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• The Autry Presents the Mexican-American Generation of Artists
• Stonehill’s Cushing-Martin Gallery Features Sculptural Work by Nathalie Miebach
• The Wyer Gallery Presents New Paintings by Mark Thompson
• VIP Art Fair Announces Is Second Fair Online
• MoMA's Annual Photography Series Highlights Six Emerging Contemporary Artists
• Portland Art Museum Unveils New Brand and Visual Identity
• BOZAR Presents Exhibitions of Brazilian Art as Part of the Europalia Festival
• Singapore Art Museum (SAM) ~ World's Largest Collection Of Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art
• Tel Aviv Museum of Art Currently Showing Italian Paintings from Its Collection
• The Katonah Museum of Art presents 'Lichtenstein in Process'
• Arte Fiera Art First ~ Bologna's International Art Fair Announced
• Gibbes Museum of Art to Feature Modern Masters from the Ferguson Collection
• Spencer Museum of Art shows Big Shots ~ Andy Warhol, Celebrity Culture, and the 1980s
• Eric C. Shiner Named Director of the Andy Warhol Museum
• Russian Lacquer Boxes: A Narrative Tradition at the Chazen Museum
• Sonnabend Gallery features Designer Jean Royère Retrospective
• Kopeikin Gallery to Open Exhibition of Drawings by William Steiger
• Lichtenstein $10 Drawing Expected to Achieve over $1,000,000 at Christie's
• Arken Museum exhibits 'Triumph of Desire ~ Danish and International Surrealism'
• This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News

