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Featured
Story Fixer-Upper With Unique Challenge Robin Pogrebin, The New
York Times, 5 October 2011 NEW YORK – “Their work has
been transformative and widely celebrated, as when they turned a former power
station into the acclaimed Tate Modern in London in 2000. So why would the
prizewinning Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron take on the
Park Avenue Armory, a project that is more restoration than
renovation, more fixer-upper than fresh take? Wouldn’t their sense of
creative license be inhibited by the wood-paneled period rooms originally
designed by the likes of Louis Comfort Tiffany and Stanford White? Wouldn’t
they yearn to break free of the building’s 19th-century confines by inserting
their own contemporary vision? On the contrary, Mr. Herzog said in a recent
interview, the armory presented a compelling architectural challenge. Rather
than transform it, he said, the architects would use the building to explore
the very act of transformation, the evolution of an important structure as it
is seen and used and worn down by one generation after another. …” |
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Cultural News, a free service of Lord Cultural Resources, is released at the end of
every week by our Librarians: Brenda Taylor and Danielle Manning. 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
Jordy Gold, OpenCity Projects, 6 October 2011 TORONTO – “The Globe and Mail has noted that “Pop-Up” projects
or initiatives that are run on a temporary basis in city centres at
relatively little expense have come a long way and seem to be catching on
around the world. From Copenhagen temporarily closing Strøget Street to cars
in the 50’s to Paris currently playing with a range of installations guiding
citizens and assisting with ecological initiatives, innovative urban trials
are becoming all the rage. Copenhagen never re-opened Strøget Street to
traffic and city official in Paris are encouraging feedback to determine
which “Pop-Ups” should in fact be made permanent fixtures. Toronto is no
stranger to “Pop-Up” projects. Whether we are looking at closing down the
streets at major hubs like Yonge and Dundas for tens of thousands of fans to
watch the opening night of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey season or
decorating our city for one night a year during Nuit Blanche, we are getting
that hang of these types of projects. Toronto could use a little more colour
and incorporate more creativity into our buildings and public spaces. It is
for this reason I love the magic that happens during art festivals like Luminato
and Nuit Blanche. During these special times you will find installations
ranging from tens of thousands of “feathers” decorating halls to giant
balloon clowns suspended high above in the alleyways of our business
district. …” Two new museums for India: Bihar and Kolkata plan major
spaces Gareth Harris, The Art Newspaper, 5 October 2011 BIHAR, INDIA – “India’s sub-standard state museum infrastructure is
set to be enhanced by plans for a new museum in Bihar, east India, scheduled
to open in 2015. The museum will be built on a 13-acre site in the state
capital Patna and focus on Pataliputra, the ancient predecessor of Patna. The
principal funder, the state of Bihar, has hired UK culture consultancy Lord
Cultural Resources to develop the masterplan for the museum, which has an
estimated budget of $80m. “Great figures of ancient India—Buddha, Mahavir and
Ashoka as well as scholars and poets of the court—will be featured in the
museum, which will focus on the contribution of what is now Bihar to Indian
and Asian civilisation,” says Barry Lord, co-president of Lord
Cultural Resources. …” Walters Art Museum removes copyright restrictions on 10,000
images Recent News, artdaily.org, 4 October 2011 BALTIMORE, MD – “The Walters Art Museum announces the launch of
its redesigned works of art website with the removal of copyright
restrictions on more than 10,000 online artwork images through a Creative
Commons license. In addition to being able to download these images for free,
the site introduces a new look and feel, and enhanced searching, tagging and
community collections features. The website now has additional information
about the artworks, including nearly a century of history concerning
exhibitions and conservation treatments. It is also substantially more
accessible to users with disabilities due to its increased compliance with
the United States government’s internet accessibility standards. “By adding
conservation histories and exhibition records to our works of art site, the
