ArtPourri

USPS News – The U.S. Postal Service has issued four Flags 24/7 first-class stamps, each featuring a painting of an American flag flying at different times of the day:  sunrise, noon, sunset and night.  Artist Laura Stutzman of Mountain Lake Park, MD, used gouache on illustration board to capture the “living, breathing force” of her subject.

Shortlist Announced – Tate Britain has announced the four artists who have been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2008:  Runa Islam, Mark Leckey, Goshka Macuga and Cathy Wilkes.  An exhibition will open Sept. 30, with the winner announced on Dec. 1.

Auction News – Sotheby’s evening auction of Contemporary Art was the best auction in the company’s history, with a total of $362 million.  Francis Bacon’s Triptych (1976) commanded $86.2 million, a record for a contemporary work of art at auction and for the artist at auction; and an additional 17 artist records were set.  At the Impressionist & Modern Art evening sale, records were set for Fernand Leger and Edvard Munch. – Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale totaled $348.2 million, marking the second highest total ever in auction history for the category.  Eight new world auction records were established; and Lucian Freud’s Benefits Supervisor Sleeping set a world auction record for any living artist at $33.6 million.

Gallery Reopened – The Faberge Gallery at the New Orleans Museum of Art has been reopened.  The larger and broader range of Faberge objects totals 82, not including 44 miniature Easter Eggs which are displayed on three separate objects.  Cigarette and card cases, clocks, inkwells, letter knives, photo frames and more are now on view in addition to Easter Eggs.

NEA News – In its second major grant announcement of fiscal year 2008, the NEA will award $77.4 million to fund 1,014 grants.  Included among these are nonprofit national, regional, state and local organizations across the country, funding grants in the categories of Access to Artistic Excellence, Arts on Radio and Television, Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth, Partnership Agreements (State and Regional) and American Masterpieces:  Three Centuries of Artistic Genius.

Prize Awarded – The Driskell Prize, established by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, in 2005, has been awarded for 2008 to Brooklyn-based artist Xaviera Simmons.  The prize honors and celebrates contributions to the field of African American art and art history.  Simmons will give a free public lecture at the High on July 26 in conjunction with the National Black Arts Festival.

Milestone – Robert Rauschenberg, born in Port Arthur, TX, on Oct. 22, 1925, has died at age 82 in his Captiva Island (FL) studio.  Rauschenberg became a major force in modern art in the 1950’s when he created “combines,” a combination of paintings and sculptures made up of unrelated objects found on the street.  He became a master of painting, collage, lithography and sculpture, and collaborated with choreographer Merce Cunningham in the design of stage sets.