Salon International 2013 - A Juried Exhibition of Oil and Acrylic Paintings

 Submissions are open for the Salon International 2013 juried exhibition, a project of the International Museum of Contemporary Masters, hosted by Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art in San Antonio, Texas.

 Entrants can send digital files of their work(s) according to instructions in the prospectus until January 18, 2013. Slide entries must arrive at the gallery until the mentioned deadline. Entry fees apply. The submited work must be original (oil or acrylic) and completed after pril 13, 2011. Each artist can submit up to three entries.

 The submited entries will be juried by Jim Janes and Mark Smith, owners of Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art.
Renowned artist Daniel E. Greene, N.A. will be the 2013 edition's awarding judge.

 The selected paintings for the exhibition must be framed, ready to hang and priced according to the prospectus. Please note that entrants are responsible for the shipping of the works (including return), insurance through shipping and during the exhibition (April 13 - May 3).

 Shipped paintings must arrive at the gallery between March 12-30, 2013. Shipments from outside the United States must be shipped "Free Domicile" (DDP or Delivered Duty Paid) or will not be accepted.
Do not use foam peanuts  as packing materials. Paintings sent packed in peanuts will not be unpacked.Ship to: Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, 6496 N. New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78209.

 Artists whose works are selected for the exhibition and are able to deliver their paintings uncrated and personally at the Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art (on March 30, 2013, between the hours of 10am and 6pm), will have to include a check of $10 for each painting, payable to Greenhouse Gallery for handling fees.


 Those who cannot take their works in person, will have to include a $20 check for each painting payable to Greenhouse Gallery to cover the labor expense for uncrating, storage of crates, re-crating your painting and contacting a shipper for return. In a separate check, include a check made out to Greenhouse Gallery to cover the cost of return shipping unless you provide your billing account number with a shipping company. Both checks should be in an envelope inside the crate with your painting.

 Approximatey 300 paintings will be juried into the Salon International 2013 exhibition, wich includes over $35,000 awards in cash, merchandise certificates and advertising in renowned art magazines.
The Best of Show will get a $8,000 cash award and an article in American Art Collector.

 The Art Inquirer advises its readers to carefully read the rules outlined in the prospectus and revise all steps more than once, eventually taking notes of the most important aspects, namely fees, shipping, gallery commissions and how the payment will be made to the artists concerning the sold works.

 Again remember that the entry deadline for digital entries is January 18, 2013 and that slide entries must arrive to the gallery until this date.

"The Ages of the Sea" at Calouste Gulbenkian

 Organized by the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum with the support of the Musée d’Orsay, the exhibition "Ages of the Sea" (As Idades do Mar) can be visited until January 27th, 2013.

 This major exhibition presents one hundred and nine works created between the sixteenth and the twentieth century, lent by fifty institutions from ten different countries, including public and private collections.

 Based on an historical survey of the visual representation of the Sea, the exhibition seeks to identify the major themes which led to its extensive and recurrent depiction in Western Painting. "Ages of the Sea" developes the concept that provides the title to the project in six sections: ‘The Age of Myths’, ‘The Age of Power’, ‘Sea and Labour’, 'Storms and shipwrecks’, ‘The Ephemeral’, and ‘The Quest for Infinity’.

 Arnold Bocklin, Eugène Boudin, Constable, Courbet, Giorgio de Chirico, Friedrich, Hopper, Fattori, Francesco Guardi, Paul Klee, Claude Lorrain, Manet, Monet, Signac, Sorolla, Turner and Van Goyen, as well as the Portuguese Amadeu de Souza-Cardoso, Henrique Pousão, João Vaz, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and Menez, are some of the eighty-nine authors represented in the exhibition.

 "Ages of the Sea" can be visited between until January 27th, 2013 (10:00 am - 20:00 pm) at the main buliding of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Av. Berna, 45-A (GPS: 38.738286,-9.154821).
Admission is €5,00.

The Uweza Aid Foundation and the artist Joseph Wanderi together against poverty through art

When the new millenium started, there were hopes that humankind might gain consiousness and the indifference in the world towards those less favoured might fade away.

But in a world rulled by material values, where money plays an important role as never before and people are relegated to second plan, we keep having millions of individuals, especially small children, who keep living in inhumane conditions and don’t have a single opportunity to raise out of that situation.

Fortunately, organizations and people exist that try to fight this status quo. It’s a continuous and difficult fight, but they never give up and keep believing that they can make this world a better place.