Walters is demonstrating its belief that openness
and transparency are key components to holding artworks in the public trust,”
said Director Gary Vikan. “As an additional element to eliminating admissions
fees at the Walters, the works of art site does away with barriers of access
to the museum’s collection and allows a depth and quality of information on
artworks that will appeal not only to scholars, but also to art enthusiasts,
students and the casual online visitor.” …” How a New Cinema Center Could Change the Busan Film Festival Organizers hope the $15 million Busan Cinema Center, designed by Coop
Himmelblau, will dazzle festgoers arriving for one of Asia's most important
film events. Lee Hyo-won (Degen Pener), Hollywood Reporter, 1 October 2011 SOUTH KOREA – “Destination architecture is hitting the film festival
world with the opening of the Busan Cinema Center. Designed by influential
contemporary architects Coop Himmelblau of Austria, the building will serve
as the home of Asia's largest cinema event, the Busan International Film
Festival, which opens Oct. 6 in South Korea's second-largest city after
Seoul. […] All that BIFF was missing was a signature screening venue, but now
that problem has been solved. The $15 million Cinema Center could make having
an expensive and shiny new screening venue a must-have for film festivals,
much as Frank Gehry's spectacularly sculptural Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao,
Spain, spurred other arts institutions to build architectural marvels to lure
audiences. Yet there are potential pitfalls to banking too much on "if
we build it, they will come" architecture, as cultural organizations
around the world have learned. […] Many festivals have spent handsomely on
new centers, but it's safe to say none has resulted in world-class
architecture. Cannes expanded its Palais des Festivals in 1999 to
unremarkable results, and Toronto in 2010 unveiled the Bell Lightbox, a handsome though uninspiring condo tower that
houses the festival on its lower floors. "There is definitely a trend to
doing film centers. If you go back to the 1920s, we had those great movie
palaces. It's an interesting phenomenon now that in an era of home
entertainment, film centers are becoming something that's really
important," says Gail Lord, co-president of Toronto-based
cultural-planning firm Lord Cultural Resources, which consulted on the
Bell Lightbox launch. …” Illumination:
Einstein comes to Toronto Blog TO, 1 October 2011 TORONTO – “FREE EVENT! Luminato presents a sneak preview of its upcoming 2012 Festival
marquee production, Einstein on the Beach. It has been 20 years since
this landmark opera by Philip Glass and Robert Wilson has been seen on stage.
Luminato has co-commissioned this epic new production and will present
its North American Premiere in Toronto next June. Join us for a screening of
the behind-the-scenes documentary Einstein on the Beach: The Changing
Image of Opera on the video wall of the Sony Centre. Following the film
will be a talk back featuring acclaimed opera and film director Atom Egoyan,
and the Canadian Opera Company’s Alexander Neef, and other invited panellists
close to the work. Moderated by a special guest from the CBC, the discussion
will explore why Einstein is considered one of the most important works of
the 20th Century and what audiences can expect this June. Afterwards,
participants are invited on a special backstage tour of the beautiful Sony
Centre for the Performing Arts, where Einstein will open the 2012 Luminato
Festival on June 8. …” FUSE, 30 September
2011 TORONTO – “We’re very pleased to announce the September 29 release of FUSE 34-4/Egypt, the first issue in our States of Postcoloniality series. Thanks to everyone who came out to TSV to celebrate with us! This provocative collection features exclusive interviews with the directors of artist-run centres in Cairo and Alexandria, coverage of independent film programming on Egypt, and a look at the Bidoun Library’s Egypt acquisitions. Focusing resolutely on current events such as this year’s ongoing revolution in Egypt, the series asks how inhabiting states of postcoloniality informs the politics of the present and the practices of resistance we develop here. 34.4/Egypt contributors: Nahed Mansour and Bassam El Baroni (ACAF); Denise Ryner and Babak Radboy (Bidoun Library); Damon Kowarsky; Olive McKeon; Joseph Banh [Consultant at Lord Cultural Resources, bio at https://www.lord.ca/Media/JosephBanh.pdf], Moataz Nasreldin (Darb 1718), Mia Jankowicz (CIC) and William Wells (Townhouse); Themba Lewis; Aliza Ma, Rasha Salti and Gabe Klinger; Anna Feigenbaum; Francisco-Fernando Granados; Leila Timmins. CASE STUDY: Centre for Green Cities at Evergreen Brick Works (Toronto, Canada) Reimagining an Industrial
