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Old South Baton Rouge is focus of new planning for cultural revitalization Nola, 13 August 2013
LOUISIANA, USA - As the main corridor between LSU and
downtown, Old South Baton Rouge is the quintessential neighborhood for
revitalization, according to local officials. That, in part, explains a
partnership, announced today, between the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge
and the Center for Planning Excellence that will produce a master plan to help
foster interest in the inherent cultural and historical importance of the
area. Funding this planning phase is $300,000 from the Kresge Foundation, Chase
Bank and the National Endowment for the Arts. Consultants from New York firm
Lord Cultural Resources are in Baton Rouge this week to help kick-start the six to nine-month planning process.
A dream to bring Magna Carta to Canada Led by Vice President Maria Piacente, Lord's role in the Magna Carta project is to work with Durham Cathedral in England to develop education materials, design the exhibition, and manage the tour of this valuable document from England to four Canadian host museums. The Star, 15 August 2013
OTTAWA, ON, CANADA - Two years ago, Len Rodness, a self-described history buff, had an off-chance talk with a teacher at his son’s school in Toronto.Today, the Toronto lawyer has turned that brief encounter into a nationwide campaign to bring the Magna Carta, one of the most famous documents in the world, to Canada.“I knew nothing about putting on such an event,” Rodness says of his dream of having a rare copy of the Magna Carta and its companion document, the Charter of the Forest , displayed in 2015 in Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton to mark the 800th anniversary of what is known as the birth certificate of freedom. [see also: Lawyer raising funds to have the Magna Carta tour Canada with stop in Ottawa, Ottawa Citizen, 15 August 2013]
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Cultural News, a monthly global round-up of what’s happening in culture, is a free service of Lord Cultural Resources. Excerpts are directly quoted from the articles – please click on the links to read the full articles on the original news sites. To receive it in your inbox rain or shine, please press the subscribe button above - it will take less than 30 seconds to become a subscriber. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest digest of cultural news.
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Our Clients and Lord Cultural Resources in the News
French Architect Designs National Art Museum of China Guardian Express, 27 July 2013
BEIJING, CHINA - Internationally known French architect, Jean Nouvel, was selected to design the new National Art Museum of China (NAMOC). He submitted the winning design in a competition that included architects Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. Hadid’s swooping silver building and Gehry’s glass paneled building were in the running, but Nouvel’s design depicted a single brush stroke.The architect told the Financial Times that his structure was influenced by a quote from the Chinese artist Shi Tao that begins, “A single line is the source of everything in existence.”This fits with the overall exhibition focus of the NAMOC which will showcase calligraphy from China and around the world. The museum will also include national and international 20th-century artwork.
Oculus, 9 July 2013
NEW YORK, NY, USA - From the moment she took the podium, it was evident why Joy Bailey Bryant is so successful in her career as a cultural planner and outreach specialist. Bryant immediately announced that this 07.09.13 event, titled “Listen and They Will Build: Incorporating the Results of Community Engagement into Cultural Building Projects,” would be more of a conversation than a formal lecture, and that she was eager to hear thoughts and feedback from the audience. In her capacity as principal consultant with Lord Cultural Resources, she employs these tactics on a daily basis for community outreach and engagement when advising on cultural plans and institutions. In her presentation, Bryant outlined recommendations for successful engagement in cultural planning and illustrated her approach with two Lord projects: the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco.
New Smithsonian Museum Construction Continues Scripps Howard Foundation Wire, 12 August 2013
DC, USA - Kinshasha Holman Conwill, deputy director of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, describes the plans and significance of the new museum under construction in Washington. The video includes footage of the construction site for the museum and collections the museum owns that are currently on display in the National museum of American History. The building is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
CMHR releases important archaeology findings: new light cast on historic role of The Forks Museum for Human Rights, 28 August 2013
WINNIPEG, MB, CANADA - The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) today released the official reports of archaeological excavations conducted on its building site, revealing important new evidence about the role of The Forks among early inhabitants. “These new findings may lead archaeologists to rethink current theories about how The Forks has been used over thousands of years,” CMHR president and CEO Stuart Murray said at a news conference attended by archaeologists, Aboriginal Elders and other site partners. “Evidence that this site has long been a place for peaceful meeting also supports Aboriginal oral history passed down through generations.”
