3 HOT, new museums you must see!
The Barnes at Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
The art thieves of the world are poised for action!
The Barnes Foundation’s $25 BILLION art collection is moving! The works of art; 181 Renoirs, 69 Cezannes, and 59 Matisses, along with works of Monet, Degas, Seuret, Titian and Picasso with many, many other artifacts are being transported from Dr. Albert C. Barnes’ private mansion/museum, located in a quiet suburban town outside Philadelphia, to the heart of Philadelphia’s downtown museum complex. The convoys of trucks will be rollin’ down Philadelphia’s expressways and via short cuts through sketchy neighborhoods. The FBI has been called in and cloak and dagger tactics are being taken with police escorts and double-bluffs with some convoy trucks heavily guarded carrying only one painting, others loaded to the brim with anti-hijack security systems. Not since World War II, when governments moved their collections from the museums to prevent their destruction, have we seen the magnitude of a move like this.
Dr. Barnes, 1872-1951, born to a working class family, grew up in Philadelphia, made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry, and became passionate about bringing art to the underprivileged. He began his collections of Impressionist artists long before they were recognized as masterpieces. Now these masterpieces will be displayed just as Dr. Barnes desired, in their own brand new museum, The Barnes at Philadelphia.
Watch this video of the intriguing mystery surrounding the move of the Barnes Collection.
Click here if unable to view the video.
_______________
Crystal Bridges Museum
Bentonville, AK
The dream of Alice Walton, heir to the Wal-Mart fortune, has come true! The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened in 2011 in the small Arkansas town of Bentonville. The architect for the buildings was the brilliant Israeli-born Bostonian, Moshe Safdie. The land is wooded and intimate (the setting of Ms. Walton’s father, Sam Walton’s, first five-and-dime store in 1951.)
And the collection…Wow! Works by American giants, from Benjamin West and Georgia O’Keefe, to Jim Dine and Joan Mitchell, are brought to a region that has until now had little opportunity to view the glories of America’s artistic heritage.
The Crystal Bridges Museum will very possibly be a place of pilgrimage for art lovers from around the world.
_______________
Clyfford Still Museum
Denver, CO
A graceful, small museum, reserved for experiencing just ONE great artist’s work has just opened in downtown Denver! Clyfford Still, 1904-1980, was a notoriously cantankerous and private artist who kept almost every piece of art he ever made; paintings on canvas (825), works on paper (1,575) and sculptures (3). He still is renowned for lighting the fuse for the movement of Abstract Expressionism…a movement of hugely scaled style with no recognizable subject matter. Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Barnett Newman followed his lead a few years later.
Still’s will stipulated that his estate be bequeathed to an American city that would build a museum exclusively for these works of art. None of the works could be sold, or given, or exchanged for funds. And Denver did it!! The private community raised $47 million with NO taxes levied! The result is an exquisite and light-filled space for this marvelous artist.
Deconstructing the Myth of the American Indian!
"Standing Indian," 1972
Fritz Scholder
"Blessingway," 2011
Kirby Kendrick
Deconstructing the myth of the American Indian!
In 1967, Fritz Scholder began his unconventional paintings of American Indians. These paintings destroyed the accepted picturesque imagery that had heretofore masked the Indian. Scholder with his bold forms and bright colors demands a personal involvement with the human being…The American Indian. Fritz Scholder was one of the most renowned American Indian artists of the 20th century.
de Kooning
"Woman V," 1952-53
Willem de Kooning
"de Kooning's Angel," 2004
Kirby Kendrick
Grotesque! Chaotic! Jolly! Depraved! Alluring! Sexually aggressive!
These are feelings people have about the work of Dutchman, Willem de Kooning (1904-1997)- especially about his depictions of women. The above work, “Woman V,” took de Kooning 2 years of painting, scraping, ripping and re-painting…the year 1952. Notice his brush strokes, his color, the way he almost attacks the canvas. What a painting! In 1986, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts, and in 2006 one of his series of “Woman” sold for $137.5 million. What is your reaction to this painting?
Starry Night 1889 and Eclipse 2011
"Starry Night," 1889
Van Gogh
"Eclipse," painting done on iPhone, 2011
Kirby
In the dark, early morning on this past December 10th, there was a total lunar eclipse! And if we could keep our eyes open, all of us in the Northern hemisphere could see this amazing event. A total lunar eclipse occurs at full moon only, but the sun, earth and moon have to be in perfect alignment. There was a partial lunar eclipse viewed from France in 1880. Scholars think it is very likely Van Gogh saw this heavenly event and was inspired to paint “Starry Night.” Did you see the eclipse?
Christmas 2011
"The Annunciation," 1462
Alesso Baldovinetti
"The Annunciation," 2008
Kirby Kendrick
CHRISTMAS 2011
Since the middle of the second century, artists have made images of the annunciation:
the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Mary, a virgin, that she would conceive and
become the mother of Jesus, the son of God. Scholars tell us Mary was probably a
simple village girl of 15 and was betrothed to Joseph, an older man and a carpenter by
trade. Can you imagine the shock and fear Mary must have felt on seeing the vision of
this angel and hearing his astonishing message? After some assurance by Gabriel, the
Bible gives us Maryʼs response:
“Behold, I am the handmaid to the Lord. Be it done to me according to thy word.”
Have a blessed Christmas!
Kirby