work on Hearst Castle in California, and sculptor Robert Graham, who created the ceremonial gateway at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the 1984 Olympics. The ceremony is scheduled to take place December 15 at The California Museum in Sacramento.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art
The Museum announced Julie Joyce as the new Curator of Contemporary Art. Ms. Joyce previously served as the Gallery Director/ Curator for the Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex at CSULA. Ms. Joyce brings her nearly 20 years experience acquired in prestigious museums, such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, curated several acclaimed national exhibitions, and served as a panelist and lecturer at numerous venues, including CalArts and USC.
The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
The Museum will celebrate ten years beginning with a “Fall Opening Tenth Anniversary Season Kickoff,” on Saturday, October 4. The anniversary festivities will continue into Spring with a Tenth Anniversary exhibition opening on February 13, 2009, and benefit dinner scheduled for March 28.
2008 California Biennial
The Orange County Museum of Art presents the 2008 California Biennial, opening October 26, This year’s biennial, guest-curated by Lauri Firstenberg, founder and director/curator of LAXART in Los Angeles, includes works by more than 50 artists and, for the first time, incorporates off-site projects with collaborating venues from Tijuana to Northern California.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The museum has recently acquired a significant private collection of Oceanic art assembled during the 20th century. The acquisition greatly expands the museum’s holdings of the Pacific region, with an emphasis on the regions of Polynesia and Melanesia. Notable works among the 46 pieces include an 18th century Hawaiian drum collected by Captain James Cook in 1778, and the carved male ancestral figure from Easter Island shown above. The new collection is expected to go on display in late spring, 2009.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
SFMOMA announced the election of Kenneth McNeely and Marissa Mayer as new members of the Board. Kenneth McNeely is currently the president of external affairs for AT&T’s operations in California. Marissa Mayer serves as vice president of Search Products and User Experience at Google, and serves alongside McNeely as board member of the San Francisco Ballet.
Laguna College of Art & Design
The Board of Trustees of the Laguna College of Art & Design announced the election of Jim McQueen as new Board Chair for 2008. After serving as Vice Chair of the College Board, McQueen was the unanimous choice to assume the leadership role. In addition to his involvement with the college, McQueen is a Commissioner for OC Human Relations, and has served for many years on the Board of the Laguna Art Museum.
Morono Kiang Gallery
Los Angeles-based artist and muralist Eloy Torrez and Morono Kiang Gallery recently joined forces for a panel discussion, “Against the Wall: The Ruin & Renewal of LA’s Murals.” The talk focused on the role of murals in the Downtown Historic Core of LA and the need to preserve these cultural landmarks. Panelists included Judy Baca, Yreina Cervantes, Pat Gomez, Man One, and Michael Woo. In 1984, Eloy Torrez created “The Pope of Broadway,” one of the most recognizable works of public art in Los Angeles on the southeast facade of the Victor Clothing Company. The mural, depicting actor Anthony Quinn from his role in “Zorba the Greek,” has become an enduring part of the city. Morono Kiang Gallery owners and Torrez are currently seeking support for the monumental restoration project to return the mural to its original condition.
Gary Garrels
The current chief curator of the UCLA Hammer Museum, Gary Garrels, will be returning to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as Senior Curator of painting and sculpture this September. Before joining the Hammer, Garrels served as chief curator in the department of drawings and curator in the department of painting and sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. During his three years at the Hammer, Garrels debuted with “Eden’s Edge: Fifteen LA Artists,” and initiated the development of the Hammer Contemporary Collection, focusing on post-1960s contemporary art, which now holds nearly 1,000 works.
Ceramist, Ralph Bacerra
Renowned for his ornamental teapots and vessels, ceramist Ralph Bacerra, died at the age of 70 at his home in Eagle Rock, CA. The artist won international acclaim for his unique forms often covered with geometric patterns, Asian motifs, and layers of brightly-colored enamel glazes. Bacerra earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1961 from Chouinard, where he later returned after a tour of duty in the military as a ceramics instructor from 1963-1972. The artist worked in his studio for a decade, further experimenting with form and finish before accepting a position as chairman of the ceramics department at Otis College of Art and Design in 1983 until retiring in 1996.
The Portland Art Dealers Association (PADA)
Beppu Wiarda Gallery and Charles A. Hartman Fine Art have been admitted into The Portland Art Dealers Association for the membership year beginning October 1, 2008. These nominations reflect the association's ongoing commitment to bring modern and contemporary art to the vibrant Portland art scene. Formed in 2003, PADA includes the city’s foremost galleries to promote increased awareness of Portland as a major cultural art center. Members of the association include the city’s foremost galleries whom regularly work with artists, collectors, museum professionals and members from the entire cultural community.
The California Community Foundation
CCF recently announced $280,000 in one-year fellowships to 15 mid-career and emerging artists. The recipients of the mid-career artists’ grants of $20,000 are Dave Hullfish Bailey, Judie Bamber, Alan deSouza, Richard Hawkins, Hirokazu Kosaka, Steven Roden, Linda Stark, Tam Van Tran, Mary K. Weatherford, Charlie White and Takako Yamaguchi. Receiving this year’s emerging artists fellows of $15,000 are Dan Bayles, Carlee Fernandez, Julie Lequin and Shana Lutker. The California Community Foundation’s Fellowships for Visual Artists has enjoyed a 20-year association with the J. Paul Getty Trust Fund for the Visual Arts, the Brody Arts Fund, the Atlas Fund and other community foundations. To commemorate this association, the foundation plans to present a retrospective featuring artists who have received awards during this period.
The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco
The museum celebrated 60 years of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts with two new appointments to its department of works on paper: Karin Breuer as the curator in charge of the Achenbach Foundation and James Ganz as curator of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts. Karin Breuer has been at FAMSF since 1985, during which time she served as curator of the art installation for the de Young Museum. James Ganz was Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs for the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The Achenbach Foundation houses nearly 100,000 works of graphic art from around the world spanning over 500 years.
The MAK Center for Art and Architecture
The Fitzpatrick House, designed by renowned architect Rudolph Schindler in 1936, was recently acquired by The MAK Center, based in Los Angeles. This marks the third Schindler property under the stewardship of the MAK Center, which resides at the Kings Road House and maintains an artist and architect residency program at the Mackey Apartment House. The property has been renamed the Fitzpatrick-Leland House in honor of its donor, Russ Leland, who spent ten years working with architect Jeff Fink to restore the building to its original design. The residence will now house the center’s Urban Future Initiative, which provides two-month residencies to visiting cultural scholars from around the globe.
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