The Autry Presents the Mexican-American Generation of Artists Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:33 PM PDT Los Angeles, CA.- The Autry in Griffith Park is proud to present "Art Along the Hyphen: The Mexican-American Generation" on view from October 14th through January 8th 2012. "Art Along the Hyphen" is part of a unique four-exhibition project called L.A. Xicano organized by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center in partnership with the Autry National Center, the Fowler Museum at UCLA, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Other concurrent exhibitions include "Icons of the Invisible: Oscar Castillo" (Fowler); "Mapping Another L.A.; The Chicano Art Movement" (Fowler); and "Mural Remix: Sandra de la Loza" (LACMA). This series of exhibitions is itself part of "Pacific Standard Time", an unprecedented collaboration of cultural institutions across Southern California coming together to celebrate the birth of the L.A. art scene. Beginning October 2011, over 60 cultural institutions will make their contributions to this region-wide initiative encompassing every major L.A. art movement from 1945 to 1980. Celebrate the era that continues to inspire the world. Between 1945 and 1965, Mexican American artists contributed to the emerging California iconography and its connections to the national imagery, whether as part of the American West, Spanish California, or Hollywood. Documenting an overlooked yet significant tributary within the emergence of modern art in Los Angeles, the exhibition combines the work of Hernando Villa (1881–1952), Alberto Valdés (1918–1998), Domingo Ulloa (1919–1997), Roberto Chavez (born 1932), Dora De Larios (born 1933), and Eduardo Carrillo (1937–1997) to explore each artist's dialogue with various art movements of the twentieth century as refracted through cultural heritage, artistic influences, and social commentary. The exhibition also documents the fluid transition by some artists into the Chicano art movement activism of the 1970s. Prior to the Chicano civil rights movement, which began in 1965 and brought national visibility to the community, artists of Mexican descent such as Villa forged paths that followed traditional artistic trajectories, yet countered stylistic conventions with their "bicultural aesthetic synthesis." The majority of these Mexican American artists have, however, been neglected by the mainstream art canon, ignored by art institutions, and absent from the art school curricula. Against the backdrop of post-WWII social and political change in Los Angeles, from the Zoot suit riots to "white flight" and freeway construction, Mexican American artists created work that responded to aesthetic developments in New York as well as artistic and cultural influences from their Mexican heritage. This marks the beginning of a synthesis that would define them as artists and provide a foundation for the emergent Chicano art movement of the late 1960s. The careers of Carrillo, Chavez, De Larios, Ulloa, Valdés, and Villa constitute individual stories of struggle and achievement, and together illustrate the multiplicity of aesthetic responses present within the Mexican American community. Hernando Villa was a successful illustrator and art instructor who specialized in rail travel and worked for various publications including Pacific Outlook, Town Talk, West Coast Magazine, and Westways. Consistent with popular expectations of commercial tourist imagery, Native Americans constituted a major iconographic source for Villa's art. Villa taught at the Los Angeles School of Art and Design, and painted a number of L.A. murals including one for Tally's New Broadway Theater in Los Angeles in 1916; one on the dome of the New Rialto Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1921; and a multipaneled mural, "The Pioneers", at Citizens Trust and Savings Band in Los Angeles in 1926. It was Villa's creation of the iconic emblem "The Chief" for the Santa Fe Railway that brought him national recognition that lasted over four decades. Alberto Valdés was a commercial artist specializing in magazine advertisements, outdoor billboards, and orange crate labels. His career was interrupted by his service in the Army during World War II. On his return, he found a position at MGM Studios as an art designer until he retired in his forties. The end of Valdés's commercial career marked the beginning of his artistic productivity, which would span four decades and encompass a wide range of styles, from pure abstraction to enigmatic forms. A consummate experimenter, Valdés worked in series, painting several paintings at the same time until he was ready to move on to another artistic style or genre. Evocative of pre-Columbian stone effigies, Valdés's work is often both stately and menacing, and is replete with artistic expression in the gradual shifts of hues, the subtle handling of interlocking forms to shape the figure, and the play of light that accentuates its mysterious, otherworldly qualities. Before the civil rights movement in the 1960s, there were artists committed to promoting social justice through their artwork. One of the most accomplished yet under-recognized social realists during the 1940s and '50s was Domingo Ulloa. Using the G.I. Bill to take classes at the Jepson Art Institute, he studied with prominent expressionist Italian painter Rico Lebrun. Both felt a moral commitment to depict the horrors of war and created art that was both courageous and outside the dominant stylistic realm of abstraction. Ulloa developed deep respect for the figure, acute observation skills, and the technical abilities of a superb draughtsman. This combination