Posted inOpinion

Indianapolis Museum of Art in Jeopardy?

In the last few years the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) has developed a deserved national and international reputation. The IMA’s 100 acre Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, which opened in 2010, is one of the largest contemporary sculpture parks in the world, and one of the only such parks with a commitment to contemporary and non-permanent installation art. The following year, the IMA was chosen to present the US pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale, arguably one of the most important art shows in the world. Their 2011 exhibition of outsider artist Thornton Dial represented the first-ever retrospective of his work, and received widespread acclaim, including glowing reviews in the New York Times and Time magazine. These are exceptional accomplishments for any museum, much less one offering free general admission and located in a state whose population is smaller than the five boroughs of New York City — the IMA is simply an anomaly in the United States. And this spring the museum and its new director, Charles L. Venable, are back in the spotlight, but not for more accolades.

Posted inSponsored

ArtPrize Artist Registration Now Open, Jurors Revealed

Artist registration is open now for the fourth annual ArtPrize. Part art competition, part social experiment, the event overtakes downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, bringing in hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the country.

Designed to be a simple yet transformative experience for both artist and audience, ArtPrize is a platform on which artists are given absolute freedom to experiment, collaborate and explore new ideas. Artist registration is open at www.artprize.org now through May 24.

Posted inNews

Smithsonian Regents Board Report Waffles on Controversy; Clough Won’t Go [UPDATED]

The Smithsonian Board of Regents met on January 31st with Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough to discuss the fallout from the recent censorship scandal at the National Portrait Gallery. In its released report, the Board fails to make a strong statement against the censorship but suggests several ways forward for better practice in the future. Secretary Clough isn’t going anywhere.

Posted inNews

As Protests Take Place in LA, a Smithsonian Secretary Clough Update [UPDATED]

Today is the day that Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough is going to face the press in Los Angeles to answer questions related to the Wojnarowicz censorship case.

I’m sure there will be lots of news from the event, particularly since LA Raw will be protesting the appearance at the Biltmore Hotel, but before things kick off, we wanted to get you up to speed on the latest developments.

Posted inOpinion

Everything Is an Art Fair

We will be chiming in about the VIP art fair tomorrow, but until then I couldn’t resist sharing this snark from art blogger Tyler Green.

A website is somehow an “art fair?” Uh, OK. I’m pleased to announce that MAN is now the Modern Art Notes Art Fair.less than a minute ago via TweetDeck