Retrato de Modesto Castillo by Pablo Picasso sells for £2.2 million

 Picasso's oil on linen entitled "Retrato de Modesto Castillo," sold at Christie's London for £2,169,250 ($3,399,215 / €2,691,453) during the Impressionist/Modern Day Sale on June 21, widely surpassing the highest auction house expectations (£100,000 - £150,000).

 The work was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1895 at the age of 13, during the last months of his time living with his family at the 2nd floor of 14 de Payo Gómez, located in Corunna (Coruña, Galicia, North-West Spain),  where his father, José Ruiz Blasco, had acquired a position teaching art.
Picasso's daughter Maya Widmaier-Picasso has confirmed the authenticity of the painting.

 At this stage of his life, Picasso already presented a remarkable draughtsmanship and indubitable talent, clearly shown on this portrait of Modesto Castilla y Casal wearing a Mourish disguise.
Modesto was the natural son - out of matrimony - of Dr. Ramón Pérez Costales.
Born in Oviedo and former Fostering and Fine Arts Minister, Dr. Ramón would become Picasso's first patron.

 Renowned biographer of Pablo Picasso, John Richardson, considers this age a relevant period in the artist's life, when his skills improved soon after his sister's death.
Palau i Fabre, an expert in Picasso when he lived in Corunna (1891-1895), estimates the existance of 15 to 20 works that he considers the first adult ones, completed during this period.

 The work in question follows an interesting path until nowadays: Having deceased with no legitimate inheritors, Dr. Ramón Costalez left his legacy to the maid-servant.
According to art critic Pablo Todela, the painting was bought by the Corunna born painter José María de Labra in late 1940's early 1950's, later selling it to a German museum.
The portrait of Modesto Castilla shows up later as part of the collection of M. Bruh, who acquired the painting through an anonymous bid at Sotheby's, London, 1 July 1964, lot 176, and thence by descent to the owner who decided to sell it at auction through Christie's London.

Consulted source: Article by Ana Rodríguez (La Opinión newspaper, Coruña)

Drawings by Charles-Joseph Natoire at the Nîmes Fine Arts Museum

Son of the sculptor Florent Natoire, Charles-Joseph Natoire (Nîmes, 3 March 1700 -  Castel Gandolfo, 23 August 1777) is considered one of the most important representatives of the French painting of the 18th century and an excellent draughtsman.
 To mark the publication of Natoire's monographe by Susanna Caviglia-Brunel, the Nîmes Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes) presents from 08/06/2012 to 16/09/2012, an exceptional selection of 91 drawings from public and private collections, including the Louvre and the Atger Museum (Montpellier).

 Sanguines, charcoals and washes, have enabled Charles-Joseph Natoire to try the several uses of drawing during his creative process. From the ancient art, going through the study of old masters, drawing from life, as an exercise per se, or as a preparatory study for a more elaborated work of art, Natoire reveals in his drawings the taste for refinement  and a balanced blend of mediums, always in the search for beauty.

  Soon after entering the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1734, Natoire completed a considerable number of royal commissions (in Fontainebleau, Versailles, etc), establishing his reputation as a fine artist. From 1756, he reduced his painting production in favour of the drawings.
He was director of the French Academy in Rome from 1751 to 1775.

 Charles-Joseph Natoire is mostly recognized for the series of the History of Psyche for Germain Boffrand's oval salon de la Princesse in the Hôtel de Soubise, Paris, and for the tapestry cartoons for the series of the History of Don Quixote, woven at the Beauvais tapestry manufacture, most of which are at the Château de Compiègne.

The exhibition can be visited during the following schedule:
Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00

On second Thursday of the month from 10:00 to 21:00

 For more information, please contact:

 Phone: +0033 (0)4 66 67 38 21
 Fax: +0033 (0)4 66 21 29 97

Pablo Picasso's "Woman in a Red Armchair" vandalized at The Menil Collection, Houston

 Pablo Picasso's painting "Woman in a Red Armchair" (1929) in The Menil Collection, Houston, was defaced by a man who stenciled an image of a bullfighter killing a bull and the word "Conquista" using a spray.

