Museum on Holiday--The Brooklyn Museum of Art will be closed to the public from August 4-19. This measure will help to address the large gap in the Museum's operating budget for the fiscal year 2004. Please join them when they reopen on August 20.

Recipients Announced--The NEA has announced the 2003 recipients of the NEA National Heritage Fellowships, the country's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Sixteen awardees were chosen for their artistic excellence, authenticity and contributions to their field. The 2003 Bess Lomax Hawes Award went to Carmencristina Moreno, a Mexican-American singer, composer and teacher from Fresno, CA. See www.arts.endow.gov for more information.

Gallery Receives Gift--The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., is the recipient of the bequest of a peerless collection of Japanese prints assembled over 7 years by Robert O. Muller of Newtown, CT. The collection of over 4,000 prints is particularly rich in works by designers who adapted traditional, idealized print subjects. Watch for a planned exhibition.

Cartoonist Awards Given--The National Cartoonists Society has presented the 2003 Reuben Awards. Among other winners, the Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year award went to Matt Groening ("The Simpsons"); TV animation award went to Steve Hillenburg ("Spongebob Squarepants"); and Feature Animation award went to Chris Sanders ("Lilo and Stitch").

Milestone Reached--Felix de Weldon, sculptor of the renowned Marine Corp War Memorial (Arlington, VA) of marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima, has died in Virginia at the age of 96. A prolific artist, he created more than 2,000 public sculptures.

Theft Suspects Arrested--Two Assistant Deputy Wardens and two Corrections Officers from Rikers Island have been indicted on grand larceny charges. They are accused of stealing a Salvador Dali sketch valued at $250,000 from the New York prison and replacing it with a fake in March.

Nominees Announced--The Tate-London has announced the finalists for the 20th annual Turner Prize. Included are Jake and Dinos Chapman for their sculptural installations and graphic works, Willie Doherty for film installations and photographic works, Anya Gallaccio for her innovative explorations of the tension between organic and traditional sculptural materials, and Grayson Perry for works that combine the traditions of fine and decorative arts. The winner of the approximate $44,000 prize will be announced on Dec. 7.

Exhibitions:

Houston, TX -- The Menil Collection/Museum of Fine Arts -- James Rosenquist: A Retrospective (a dual venue show) is the first comprehensive survey of the artist's work in all media since 1972. The Menil Collection features work from 1956 to 1969 (and one painting from 1999) in conjunction with the presentation of the artist's later work from 1970 to the present at the Museum of Fine Arts. The two installations together span more than four decades. Through August 17.

Brea, CA -- City of Brea Gallery -- 11th Annual International Art of the Colored Pencil Exhibition includes over 100 artworks juried from 1,000 pieces representing artists from the USA and foreign countries. Opens July 25 through Sept. 19.

Baltimore, MD -- Baltimore Museum of Art -- William Morris: The Reactionary Revolutionary includes 15 bold cotton prints and intricate woven woolens from its collection in a focus exhibition that explores the life, work and philosophy of Morris, founder of the Arts & Crafts movement. Through Sept. 20.

Los Angeles, CA -- Los Angeles County Museum of Art -- Old Masters, Impressionists, and Moderns: French Masterworks from the State Pushkin Museum, Moscow encompasses 76 works surveying 250 years of French painting, with 52 on view in the U.S. for the first time. Tickets required. Opens July 27 through Oct. 13.

Blue Mountain Lake, NY -- Adirondack Museum -- Summering in the Adirondacks: The Artists' Views includes images and artifacts of summer pastimes--boating, fishing, camping, places to go and stay, Ausable Chasm, High Falls Gorge, the High Peaks, hotels, lakes, and beautiful views, including masterworks from the museum's renowned painting collection. Places of the Spirit: Photographs of Sacred Spaces in the Adirondacks includes the work of four photographers commissioned during the summer of 2001 to visually respond to sacred sites--churches, synagogues, burial grounds, and other places of spirituality--within the Adirondack region. Through Oct. 13.

ARTtalk.com Gallery at the Square Box 900 • 18 East Main St. Beacon, NY 12508 Presents ARTtalk Workshops FOR THE EXPERIENCED: Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13 Two-Day Advanced Airbrush Workshop Instructor: Pamela Shanteau AND FOR THE NOVICE: Saturday, Sept. 13 Basic Airbrush Techniques & Intermediate Airbrush Techniques Instructor: Robert Paschal, MFA Tuition for all above workshops includes the use of equipment and all materials used in class. Seating is limited, so sign up now! This is an opportunity not to be missed! For further information, see www.arttalk.com/workshop/workshop.htm 845.831.4458

The Art Institute Online is looking for graphic designers interested in learning additional skills, or in getting their bachelor's or associate's degree in graphic design. Make yourself more marketable in the graphic design industry. Click here to find out more. (http://quinst.com/clk/kittedatoukumushiigyo)

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 13 No. 9 -- July 2003