The Uweza Aid Foundation (Uweza is the Swahili word for ability and power) is a 501(c)(3) organization registered in the State of Illinois that fights the cycle of poverty that persists in Kenya's Kibera slum, in spite of the resiliency and ingenuity of Kenyans working to better their communities, even without any external assistance.
Through community-based empowerment programs, Uweza nurtures and builds upon the already existing capabilities and resourcefulness of Kenyans.

All its projects are developed and/or run by Kenyans, primarily residents of Kibera who are dedicated to the betterment of their community. Current projects include an after-school program, soccer club, school sponsorships, and a counseling initiative for at-risk and troubled youth.

You can also contribute to their projects and one of the ways of doing so is by investing in art.
Most of us would like to own some works of art, or even start an art collection, but usually don’t know how to start or who to contact.

The paintings of Joseph Wanderi are beautiful and creative one of a kind originals that represent in warm tones, the people's life as well as the wonderful fauna, flora and landscape of the region.
His works can be considered an opportunity for the emerging art collector who values aesthetics above all.

Moreover, African artists are gaining recognition in a global art worl, making it not only an aesthetic acquisition, but as well as a wise one

Half of the sales of each painting will go to the artist and half will go toward funding weekly art classes for Kibera youth.

Should they wish, when at the checkout, the readers of The Art Inquirer can enter the promotional code theartinquirer, which will give them a 10% discount on Wanderi's paintings, supported by the Uweza Aid Foundation.
This promotional code is valid until January 1, 2013. After this date, the discount will be 5% until further notice.

Joseph Wanderi (known to most as "Wanderer") is an art instructor and a well-known Kibera artist who started painting when he was in primary school. He now makes a living by creating artwork and aims to nurture artistic talent in other Kibera youth.

Disclaimer: The originalty and quality of the artworks, as well as their commercialization, is of the responsibility of their author and owner respectively.

Exhibition: Shortlisted Artists For the Future Generation Art Prize 2012

The works of the 20 shortlisted artists for the Future Generation Art Prize 2012, the first global art prize for artists up to 35, founded by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in December 2009, can be viewed  in the PinchukArtCentre (Kyiv, Ukraine) untill January 6, 2013. These artists represent 16 different countries, selected from more than 4,000 applications received from 134 countries spread across all continents.
Also on view, is the work by 21st nominee for the Future Generation Art Prize, Mykyta Kadan, winner of the PinchukArtCentre Prize 2011, the first national contemporary art prize awarded to young Ukrainian artists under 35.

The shortlist of theFuture Generation Art Prize 2012 includes: Jonathas de Andrade, 30 (Brazil), Meris Angioletti, 34 (Italy), Marwa Arsanios, 33 (Lebanon), Micol Assael, 33 (Italy), Abigail DeVille, 30 (United States), Aurelien Froment, 35 (France), Mykyta Kadan,29 (Ukraine), Meiro Koizumi, 35 (Japan), Andre Komatsu, 33 (Brazil), Eva Kotatkova, 29 (Czech Republic), Tala Madani, 30 (Iran), Basim Magdy, 34 (Egypt), Ahmet Ogut, 30 (Turkey), Amalia Pica, 33 (Argentina), Agnieszka Polska, 27 (Poland), Emily Roysdon, 34 (United States), Rayyane Tabet, 28 (Lebanon), Yan Xing, 26 (China), Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, 34 (United Kingdom), and two groups: Joao Maria Gusmao + Pedro Paiva, 33, 34 (Portugal), and R.E.P. (Ukraine).
British artist Lynette Yiadom-Boakye was the Main Prize Winner of the 2012 edition of the Future Generation Art Prize. Lynette will receive a $100,000 award ($60,000 in cash and $40,000 to be invested in the production of new work).

Jonathas de Andrade (Brazil), Micol Assael (Italy), Ahmet Ögüt (Turkey), Rayyane Tabet (Lebanon), and Marwa Arsanios (Lebanon) shared the Special Prize.

Oscar Niemeyer dies at the age of 104

Regarded as one of the most important architects ever and having created the largest number of projects, surpassing 600, the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer died at 21h55 of December 5th , 2012, in the Hospital Samaritano, District of Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro. He was 104 years old and although debilitated, he worked almost until his last day proving his dedication.