 The unexpected act that occurred on the 13th of this month at around 3 P.M., was caught on surveillance cameras and by a visitor using a smartphone's camera, who subsequently posted on YouTube.

 With the spray paint barely dry, the paint was immediately taken to the museum's conservation lab, where its repair started under the supervision of chief conservator Brad Epley. The prognosis for the recovery of the artwork seems to be quite positive.
 The witness who filmed the perpretator using a phone camera, told in an interview for the KPRC (Channel 2) that the man (presumed to be Uriel Landeros) identified himself as an industrious Mexican-American artist looking to honour Picasso's work.

 Authorities in charge of the investigation are still looking for the vandal. Any relevant information should be reported to (+001) 713-308-0900.

 "Woman in a Red Armchair" was acquired in 1956 by John and Dominique de Menil, and is one of nine Picasso paintings owned by the museum. The Menil Collection also possesses 14 drawings, a terra-cotta sculpture and over 100 prints by Picasso.

How Google Alerts can Work for Artists

 Any artist is interested in knowing if his/her name and work is being mentioned and wants to know if the time spent in front of the computer, namely writing articles on a blog, updating the website, interacting in art forums and social networks, doing online marketing, etc, instead of solely concentrating on the artwork, is giving its expected rewards.

 Because they also want to spend time working on their art, artists not always have time to search for new opportunities, such as art contests, grants, art scholarships, exhibitions where their work would fit, artistic residencies, and art workshops, just to name a few.

 What if you could set alerts according to your parameters to inform you about things that are relevant for your artistic career ?
This is where Google Alerts comes in.

 Google Alerts is a content change detection and notification service that automatically notifies users when new content from news, blogs, videos, discussion groups and books, matches a set of search terms defined by the user.

 As similar to what happens in normal searches, setting an alert with Pet Portraits in Pastel, won't lead to the same results as "Pet Portraits in Pastel," for insteance. Google Alerts will only show results from Google's own search engine.

 Users can set how they wish to receive the alerts (email or feed), with how much frequency, and the sources of those alerts. They can also opt between all the results or the most relevant ones.

 Artists can spend more time working on their projects. Then they can go on the computer and check the alerts about what is really important for them.

 Of course that using this service should not hold you from doing your own search and you should not set alerts for everything that you wish to know, or you'd be spending more time reading the alerts than working on your art.

 Learn how to use Google Alerts and make it work for you.

ICANN revealed the applicants for the new .art internet domain

 The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN),  the authority that controls the internet by managing the database of addresses of every website and webpage, recently announced the list of companies who have applied to open and manage new top-level domain names.

 Among the list of the most requested TLDs (Top Level Domain) is .art, with 10 requests.

 As an artist and author of this art dedicated blog, I stress the importance of assigning such an important domain to a company that will not only guarantee the development of the new extension, but will also follow a discerning policy for its use.

 Only a company with long experience and established presence in the art world, managed by art related people, will have the abillity to offer the best experience for the future users of the new .art T.L.D.
 On the contrary, companies created for the sole purpose of having control of the domain, should not be considered.

 In whatever way you relate to the arts industry: as an artist, art collector, museum curator, gallerist, art lover, etc, your opinion matters.

 On a side note, this whole process hasn't been exempt from controversy, as you can read in an article from April 2012, mentioning the dispute of Paul Garrin, founder of name.space, the East Village-based start-up, in 1996, against ICANN.
 From a total of 482 internet domains, in 2000 , name.space paid ICANN a $50,000 application fee for approval of 118 of its T.L.D.s, seeking to gain access to the main root. To this day, ICANN has yet to resolve Garrin’s application. The .art T.L.D. is one of those.

The work of Joana Vasconcelos at Versailles 2012

The long awaited exhibition at Versailles of the renowned Portuguese (born in Paris) artist Joana Vasconcelos opened today, June 19 and will be on view until September 30, 2012.