New name, ambitious new outlook MeridianBooster.com, 29 August 2013
LLOYDMINSTER, AB, CANADA - The Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre has become a thing of the past. Literally. On Monday, Lloydminster City Council approved a name change for the centre to become the Lloydminster Cultural and Science Centre to more accurately capture what the institution will eventually offer. Aside from the name change, the City is planning a redevelopment of the centre with a price tag of $48.7 million. The centre will have a floor space of 4,052 square meters and will house a history museum, an orientation theatre, a gift shop, the OTS Heavy Oil Science Centre exhibit, temporary exhibits, and various other facilities. In 2011, the City contracted Lord Cultural Resources to outline a redevelopment plan for the centre. The plan outlined a detailed visitor experience plan and will serve as the base document for future exhibition design.
Museums
Beyond Dioramas: Nature’s New Story NY Times, 2 August 2013
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA - The traditional natural history museum is powerful and familiar, but it is also strange. It is weighty, ponderous, pieced together from relics of lost worlds. It evolved in the 19th century, displaying the geological cataclysms that molded the earth’s surface, the creatures that clambered into habitats and the indigenous cultures that were once considered closer to nature. No other museum genre has changed so glacially.But the pace of evolution has been quickening. Last month, just in time for its centennial this fall, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County completed a $135 million multiyear refashioning: a transformation that has doubled its program space and added new exhibitions and reworked others, including a mammals hall in 2010 and a compelling dinosaur hall in 2011.
Preserving That Great Performance:XFR STN Offers a Digital Update at the New Museum NY Times, 11 August 2013
NEW YORK, NY, USA - A rescue mission is under way at the New Museum. Artists, editors and the occasional MTV producer are making pilgrimages to its fifth-floor gallery, where the museum’s XFR STN project helps them preserve, and in some cases, excavate, artworks stored on floppy disks, videocassettes and other obsolete media.
Maori Battalion museum under way Radio New Zealand, 12 August 2013
GISBORN, NEW ZEALAND - The ground has been blessed and the first sod turned to start construction on a new Gisborne war museum dedicated to the C Company of the Maori Battalion. Dr Monty Soutar, one of the trustees tasked with building the museum, said getting to this point had been a long time coming as it was four years since the Maori Battalion-dedicated exhibition in the local museum was taken down and the search for a more permanent home started.
Museums design with fitness, health in mind Dallas News, 16 August 2013
USA - Who can resist deep-fried Oreos or beer-battered onion rings at the county fair? Aw, c’mon, you’re on vacation.But those vacation calories can add up — even for the most health-conscious families. Now, you can stem the tide of temptation. Across the country, a growing number of museums and exhibits are popping up with energizing activities that help combat the calories. These exhibits are designed to engage visitors in learning how to adopt a healthy lifestyle based on nutrition and exercise. The trend is being fueled by first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, which aims to reverse child obesity. Recent studies indicate the number of overweight children, 6 to 11, in the U.S. has doubled in the last 20 years.
FeasibilityStudy to Begin for New 251 million Birr Museum Ethio Sports, 19 August 2013
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA - The new museum will seek to develop Ethiopia’s image as a tourist destination and the birthplace of mankind. The Authority for Research & Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) is embarking on a feasibility study for the construction of a new 10-storey museum facility, with the assistance of the European Union (EU). The construction of the building was indicated in a July 2012 project proposal involving scholars from Ethiopia, France, Italy, Spain Portugal and Germany. It was funded by the EU and assisted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Museum Visitors one fifth more likely to Report Good Health Museums Association, 21 August 2013
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - A study by the Scottish government has for the first time established a clear and consistent link between culture, good health and high life satisfaction. Based on data from the Scottish Household Survey 2011, the Healthy Attendance? report found that people who participate in culture or attend cultural places and events were more likely to report good health and life satisfaction. The research showed that this remained true even after other factors such as age, economic status, income, area deprivation, education, smoking, disability or long-standing illness were taken into account.The findings found that people who visited a museum were 20% more likely to report good health and 37% more likely to report high life satisfaction than those who did not.
Red Dot Design Museum to open doors in capital The China Post, 22 August 2013
TAIPEI, TAIWAN - The founder of Red Dot Design Award, one of the world's largest and most celebrated design competitions, is scheduled to open a new design museum in Taipei on Aug. 30 to give greater visibility to award-winning designs. The Red Dot Design Museum Taipei will be the third of its kind in the world, the others being in Germany and Singapore, said Peter Zec, initiator and chief executive officer of Red Dot, at a press briefing in Taipei.