of academic training and political instructors generated a singular aesthetic that is evident in works such as "Painters on Strike" (1948), "Racism/Incident at Little Rock" (1957), and his iconic work, "Braceros" (1960). In 1993, the California State Assembly proclaimed Ulloa the "Father of Chicano Art." Dora De Larios decided to become an artist after a trip to Mexico City where she was exposed to the ceramic art of the Maya, Aztec, and West Mexico civilizations. When De Larios enrolled in USC, she was the only Mexican student studying with foremost clay artists and instructors. Influenced by the Bauhaus movement and Japanese pottery, her first exhibition in San Francisco's Gump's Gallery sold out. As a professor at USC and UCLA, she maintained her dedication and passion for exploring cultural styles as evident in her haniwa and pre-Columbian–influenced Queen and King sculptures. In 1977, De Larios created a cobalt-blue glaze-over-porcelain dinnerware set for the White House which was then displayed at the Smithsonian.  In 1963, De Larios was invited by Millard Sheets to create new designs for tile manufacturer Interpace, and in 1966, she was commissioned by Walt Disney at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida.  When creating public art, De Larios ensured that each commission was integrated as an organic component of the overall plan. Roberto Chavez was born to parents who came to Los Angeles after the Mexican Revolution. Chavez showed an early fascination with drawing, mainly cartoons and caricatures. He also loved to create sculptures from metal scraps, recycling materials into toys. He enrolled in Los Angeles City College's commercial art program and transferred to UCLA following military service. Painted in 1957, "Masks" shows how Chavez synthesized his love of the figure with his appreciation of abstract art and reflects his preference for a loose, playful painting style over realistic portrayal. He later taught at East Los Angeles College (ELAC) and UCLA where he reconnected with Eduardo Carrillo. Together they founded Ceeje Gallery, where a distinct L.A. style was developed. Chavez's painting "Ladies Art Class, Sawtelle" (1967) exhibits the artistic characteristics that came to constitute his singular style. In 1974, Chavez painted "The Path to Knowledge and the False University" (1975) mural at ELAC. Citing poor conditions, ELAC's new president ordered the mural whitewashed in 1979. Chavez resigned his teaching position at ELAC in 1981 and moved to northern California. Eduardo Carrillo's first memory of paintings, stained glass, and sculpture was in churches while attending Catholic schools in Los Angeles.  In 1956, Carrillo transferred to UCLA, and in 1960 he traveled to Spain to study at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid. It was the Spanish artist's emphasis on color and light that would allow Carrillo to craft a unique painting style. Spanish Still Life (1961) was a transitional piece in the development of Carrillo's signature artistic and cultural synthesis. His background and influences are combined in this painting that references the mestizo altar traditions of Mexico and European vanitassymbolism as well as Mexico's indigenous roots and Spanish conquest. He moved to Baja California along with his wife Sheila to establish the Centro de Arte Regional in La Paz. In 1976, he received tenure at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and taught until his death in 1997. The Autry National Center of the American West is an intercultural center and museum in Los Angeles, California that celebrates the diversity and history of the American West through three important institutions: the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of the American West, and the Institute for the Study of the American West. The Autry's mission is to explore the experiences and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West, connecting the past with the present to inform our shared future. All of the exhibitions, public programs, K-12 educational services and publications are designed to further this mission. Located at the Museum of the American West, the Wells Fargo Theater is also part of the center. The Southwest Museum's 238,000-piece collection of Native American art is one of the most significant and representative of its kind in the United States, second only to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian. Comprising 14,000 baskets, 10,000 ceramic items, 6,300 textiles and weavings, and more than 1,100 pieces of jewelry, the collection represents indigenous peoples from Alaska to South America, with an emphasis on cultures from California and the Southwestern United States. The Southwest Museum was founded in 1907 and is the oldest museum in Los Angeles. The Museum of the American West was established in 1988 by Gene Autry (as "Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum") to explore and share the comprehensive story of the American West and the multiple cultures, perspectives, traditions, and experiences–real and imagined–that make the West significant. Its collection is composed of 21,000 paintings, sculptures, costumes, textiles, firearms, tools, toys, musical instruments, and other objects. The Institute for the Study of the American West is a research and publishing enterprise that produces and supports scholarly work in Western history and the arts. In 2002, the Women of the West Museum of Colorado merged with the Institute, infusing the Autry's focus with a scholarly and educational emphasis on gender issues and women's experiences in the American West. Visit the center's website at ... http://theautry.org