Relic: Evergreen, an environmental organization dedicated to making cities
more livable, breathes new life into a defunct manufacturing complex in the
heart of Toronto. Diamond and Schmitt
Architects By Joann Gonchar (AIA), GreenSource, September 2011 TORONTO – “North American
cities are littered with abandoned factory buildings, warehouses, and
obsolete infrastructure. Occasionally, these relics are repurposed for the
postindustrial age, getting a new lease on life. Such is the case with the
Don Valley Brick Works, a deteriorating brick-making facility in the heart of
Toronto closed since the late 1980s, but recently transformed into an
environmental center for Evergreen—a Canadian non-profit organization focused
on bringing nature into urban environments to make them more livable. …” [see also Documentary Brick by Brick tells the tale of a landmark,
by Guy Dixon, From Saturday's Globe and
Mail, Published Friday, Sep. 30, 2011 7:04PM EDT] Vancouver Art Gallery turns 80 Lena Sin, The Province, 5 October 2011 VANCOUVER – “If the objects in our homes say something about who we
are, then what would the art in the Vancouver Art Gallery say about it? Well,
how about for starters that this 80-year-old dame was once a rather
conservative aristocrat (only British painters would do) who grew to admire
and champion Canadian artists and develop a wide-ranging sensibility of art,
collecting the humorous and eclectic alongside the serious and iconic from
both local and international artists. Eighty years ago Wednesday the VAG
opened its doors in a building at 1145 Georgia St.,
the province’s first and only art gallery at the time. As it celebrates its
milestone birthday Wednesday with free cake and admission by donation, it’s
also taking a look back with an exhibit titled An Autobiography of Our
Collection. …”
Ottawa provides $1M for Moncton’s Transportation Discovery
Centre Craig Babstock, Times & Transcript, 4 October 2011 MONCTON, NB – “For Robert Goguen, a celebration of this community's
transportation heritage makes perfect sense. "Who in Moncton doesn't have a relative who worked in the rail
industry?" the Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe MP asked yesterday afternoon.
"Transportation is in our DNA." Goguen was speaking moments after a
news conference in which he announced $1 million in federal funding for the
Transportation Discovery Centre, which will be built onto the Moncton Museum,
doubling the size of the facility from 4,500 square feet to between 9,000 and
10,000 square feet. The federal government previously contributed $500,000 to
the planning of the project, which has been in the works for more than a
decade, bringing its total involvement to $1.5 million. Goguen made the announcement
on behalf of Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore. "Heritage Canada is
about celebrating successes and culture," said Goguen. …”
Bush lauds construction of presidential library Recent News, artdaily.org, 3 October 2011 DALLAS – “Former President George W. Bush said Monday that his
presidential center will be a venue for learning and action, and that it
already exceeds his expectations. The George W. Bush Presidential Center will
feature a presidential library and policy institute when it opens in spring
2013. Bush said the institute, which will focus on education reform, global
health, human freedom and economic growth, will help him to stay involved in
the areas that interest him. "The challenge is after you are president
to make sure you are still constructive, that you add something to
society," Bush told some 600 people gathered at a ceremony to mark the
placement of center's last construction beam. "I thought long and hard
about how I wanted to do that." He described the center as "an
exciting place. A place of learning, a place of scholarship, but most
importantly, a place of action." …”
Museums
Historic alliance opens door to Academy Museum at Los Angeles
County Museum of Art Recent News, artdaily.org, 5 October 2011 BEVERLY HILLS, CA – “The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have taken a step toward
realizing a museum dedicated to motion pictures and the creation of a new and
unique cultural center for the city of Los Angeles. On Tuesday night (10/4),
the Academy’s Board of Governors joined their LACMA counterparts in agreeing
to sign a memorandum of understanding to work in good faith in establishing
the Academy’s movie museum in the historic May Company building, currently