Children’s Museum opens in fall, multiple exhibits come together through community effort St.George Utah, 24 August 2013
ST.GEORGE, UT, USA - The Children’s Museum of St. George is nearing completion in the heart of downtown and representatives from the museum are hoping to open the doors in late September or early October. What is a historical landmark of Southern Utah and former Community Art Center has now been transformed into a state-of-the-art museum created to interest children in a variety of careers, interactive displays and teaching devices.“Preplanning of the museum began in January,” exhibit designer Amy English said, “but the Board has been working on it for seven years.”
Plymouth Museum to be made three times bigger This Is Plymought, 27 August 2013
PLYMOUTH, UK - A long-awaited Plymouth "History Centre" is set to get a multi-million pound lift-off. An ambitious £21million project will triple the size of the City Museum on North Hill and breathe life into Plymouth's past. Earlier plans for a History Centre have never even left the drawing board. If the latest proposal succeeds, it will finally provide a suitable home for the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office, alongside other historical collections.
How to get ahead in ... museums and heritage The Guardian, 27 August 2013
LONDON, UK - Lloyd De Beer started his dream job last summer when he was appointed project curator of medieval alabasters at the British Museum. He took up the post just six months after joining the museum's Future Curators Programme, which is designed to create the next generation of curators and collection managers."I am an objects person – I like to think of history through objects and how they visualise the past. I'd always wanted to be a curator at the British Museum working on its medieval collection but I also knew it was a difficult thing to achieve," he says. "I thought the Future Curators programme would be a great opportunity for me to develop my skills and network. It was a unique opportunity".The programme is run by the British Museum in partnership with other regional museums, many run by local authorities. It is part of the Heritage Lottery Fund's Skills for the Future initiative, set up to help pay for trainee bursaries and projects which address fill skills gaps in the heritage sector which includes museums. Since 2010, £60.7m of heritage lottery money has been invested, creating 3,000 placements.
NortheastIndia's biggest museum to open on Sep 25 South Asian Times, 27 August 2013
AGARTALA, INDIA - Vice President Hamid Ansari will on Sep 25 inaugurate northeast India's biggest museum, set up in Tripura's royal palace, which was the command hub until the erstwhile princely state's accession to India in October 1949. "The vice president will arrive in Agartala on Sep 25 and inaugurate the museum at the Ujjayanta Palace on the same day," an official of the Tripura government told reporters here on Tuesday. "The museum set up at the renovated Ujjayanta Palace will showcase northeast India's art, culture, history and ethnic diversity. This is the biggest museum of the region," the official said.
Arab American National Museum gets green light to expands Press and Guide, 28 August 2013
DEARBORN, MI, USA - The Arab American National Museum is growing.The city’s Zoning Board of Appeals voted Thursday to grant several variances that will allow the museum to expand into two closed businesses immediately to its east — the former Zamboni Room sports bar and A to Z Medical Equipment.The project will allow the 30,000-square-foot museum to add a little more than 4,000 square feet of gallery space, said Tom Taylor, ACCESS’ facilities manager and the manager for this project. The project, for which the social service agency is receiving money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is scheduled to be finished this fall. Construction is under way, and the public will see exterior signs of the work soon, he said.
Momentum builds for new WA Museum WORK on the long-awaited, new Western Australian Museum is about to kick off The Herald Sun, 27 August 2013
GERALDTON, AUSTRALIA - The state government promised to build a new $428 million museum last year after the old one on Francis Street, Northbridge was demolished in 2011 because of asbestos and safety concerns. A replacement museum had been set up earlier in the adjoining Perth Cultural Centre (PCC) complex, featuring just a fraction of the 4.5 million exhibits and artefacts which were moved to a storage facility in Welshpool. The new museum will have four times the capacity of the PCC building, will be in the same precinct and is expected to open its doors in 2020. In the meantime, the Welshpool facility will be renovated to include a wet store and laboratories, fit-for-purpose preparation spaces and new storage options, allowing the museum to expand its collection and rotate items to exhibitions more freely.