Stonehill’s Cushing-Martin Gallery Features Sculptural Work by Nathalie Miebach Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:32 PM PDT Easton, Massachusetts.- The Cushing-Martin Gallery at Stonehill College is pleased to present "Nathalie Miebach: Musical Storms", on view until October 31st. Nathalie Miebach's work focuses on the intersection of art and science and the visual articulation of scientific observations. Using the methodologies and processes of both disciplines, she translates scientific data related to ecology, climate change and meteorology into three-dimensional structures primarily composed by basket weaving.  In addition to the sculptural translation, she also translates the data into musical scores which are interpreted by musicians. This exhibit showcases work surrounding New England storms and shipwrecks; specifically The Andrea Gail.

The Wyer Gallery Presents New Paintings by Mark Thompson Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:31 PM PDT London.- The Wyer Gallery is pleased to present "Mark Thompson, New Paintings" on view at the gallery from October 1st through November 18th. Be it the edge of a village, the turning point of a river, or an empty city corner the moment before its streetlights flicker to life, Mark Thompson's work depicts many things, but it is a preoccupation with moments of instability, of change and of boundaries between states such as certainty and doubt that is central to his practice.  The paintings exhibited here, in Thompson's first exhibition with Wyer, are recollections of just such intangible moments.  They are pockets of time experienced on his lonesome travels across remote Icelandic, Scandinavian and Alaskan wildernesses and, through the alchemic power of the artist's imagination – and of course the artist's brush - made material on canvas.

VIP Art Fair Announces Is Second Fair Online Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:49 PM PDT NEW YORK, N.Y.- VIP Art Fair, the world's first contemporary art fair held exclusively online, announces its second fair, VIP 2.0, February 3-8, 2012, at VIPArtFair.com. Top international galleries will offer artworks from $500 to over $1M. Launched in January of this year, VIP Art Fair leverages Internet technology to create a live, online marketplace to view, learn about and purchase artworks by leading artists from around the world. As a portal to the world's premiere contemporary art galleries, VIP Art Fair builds technology for dealers to connect with existing clients, for would-be collectors to discover the art world, and for students, educators, critics and curators to access contemporary artists.

MoMA's Annual Photography Series Highlights Six Emerging Contemporary Artists Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:39 PM PDT NEW YORK, N.Y.- The Museum of Modern Art announces the 26th annual New Photography exhibition, running September 28, 2011, through January 16, 2012, in The Robert and Joyce Menschel Gallery. This year, the exhibition expands to feature six artists—Moyra Davey, George Georgiou, Deana Lawson, Doug Rickard, Viviane Sassen, and Zhang Dali. These artists, hailing from Canada, China, England, Holland, and the United States, exemplify the diversity and international scope of contemporary photographic work. New Photography 2011 is organized by Dan Leers, The Beaumont and Nancy Newhall Curatorial Fellow, Department of Photography, The Museum of Modern Art.