In the Grand Apartments and in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, visitors will be able to appreciate 17 of the most famous and iconic works of the artist. Coração Independente Vermelho (2005); Coração Independente Preto (2006); Valquíria Enxoval (2009); Mary Poppins (2010); Marylin (2011), are some of the works being exhibited.

 Eight of them were especially created for the exhibition: Lilicoptère (2012), a real Bell 47 helicopter featuring Arraiolos rugs inside, covered in gold-leaf, hand dyed pink ostrich feathers and Swarovski crystals;Perruque (2012), a work produced in collaboration with Fundação Ricardo Espírito Santo that pays tribute to the 19 children born in the Chambre de la Reine, as an egg shapped sculpture with hair tufts that also represens the wigs and the Fabergé eggs; Le Dauphin (2012) and La Dauphine (2012), two ceramic lobsters from Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro faiences painted with ceramic glaze and covered with azores crocheted lace; Blue Champagne (2012), made with Pommery champagne bottles; Vitral (2012), a 13sqm tapestry executed by the Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre; Royal Valkyrie (2012), a work that reinterprets the exuberance of Versailles; Golden Valkyrie (2012), considered by the artist as the central work of the exhibition, linking history and contemporary art.

The exhibition can be visited during the following schedule:
Grand Apartments: open everyday except Mondays, 9:00 am - 6:30 pm (last admission: 6:00 pm)
Gardens: open everyday, 8:00 am to 8:30 pm

Tickets:
Grand Apartments: Passport or Palace ticket.
The audioguide, which contains commentaries on several works in the exhibition, is included in the price of the ticket.

Gardens: Free admission, except Musical Fountains Show and Musical Gardens days (Saturdays and Sundays, Public Holidays and some Tuesdays). On these days you can visit the gardens with a Passport or Gardens ticket.

After Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Xavier Veilhan, Joana Vasconcelos is the first woman and the youngest artist to exhibit at the Estate of Versailles. The Joana Vasconcelos Versailles exhibition is curated by Jean-François Chougnet

Sotheby's Institute of Art: Open Days in New York and London

 Through its Open Days event, the Sotheby's Institute of Art enable attendants to learn about its range of graduate-level programmes, meet the staff, contact with experts in the field and talk with alumni of the Institute.

 On Thursday, 21 June, 2012, 6.00pm – 8.00pm, will take place at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, 570 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022, the New York Open Day.

 During the event, attendants will be given an overview about its programmes and learn about admissions requirements. They will also have the chance to meet alumni, admissions team members and program staff.
An alumni panel will also take place, followed by drinks reception.

 To register for the New York event, send an email to rsvpny@sothebysinstitute.com with the subject RSVP to NY Open Day.

 The London even will take place on Thursday 5 July 2012: 4.30pm - 7.00pm, at the London
Institute, 30 Bedford Square, WC1.
 Attendants will be given an introduction to Sotheby’s Institute of Art by Professor Jos Hackforth-Jones, Director, learn about the MA Degree Programmes and Semester Courses through its Programme Directors, and participate in an alumini panel. A drinks reception will follow.

 To register for the London Open Day, or to clarify any questions about how to apply for one of its courses, please contact Cara Gillespie, Admissions Manager, by sending an email to gillespie@sothebysinstitute.com or calling +44 (0)20 7462 3250.

 With more than forty yeas of existance, the Sotheby's Institute of Art offers access to art industry leaders as well as the opportunity to study with experts from Sotheby’s auction house. The distinctive curriculum takes full advantage of its central London and New York campuses, combining hands-on learning experience with intensive classroom instruction, preparing its students for a successful career in a globalized art world.

África Mostra-se! African Culture & Film Festival

The edition 1 of África Mostra-se! African Culture & Film Festival will take place in Lisbon from 14 to 17 of June 2012.

 From 14 to 16 of June, a partnership between ISU – Instituto de Solidariedade e cooperação Universitária  and the Institut Français du Portugal, in colaboration with Cinémathèque Afrique – Institut Français, brings to the public the possibility to discover the culture and artistic diversity of the African continent.

