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WASHINGTON, DC.- George H. Miller, FAIA, partner at Pei Cobb Freed & Partners LLP, was inaugurated as the 86th president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) during ceremonies held on December 4th. He succeeds Marvin J. Malecha, FAIA, and will represent the more than 86,000 AIA members in the coming year. Miller was elected at the AIA 2008 annual convention in Boston, and has served as AIA first vice president this past year. His inaugural speech highlighted the need to elevate the voice of architects in their communities and to enhance the public’s understanding of the value of design. His term will be highlighted by the theme, “Design Matters” as a way to draw attention to the core values of design – beauty, sustainability, health, safety and productivity. He also called on AIA members to focus their efforts on designing better schools, affordable housing, mass transportation and sustainable communitie

By: Nicolas Vaux-Montagny, Associated Press Writer

PARIS (AP).- Preliminary charges have been filed against nine employees of Paris’ respected Drouot auction house after police found stolen art, including a painting by 19th-century realist master Gustave Courbet, prosecutors said Monday. An auctioneer and eight commission agents were given preliminary charges, including “organized theft,” the prosecutor’s office said. Three others detained last week in the police raids on Drouot, its warehouses and homes of employees were released with no charges filed against them. When the bust was announced last week, there was initial confusion about which Courbet work had been recovered. The painting — stolen several years ago from a collection whose owner had recently died — was not clearly identified, and the heir had confused it with another work, an official close to the inquiry said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing. Police initially identifie

STOCKBRIDGE, MA.- Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt has been appointed by the American Association of Museums (AAM) to serve as an official delegate on a cultural diplomacy trip to Russia with the United States Department of State and the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities. Ms. Norton Moffatt will be joining a delegation of American and Russian officials and several private sector leaders in Moscow from December 7 to 9, to discuss ways to continue fostering positive relations between the United States and Russia, and how various organizations might support the objectives of the commission. Funding to support Ms. Norton Moffatt’s trip has been made possible by The Henry Luce Foundation for American Art, The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, and The Berkshire Taconic Foundation. “I am honored that the AAM has invited me to represent our country through this unique opportunity,” says Nor

LONDON (AP).- A Scotland-based painter known for destroying his large-scale wall murals after they have been exhibited won Britain’s best-known art award, the Turner Prize, on Monday. Richard Wright said he was surprised he beat three other finalists to win the annual 25,000 pound ($40,000) prize, which was announced at London’s Tate Britain gallery. The award was presented by British poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy. “I’m shocked — is there another kind of reaction?” the artist said. “I wasn’t expecting it, not at all.” Wright is known for painting intricate, large-scale patterns on walls or ceilings, as well as for his insistence that his work be destroyed after the exhibitions end. He said he gave up painting on canvas because those paintings were “rubbish” and didn’t represent who he was.

NEW YORK, NY.- On 17 December 2009 at 2pm, Sotheby’s New York will hold its bi-annual sale of Important 20th-Century Design beginning with works from the Art & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and American Modern movements, and concluding with Mid-Century and Contemporary design. Highlighting the sale is an offering of 25 lots collected by Stephen Gray, one of the foremost authorities on the Arts and Crafts movement. The Important Tiffany auction will follow at approximately 3:30pm and features a topcaliber range of objects representing the diverse disciplines of Tiffany Studios.

BARCELONA.- Galeria Joan Prats is presenting “Adult Contemporary”, Carles Congost’s first solo exhibition in Barcelona since 2005. The new works of multifaceted artist Carles Congost bring forth a variety of ways to approach the production of images related to the miscellaneous imaginarium of pop culture. In his recent photographic works he combines the sketch with the photo romantic novel in stories that allow aesthetic and character association in dissonant social circumstances. His visual references go from the comic strip genre, portraying camp super heroes, to celebrities from the European show

SAN ANTONIO, TX.- Taiso Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), one of the greatest Japanese woodblock print artists, pursued varied subjects in his prints, ranging from nightmarish ghosts to scenes of domestic harmony. The set of thirty-two prints which comprise fūzoku sanjūnisō, or “Thirty-two Aspects of Daily Life” are among his greatest artistic achievements. These lavish prints were issued in 1888 and are a testament to both his technical brilliance and aesthetic sensitivity. “Seasons of Beauty: Yoshitoshi’s Thirty-two Aspects of Daily Life” will be exhibited in four seasonal rotations. Each seasonal rotation will present eight prints

SYDNEY.- “Almanac: The Gift of Ann Lewis AO” provides an extraordinary road map of Australian art practice over the last 50 years, shaped by the vision of one of Australia’s best regarded collectors and arts supporters. Running December 8, 2009 until April 18, 2010, Almanac presents the generous donation made to the Museum of Contemporary Art by Ann Lewis AO. Thanks to Ann’s roles as collector, philanthropist and gallerist, visitors to this exhibition can enjoy a collection of works built at the forefront of cultural production across five decades. The exhibition also draws upon the major gifts by Ann Lewis