Roberta Smith says it’s not a good idea to just paint over art that makes us uncomfortable. “These are among the scars on this country that every American — schoolchild or adult, of any race — should learn about in detail, keep learning about and never forget.” That said, she’s fine with adding more info, commissioning more response murals, covering them up with removable textiles – just not whitewashing them out of existence. – The New York Times
Category: visual
The Metropolitan Museum’s In-House Analytical Chemist
“Where others concentrate on specific paintings or sculptures, [Eric] Breitung … takes a broad approach: ‘My focus is the environment of the whole museum.’ That means preparing the Met for some 60 exhibitions each year, in spaces that range from 100 to 20,000 square feet. Design elements for each exhibit contain chemicals that could be damaging, depending on the art.” – National Geographic
Art Protest Changed This Week – The Whitney Resignation Changes All
When people scrutinize this moment as an era-defining case study, it will be worth assessing: What was it about this intervention that enabled it to so dramatically achieve its aims? – Artnet
Design Is Changing As The Environment Forces Us To Adapt
The Cooper Hewitt’s curators are illuminating how environmental challenges are scrambling the roles of designers, scientists — and the museum itself. – The New York Times
$200K Egon Schiele Drawing Discovered In New York City Thrift Store
The drawing Reclining Nude Girl (1918) was found by a part-time art handler at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in the Queens neighborhood of Woodside and authenticated by Jane Kallir, who wrote Schiele’s catalogue raisonné. – The Art Newspaper
Groups Sue To Stop Demolition Of LA’s Iconic Amoeba Music Building
Weeks after Los Angeles officials gave the green light for a new development on the Hollywood site now occupied by Amoeba Music, critics are suing the city to stop it, arguing that it would tear down a “cultural resource” that deserves protection. – Los Angeles Times
Baltimore Museum Of Art To Establish ‘Epicenter Of Scholarship’ For Matisse Studies
The museum, which is believed to house the world’s largest collection of Matisse’s work (more than 1,200 items), will open the Ruth R. Marder Center for Matisse Studies, a 3,500-square-foot facility intended to be “something like a think tank focused on Matisse,” in 2021. – The New York Times
After Months Of Protests, Whitney Museum Vice Chairman Warren Kanders Resigns
“Protesters had demanded Mr. Kanders’s resignation, or removal from the board, after reports that [his company] Safariland’s tear-gas grenades had been used against migrants at the United States-Mexico border and elsewhere.” – The New York Times
Two Years Into Construction, Philadelphia Museum Of Art Is Remaking Itself From The Inside
Clearly the museum is attempting an unusual feat: Tearing itself apart in plain view, but hiding the mess. – Philadelphia Inquirer
How ‘The Most Complex Archaeological Rescue Mission Of All Time’ Saved The 3,200-Year-Old Temples Of Abu Simbel
Egyptian President Nasser’s Aswan Dam project involved flooding an area full of ancient monuments, including Ramses II’s famous temple complex at Abu Simbel. So, in 1960, UNESCO and the Egyptian government organized a massive international project to move the monuments beyond the reach of the floodwaters. – National Geographic History