 With particular focus on films by renowned African cinematographers, África Mostra-se! is a multicultural experience (French version) that includes music, handicraft, an African dance workshop (bookmark is necessary, contact africamostrase@gmail.com or  962 313 048) and one hour of African tales especially catered for younger audiences (in French).

 Parallel activities will take place during the event. On Friday 15th, Arte & Manha presents a singing workshop, a concert and a DJ party, and on Saturday 16th, a percussion workshop, a panel discussion and a concert.
On Sunday 17th, The Associação de Tempos Livres de Alfama (ATLA) will present a concert and a film projection, as well as an all day long festival with handicraft and African gastronomy.

 Learn more about the programme by visiting the África Mostra-se! official page. A brochure is also available.

 The edition zero of África Mostra-se! took place in July last year.

Catherine Pégard left "The Bride" at the altar

 Catherine Pégard, Director of the Palace of Versailles, declined the work The Bride (A Noiva) by the Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos to be exhibited during the "Joana Vasconcelos Versailles in the State Apartments and the gardens" from 19 June to 30 September 2012.

 The Bride is a  600 x Ø 300 cm chandelier made from stainless steel, cotton thread, steel wire, and over 14,000 OB tampons, completed between 2001 and 2005. Its reflective aspect results from the plastic that involves the tampons.
 It's one of the most iconic works by the artist and a tribute to the liberation of the woman's still repressed sexuality by society.
 At the moment, The Bride (A Noiva) belongs to the António Cachola Collection, Elvas, Portugal.

 According to sources, this work was among the artist's first choices for the exhibition and she was surprised by the announcement. Afterall, if there's something that looks good at Versailles is a chandelier.

 Catherine Pégard worked as a political journalist  and as the editor-in-chief of the topical news magazine, Le Point. She was advisor to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy since 2007.
 It was Sarkozy who in 2011 appointed Pégard as Director of the Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles), despite her lack of cultural credentials and experience in the arts or cultural heritage.

 This nomination was involved in controversy, namely because the previous Director, Jean-Jacques Alliagon, had expressed his wish to continue his mandate, despite being over 65, the legal – and normally obligatory – age for retirement, in spite of numerous exceptions to the rule.
 Currently serving as Minister of Labour, Xavier Darcos was at the time expected to be the successor to the previous director, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, but has since run into problems with a government policy that states French civil servants must retire after 65.

dOCUMENTA (13) - Modern and Contemporary Art

 Founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Horticultural Show), dOCUMENTA is a  an exhibition of modern and contemporary art which takes place every five years at different venues in Kassel, Germany. Typically gives its artists at least two years to conceive and produce their projects, allowing them to present elaborate and intellectually complex works.

 Dedicated to artistic research and forms of imagination that explore commitment, matter, things, embodiment, and active living in connection with, yet not subordinated to, theory, dOCUMENTA (13) is about the transversal alliances, influences and consequences that a globalized world provokes in the difference areas of society, and how politics are inseparable from a sensual and energetic worldly alliance between current research in various scientific and artistic fields, and other knowledges, both ancient and contemporary.
 In 2012, dOCUMENTA (13) is physically and conceptually held in Kassel (Germany), Kabul (Afghanistan), Alexandria/Cairo (Egypt), and Banff (Canada), exploring site-related micro-histories and promoting different and partial perspectives connect to the local history and reality of a place, while sharing influences of a globalized world.
 Besides the traditional main venues located in Kassel (the Fridericianum, the documenta-Halle, and the Neue Galerie), dOCUMENTA (13) takes place in a variety of other spaces that represent different physical, psychological, historical, cultural realms and realities. At spaces devoted to natural and technical science, such as the Ottoneum and the Orangerie, throughout the Baroque Karlsaue park, with its little components suggesting a particular mode of proximity by way of the spatially diffused aggregation of elements that also maintains their own singularities, and at the industrial spaces behind the former Hauptbahnhof, once Kassel’s main train station but now only used for local transport—a dystopian space connected to the factory world that produced the military tanks for the National Socialist regime in the twentieth century and that is still adjacent to the factories.



