ArtPourri

Milestone—Renowned cartoonist J. B. Handelsman has died at the age of 85. His work appeared for many years in The New Yorker as well as Playboy and other publications; and he illustrated many books, including a number for children.

Economic Impact Reported—According to a visitor survey released by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, two widely acclaimed and attended exhibitions in the fall 2006/winter 2007 season generated $377 million in spending by regional, national and foreign tourists to New York.  Cezanne to Picasso:  Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde and Americans in Paris, 1860-1900 attracted almost 312,000 visitors.

Auction News—Sotheby’s first sale of Impressionist and Modern Art held in Paris realized a total of over $5.9 million, with 83% of the lots sold by value.  Top seller was Printemps by Francis Picabia, while records were achieved by Man Ray (2), Andre Masson and Sonia Delaunay.  At Christie’s in London, a masterpiece by Raphael sold for a record $37.2 million.  Christie’s International announced worldwide sales of $3.25 billion for the first six months of 2007, an increase of 32% over last year’s figure for the same period.

See Outdoor Sculpture – The Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA, now offers the opportunity to view modern and contemporary sculpture, including works by Maillol and Miro.  The majority are located outdoors in two newly named spaces, The Fran and Ray Stark Sculpture Garden and The Fran and Ray Stark Sculpture Terrace as well as in the Lower Terrace Garden.  Enjoy a free audio tour using your cell phone, listen online or download the tour to bring with you.

Learning & Product Expo:  ART!

This popular art event was expanded to three dates for 2007, so don’t miss the last one in California at the Pasadena Conference Center from Oct. 12-14.  (Classes begin Oct. 11.) At this unique experience for artists you can visit an exhibit hall packed with art material manufacturers and choose from a program of 200 art classes. Learn new techniques from some of the most popular instructors in the country; experiment with new materials; stock up on art supplies at great prices; and see free demonstrations!  Visit www.learningproductexpo.com for more information and to register.

Exhibitions:

Atlanta, GA – High Museum of Art – Cecilia Beaux, American Figure Painter illuminates Beaux’s work by exploring issues of gender, class and the importance of place in relation to her identity and reputation as the leading female artist working in the U.S. at the turn of the 20^th century.  Featured are approximately 85 works, including oils, works on paper and decorative objects.  Through Sept. 9

Greenwich, CT – Bruce Museum – Fakes and Forgeries:  The Art of Deception presents 60 examples of Western paintings, works on paper, sculpture and decorative arts that have been recognized as imposters, including examples of the rarest and most famous deceptive works.  Themes of connoisseurship, authentication and conservation, as well as the evolving scholarship of stylistic development, are examined.  Through Sept. 9.

New York, NY – Whitney Museum of American Art – Summer of Love:  Art of the Psychedelic Era revisits the unprecedented explosion of contemporary art and popular culture brought about by the civil unrest and pervasive social change of the ’60s and early ‘70s, when a new psychedelic aesthetic emerged in art, music, film, architecture, graphic design and fashion.  Included are paintings, photographs and sculptures as well as important posters, album covers and underground magazines.  Through Sept. 16.

Fort Worth, TX – Kimbell Art Museum – The Mirror and the Mask:  Portraiture in the Age of Picasso is a dazzling collection of modern portraits and self-portraits that explore how portraiture developed over the course of the 20^th Century.  Featured are 80 – 100 paintings and a small number of sculptures by artists including Cezanne, van Gogh, Modigliani, Bacon, Dubuffet and others—exclusively at this venue.  Through Sept. 16.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 17 No. 10 — August 2007