 Born on December 15, 1907, Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares, graduated from the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes do Rio de Janeiro (School of Fine Arts of Rio de Janeiro) in 1934 and started gaining national and international recognition during the 1940's, namely for his plastic explorations of concrete.

 Niemeyer completed his first project in 1937, for which he didn't receive any income. It was a building in the Lagoa district, Rio de Janeiro, influenced by Le Corbusier and entitled Obra do Berço (inaugurated in 1938).

 In 1946, the architect is invited to lecture at Yale, but his visa is denied because of his political beliefs. However, in 1947, Niemeyer is pointed as part of the international team of architects selected to develop the United Nations headquarters in New York. His project, elaborated together with Le Corbusier, would become the selected one.

 During the year of 1951, he projects the Copan building, located in the old downtown of São Paulo and known as the largest concrete structure in Brazil. It is also in the same year that he builds his own house, which he names Casa das Canoas because of the road where it stands. Many years later, it would become part of the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation. In 2007, the house was demolished by the IPHAN.

 Author of several known projects, it's in the year of 1956 that Oscar Niemeyer is contacted by the elected president of Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek, to lead the ambicious project of moving the capital to an uninhabited region in the center of the Country. The architect is invited by Juscelino to integrate the direction board of Novacap, the building company responsible for the new capital.

 In 1957, he opens a public contest for the head plan of Brasília, the new capital. His former boss and friend Lúcio Costa wins the contest and becomes responsible for the city's plan, while Niemeyer takes the task of developing the projects for the buildings.

 Completed during one mandate, the construction of Brasília required Niemeyer to plan a series of buildings in few months as to be able to shape it. Among the most recognisable ones are the President's residence (Palácio da Alvorada), the Edifício do Congresso Nacional (Câmara dos Deputados e Senado Federal), the Catedral de Brasília, the state department buildings, the Government's building (Palácio do Planalto) and several residential and commercial buildings.

 Kubitschek's determination was essential to move forward his intention of developing the depopulated center of Brazil and bring progress to the rest of the country.

 The project of Lúcio Costa had considered the modern concepts of a city, where displacement takes an important role and where the automobile is placed in evidence. Buildings are parted over large green areas.
Brasília was built based on directives that remount to Le Corbusier's projects from the 1920's and to his project for the city of Chandigarh, evident in the monumental scale of its governmental buildings. The city also exhibits concepts similar to those of Hilberseimer.

 In this new projected city, the socialist ideal was taken in mind, where homes would belong to the Government and be used by the public servents. In this perspective, all workers either public servents or parliement members, should inhabit the same buildings.
 However the contruction of Brasília wasn't exempt from controversy, namely due to its monumental scale and for the priority given to the automobile. The city developed into a non-predictable plan, with satellite towns appearing as a way to accomodate the growing population.
Nowdays only a small part of the inhabitants of the Federal District lives in the area anticipated in the project of Lúcio Costa.

Article still in development......................

"A Tea for Alice" - Temporary Exhibition at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Base on Lewis Carroll's "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland," the temporary exhibition "A Tea for Alice" (Um Chá para Alice) celebrates its main character through the notable artistic craftmanship and concept of 21 artists from 15 countries.

 Having the emblematic tea party with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare as the core them of the exhibition, "A Tea for Alice" features purpose-designed tables with different and distinct shapes and heights to form a type of mad lizard along whose back all the works are exhibited.

 Through ages, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" has inspired artists from all areas and has been translated into over a hundred different languages, making it one of the most universal and classical stories of all time. This temporary exhibition enables its visitors to perceive how thorugh their styles, schools and techniques all the whilst recognising the influence of cultures and discovering new interpretations, artists have conveyed their contemporary artistic view of the famous tea party.

 Close cooperation with Munich Library has also enabled the inclusion of a large number of old and modern editions of this work being made available for public consultation.
 Commissioned by Ju Godinho and Eduardo Filipe, and with the support of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, "A Tea for Alice" can be visited at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's Temporary Exhibitions venue (floor 01) until February 10, 2013 (closed on Mondays).

