ArtPourri

Laureate Named – Jean Nouvel of Paris, France, has been chosen as the 2008 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.  Known as architecture’s highest honor, the formal ceremony will be held on June 2 at the Library of Congress, at which time a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion will be bestowed upon the 62-year-old architect.

Process Moves Forward – The Boston Redevelopment Authority has voted unanimously to approve the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s restoration and expansion plans.  This includes a new building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano.

Spiral Jetty Update – The Dia Art Foundation has met with Utah state officials to discuss the long-term preservation of Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty.  It was decided to pursue the creation of a buffer zone around the sculpture that will help protect the artwork for future generations and fit within the lake’s mixed-use resource plan.

Art Crimes List Updated – The FBI has added two masterpieces stolen in Zurich on February 10 to their Top Ten Art Crimes list. Now included are Count Lepic and His Daughters, oil on canvas, by Edgar Degas; and Boy in the Red Vest, oil on canvas, by Paul Cezanne.

Exhibitions

Washington, D.C. – National Gallery of Art – In the Forest of Fontainebleau:  Painters and Photographers from Corot to Monet includes some 100 paintings, pastels and photos made in the forest from the 1820’s through the 1870’s.   Through June 8.

New York, NY – The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Jeff Koons on the Roof features several of the artist’s meticulously crafted works, including a new piece conceived for this roof garden, which offers a spectacular view of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline.  Through Oct. 26.

Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie Museum of Art – Life on Mars, the 2008 Carnegie International, will include works by 40 emerging and established artists from 17 countries.  Opens May 3 through Jan. 11, 2009.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 18 No. 7 — May 2008