When Rev. William Wolcott died in 1911 he donated his art collection – including a Monet and two Pissarros – to Boston’s Museum of Fine Art. Though three of the paintings have been on continuous display in the museum ever since, much of the rest of the collection has lived in storage. So the trustees of Wolcott’s trust sued the museum to get the paintings back so they could sell them and establish education projects in Wolcott’s home town. Yesterday a judge said no. – Boston Herald
Tag: 10.12.00
UNCOVERING STOLEN ART
Australia’s museums have come under criticism for not doing enough to return art in their collections that may have been stolen by the Nazis in World War II. Now the National Gallery of Victoria will list 24 works from its collection on the internet to see if anyone comes forward to claim them. – The Age (Melbourne)
SHOCK OF THE SAME OLD SAME OLD
A new book charges that the contemporary art world has become far too narrow-minded. “Shock art is the safest kind of art that an artist can go into the business of making today. The real mavericks of our time have been working quietly and carefully for years in their studios producing wonderful work few people have seen. And that even though the NEA is not the cause of the various ills we’ve seen, it is to a great degree an embodiment of the problem.” – Salon
LIFE-SIZE CRITIC
Artists create a life-size wax statue of London Evening Standard art critic Brian Sewell and put it in a show. Sewell is depicted staring at a wall label which explains what the artwork is. Sewell is not amused. “I can tell you that they have been desperately trying to get me there to do the boring thing of photographing us together. It means I shall not be going to the exhibition.” – London Evening Standard
PROMOTION IN NUMBERS
Artists in Edinburgh were having trouble getting their work out, promoted and seen. So a group of about 20 artists got together and combined their resources to work and promote their work. “As individuals we couldn’t afford a campaign like this, but together we can.” – The Scotsman
VERSAILLES ON-LINE
The palace at Versailles is in need of help to repair after a damaging New Year’s storm. Now an opulently illustrated (and fun) website about the palace has been set up www.chateauversailles.fr full of everything you ever wanted to know about Versailles. The hope is to spur international donations to the restoration efforts. – New York Times
CHINESE DISSIDENT WINS NOBEL
Gao Xingjian, an exiled dissident author whose works are banned in his native China, won the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday – the first Chinese to win the award in its 100-year history. – Ottawa Citizen (AP)
BIG NAMES FOR NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
The 20 nominees. – Washington Post
THE NEW NEW YORKER
Editor David Remnick says the magazine is becoming more focused on New York, that it doesn’t yet make money but will someday, and that the New Yorker will soon be available on the web. – Inside.com
MAJOR SUPPORT
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation has awarded $250,000 to a young Singaporean violinist to further her career. The award is the first of the bank’s Youth Excellence Initiatives. “To aspirants, she will show that there will be support if you have the talent.” – The Straits Times (Singapore)