Architecture
Renzo Piano Designed Museo delle Scienze Opens Design Boom, 1 August 2013
TRENTO, ITALY - The new science museum of Trento, Italy, dubbed MUSE and designed by Renzo Piano will open its doors tomorrow after a full week of 24-hour programming. the 12,000 square meter space is dedicated to exploring the relationship of man and environment in myriad ways. Six floors retrace the full natural history of both the alpine region and the rest of the world, beginning with a small-scale, immersive re-creations of the world's biomes, meandering through publicly accessible research labs and ending with a slew of didatic showcases. MUSE will be host to the alpine region's largest dinosaur exhibition a museum inextricably linked to its site, MUSE will extensively explore the formation of the dolomites and the birth of the alps-- facets of the programming expressed in both the form and tectonic makeup of the architecture
Sanjay Puri Architects' Bombay Arts Society prepares to open WAN, 5 August 2013
MUMBAI, INDIA - Approaching the Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, Mumbai from the Bandra-Worli Sealink, one is soon met by a brown-hued, asymmetrical and softly curved new building. Ingeniously simple and persuasive in its presence, this is Sanjay Puri Architects’ Bombay Arts Society, housed right opposite Rang Sharda. The building is surrounded by open areas and swaying trees in a quaint Bandra lane. There is something special about this project - it is one of the first buildings in Mumbai truly meant as a public facility. It is intended to serve the arts and the artist community in a completely public space and, hopefully, this will pave way for many more facilities such as public libraries for all Mumbai citizens.
Open house a transforming public theater Design Book, 12 August 2013
ALABAMA, GA, USA - The transformation of a derelict property into a free, open air theater is part of a public art project between american artist matthew mazzotta, the coleman center for the arts, and the people of york, alabama. the folding theater arose out of the identification of the lack of public spaces, and the high number of abandoned houses within the town. 'open house' dramatically reconfigures itself from a regular small house to an open air space able to seat 100 people. Using the materials from the abandoned building, the team created a new smaller footprint of the old house - the new structure's roofs and walls fold down to complete the metamorphosis. the theater's foundation is made of used railroad ties which anchor the custom fabricated industrial hinges to five rows of stadium seating.
WAN, 12 August 2013
NEW YORK, NY, USA - Diller Scofidio + Renfro, who are collaborating with Rockwell Group on New York's ‘Culture Shed', have unveiled the design for this new 170,000 sq ft non-profit cultural centre project in the Hudson Yards area of Manhattan. The centre is designed to help anchor Manhattan's far West Side by providing large-scale, flexible space for a dynamic range of creative industry activities, including visual art, design, dance, theatre, music and media.
BIG Plans for a Lego Museum in Denmark Smithsonian Magazine, 20 August 2013
BILLUND, DENMARK - Some architects played with Legos as a child. And some never stopped playing with them. Take, for instance, the Copenhagen and New York-based architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) –the architects currently developing a master plan for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C– who have designed two major projects involving the snap together bricks, including a new Lego Museum in the toymaker’s hometown.
Library of three million books at centre of Baghdad culture hub Art Newspaper, 21 August 2013
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - A vast public library planned for Baghdad will be the centerpiece of a new culture hub under an ambitious new masterplan driven by the Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sport. The drop-shaped building, designed by AMBS architects in London, will house up to three million books, including rare manuscripts. “The library will be at the heart of the Youth City; a masterplan of 1.2 million sq. m, with over 30 new buildings, including residential, cultural, official and sports venues,” says a press statement from AMBS architects. A series of public events, from exhibitions to educational conferences, are due to be held in the new 45,000 sq. m library which, say the architects, will have a single span roof measuring 80 metres across. Digital media facilities will also be available.
Asymptote architecture complete the ARC multimedia theater Design Boom, 27 August 2013
DAEGU, KOREA - The architecture of the river culture pavilion ( ARC ) by asymptote architecture combines nature, technology and space to delineate a bold and striking architectural statement on the city of daegu's riverfront while pioneering immersive projection technology. The bold curved form of the arc is a strong focal point set against the panoramic surroundings. The material treatment of the buildings exterior contributes to the ethereal atmospheric quality of the pavilions presence on this site. the arc is designed to be in a symbiotic dialogue with it's surroundings and the environs of daegu in celebration of the importance and powerful experiences of water and nature. The building houses a contiguous 60m x 20m seamless projection surface installed in the configuration of a moebius strip. The pavilion was initially opened for the world expo 2012 in south korea as one of the four rivers cultural pavilions and showcases the environmental four river restoration project.