Portland Art Museum Unveils New Brand and Visual Identity Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:22 PM PDT PORTLAND, OR.- This month the Portland Art Museum will unveil a new brand including a new visual identity that will be reflected in signage, advertising, and other materials. The Museum recently completed a strategic planning process, identifying short-term and long-term goals for the institution and reaffirming the core values and mission of the Museum. The Museum engaged Ziba Design, a renowned Portland-based firm that is a global leader in branding and product development. Through extensive interviews with Museum staff and trustees, residents, visitors, and members, Ziba learned that a number of people were not aware of the broad range of quality programs offered by the Museum.

BOZAR Presents Exhibitions of Brazilian Art as Part of the Europalia Festival Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:21 PM PDT Brussels, Belgium - For its 2011 festival, Europalia has decided to introduce Brazil to the Belgian and European audience. The choice of Brazil fits into a coherent line as previous festivals presented the cultural wealth of two other BRIC countries (Russia in 2005 and China in 2009). With diversity as its central theme, europalia.brasil will aim to present a complete overview of Brazilian art and culture. The festival will display Brazil many facets and illustrate the incredible diversity of its culture, still too little-known in Europe. From October 4th through January 15th 2012, over 600 events, 2,650 artworks and more than 1,000 artists and experts from Brazil as well as hundreds of works and artists from Europe, will exhibit in 200 cultural venues both in Belgium and in neighbouring countries. The Palais des Beaux-Arts (or BOZAR) in Brussels is participating with two featured exhibitions showing the evolution of Brazilian art from the 19th century until now. "Brazil.Brasil" (opening October 6th) will present a historical perspective and show the different visions that Brazilian artists had of their country in their search for identity through diversity, while "Art in Brazil" (opening October 12th) will trace the evolution and revolution of Brazilian art from the 1950s until the present day. Both exhibitions will remain on view until January 15th 2012. BOZAR will also be showing two smaller exhibitions, one dedicated to the Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha (October 12th through January 15th) and "Extremes", and exhibition showing the history of photography in Brazil (from October 6th through January 15th). With close to 200 million people, Brazil is one of the most populated and multicultural countries in the world. From the heirs of European settlers to the Amazon Indians, from the Afro-Brazilians – descendants of slaves – to immigrants from Japan, Lebanon, Italy, China, Germany… Brazil has managed to draw upon its origins and the mosaic of its peoples. At the crossroads of all these cultures you will find an extremely diversified society with a rich culture that must be discovered beyond clichés. The diversity is also to be found in the fauna and flora. With a territory of 8.5 million km2, Brazil alone represents half of South America. From the majestic semi-arid landscapes of the Nordeste to the mangrove swamps and lagoons of the coast, from the inland savannahs and pampas to the exuberant Amazon forest, Brazil is known for its unique biodiversity. In addition it is the 8th largest world economy. With its geographical, economic and social contrasts, Brazil has developed an ever-progressing culture where visual arts, architecture, design, literature, music, theatre, dance and film intertwine. Eclecticism, multiculturalism, syncretism, contrasts, immensity, exuberance, luxuriance, colours, rhythms and flavours… Brazilian culture symbolizes the diversity of its peoples, its regions, its climates, its traditions and indigenous cultures, its beliefs, its languages and its arts. A team of innovative European and Brazilian curators have worked to set up a programme of 24 exhibitions which will reflect this diversity. Some twenty exhibitions will be charting the fascinating history of Brazilian art, from the first inhabitants of Brazil up to contemporary and future upcoming talents. Playing a key role in the cultural life of Brussels for over 70 years, the Palais des Beaux-Arts (or BOZAR) is a not just a home for art exhibitions, but also a mecca for the city's music and dance and also the home to the Belgian National Orchestra. The Palais des Beaux-Arts owes its existence to Henri Le Boeuf, a music-loving financier. He commissioned the architect Victor Horta to design a centre that would bring together multiple artistic disciplines under the one roof. Horta's brief was to design a centre that would house concert halls and exhibition space that would cater for music, theatre, cinema and art. The design had to make art accessible to as many people as possible and in as many different forms as possible, but without compromising on standards. Several challenges were faced by Horta in his design, not least of which was the sloping land he had to work with. The location's close proximity to the Palais Royale also meant that his building was not to allowed to obstruct the palace's line of view down to the city. Horta had therefore to look underground to find his space.  It took seven years (from 1922 to 1929) for the art deco complex to be completed, requiring him to alter his plans six times. There are three concert halls: The Henry Le Boeuf Hall seats 2,200 concertgoers and its oval shape is a delight to both the ear and the eye. The 476-seat Chamber Music Room is located under the Great Sculpture Hall. And, there's the Studio which seats 210. In 1962 the Musee du Cinema was established in the Palais. Apart from its fine archive and exhibition of old cameras and lenses, it also screens classic films. There's a range of music, expo, theatre and dance events taking place at the Palais des Beaux-Arts daily.  Visit the BOZAR Center's website at ... http://www.bozar.be

