ArtPourri

Waterfalls in the City – A temporary monumental public art project commissioned by the Public Art Fund will be on view through Oct 13.  Olafur Eliasson:  The New York City Waterfalls consists of four manmade 90- to 120-foot-tall waterfalls at sites on the waterfront in lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Governors Island.  Visit www.nycwaterfalls.org.

Stamp News – The new Wedding Hearts stamps, in both 42 and 59 cent denominations, will add both elegance and whimsy to cherished correspondence such as wedding invitations/response cards and Valentine’s Day greetings.  Designed by artist Nancy Stahl, the stamps are based on her memories of a wide range of intertwined objects, including silver charms and old-fashioned garden gates.

Mural Reinstalled – The American Museum of Natural History, NYC, has installed Charles R. Knight’s (1874-1953) giant mural The Neanderthal Flint Workers, on view to the public for the first time in over 40 years.  Restored and reframed, the 12 x 8 ft. painting is one of an epic series of nine murals painted for the Hall of the Age of Man and was completed in 1924.

Auction News – Sotheby’s spring sale of American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture realized the second highest total ever for a sale of American Paintings at more than $87 million.  Edward Hicks’ Peaceable Kingdom with the Leopard of Serenity achieved $9.6 million, a record for a work of American folk art and a record for the artist at auction.  At the sale of Contemporary Art, Ed Ruscha’s I Don’t Want No Retro Spective (1979), sold for $3.9 million, a record for a work on paper by the artist. — Spider (2003), 4 ft. high, by Louise Bourgeois sold for $4.5 million, a record price for the artist at Christie’s International in Paris.

Drawing on Loan – In commemoration of the 25^th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Surrounded Islands project in Biscayne Bay, the City of Miami has announced a long-term loan of the artists’ preparatory drawing—once on view at City Hall—to the Miami Art Museum.  After conducting necessary conservation work on the piece, the drawing will appear in a forthcoming exhibition.