ARTTalk-ArtPourri

New Black Heritage Stamp Issued – The U.S. Postal Service honors Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932) with the 31^st stamp in its Black Heritage series. Chesnutt was a pioneering writer recognized today as a major innovator and singular voice among turn-of-the-century literary realists who probed the color line in American life. The portrait, painted by stamp artist Kazuhiko Sano of Mill Valley, CA, was based on a 1908 photograph from the collection of Fisk University.

Short List Announced – The Guggenheim Museum has announced the shortlist for the Hugo Boss Prize 2008: Christoph Buchel, Patty Chang, Sam Durant, Emily Jacir, Joachim Koester and Roman Signer. The prize recognizes significant achievement in contemporary art and carries with it an award of $100,000. The winner will be announced next fall, followed by an exhibition to be presented in spring 2009.

Auction News – Sotheby’s Winter 2007 sales of 20^th Century Design totaled $16.3 million. Sale highlights of the four auctions included a screen by Piero Fornasetti, a tea infuser by Marianne Brandt, Louis Majorelle’s Table Aux Nenuphars (c. 1902), a Gustav Stickley bookcase, animalier bronzes by Rembrandt Bugatti and The John M. Fowler Collection of important Tiffany lamps.

NEA News – President Bush has signed an omnibus appropriations bill for FY 2008 that includes $144.7 million for the NEA—an increase of $20.1 million over 2007 funding. This will allow the agency to devote more funds to direct grants to arts organizations and to extend the reach of the National Initiatives that support touring and arts education. – New guidelines for Grants for Arts Projects, the Endowment’s major support categories for organizations, are now available. Visit www.nea.gov/grants/apply/index.html for more information and deadlines.

Museum Celebrates – The Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA, presents 10 Years of Drawings: What, How and Why through May 4. This exhibition celebrates the growth of the collection during the decade and places an emphasis on showing how and why works are selected for acquisition. Among the highlights are an important transfer-drawing by Paul Gauguin and rare examples from the early German school.

“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting with the gift of speech.” –Simonides

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