known as LACMA West. The memo paves the way for the two organizations to
discuss details of a future contract and for the Academy to begin developing
plans for fundraising, design, exhibitions, visitor experience, and
modifications to this historic site. “It is appropriate and long overdue for
the city that is home to the motion picture industry to recognize this art
form with a museum of its own. The LACMA Board is delighted to be
facilitating this important cultural event, which has special resonance for
me, having spent most of my life dedicated to the great art of movies,” said
co-chair of the LACMA Board of Trustees Terry Semel. “The Academy Museum of
Motion Pictures will provide a much needed destination for cultural tourists
and Los Angelenos to learn more about cinema, and the setting could not be
more ideal, nestled next to the largest encyclopedic art museum in the
Western United States.” According to Academy President Tom Sherak, “The new
museum will be a world-class destination that is a tangible representation of
the Academy’s mission. And the idea of our museum being part of a larger
cultural center for the arts, in this city that we love, was incredibly
compelling to the Academy Board.” …” North Bay council supports proposed museum for base
underground complex Jamie Lyle, Bay Today, 4 October 2011 NORTH BAY – “North Bay City Council members relived many important
historical events while listening to a special presentation during Monday
night's regular council meeting, Military history buff, Trevor Schindeler,
gained unanimous support from council with his noble quest to have the
Government of Canada consider developing the Underground NORAD Complex into a
World Class National Cold War Museum. The facility has immense historical
significance. It was there that Canadian and American military personnel
stationed in North Bay fought and won the Cold War. If developed into a
world-class museum, as envisioned by Schindeler, the underground NORAD
Complex could become a major tourist attraction drawing thousands of visitors
from across North America and from around the world. …” First Look at Alice Walton's Crystal Bridges Museum Finds No
Evidence of "Cultural Money-Laundering" Julia Halperin, Artinfo, 4 October 2011 ARKANSAS – “Want a sneak peek of the best funded, most controversial,
and most highly anticipated museum opening in recent history? Wal-Mart
heiress Alice Walton's mammoth Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in
Arkansas will soon be open for business, and the Washington Post's
Philip Kennicott snagged the coveted first look. The $800 million museum has
been subject to sharp skepticism in the art world (though not, it should be
noted, in the New Yorker or the New York Times). Many art
professionals believe the museum is "too rich, too conservative, and too
reflexively American" to be a major player, according to Kennicott. So
what's his verdict? Apparently, money may not buy the art world's happiness,
but it can buy a pretty impressive museum. "There's no embarrassment
about the immense fortune that made the museum possible, no old-fashioned
cultural money-laundering in the manner of Carnegie or Mellon," writes
Kennicott of the museum, which will be free for everyone, forever thanks to a
$20 million donation from Wal-Mart. "It is a mature, serious, relatively
progressive museum launched at a time when increasing numbers of people
consider themselves socially tolerant and fiscally conservative." …” Les musées de la Montérégie, parents pauvres de la culture:
Le Biophare tire le diable par la queue Louise Grégoire-Racicot, Les 2 Rives, 4 octobre 2011 QUEBEC – “Malgré les annonces du ministère de la Culture, des
Communications et de la Condition féminine (CCCF) d’investir quelque 3M$ dans
la rénovation de la salle Georges-Codling, on peut, sans se tromper, affirmer
que la Montérégie est le parent pauvre du Québec en matière de dépenses
publiques. Ce qui rend fragilise des musées comme le Biophare de Sorel-Tracy.
Chiffres à l’appui, Montmusée, un organisme montérégien regroupant 17
organismes, a rappelé la semaine dernière que le financement public des
musées, à Québec, atteint près de 89$ par habitant, contre 1,10$ per capita en Montérégie. …” Le milieu muséal québécois réuni à Montréal Radio-Canada, 4 octobre 2011 MONTREAL – “Plus de 300 professionnels des musées, centres
d'exposition et lieux d'interprétation de toutes les régions de la province
participent au grand chantier des États généraux des musées du Québec qui
s'ouvre mardi, à Montréal. L'avenir du réseau muséal québécois sera au coeur des débats de cette
grande rencontre mise en oeuvre par la Société des musées québécois (SMQ).