The exhibition willl also take place in a variety of “bourgeois” spaces of a different order, off the main venues, places that are still in normal use or, on the other hand, places that have been forgotten and “removed.”

 Limited to 100 days of exhibition, which is why it is often referred to as the “museum of 100 days,” dOCUMENTA (13) is being held between 9 June - 16 September 2012.
Over 750,000 visitors are expected.

The Italian American writer, art historian and curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev is the Artistic Director of this year's edition.

Full-Time Faculty with Painting Practice at CalArts

 Through its Program in Art, the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) seeks an accomplished artist with a painting practice, significant exhibition record, and extensive teaching experience for a full-time faculty position with painting practice.

 Holding a minimum of three years, or equivalent, of full-time college level teaching experience, the successful candidate will  be required to teach theoritical, practical and critical aspects of painting to both graduates and undergraduates through classes, independent study meetings, reviews, and mentoring, while having the ability to address a broad range of artistic media and diverse student interests.

 Collateral responsibilities include student recruitment, faculty meetings, curriculum development, participation in Program leadership, and service to the Institute.

 The application should include a letter of intent, CV, statement of teaching philosophy, three letters of recommendation, and examples of work. Brief course proposals are encouraged.

 Applications must be submited online at calartsfaculty.slideroom.com, without exception.
If you have any questions, please contact artprogsearch@calarts.edu.

The application deadline is September 1, 2012.  The start date is Fall 2013.

There is a $10 submission fee charged by SlideRoom for processing material and maintaining the service.

 CalArts is an  Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants and members of under-represented groups, and from all those who share the Program’s commitment to diversity and social justice.

 The first art institute in USA to offer BFAs and MFAs in both the visual and performing arts, the California Institute of the Arts is internationally renowned as one of the leading centers for undergraduate and graduate study in the performing and visual arts and in the critical study of these arts. With its six schools - Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater - all housed under one roof, CalArts demonstrates its commitment to encourage experimentation and innovation.

International Photography Award EMERGENTES DST 2012

                                    

Submissions are open for the International Photography Award EMERGENTES DST, an initiative by Domingos da Silva Teixeira company and organised by the Festival Encontros da Imagem that aims to award the best Contemporary Photography portfolio of 2012.

The award is open to all creatives worldwide (amateurs and professionals) who use photography as relevant medium of their artistic portfolio.

On a first stage (preselection), the candidates must submit online, an original and updated portfolio containing up to 20 images (colour or black&white), in digital format. The images must be sent until August 15th, 2012. The fee to enter this first submission is 20 Euros, done by bank transfer to Encontros da Imagem (The Art Inquirer contacted one of the organizers and it's almost certain that they will accept Paypal)

An international juri will preselect 70 authors. These will be invited to submit their portfolios to be reviewed by specialists in the field.
The critics will value originality, concept and consistency of the project.
Finalists will be informed about the results until September 1, 2012.

Until September 15, finalists will have to select 6 specialists to examine and give an exposition of their portfolio, which will take place during the Festival Encontros da Imagem, between 19 and 20 of September.
Each session is individual and will last 20 minutes.

The participation fee for this second stage is 100 Euros (includes a Encontros da Imagem 2012 catalogue)
Finalists must upload a photography of their choice, in digital format (40x50cm and 300dpi) to be exhibited in the inauguration of Encontros da Imagem, September 15.

The winner will be announced during a formal ceremony on September 22, at Theatro Circo in Braga, and awarded with the International Photography Award EMERGENTES DST of 7,500 Euros in cash.
An exhibition of the finalists' portfolios will also take place.

The awarded author's works will be exhibited at the official section of Encontros da Imagem 2013.

For more information on how to participate, contact emergentes@encontrosdaimagem.com or call +351 253 278 633.