Technology
E Digital, 8 August 2013
LONDON, UK - In my last post about museums and mobile I quoted someone who had commented on Matthew Petrie’s article in the Guardian claiming museum apps are “spectacularly boring.” This comment seems to have stuck with me as I’ve been asking myself if it’s true ever since. As you can see from the chart above most museum mobile interpretation comes in the form of an audio tour. That’s the same old content repackaged into a shiny new device. So are museum apps boring? Yes. I shouldn’t be so glib about it. Ed Rodney actually just wrote a post about how the right narrator can make one of those boring audio guides into an engaging experience. Content does matter, as Museum Nerd wrote in his recent review of a number of museum apps. "I found that some of my favorite apps were no more than an illustrated audio tour, but the content was well-written and compelling. In short, you don’t need to wow me with your newfangled app technologies, just give me information presented in a compelling way and show me what you’re talking about and I’m happy." Yes good content can make any format interesting but truly exciting apps do something new, different and take advantage of the medium they are in.
Local Museums Embracing Technology WAMC, 15 August 2013
PITTSFIELD, MA, USA - Despite their reputation as repositories for the past, many regional museums are embracing technology to adapt to the 21st century.“One of the things that museums are challenged with is to assert our relevance in a modern era," said Betsy Feathers, the Research and Grants Officer at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield. The historical village is launching a new website to make information and more than 22,000 artifacts from the Shakers more accessible. The site includes an interactive map, a virtual tour of the village with games for kids, and a genealogy database where you can find out if your ancestors were Shakers. People are also able to watch and hear Shaker dances and songs to better understand how the community functioned and what its sisters and brethren believed.
In Park Magazine, 15 August 2013
CEDAR POINT, OH, USA - Approaching the entrance to Cedar Point, guests’ eyes are drawn to the new $25 million dollar coaster flying over the front gate every few minutes. They might not even notice the brand new entry plaza, or the sleek ticketing building tucked off to the side. Interestingly named The GateKeeper, the ride actually gave the park the opportunity to open up the front gate area, allowing guests more freedom and mobility. The very architecture of the park’s entrance has changed, thanks in large part to advancing ticketing technology and evolving guest trends.“Every year the amount of people buying tickets at home jumps a large amount,” says Matt Ouimet, President and CEO of Cedar Fair. “We want to make it easy for our guests to come here, and let them have fun.”
Vertwalker painting robot by sonice development Design Boom, 19 August 2013
LONDON, UK - Conceived with capabilities to crawl on interior walls, take walks on buildings and explore the city in a way humans can’t, the 'vertwalker' by berlin based creative studio sonice development is a robot that can easily maneuver on vertical surfaces. When equipped with a marker, the small device is transformed into a mechanized scaling painter that creates scattered lines across individual planes, producing one-of-a-kind large scale pieces of art. The robot is constructed with foam boards, sensors and custom electronics to help it move freely on any wall and is currently on display for the red never follows' exhibition at the saatchi gallery london until september 1st 2013.
Mobile in museums: tips and advice from the experts The Guardian, 20 August, 2013
A panel of mobile and museum pros give their insights – keep it simple, budget for press and start with the story, not the tech. Keep it simple: For me, keeping it simple is about getting to market early and then iterating – the highest-risk projects are those when you don't have visibility of how successful your work is. It means that you can't adapt to users and you can't easily evolve your product. So being simple is about getting out there, seeing how it works – then iterating.
Launching the World’s First 3D Virtual Fossil Collection JISC, 22 August 2013
NOTTINGHAM, UK - The British Geological Survey (BGS) is today launching the world’s first 3D virtual fossil collection to the public. Thousands of 3D digital fossil models, plus several thousand quality images, many in 3D, can now be browsed and downloaded for free on a computer, tablet or phone. The GB3D Type Fossils Online project, funded by Jisc, has rescued fossils from dusty drawers and made them available for academics, researchers and fossil enthusiasts to enjoy at their leisure.
Human Harp uses suspension bridge cables to make music Design Boom, 23 August 2013
NEW YORK, NY, USA - London-based artist di mainstone observed an uncanny relationship between the architecture of a suspension bridge and the framework of a harp. Synthesizing the musical and structural components, she has realized the 'human harp', a clip-on prosthetic interfaced with sound mechanics, that magnetically attaches to urban structures, enabling dancers and pedestrians to 'play the bridge'. The digital instrument orchestrates cutting-edge technology -- retractable strings are integrated into the design, whose specific length and angle relative to the wearer is measured with sensory mechanics. Data detects and calculates the vibrations of the suspension cables, generated by the motion of the wearer, and is adapted into a tone, controlling the volume, pitch, and intensity of audio output. The collaborative team of researches, engineers, and artists working on 'human harp' will engage audiences in a experience of user-produced audible motion through the kinetic installation. The result will be a mass participatory art event that is set to tour suspension bridges around the globe.
