Art Musings February 19, 2014: Obama rehabs art history loving image, sends apology letter, hosts Monuments Men

ART & ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY NEWS

ART MUSINGS

Obama rehabs art history loving image, sends apology letter, hosts Monuments Men

By Bonnie K. Goodman

Since causing an uproar when he mocked the importance and relevance of graduating university with an art history degree, President Barack Obama has been publicly trying to make up for the “glib” remark, showing he truly “loves…

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President Barack Obama looks at the Edward Hopper paintings now displayed in the Oval Office, Feb. 7, 2014.

Obama appreciates two new Edward Hopper paintings now adorning the Oval Office

President Barack Obama appreciates two new Edward Hopper painting now adorning the Oval Office, Jan. 7, 2014; Obama is trying to rehab his image relating to the arts after joking about art history degrees in a speech about technical job training, Jan. 30, 2014 (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Art Buzz February 5, 2013: Kim Sajet: New Director Named for National Portrait Gallery in Washington

ART & ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY NEWS

MUSEUM NEWS

New Director Named for National Portrait Gallery

Source: NYT, 2-5-13

Kim Sajet, the current president and chief executive of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, will be the new director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington….READ MORE

Art Buzz April 13, 2012: Karen Sherry: Portland Museum of Art hires new Curator of American Art

ART & ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY NEWS

ART & MUSEUM NEWS

Portland Museum of Art hires Brooklyn Museum’s Karen Sherry as new Curator of American Art

Source: Art Daily, 4-13-12

Since 2003, Karen Sherry has worked at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, most recently as Associate Curator of American Art.
Karen Sherry has been named Curator of American Art at the Portland Museum of Art. Sherry will play a national role in promoting research and scholarship on American art, Winslow Homer, and the significance of Maine in American art and cultural history. Sherry will join the Museum staff on June 26. “Karen brings to Portland great energy and scholarship as well as extensive experience gained at the great Brooklyn Museum,” said Museum Director Mark H.C. Bessire. “She will provide the path to reinstall the collection, engage audiences through innovative exhibitions, and be part of a curatorial team that seeks to redefine the role of the 21st-century museum. We are also thrilled that her background in American art and Winslow Homer will energize our commitment to the role Maine plays in the national art conversation.”…READ MORE

Art Buzz April 7, 2012: Thomas Kinkade dies at 54; artist was called the ‘Painter of Light’

ART & ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY NEWS

ART NEWS

‘Painter of Light’ Thomas Kinkade dead at 54

Source: Zap2it, 4-7-12

thomas-kinkade-paintingsThomas Kinkade, the “painter of light,” whose paintings and prints hang in one out of every 20 American homes, is dead at the age of 54. A statement from his family says Kinkade died from natural causes on Friday (April 6) at his Los Gatos, Calif., home.

“Thom provided a wonderful life for his family,” his wife Nanette says of the artist in a statement to the San Jose Mercury News. “We are shocked and saddened by his death.”

thomas-kinkade-dead-at-54

Kinkade was never a favorite with critics — his Christmas paintings and other scenes of wholesome American cottage scenes — are often dismissed as kitschy. But fans love the warm paintings and Kinkade’s talent for painting light.

As news of his death hit the Internet, Kinkade fans poured out their tributes on Twitter and other social networking sites, though they were outnumbered by critics of his work who turned out en masse to make light of his death.

PICS: Thomas Kinkade Paintings

“I try to create paintings that are a window for the imagination,” Kinkade said on his website. “If people look at my work and are reminded of the way things once were or perhaps the way they could be, then I’ve done my job.”