Plus précisément, une soixantaine de recommandations sur les enjeux et défis
du secteur muséal, formulées à la suite d'une vaste consultation débutée à
l'automne 2009, seront discutées pour adoption lors de ce grand chantier. Les
difficultés financières des musées québécois seront évidemment au centre des
discussions. « De l'avis de tous, le sous-financement demeure le principal
enjeu du réseau. Inévitablement, la solution passe par une augmentation
significative des enveloppes dédiées aux musées par les différents paliers de
gouvernement », a déclaré Michel Perron, directeur général de la SMQ. …” [For more commentary on this issue, see also Les musées crient à l’aide,
By Marcel Aubry, Le Nouvelliste, 4 octobre 2011] Free admission boosts popularity of museums Xinhua contributed to this story,
China Daily, Updated: 2011-10-03 07:51 BEIJING – “About 30,000 people visited the National Museum of China on
Sunday, a record high after it reopened in March with a free admission policy
following renovations. The museum has witnessed a large increase in the
number of visitors since it abolished its 20-yuan ($3.13) entrance fee.
"I would not have come here if it were not for free," Yang
Shucheng, a 65-year-old retiree, told Xinhua News Agency. Like the National
Museum, most of the museums and memorial sites administrated by the State
Administration of Cultural Heritage no longer charge admission fees after the
central government issued a notice in January 2008 calling for free admission
to all museums and memorial sites. …” New Canadian art pavilion in Montreal reflects bustling
cultural scene Jonathan Montpetit, The Canadian Press, 3 October 2011 MONTREAL – “As visitors enter the new wing of Montreal's Museum of
Fine Arts to behold the masterpieces of Canadian art history, they pass under
a giant bronze angel that seems to transform before their eyes. With its
perforated stomach, mechanical arms and disembodied hands gripping its face,
the sculpture is unmistakably modern. But artist David Altmejd's contribution, commissioned for the opening
of the new wing, also makes a conscious nod to the past, invoking classical
works and local history alike. It is a fitting symbol for a city undergoing a
cultural metamorphosis of its own, at once renewing its space for traditional
art and branching out in exciting new directions. "The city is bubbling," said Nathalie Bondil, the MMFA's
director and chief curator. "It is an artistic centre that is very
rich." The flashy showpiece of this current resurgence is the museum's
Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art, which opens to
the public on Oct. 14. …” No shame acting like kids: Volunteers loving museum’s new
toys Erin Madden, Winnipeg Free Press, 3 October 2011 WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – “After a nearly a 10-month closure for
renovations, the Manitoba Children's Museum at The Forks reopened at the
start of summer completely transformed. Twelve new galleries opened, but it's
tough to know who's been enjoying those new galleries the most -- the
children who visit or the museum's volunteers. Holly Baetsen has been a
volunteer with the Children's Museum for nearly three years, working as a
gallery ambassador and camp counsellor. She said her favourite new gallery
features a giant water table where kids can get wet. …” U.S. Holocaust Museum Receives Institution’s Largest
Endowment Gift eJP, eJewish Philanthropy,
October 2, 2011 “The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has received a gift of
$17.2 million from the estate of Eric F. Ross of Palm Beach, FL, and West
Orange, NJ. It is the largest single gift to the institution. Eric and his
late wife, Lore, both of whom were refugees from Nazi Germany, donated more
than $12 million to the institution during their lifetimes. In total, they
have contributed more than $30 million to the Museum. This gift will support
the Museum’s endowment fund, which will provide permanent resources to secure
the Museum’s future and global impact, ensuring that the timeless lessons of
the Holocaust remain a transformative force in the 21st century. Over the
next eight years, the Museum’s goal is to raise an additional $200 million
for its endowment fund. …” Three men investigated over $130 million art heist from
Paris' Museum of Modern Art Recent News, artdaily.org, 1 October 2011 PARIS – “Three men are being formally investigated over the theft of
five famous paintings by artists including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse
from a French museum, the Paris Prosecutor's office said on Saturday, in a
heist worth $130 million. The artworks, stolen from Paris' Museum of Modern
Art 18-months ago after the alarm system failed to trigger, have still not
been recovered, said an official from the Prosecutor's office. Picasso's
Cubist 'Dove with Green Peas', one of the snatched paintings, was worth $28
million, according to estimates given by the museum at the time of the heist.