 The artists featured are Alain Gauthier, Lucie Laroche, Nicole Claveloux and Rebecca Dautrement (France), Anthony Browne, Helen Oxenbury and John Vernon Lord (United Kingdom), Chiara Carrer and Lisa Nanni (Italy), Anne Herbauts (Belgium), Dusan Kallay (Slovakia), Iban Barrenetxea (Spain), Joanna Concejo (Poland), Klaus Ensikat (Germany), Lisbeth Zwerger (Austria), Maggie Taylor (USA), Narges Mohammadi (Iran), Nelson Cruz (Brazil), Suzy Lee (South Korea), Teresa Lima (Portugal) and Vladimir Clavijo (Russia).

 The exhibition entitled "A Tea with Alice," was recently held at The Story Museum, receiving some positive accolades from experts and public.

Golden introduces MXR Virtual Paint Mixer

For those who want to try their hand at mixing colours without waisting a single dime or having to clean the palette and a few brushes before getting a reasonable approach to their objective, Golden Artist Colors inc., has recently launched the MXR Virtual Paint Mixer.

 This new and free tool, matched to the characteristics of Golden paints, enables artists to mix paint by choosing the colour, adding it to one of the tubes on the right and then sliding the caps according to the desired mix. Through its numeric system, users can use L*a*b, RGB and CMYK colour systems to reach colour formulations.

 Another interesting and useful characteristic of this new tool, is the chance of being able to choose a colour from the spectrum and have its formula presented or to upload an image, select a colour from it and getting its mixing formula. This last one is quite important because the way we see colours depends on the other colours that surround them and sometimes it's not always easy to separate colours.

 Up to 18 mixtures can be saved per session and users can print the results, send them by email or even share on Facebook.

Christie's Paris: Hélène Rochas collection doubles auction estimates

The sale of the collection of Hélène Rochas on September 27 at Christie's Paris, comprising Modern Art, Art Déco, Furniture and European Art Objects, paintings and old master drawings, as well as drawings from the 19th century, has doubled estimates, totalizing €17,785,050/£12,557,790/$20,340,905, with 98% in value and 95% in lot.

 Under the gavel of Christie's France President François Ricqlès, experienced and emerging art collectors worldwide - 74% Europeans, 15% Americans and 5% Asiatics - manifested their interest in sale that saw four world records at auction and a right of first refusal carried out by the Musée d'Orsay.

 "Fiddle and Spanish Guitar" (1933) by Ben Nicholson was sold for €3,313,000/£2,635,823/$4,269,463, marking a record at auction for the artist.

 "Deux masques" (ca. 1925) by Jean Lambert-Rucki and Jean Dunand was sold for €385.000/£306.306/$496.150, also another record for the artists in a collective work.

Edgar Brant and Daum with "Lampadaire La Tentation" (ca. 1920-1926), sold for €265.000/£210.834/$341.506 and Diego Giacometti with "Table-Berceau, first version" (ca. 1963), sold for €1.297.000/£1.031.893/$1.671.444, achieved records at action for their creations.

 The Musée D'Orsay carried out its right of first refusal and took home a center cabinet/cabinet de milieu (ca. 1910) made of maple veneer, rosewood, oak, leather, painted and engraved ivory by Clément Mère for €67.000/£53.305/$86.343.

 Worthy of notice among the paintings of renowned artists that covered the walls of Hélène Rochas' apartment at rue Barbet de Jouy à Paris dans le VIIème, is Wassily Kandinsky's "Braunes Schweigen,"  sold for €2.137.000/£1.700.197/$2.753.952.

 During the previous 14 days before the auction,  5259 visited the exhibition.

Renoir's "Paysage Bords de Seine" was allegedly stolen and its auction has been cancelled

The story involving Pierre-Auguste Renoir's painting "Paysage Bords de Seine" (On the Shore of the Seine), bought at the Harpers Ferry Flea Market in Virginia, is starting to assume the form of a novel.

 Last week, The Art Inquirer mentioned that the 5 1/2 x 9 in oil on linen napkin painting was going up for auction this September 29th at The Potomack Company. But unforeseen events have detemined its cancellation.

 Washington Post reporter Ian Shapira, entered the library at the Baltimore Museum of Art and among the letters and artwork receipts from Baltimore arts patron, collector and important benefactor of the museum, Saidie Adler May, he found records showing that she had lent Renoir's to the museum in 1937. The discovery startled museum officials, who had already said the flea-market Renoir never entered their institution.

 In the possession of the loan registration number, museum officials ended up discovering an even-more-astounding clue about the painting's journey. An old museum loan registration document revealed that the "Paysage Bords de Seine" was stolen on November 17, 1951, from the Baltimore Museum of Art — shortly after May’s death.