Singapore Art Museum (SAM) ~ World's Largest Collection Of Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:11 PM PDT Opened in January 1996, the mission of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is to preserve and present the art histories and contemporary art practices of Singapore and the wider Southeast Asian region. In pursuit of this aim, SAM has amassed one of the world's largest public collection of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian artworks. Housed in a restored 19th century mission school, the museum draws from its collection and collaborates with leading international museums to present shows covering both local and international art practices, as well as cutting edge art expressions. Contemporary art of the region is given international exposure through the museum's travelling exhibition program and loans from the collection. Through strategic alliances with international arts and cultural institutions, SAM facilitates visual arts education, exchange, research and development within the region and internationally. The museum has forged partnerships with institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, Guggenheim Museum, Shanghai Art Museum, Seoul National University Museum of Art, Stedelijk Museum, Bonn Art Museum, Centre of International Modern Art, National Museum of India, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Asia Society in New York, Fukuoka Art Museum and Queensland Art Gallery. With Singapore becoming a global city for the arts, SAM's international networks bring about a confluence of ideas, and create a dynamic arts scene invigorated by international flows of ideas, talents, knowledge and resources. Community outreach continues to be an important area of the Museum's function. Through the Museum's exhibition programmes as well as its education and public programmes which cover a diversity of art trends and practices, fringe activities and public lectures, SAM Museum promotes awareness and appreciation of contemporary art and encourages the growth of an active and stimulating cultural environment in Singapore. The museum has hosted a series of travelling exhibitions since its opening, including those featuring works by Liu Kang, Leonardo Da Vinci, Chen Chong Swee, Fan Chang Tien, Lim Tze Peng and Chen Wen Hsi. SAM is also the organiser of the Singapore Biennale 2011. Visit the museum's website at … http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg The building once housed St Joseph's Institution (SJI), a Catholic boys' school, run by La Salle Brothers. In 1855, the cornerstone was laid by its founder, Father Jean-Marie Beurel. After 135 years in Bras Basah Road, SJI was relocated, making way for SAM to be created in the vacant building. With 10,000 meters of floor space, the restored building includes 18 fully climate controlled galleries, an auditorium, a multi-purpose hall, a museum shop, courtyards, one café and two restaurants. The rectangular part of the Central Building forms the oldest part of the whole structure completed in 1867. Designed by French Priest, Charles Benedict Nain, the Classical grand façade including the dome were later additions in 1903. The glass hall was originally a gymnasium and opened on three sides. It was 'modernized' in the 1950s to become the school hall, then known as the Oei Tiong Han Hall. This hall was restored to its original state based on an original drawing found on site. The colorful Persian glass installation by American artist Dale Chihuly enhances the beauty of this hall. The Glass Hall is commonly utilized for exhibition openings and company & wedding functions. The galleries in the Central Building were formed by knocking down cross walls that made up the classrooms. A new wall system, comprising a light weight wall, insulation material and vapour barrier, was added to the existing walls. Paintings are hung from picture rails fixed on top of the walls. The auditorium was the former chapel and preserves all the important elements of the original chapel. These include the small 'basins' for holy water, stations of the cross, original pressed steel ceiling and dado panels, and original concrete floor tiles. A plaque outside the chapel commemorates Brother Michael (1856-1936) who, as Director of SJI (1900 – 1914) played a major part in the development of the 3 historic buildings that are preserved. This auditorium will now be used for talks, symposiums, seminars, film screenings and a favorite venue for wedding ceremonies. The Anderson wing is named after Sir John Anderson, governor of the Straits Settlements 1904 – 1911. The Straits Settlements Government had made a generous contribution towards the building funds. The Queen Street Wing used to be the site of the Brothers' Quarters, too small and narrow for conversion to Museum use, the building had to make way for the current new structure, designed to harmonize in rhythm and composition with the historic building and yet have a contemporary look. It is clad with the machine-made precast concrete panels with stylized details, which contrast with the hand-made classical details of the historic buildings. The museum's extension building, SAM at 8Q, was opened in August 2008, expanding the museum's contemporary art space to present fresh, multi-disciplinary, interactive and community-oriented programming. Today, SAM is a place where the public can directly experience the diversity of contemporary art practices ranging from painting and sculpture, to installation, film & video, photography, new media, performance art and sound art, experience the work and ideas of living artists of Southeast Asia, and relate to the region's unique aesthetic and social context. The museum's collection ranges from sculptures to architectural elements, installations and paintings. Since its opening in 1996 the museum's permanent collection has grown from under 2,000 art works to almost 8,800. The core of the collection is an unrivalled selection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, complimented by an expanding collection of New Asian and International Contemporary Art. Like the region itself, contemporary art from Singapore and Southeast Asia is diverse, dynamic and multifaceted, possessing its own distinctive aesthetics and artistic traditions shaped by different approaches to art-making and practices. With this in mind, SAM has been building a stellar collection of contemporary Southeast Asian art. SAM's acquisitions policy devotes 80% of funds to Southeast Asian art, and the remaining 20% to the wider Asian region, such as China, India, Korea and Japan to provide a broader cultural context for the core collection. The artists represented in the SAM collection fall into three broad groups: the 'pioneering' contemporary artists or ones associated with avant-garde practices, mid-career artists, and emerging practitioners. Through its acquisition policy and continued funding support from the government, individuals and corporate donors, SAM is able to include iconic works of art in its collection, encourage artists to create important new works through artist commissions and showcase the best in contemporary art from the region. Local Singapore artists are best represented with major collections of works by Georgette Chen, Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Lim Tze Peng, Chen Wen His, Chen Chong Swee, Chua Mia Tee, Tan Swie Hian and Huang Yao. Other South-East Asian artists represented in the collection include Affandi and Hendra Gunawan from Indonesia, Wong Hoy Cheong from Malaysia, Tran Trong Vu, Bui Xuan Phai and Le Pho from Vietnam, Pratuang Emjaroen and Montien Boonma from Thailand and a superb collection donated by the famous Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong. The Tyler Print Collection contains well over 1,200 additional works, including some of the most prominent names in the 20th century international art scene such as Frank Stella and Roy Lichtenstein. Features of the museum include Filipino artist Ramon Orlina's abstract-glass window in the former school chapel and US artist Dale Chihuly's sea anemone–like blown-glass installations. The Singapore Art Museum is famous for the exhibitions it hosts, whether travelling or from its own collections. Currently one of the highlights of any visit is "Seeing the Kites Again" (until 2 May 2011), which features 22 paintings from the donation of 113 works made by Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong. An internationally eminent artist, Wu is best known for marrying the distinct art form of traditional Chinese ink with modern concepts in Western art. Recently published as a seven-volume anthology, Wu's writings provide deep insights into his aesthetics and art practice. "Seeing the Kites Again" is an exhibition inspired by Wu's metaphor of the kite. Since the 1960s, Wu Guanzhong has produced a great number works, based on his personal recollections. These works are centered around his home in the South of China, his childhood, as well as the villages and towns he has been to. His interest in life and his attention to ordinary scenes, infuse his art with an aesthetic quality that demonstrates a return to simplicity. "Negotiating Home, History and Nation: Two Decades of Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia, 1991 – 2010" between 12 March and 26 June 2011, presents the work of fifty-five seminal practitioners in contemporary art from six Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia) created over the last two decades. The exhibition showcases pieces of art spanning the early years of contemporary art-making in the region to the present, drawn mostly from the Singapore Art Museum collection. This extensive survey gives audiences the opportunity to form a cogent picture of the diverse realities and threads linking Southeast Asia and its art through inquiries into topics such as nation building, urbanisation, religious and gender discourse from an Asian perspective. Amongst the artists featured are Dadang Christanto (Indonesia), Kamin Lertchaiprasert (Thailand), Suzann Victor (Singapore), Wong Hoy Cheong (Malaysia), Tran Luong (Vietnam) and Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan (The Philippines). Through a broad range of media including photography, video, painting, performance and installation art, the exhibition provides an entry to the specific characteristics of Southeast Asia's aesthetic language and offers a key to understanding some of the region's more recent political and social developments.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art Currently Showing Italian Paintings from Its Collection Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:10 PM PDT TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - The Tel Aviv Museum of Art holds numerous works by important Italian artists several of which are presently on show. Gino Severini is represented by one of his famous Futurist paintings from c. 1915, the portrait of Mrs. Meyer-See, a socialite and the wife of a well-known London art dealer, as well as by Dancers at Monico's (c. 1910), reflecting the influence of Neo-Impressionism, and Still Life with Mandolin (1918), a characteristic example of his variant of Cubism.

