Sara Reisman, director of New York City’s Percent for Art program within the department of Cultural Affairs, has been appointed as the new artistic director of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation, where she will curate events and oversee the Foundation’s new “Art and Social Justice initiative.” (more…)
The New York Times notes an upcoming wave of exhibitions focusing on the work of Andy Warhol, over 40 in total around the US and abroad, led by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which has also announced a series of grants and donations for various art institutions. “When I say that Andy is going to be as well known for his philanthropy as he is for his art, it’s really true,” says Foundation president Joel Wachs. (more…)
The New York Times covers the impact philanthropist and MoMA Board President Emeritus Agnes Gund has had on the cultural landscape of New York City, and her ongoing commitment to arts patronage, including selling works in her collection to cover her charitable giving. “I get income, but I don’t have a big swath of money to invest in things,” she says” “I’ve had to sell a lot of art, which I’ve hated to do because I really love the art I have.” (more…)
Prince Albert of Monaco is inaugurating a new Francis Bacon Foundation in the small European country, combining over 2,000 artworks, photographs, works on paper, and working documents, as well as the artist’s furniture and rug designs. Bacon lived in Monaco for several years in the 1940’s, before moving several years later. “We’ve discovered that Bacon started painting on the unprimed side of the canvas after losing all of his money in the Monaco Casino,” said collector and foundation founder Majid Boustany, “and as you know, this became one of the trademarks of his style!” (more…)
Lord Jacob Rothschild has been awarded with the J. Paul Getty Award for his contributions to British arts and culture. Rothschild has long been a supporter of the arts, and has served as a board chair at the National Gallery in London, the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund. “No one embodies the ideals of the Getty medal more than Lord Rothschild,” Cuno said in a statement, adding that “he is without question the most influential volunteer cultural leader in the English-speaking world.” Says Getty President and CEO James Cuno. (more…)
A broad selection of works from the late collector Jan Krugier’s enormous art collection is set to go to the auction block on Nov. 4th and 5th at Christie’s in New York. Consisting of 156 works, the selection of works includes an incredible 29 Picassos, as well as works from Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Georgia O’Keeffe and Robert Rauschenberg, with a total estimated value of $170 million. “Krugier saw himself as but a temporary possessor of these works. I think he’d rather like it.” Said Christie’s deputy chair Conor Jordan. (more…)
Billionaire hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen has donated a selection of works to the Museum of Modern Art, including paintings by Cy Twombly, Ed Ruscha and Martin Kippenberger. The gifts come while Cohen is currently under investigation by the U.S. Government for allegations of insider trading. (more…)
The Brooklyn Museum is currently attempting to overturn an agreement made in 1931 that specified that a large donated collection be kept together after the owner’s death, despite the issue that a quarter of the works have since been determined forgeries, misattributed, or “not of museum quality.” The case highlights the thorny issue of donor intent, which can occasionally hold an institution to untenable standards with regards to its collection and gifts. “A respect for donor intent is essential for philanthropic integrity.” said Adam Meyerson, president of the Philanthropy Roundtable. However, “You’re not serving donor intent if you go bankrupt.”