Manifesta 9 - The European Biennial of Contemporary Art

 
Since its start in 1996, Manifesta has taken place in Rotterdam, Luxembourg, Ljubljana, Frankfurt, Donostia-San Sebastian, Trentino-Alto Adige and Murcia. For this reason, Manifesta is considered at this time the only itinerant european biennial of contemporary art.

 After yesterday's preview Manifesta 9 opens today to the public at the spectacular site of the former Waterschei mine in Genk, Limburg, Belgium.

 This year's edition entitled The Deep of the Modern, is curated by Cuauhtémoc Medina (Mexico City), who developed the concept for Manifesta 9, and associated curators Dawn Ades (London) and Katherina Gregos (Brussels/Athens). This exhibition is presented in three sections that as a whole, providing not only a comprehensive perspective of the social impact caused by the mining industry in Limburg, but also of global issues and influences in socities caused by the mining industry.

 The first section (Poetics of Restructuring) shows works created by 35 international contemporary artists who were invited to convey the connection between the local theme and global issues while focusing on the regional context. At the historical section (The Age of Coal), works of art from the 19th and 20th centuries, representative of the coal industry, offer an overview of the impact of the coal industry. The third section (17 Tons) focuses on the extensive legacy and repercussions that the Limburg mining industry has left behind.

 With the concept developed for the 2012 edition, Manifesta 9 not only brings to the public a world representative selection of contemporay art, but also a remarkable collection of historical works and an innovative and surprising way to show the mining heritage  to local and international audiences.

In its programme, Manifesta includes guided tours, family and educational events, lectures, performances, a worshop and a symposium.

As a recurring initiative in all Manifesta editions, cultural projects take place during the same period of the biennial. The Parallel Events programme offers a communication platform for local individual artists, interdisciplinary cultural producers, art organizations and institutions, to present their art and cultural initiatives to an international audience.
This year, the Parallel Events are being organized in the Region of Belgium Limburg, Dutch Limburg, Wallonia and others parts of Flanders.

Manifesta 9 takes place until September 30, 2012

Festival International du Pastel 2012 (Feytiat)

The commune of Feytiat, located in the Limousin region in west-central France, is once again partnering with the Société des Pastellistes de France to present the 11th edition of one the most important worldwide events dedicated to the pastel art.

Gathering some of the most prestigious professional pastelists, as well as some of the most promissing ones, the Festival International du Pastel shows near 300 artworks every year, created by pastelists from around the world.
Since its start in 2001, the Festival has already been visited by over 100000 people.

During the event, the public will not only be able to appreciate the works of art, but will also have the chance to talk with the artists face to face and find out that they will be happy to share their experience and answer to the questions of those who wish to learn more about this medium.

Continuing the tradition of former editions, demonstrations and workshops will be available for those who wish to improve their skills and learn new approaches to the medium. Intended for every level (some experience is advisable), these workshops will be administered by profesisional artists from the Société des Pastellistes de France.

The 2012 edition of the Festival proposes 3 workshops, covering: Landscape, Still Life, Flowers and Portrait (live model)

From 17 to 20 July 2012

Alain BELLANGER: Still Life
CHRIS: Flowers and Landscape
Sylvain LOISANT: Live Model – Portrait (creativity)

From 14 to 17 August 2012
Lionel ASSELINEAU: Animal Portraits
Nadine ROULLEAUX: Flowers and Still Life
Jacqueline BELLEICHE: Live Model – Portrait
From 28 to 31 August 2012
Jean Claude BAUMIER: Landscape (creating)
Patrick BECHTOLD: Flowers and Still Life
Pénélope MILNER: Live Model– Portrait

To learn more about participating conditons and how to enroll in the workshops, please refer to this page.

The Festival International du Pastel 2012 will take place in the cultural house Georges Brassens (Feytiat) from 30 June to 02 September 2012 (14 h 00 - 19 h 00 on week days and 10 h 00 - 12 h 00 and 14 h 00 - 19 h 00 on weekends and holidays)
Admission to the Festival is free.