The Katonah Museum of Art presents 'Lichtenstein in Process' Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:09 PM PDT Katonah , NY -  Lichtenstein in Process , featuring 65 works by one of America's preeminent 20th century artists, opens on March 29th at the Katonah Museum of Art. Offering a rare glimpse of the pop artist's creative process, the exhibition focuses on sequences of serial preliminary sketches, drawings, and collages, dating the 1970s to the 1990s.  Originally organized by the Fundación Juan March (in collaboration with the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation) and shown at the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, Cuenca, and the Museo d'Art Espanyol Contemporani, Palma, the exhibition has its US debut at the KMA, March 29th through June 28th , and then travels to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis.

Arte Fiera Art First ~ Bologna's International Art Fair Announced Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:08 PM PDT BOLOGNA, ITALY - Over its 34 editions, Arte Fiera Art First has strengthened its role as Italy's most important and complete international fair of modern and contemporary art by presenting the best historical and avant-garde galleries. On the international art scene, Arte Fiera Art First confirms its constant promotion of Italian art from the early XX Century, to the '50s till today by presenting internationally renowned artists. Arte Fiera and the city of Bologna continue their close collaboration with a wide program of collateral events to enliven the city during the four days of the exhibition and in the following month. Bologna becomes a venue for contemporary art, with shows in museums, courtyards, buildings, and streets of the historical centre.

Gibbes Museum of Art to Feature Modern Masters from the Ferguson Collection Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:07 PM PDT Charleston, South Carolina – The Gibbes Museum of Art will present the exclusive exhibition Modern Masters from the Ferguson Collection in the Main Gallery from April 30 through August 22, 2010.  Selected from the private collection of prominent art enthusiasts Esther and James Ferguson, this exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, and works on paper by significant twentieth-century artists such as Pablo Picasso, Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, and Christo.

Spencer Museum of Art shows Big Shots ~ Andy Warhol, Celebrity Culture, and the 1980s Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:06 PM PDT LAWRENCE, KS.- Joan Collins and Wayne Gretzky. Jean-Michel Basquiat and Liz Taylor. Chris Lawford and William S. Burroughs. What do these seemingly dissimilar individuals have to do with each other? The answer is simple: They were among the many celebrities whose images were captured by Andy Warhol with either his Big Shot Polaroid or a pocket-sized 35mm camera. And now, those photographs are coming together at the Spencer Museum of Art along with a host of others in a big, bold celebration of Warhol, celebrity, and the 1980s. "Warhol put it this way: 'A good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person doing something unfamous." On view 15 August through 13 December, 2009.

Eric C. Shiner Named Director of the Andy Warhol Museum Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:05 PM PDT PITTSBURGH, PA.- Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh today announced that Eric C. Shiner has been named director of The Andy Warhol Museum. Shiner joined the museum in 2008 as the Milton Fine Curator of Art, and he has served as acting director since January 2011. A curator, professor, writer, and translator, Shiner was an adjunct professor at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and in 2007 he curated "Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York" at Japan Society in New York City. He also served as assistant curator of the Yokohama Triennale 2001. After joining The Warhol, Shiner organized the large-scale exhibition, "The End: Analyzing Art in Troubled Times."

Russian Lacquer Boxes: A Narrative Tradition at the Chazen Museum Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:04 PM PDT Madison, WI - Magical fish, evil wizards, prodigal sons and elegant princesses will flood your imagination in a new exhibition at the Chazen Museum of Art.  Combining a long tradition of storytelling with the high skills of icon painting, Russian Lacquer Boxes: A Narrative Tradition features sixty original lacquered papier-mâché boxes from the Frederick Seibold collection.

Sonnabend Gallery features Designer Jean Royère Retrospective Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:03 PM PDT NEW YORK CITY - The Sonnabend Gallery reunites with curators Patrick Seguin and Jacques Lacoste to present the first important retrospective exhibition on the oeuvre of the seminal 20th Century designer Jean Royère (1902-1981).  The exhibition will present some 100 pieces (furniture and lighting) that retrace the career of one of the most innovative designs of the 20th Century. From among the selection to be exhibited: an exceptional bureau in fine straw marquetry, a rare "Flaque" low table, a "visiteur du soir" model settee, the emblematic "Ours Polaire" sofa, the "Starlette" day bed, and a plethora of lighting fixtures, such the "Persan," the "Eiffel Tower," and the "Mushroom."

Kopeikin Gallery to Open Exhibition of Drawings by William Steiger Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:02 PM PDT WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA.- The Kopeikin Gallery presents the first west coast exhibition of drawings by New York based artist William Steiger whose subject matter are icons of the American landscape, including grain elevators, tramways, railroad cars, roller coasters and ferris wheels. The exhibition opens on Saturday March 13th with a reception for the artist and continues through April 17th.