Van Gogh in 3D? A replica could be yours for £22,000 The Guardian, 24 August 2013
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - A poster of one of Van Gogh's sunflowers is one of the traditional adornments to a student bedroom. The rest of us hang our reproductions in the knowledge that even the good ones are far from faithful to the originals – for which the going rate is £24m.But not any more. The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam has developed high-quality 3D reproductions of some of its finest paintings, with what it describes as the most advanced copying technique ever seen. Axel Rüger, the museum's director, said: "It really is the next generation of reproductions because they go into the third dimension. If you're a layman, they are pretty indistinguishable [from the originals]. Of course, if you're a connoisseur and you look more closely, you can see the difference."
Art and Culture
British Library Partners With Qatar Foundation For Digitization of Middle Eastern Historical Records
LONDON, UK - The British Library has entered into a decade-long partnership with the Qatar Foundation aimed at digitizing archival and manuscript material that numbers more than half a million titles. Such an effort, when completed, will yield a rich source of information of the history and culture of the regions that date back centuries. Once completed, the digitized material can be availed of from a new website set up by the British Library and the Qatar Foundation, though the initial fruits of the efforts will be there from 2014.
NY Times, 10 August 2013
NEW YORK, NY, USA - Trying to keep pace, cultural institutions are changing, too, offering more of the kinds of participatory experiences available almost everywhere else. Playwrights now turn theatergoers into participants or let them choose the ending. Botanical gardens are adding skywalks that let visitors traipse through treetops. Museums stage sleepovers in the galleries and dance parties in huge atriums that were built to be gathering spaces. The landmark Beaux-Arts headquarters of the New York Public Library, on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, a sedate research institution, may soon be transformed with the addition of a gigantic branch library, where the main draws will be meeting places and areas for teenagers and children. A ground-floor cafe has already moved in. Who needs Starbucks? Some of these initiatives are necessary, even good. But in the process of adapting, our cultural treasuries are multitasking too much, becoming more alike, and shedding the very characteristics that made them so special — especially art museums.
ASU students contribute to gaming exhibit at Phoenix Art Museum ASU News, 13 August 2013
PHEONIX, AZ, USA - A painter picks up a brush and creates art with paint. Likewise, a game designer can use games as a medium to create art.That’s the philosophy of Theresa Devine, a faculty member in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences on ASU’s West campus. Devine and more than a dozen of her students are participating in "The Art of Video Games," an exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum that runs through Sept. 29. They are displaying both video games and board games, and will present special showings at the museum on two upcoming weekends, Aug. 24-25 and Sept. 21-22. “We hope to show museum visitors that not only are games a medium, but the same premises that can be communicated in other media can be expressed in this one as well,” Devine said. “Games go beyond ‘interactive art’ into ‘participatory art’ and communicate on an intimate level with the audience because the viewer is immersed, shares in, and is sometimes complicit in the outcome of the game.”
Réflexion autour de l’art à l’Académie de médecine Connaissance de Arts, 13 August 2013
PARIS, FRANCE - Infatigable défenseur des liens entre la médecine et l’art, le professeur Jacques-Louis Binet, secrétaire perpétuel honoraire de l’Académie nationale de médecine, anime le 13 septembre une journée autour des arts dans la salle des séances du 16, rue Bonaparte à Paris.
Manicurists to the Art World Open Permanent NYC "Nail Art Atelier"
NEW YORK, NY, USA - While the mega-trend for intricately painted nail art has rapidly spread across the jewel-encrusted digits of celebrities like Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Beyonce, independent curator Rita de Alencar Pinto has spent the past three years bringing this accessory phenomenon to the art world. Pinto’s company, Vanity Projects, has been staging pop-up nail painting events at MoMA PS1, the Brooklyn Museum and NADA since 2010, and now has a permanent “nail art atelier” on Chrystie Street, one flight up from Chinatown’s fish vendors.
Minister Shelly Glover Announces Funding for Nova Scotia Arts and Culture News Wire, 23 August 2013
HALIFAX, NS, CANADA - The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced funding for 72 projects in the Nova Scotia arts, culture and heritage sector."Our Government knows the importance of supporting arts, culture and heritage," said Minister Glover. "This sector is essential to our society, our communities, and our economy. By supporting all of these projects, we are shining a spotlight on our rich history and helping provide Canadians with access to unique cultural experiences."