Charles W. Leslie donates $8.8 million to the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art

Charles W. Leslie, who with J. Frederic "Fritz" Lohman, cofounded the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, donated $8.8 million to the museum, in memory of his long-time partner Lohman. This major gift consists in stock holding in a New York real estate corporation, which will continue to support the museum in the future.

Together with other substantial donations, including $1.5 million dollars from the Estate of Marion Pinto, an artist and long-time friend and supporter of Leslie-Lohman, the excess of $10 million in gifts constitutes the largest donation ever received by any LGBT arts organization.

The history behind the museum goes back into the year of 1969, when Leslie and Lohman mounted their first exhibition of gay art in their loft on Prince Street in New York City, after collecting art for several years.
Shortly after they opened a commercial art gallery, but the venue would close in the early 1980s at the advent of the AIDS pandemic.

In 1989, the two men applied for nonprofit status as a precursor to establishing a foundation to preserve their collection of gay art and continue exhibition efforts. The Internal Revenue Service objected to the word "gay" in the title of the foundation, and held up the nonprofit application for nearly a decade.

The Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation was finally granted nonprofit status in 1990 and its first location was in a basement at 127B Prince Street in New York.
In 2006, the collection moved into a much larger ground floor gallery at 26 Wooster Street in SoHo, but the Foundation retained its original home for storage and archive purposes.

In April 2012, it was accredited as an officially recognised museum by the State of New York and the name was changed to its current name from the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation.

The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art has a gallery for temporary exhibitions and includes a sizable permanent collection of art surpassing over 3,000 items, including names such as Andy Warhol, Delmas Howe, Jean Cocteau, Deni Ponty, Robert Mapplethorpe, George Platt Lynes, Horst and Arthur Tress.

Olympia International Fine Art & Antiques Fair 2012

The 2012 edition of the Olympia International Fine Art & Antiques Fair will take place at the Olympia Exhibition Centre (London),  between the 7th (preview day) and the 17th of June.

Visitors to the fair will have access to authentic fine art and antiques previously vetted by dealers (some exhibiting and some not), museum curators, auction house specialists and restorers split into thirty two committees, who check the authenticity, date and condition of each exhibited item, enabling the visitor to buy with confidence.

Among the many objects being exhibited at the Olympia International Fine Art & Antiques Fair, there will be 19th and 20th century European paintings and drawings, 20th century and Modern Art design, Art Deco & Art Nouveau, Contemporary Art and Design, European ceramics, furniture (20th century, Asian, continental, English formal, oak & country), glass, Impressionist paintings, jewelry, photographs, prints and maps, posters, statuary, sculptures, woodcarvings, objects of Virtu & miniatures, scientific instruments, tribal art,  clocks, and several other objects representative of our art and history.

Counting with over 70 furniture dealers and 18 international dealers, from all over Europe and from as far as Tazmania, the Fair will offer the chance not only to see rare objects of art and antiques, but also to talk directly with experts.
In its events programme, the Fair will also include a series of lectures and panel discussions and tours.

Also making part of the programme is Olympia Contemporary, a showcase of fascinating and exciting works of contemporary and modern art, design and furniture brought by 27 dealers from the UK and abroad.

Some interesting and curious highlights include: an original Ernest Shepherd drawing of Winnie the Pooh; a 4.5 billion year old piece of Campo del Cielo Meteorite; a wine cistern weighing 1200 troy ounces; Claude Monet's "Eglise de Varengeville, effet Matinel"; and a Silver Toilet service made for the Duchess of Norfolk in 1708 by Benjamin Pyne of London.

With the purpose of showing to the public the breadth of objects on offer to them and the depth of expertise available through their dealers, the Country Life - LAPADA Object of the Year will be on display to the public, on stand E05.
A judging panel of 7 eminent experts, chaired by Huon Mallalieu of Country Life, will award three prizes and a further three prizes will be awarded through the People's Vote.
The winners will be announced at the fair on Tuesday 12 June.