Author: conte

NEW ORLEANS, LA.- Heriard-Cimino Gallery presents “Fragment of Journeys,” new work by José Bedia. The exhibition will be on view January 15 through March 3rd, 2010. José Bedia is an exceptionally masterful and compelling artist whose visual narratives and iconic language are distilled to their essence. He approaches his subjects with the social awareness of an anthropologist. The universalism of Bedia’s work is derived from his effort at synthesizing, unifying and blending elements from the most diverse ancient, geographical, historical, and cultural horizons. Bedia says of his work – It is an attempt at communication and community between the material and spiritual universe of “modern” man and that of “primitive” man. In Fragment of Journeys, Bedia paints powerful, animistic and metaphorical images, often utilizing Afro-Cuban deities. Throughout

CHICAGO, IL.- The unconventional beauty and artistry of works by photographer William Eggleston will be showcased in a major exhibition opening at the Art Institute of Chicago this winter. William Eggleston: Democratic Camera, Photographs and Video, 1961-2008–on view from February 27 through May 23, 2010, in the Modern Wing’s Abbott Galleries (G182, G184) and Carolyn S. and Matthew Bucksbaum Gallery (G188)–is the most comprehensive retrospective to date of the Memphis-based contemporary photographer. The exhibition brings together more than 150 extraordinary images of familiar, everyday subjects with lesser-known, early black-and-white prints and provocative video recordings, all produced over a five-decade period. Born in 1939 in

PARIS.- The French Ministry of Culture and the Louvre have acquired the painting “Saint Peter’s Denial,” by French painter Antoine or Louis Le Nain, attributed to the 17th century Lorraine School. The painting is the museum’s latest acquisition and was purchased by a private patronage for 11,500,000 euros.(16,560,000 dollars). The painting “was found in an attic in Luneville” and sold at auction in Nancy on 19 March 2000. Estimated at 200,000 francs, it was acquired by the Parisian dealer Charles Bailly for 9.2 million francs. The painting was denied an export permit and was acquired by insurance company AXA.

NEW YORK, NY.- Following the record-breaking success of its Old Master & 19th Century Art sale in December in London, Christie’s presents its flagship New York sale of Old Master & 19th Century Paintings, Drawings, and Watercolors in a two-part auction on Wednesday, January 27. This extraordinary sale of over 320 works presents the best examples of European art from the 15th to the 19th century, and features master works and recent rediscoveries from Lucas Cranach the Elder, Jan Brueghel II, Thomas Gainsborough, Gaetano Gandolfi, Louis Léopold Boilly, Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, and Samuel Palmer, among others. Total sales are expected to achieve in excess of $48 million.

JERUSALEM.- The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, will celebrate the completion of its renewed campus with three special exhibitions curated by renowned contemporary artists and drawn from the Museum’s encyclopedic collections. Opening to the public on July 26, 2010, this three-part presentation, united under the title Artists’ Choices: Zvi Goldstein, Susan Hiller, Yinka Shonibare, will provide a fresh look from each artist’s perspective at the Museum’s permanent holdings in archaeology, the fine arts, and Jewish art and life. Unique in its scope and character, the project showcases masterpieces from the Museum’s collections and presents dialogues between the collections and the artists themselves, each of whom is also represented in the Museum’s contemporary art collection. Four new works are also being created by Yinka

SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- To celebrate the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)’s 75th anniversary, Gap is collaborating with the museum to introduce a unique line of eight limited-edition artist-designed T-shirts. The T-shirts were designed by nine well-known artists who have connections to the Bay Area, including Rosana Castrillo Díaz, Simon Evans, Chris Johanson, Kerry James Marshall, Barry McGee, Ed Ruscha, Leslie Shows, and Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel. All of these artsis are also represented in the series of SFMOMA’s anniversary exhibitions and programs entitled 75 Years of Looking Forward. “We’re delighted to partner with the Gap and this amazing group of artists to recognize our 75th anniversary,” states SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra. “It will be a great pleasure to see the Bay Area community wear these original T-shirts with pride throughout our anniversary year.”

BELLEVUE, WA.- The Board of Trustees of Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) announced the appointment of Stefano Catalani as Director of Curatorial Affairs/Artistic Director. Catalani has served as BAM’s Curator since 2005 and will transition into his expanded role on February 12, 2010. “Stefano has the vision and leadership to ensure the Museum’s continued vitality,” says Susan Edelheit, President of the Board of Trustees. “He has established a track record at BAM of developing thought-provoking, engaging exhibitions and programs that transform our understanding of art, craft and design. We are thrilled he has accepted the position, and look forward to his continued contributions as the leader of our curatorial team and our artistic programs.” A highly regarded figure in his field, Catalani has an extensive background in curating exhibitions and educational programs

NEW YORK, NY (AP).- A New York City auction house says a human skull that had been used as a ballot box by Yale’s elite Skull and Bones society has been withdrawn from sale. Christie’s said Friday that the 19th century skull was being removed from the Jan. 22 sale due to a title claim. The auction house declined further comment. The skull had been expected to sell for $10,000 to $20,000. Christie’s only identified the seller as a European art collector. The skull is fitted with a hinged flap and is believed to have been used during voting at the mysterious society’s meetings. The club was founded in 1832 and publicly known members, called Bonesmen, include both presidents Bush and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

WASHINGTON, DC.- In the first exhibition devoted to Dutch landscape artist Hendrick Avercamp (1585–1634), scenes of ice skating, sleigh rides, and outdoor games on frozen canals and waterways bring to life the lively pastimes and day-to-day bustle of the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic. On view in the West Building Dutch Cabinet Galleries at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, from March 21 through July 5, 2010, “Hendrick Avercamp: The Little Ice Age” will feature some 15 paintings and 15 drawings that capture the harsh winters of the period and the activities they made possible. “Avercamp’s images capture a timeless quality that resonates to this day, making his winter landscapes quintessential representations of 17th-century Holland,” said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art. “We are grateful to the museums and private collectors in Europe and the United States who graciously agreed to lend their delic

PHILADELPHIA, PA.- Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker”, one of the artist’s most famous works and a familiar fixture of Philadelphia’s Rodin Museum, will be reinstalled on its pedestal outside the Museum’s entrance on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Wednesday, January 13th. Since June, the sculpture has been on display in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Great Stair Hall, while the Rodin Museum’s limestone façade, known as the Meudon Monument, underwent restoration. Modeled after the 18th-century façade of the Château d’Issy, which Rodin had installed at his estate at Meudon, France, the structure was cleaned to remove the layer of vehicular grime and pollution that had accumulated on its surface during the past 80 years. Its façade was also repointed and its stone repaired where necessary. The large French wrought-iron gate and transom, fashioned in Paris in 1926-7 after the gates at the Châtea