Visitors to ancient mosaics call for more information Cyprus Mail, 25 August 2013
PAPHOS, CYPRUS - Many visitors to Paphos archaeological park, which attracts hundreds of people every day, say that more information needs to be made available about the ruins and artefacts which lie inside. Paphos has some of the finest examples in Eastern Mediterranean of mosaics and these form part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area covers a large swathe of Kato Paphos close to the picturesque harbour, and has been a popular tourist attraction since it was included onto the list of heritage sites back in 1980. Although the area has been upgraded considerably over the last three decades some visitors say more could be done to make a visit a more informed experience.
12th hour graffiti campaign in yemen surfaces political concern Design Boom, 27 August 2013
SANA'A, YEMEN - 12th hour graffiti campaign in yemen surfaces political concern, responding to the widespread social upheaval spreading throughout his country, yemeni artist and activist murad sobay initiated the '12th hour' campaign -- a series of street art murals, paintings, and graffiti that discuss 12 cultural concerns the country is currently engaged in. The artworks are emblazoned across the walls of the yemeni capital of sana'a, and unfold as an hour-by-hour series, all in pursuit of cultivating awareness of the problems in a peaceful and participatory way. The project is sustained by a massive public response -- initiated through a call-to-action on facebook. Citizens demonstrate their interest in the creative campaign by taking to the streets with sobay and painting the walls with powerful messages about government and policy. The walls transform into expository stories, which shed light on the consequences of anti-government demonstrations and alternatively encourage a non-violent discourse.
Le site de l'ancien Parlement du Canada-Uni livre d'autres secrets La Presse, 26 August 2013
MONTREAL, QC, CANADA - Le site de l'ancien Parlement du Canada-Uni, qui avait pignon sur rue à Montréal entre 1844 et 1849, continue à livrer certains de ses secrets. Des restes calcinés de plusieurs bouquins qui se trouvaient sur les rayons des anciennes bibliothèques parlementaires du bâtiment ont été retrouvés dans le cadre de la campagne de fouilles archéologiques du musée Pointe-à-Callière. Sept ouvrages ont été extirpés vendredi dernier et lundi des décombres calcinés de l'ancien édifice, lequel avait été complètement rasé par un violent incendie à la suite d'une émeute le 25 avril 1849. En entamant les fouilles sur la place d'Youville, en juillet dernier, les chercheurs entretenaient un mince espoir de déterrer de tels trésors, mais ils ont malgré tout été surpris de tomber sur ces restes de papier consumés, relate Louise Pothier, responsable du chantier. [see also: Pointe-à-Callière carries out a new dig campaign on the site of St. Ann’s Market and the Parliament of the United Province of Canada, Pointe-à-Callière Museum, 31 July 2013]
À Berlin, un ancien crématorium reconverti en galerie d'art La Presse, 29 August 2013
BERLIN, GERMANY - Une galerie d'art privée s'est installée à Berlin dans un ancien crématorium et doit ouvrir ses portes au public le 21 septembre. Le galeriste autrichien Patrick Ebensperger, anciennement installé à Graz (Autriche), a choisi ce lieu insolite dont il a fait rénover 1000 mètres carrés pour y installer ses oeuvres d'art contemporain. Selon lui, le lieu interpelle les visiteurs. «L'inconvénient, c'est qu'on est souvent interrogé sur la fonction d'origine, un peu sacrée. Et cet aspect là fait beaucoup parler. Mais je ne sais pas si c'est uniquement un inconvénient, car c'est aussi un thème très significatif. Il y a beaucoup à dire», a-t-il expliqué à l'AFP.
Creative Economies, Creative Cities, Innovation and Urban Planning, Cultural Tourism
Museum Welcomes Wikipedia Editors NY Times, 26 July 2013
WASHINGTON, DC, USA - No one knows the components of dark matter, the mystery of Mona Lisa’s smile or precisely how long it will take Kim Kardashian to lose the 50 pounds she gained during her pregnancy. Amid this vast ocean of bewilderment, however, a small group of volunteers managed to expand the well of shared human knowledge last week by joining a daylong group editing session sponsored by Wikipedia and the Smithsonian Institution’s American Art Museum in Washington. The gathering — called an edit-athon — was the latest collaboration between the online encyclopedia and cathedrals of culture like the Smithsonian to expand and improve Wikipedia entries, which are subject to the vagaries of volunteer contributions. At the same time, the Smithsonian is able to better publicize what’s in its extensive collections.