A copy of the original police report from 1951 was provided by the Baltimore police this last Friday.

 Due to these unexpected events, the auction of the painting that had been acquired in 1926 by international lawyer Herbert L. May at the Gallerie Bernheim-Jeune in Paris and bought at a flea market over eight decades after, has been cancelled and now the FBI is investigating, while at the same time museum officials are trying to learn more about the painting’s theft and why they couldn’t explain why it does not appear on a worldwide registry of stolen and lost art.

  The museum's Director Doreen Bolger has stated that the painting belongs in the BMA’s May Collection, but  for Potomack Company’s President Elizabeth Wainstein,  Herbert L. May is listed as the buyer by the French gallery where the piece was first sold, she’s not certain that Saidie May technically owned it.
According to Wainstein, the painting will remain at the auction house until the matter is settled.

These and other details may trigger a legal showdown over the painting's ownership and besides the already mentioned players (the Baltimore Museum of Art, The Potomack Company and the woman that inadvertently bought the painting together with a plastic cow and a Paul Bunyan doll at the flea market), one cannot forget about the company that insured the painting and paid a $2,500 claim for the stolen artwork.

 According to Christopher A. Marinello, executive director and general counsel of the London-based Art Loss Register, the world’s largest private database of stolen and lost art, the rightful owner of "Paysage Bords de Seine" might be the company that insured the painting at the time of its disappearance. In the mid-20th century, most art insurers had policies stipulating that they were entitled to stolen artwork that was recovered and for which they’ve paid claims.

 The Art Inquirer contacted The Potomack Company and received the following feedback:

Quote:

"Bellow is our press release from Thursday that explains the situation. Since then, a police report of the theft from the Baltimore Museum of Art has surface. Potomack Commpany is fullly cooperatin with the FBI to help ascertain who has the clear title to this work of art.


RENOIR PAINTING PAYSAGE BORDS DE SEINE WITHDRAW FROM SEPTEMBER 29 AUICTION.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

The Potomack Company announces the withdrawl of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's painting Paysage Bords de Seine from a planned sale on September 29 at the Potomack Company auction house after a question was raised by The Baltimore Museum of Art on Wednesday, September 26, about the ownership of the painting.


Backround:

On July 27, 2012, a consignor brought a painting into The Potomack Company that she had bought at a flea market., and Potomack's fine art specialist, Anne Norton Craner, confirmed that it was a known Renoir painting titled Paysage Bords de Seine painted in the late 19th century.

The same day, July 27, 2012, Potomack Company promptly contacted Art Loss Register – a service that records and follows missing and stolen works of art - confirming that the painting had never been reported stolen or missing. Potomack also consulted the FBI’s art theft website to confirm that it was not listed as stolen by the FBI. Potomack researched the provenance of the painting, determining that it was a painting listed in Bernheim-Jeune’s Renoir catalogue raisonne and that the last record of the painting’s exhibition or sale was in Paris in 1926. The buyer was Herbert L. May, husband of Saidie May until their separation in 1924. Saidie May was an important donor of paintings and other objects to the Baltimore Museum of Art.

On September 6, Potomack issued a press release announcing the upcoming sale and explaining the mysterious provenance and discovery of the painting. The release was sent to major news organizations, to The Baltimore Museum of Art and to international Renoir specialists. Since the press release, there has been worldwide media coverage of the painting and the mystery of its whereabouts since 1926."

End of Quote.


   As you can see, this story is far from over. Further developments will be reported as soon as they become available.
The Art Inquirer used Lynda Robinson and Magda Jean-Louis report at The Washington Post (Post Local) as a reference for this article.

VIII Bienal "Salão das Artes" Vidigueira 2012

Today at 16h30 will take place at the Town Hall of Vidigueira (Portugal), the inauguration of the VIII Bienal "Salão das Artes" Vidigueira 2012 (Vidigueira Biennial 2012).

 With 264 works, including painting, drawing, scultpure and installation from 172 national and international artists, including from Argentina, Brasil, Japan and Spain, the exhibition can be visited until October 21, 2012 at the following venues: Vidigueira's Town Hall (Salão Nobres dos Paços do Concelho); Parish Council building (Junta de Freguesia); Municipal Museum (former Professional School Fialho de Almeida); Exhibition Hall of the Multifaceted Center of New Technologies; Old Library building.