Lichtenstein $10 Drawing Expected to Achieve over $1,000,000 at Christie's Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:01 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP).- The invitation to a 1960s "happening" was intriguing: Pay $10 to enter a lottery for the chance to get a key to a Penn Station locker containing artwork. For one New Yorker who attended the 1965 event, the key revealed a Roy Lichtenstein drawing that Christie's auction house estimates will fetch around $1 million at its May 11 auction. "Kiss V" is a study for one of Lichtenstein's major paintings of the same name, which is in a private collection and belongs to his dream-girl series created between 1961 and 1965. Measuring 6 inches by 6 inches, the study is a comic book-inspired close-up of a man and woman, executed in graphite and wax crayon.

Arken Museum exhibits 'Triumph of Desire ~ Danish and International Surrealism' Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:00 PM PDT Copenhagen, Denmark - Arken Museum of Modern Art presents Triumph of Desire - Danish and International Surrealism, on view through January 11, 2009. In the 1930s Surrealism spread like wildfire across Europe, led by Dalí, Magritte and Miró. Danish Surrealists from Wilhelm Freddie and Richard Mortensen to Heerup and Jorn were influenced by the international wave. But how was it expressed in their art? This is what ARKEN will spotlight in the autumn exhibition. ARKEN focuses on the dialogue that emerged between the Danish and international Surrealists in the 1930s. It has been 73 years since Danish and international Surrealism was last presented together in Copenhagen. Conceived in Paris in the 1920s and spreading across Europe in the '30s, Surrealism was one of the twentieth century's most influential and spectacular movements. Danish art was swept by the Surrealists' wild ideas, sowing the seeds of e.g. the germinating CoBrA art in the 1940s. The Danish artists soaked up inspiration. Several of them exhibited alongside the great, international artists both at home and abroad. At ARKEN this dialogue manifests itself in a large number of interesting encounters, e.g. between Dane Wilhelm Freddie's Envoy of the Dream and Magritte's In Memoriam Mack Sennett. The time was heavily influenced by Freudian thought, as were the artists. The subconscious and not least the sex drive were the centre of attraction. Therefore ARKEN's exhibition focuses on the erotic and sensual aspects in both nature and everyday objects. Salvador Dalí's msterpiece Lobster Telephone is an example of an everyday object transformed into a fascinating creature. A sensual, crawling and alien beast. Maybe it wriggles in your hand or scratches your ear? Wilhelm Freddie's famous work Sex Paralysis Appeal, which was confiscated in 1936 by the police, is shown in the exhibition. A female bust with a penis on its cheek, a rope around its neck and two wineglasses hanging nonchalantly on the chest. Like Dalí he transforms everyday objects into works of art with erotic, humorous and dangerous undertones. To create art in direct contact with the subconscious, the Surrealists employed oddball and playful working methods. Inspired by the international Surrealists, Jorn did abstract "automatic drawings" which he invited other artists to continue. In automatic drawings the artist allows his instincts to govern the pen, thus giving the subconscious free rein. Another Surrealist method was folding drawings as we know them from children's birthday parties: One person draws, folds the paper and passes it to the next person who continues without being able to see the previous drawing. From this Surrealist game shared pictures were created with strange motifs to tempt our imagination and desire to the surface.   The establishment of ARKEN's new galleries for special exhibitions means that it is now possible too to present a selection of works from ARKEN's permanent collection of art. One of the new features is a unique Damien Hirst room with ten works by the world-renowned artist. The emphasis of ARKEN's Collection is on art after 1990, and it is continually expanded with the most recent Danish and international art. Since the early 1990s art has been characterised by a wealth of innovations in content and aesthetics. Therefore ARKEN has decided to focus on the art dealing with the fundamental existential conditions for man at the dawn of the 21st century. Visit The ARKEN Museum of Modern Art at : www.arken.dk/content/us

This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:58 PM PDT This is a new feature for the subscribers and visitors to Art Knowledge News (AKN), that will enable you to see "thumbnail descriptions" of the last ninety (90) articles and art images that we published. This will allow you to visit any article that you may have missed ; or re-visit any article or image of particular interest. Every day the article "thumbnail images" will change. For you to see the entire last ninety images just click : here . When opened that also will allow you to change the language from English to anyone of 54 other languages, by clicking your language choice on the upper left corner of our Home Page.  You can share any article we publish with the eleven (11) social websites we offer like Twitter, Flicker, Linkedin, Facebook, etc. by one click on the image shown at the end of each opened article.  Last, but not least, you can email or print any entire article by using an icon visible to the right side of an article's headline.

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