City Allots $50 Million to Favored Arts Project
NEW YORK, NY, USA - When the details of Michael R. Bloomberg’s last capital budget as mayor were made final in June, one project stood out in particular: a $50 million appropriation for a nascent arts organization, the Culture Shed. It is New York City’s biggest cultural capital grant this year — and an unusually generous contribution to an arts group that has yet to hire staff members, stage a performance or set a construction budget.But the arts institution has emerged as a favored project of the Bloomberg administration and is championed by Kate D. Levin, the city’s cultural affairs commissioner, who serves on the Culture Shed’s board.
Condos: Boon or Blight for the Toronto Art Scene?
TORONTO, ON, CANADA - Earlier this year, a sign appeared on the side of 952 Queen Street West—home to the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art—announcing that an application had been made to develop of a 9-storey, 151-unit condominium tower on the site.To some observers, it read as the latest instance of an ongoing battle for space between the cultural scene and condominium developers in the Queen West area. In 2011, the nearby 48 Abell Street—a studio space since the 1980s—was demolished to make way for condominiums. Before its demolition, artists tried to call attention to its fate with a performance-art funeral and other tactics. Its site is now a massive pit where construction cranes dance and concrete mixers hum, and large new condo towers in various states of completion rise on its west, south and south-east sides.But in an indication of changing conditions in this struggle for arts space, MOCCA isn’t holding any funerals or calling for condo development to cease. It is actually hoping to find a new, permanent home in—where else?—a condo.
The Private Sector's Secret Weapon
NEW YORK, NY, USA - I know that the arts industry can feel very foreign to the business community. But as companies seek new ways to build their competitive advantage, they are increasingly finding that the arts are the key to driving true innovation, ultimately reaching their business goals. So in fact, the arts can play a tremendously important role in helping CEOs address each of the challenges outlined in the CEO Challenge Report.
ACE to Merge Goals for Museums and the Arts
LONDON, UK - Arts Council England (ACE) is in the process of combining its key goals for museums, libraries and the arts into one document. The arts council plans to replace its two key strategic documents, Achieving great art for everyone and Culture, knowledge and understanding – both published in 2011 - with one vision that applies to investment across all of its artforms.The revised document is due to be released this autumn ahead of the arts council’s next round of investment in 2015-18, which will open for applications in January 2014.
Art
in the countryside: why more and more UK creatives are leaving the city
LONDON, UK - For the last two decades, art of all kinds has thrived in cities – and in London in particular. But as attitudes to the country change, more and more artists are fleeing the urban crush. Bedwyr Williams is gazing out of the window when we speak on the phone, out through his Caernarfonshire garden towards the south-west tip of Anglesey. "I can do one thing or the other," says the artist, who represented Wales at this year's Venice Biennale. "I can negotiate having a social life living in a city, or I can be an artist. I found I can't do both … Britain has become so complex to be poor in. At least if I am skint here, I can look at the mountains."
The
new Rijksmuseum boosts the Dutch economy; New museum welcomes millionth visitor
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - A specially commissioned study of the economic impact of the opening of the new Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam shows that the new museum is already making a significant contribution to the Dutch economy. The report, published on 28 August 2013, shows that the annual economic impact of the Rijksmuseum has increased to €235 million as of 2013, 80% of which is a result of the significant increase in visitor expenditure. The Rijksmuseum renovation project is also making a positive contribution in terms of employment: during the renovation period, the Rijksmuseum provided an average of 2,600 FTE employment opportunities every year, and after renovation this figure will increase to 3,700 FTE. The opening of the Rijksmuseum has also raised Amsterdam's profile in terms of business and tourist numbers and is playing a key role in enhancing the cultural reputation of the Netherlands.
"Libraries
are the most important public buildings" - Francine Houben
BIRMINGHAM, UK - After completing Europe's largest public library in Birmingham, architect Francine Houben of Dutch studio Mecanoo spoke to Dezeen about the role of the library in the digital age and claims libraries are as central to society as cathedrals once were."Libraries are the most important public buildings, like cathedrals were many years ago," she said, explaining how Mecanoo designed the Birmingham building as a "people's palace". She added: "We wanted it to be very inviting and welcoming, not just about books. It's not just for the rich or the intellectuals, it's for everybody."
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