The other paintings included Matisse's 'Pastorale', Georges Braque's
'Olive tree near l'Estaque', Amedeo Modigliani's 'Woman on the range' and
Fernand Leger's 'Still Life with Candlesticks'. …” Piece by piece, Afghanistan reclaims its history Sanjeev Miglani, Recent News, artdaily.org, 29 September 2011 KABUL – “While everyone else is worrying about Afghanistan's future, a
dedicated band of men and women is gathering up its past, hoping that a
growing museum collection will show the world Afghan culture is more
sophisticated than the tide of news reports suggest. Kabul's rebuilt National
Museum, near the haunting remains the bombed-out royal palace, is running out
of secure rooms to house centuries-old Buddhas, gold and silver coins from
antiquity and other rare artefacts. Many of the museum's original pieces were
broken, destroyed or stolen during the Taliban era or the civil war that
preceded it in the 1990s, but some have been pieced back together and a
series of archaeological digs have also unearthed new treasures. Among the
fresh discoveries are a wooden Buddha dating back to the fifth century and
Buddha heads made of clay and plaster. They are helping a whole nation slowly
rediscover a classical past as a confluence of cultures from India to China
and from Iran and central Asia to the East. …” Whitney Museum awarded prestigious grant from the Institute
of Museum and Library Sciences Recent News, artdaily.org, 29 September 2011 NEW YORK, N.Y. – “This September the Whitney Museum of American Art
has been awarded a $200,000 National Leadership Grant from the federal Institute
of Museum and Library Services for a three-year research project to
investigate the long-term impact of its teen programs. For this research
project the Whitney is collaborating with the Walker Art Center, the
Contemporary Art Museum Houston, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los
Angeles. All four institutions offer teen programs that have been in
existence for more than a decade and provide a diverse group of participants
the opportunity to learn about art, go behind the scenes at each institution,
and take on leadership roles within the museum and in their community. …” Oshawa military museum may have to sell tanks Tom Godfrey, Toronto Sun, 29 September 2011 TORONTO – “Members of the Ontario Regiment Museum say they may have to
sell some of their historic military vehicles to keep their doors open to the
public. The museum is fighting to survive and its volunteers are working hard
to prevent it from being the second military history centre to close in the
Greater Toronto Area in recent weeks. The locks were changed and the doors
were closed to the public at the Canadian Air and Space Museum at Downsview
Park last weekend. The Ontario Regiment Museum, located in Oshawa, is a link
to history dating back to the 1850s and has about 70 operational vehicles,
including the Sherman, M60 Patton and M551 Sheridan tanks, as well as a
variety of armoured personnel carriers and jeeps. “It is a constant struggle
to keep the doors open,” said museum spokesman Terry Woods. “We are in danger
of having to sell some our vehicles to stay open.”
…” Neon museum would let old signs shine again over Edmonton Organizers hope to sign deal soon for use of downtown building Gordon Kent, Edmonton Journal, 28 September 2011 EDMONTON – “The illuminated newspaper reader who advertised the old
Mike’s News shop might soon be swinging his foot over Edmonton again as the
city prepares to open its long-sought neon sign museum. The project was
stalled for years as organizers tried to find a suitable location, but
heritage planner David Holdsworth hopes a contract will be signed within
weeks to use the Telus equipment building at 104th Street and 104th Avenue.
An initial nine signs could be glowing again by early in the new year,
including ones from Mike’s News on Jasper Avenue, Canadian Furniture on 97th
Street, Cliff’s Auto Parts on 96th Street and Whyte
Avenue’s Princess Theatre. There are also signs from Pantages Theatre and the
Georgia Baths on Jasper, and two from W.W. Arcade. While some were stored at
the city artifacts centre, others are donated by the public — one for an
unknown drugstore turned up in the basement of a Boyle Street building,
Holdsworth says. “Our interesting old signage … was a unique artistic design
that had a big impact on our landscape,” he says. …” |
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