Renoir's Painting found at a Flea Market in Virginia is Going for Auction

 It's one of those stories that we wish it would happen to us. During a weekend day at the Harpers Ferry Flea Market in Virginia, a Shenandoah Valley woman acquired a box of miscellaneous items - a plastic cow and a Paul Bunyan doll had caught her eye. After taking those two items, the remaining content was put inside a white plastic bag and stored in a shed. Later was moved into her car’s trunk and eventually into her kitchen.

 However, part of the content of the box, was also a painting of a landscape. But the woman wasn't really interested in the painting, but in the frame. She had already tored the brown paper off the back and thrown it in the trash when she asked her mother for help to take the painting from the frame.
Fortunately her mother told her to get the painting looked first before throwing it away. She hardly knew that she was in presence of a genuine Renoir, worth many times more than the price that she had payed for box's content: $50.

 A plaque on the frame with the author's name, led the owner to seek advice with a reliable expert, so she scheduled an appointment with The Potomack Company in Alexandria (VA).

 The painting's radiant plein air quality – the rapid brush strokes, the vibrant purple and pink colors, the Seine as subject matter and the luminous light, reminded fine arts specialist, Anne Norton Craner, of Renoir’s 1879 Landscape of Wargemont.
After further investigation, Craner was able to identify the painting as "Paysage Bords de Seine" (oil on canvas: 5 1/2 x 9 in), one of Renoir’s many river scenes painted along the Seine River near the towns of Bougival and Chatou.

 Anne Craner concluded the painting had been last purchased in 1926 from the Gallerie Bernheim-Jeune in Paris, one of the preeminent dealers of Renoir’s work, by international lawyer Herbert L. May, husband of Baltimore arts patron and collector Saidie Adler May. Mrs. May was an important benefactor of the Baltimore Museum of Art, donating over 300 works of art as well as funds to establish the museum’s Renaissance and Modern Art wings.

 In the words of Elizabeth Haynie Wainstein, owner of The Potomack Company, the painting’s journey is a rare story of a lost treasure found, now expected to fetch $75,000-100,000 at auction.
 The painting will be auctioned as Lot 1 on September 29th, included in the Sale 40 - September 29th/30th Auction at Main Gallery.

Closing exhibition: The Virtuous Creator. Joaquim Machado de Castro (1731-1822)

 Inaugurated on May 18th and presenting over one hundred items - sculptures, models, drawings and other important documents, from the museum's own colllection and from public and private ones - the exhibition "The Virtuous Creator. Joaquim Machado de Castro (1731-1822)" will close this September 30.

 Divided in eight sections and occupying the whole ground floor of the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (Lisbon, Portugal), this major retrospective (almost 60 years after the last one dedicated to the artist in 1954) provides the necessary elements to admire the work and learn about one of the most, if not the most, consagrated Portuguese sculptors of all times, Joaquim Machado de Castro.

 Author of mangers, his most known and visible scultpure is the Equestrian Statue of D. José, located in Terreiro do Paço, Lisbon. But during his long life - he died at the age of 91 - Machado de Castro created a renowned portfolio of works, including the Neptune's Fountain in Loreto, Lisbon (Fonte do Neptuno do Chafariz do Loreto), the sculptures of the Basílica da Estrela and Palácio da Ajuda, in Lisbon, the statue of D. Maria I (National Library) and the busts of the Cascata dos Poetas da Quinta do Marquês de Pombal, in Oeiras.

 Particular events led the sculptor to create religious imagery, of which are examples the Santa Ana Ensinando a Virgem a Ler (MNAA), a Virgem da Piedade (Capela Palatina de Salvaterra de Magos), São João Baptista (Igreja Matriz de Almeirim), Nossa Senhora da Encarnação (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Encarnação, Lisbon). He also sculpted funerary art, such as the tomb of D. Mariana de Áustria, in the former Real Hospício de S. João Nepomuceno and now Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, and the one of D. Mariana Vitória, in the Igreja de S. Francisco de Paula, located in the parish of Prazeres, Lisbon.

 Joaquim Machado de Castro started the first sculpture class in Portugal, with the purpose of training artists to colaborate in his workshop. He also fought for the awareness and appreciation of sculpture in the country.

 Commissioned by Ana Duarte Rodrigues e Anísio Franco, "The Virtuous Creator. Joaquim Machado de Castro (1731-1822)" exhibtion can be visited during the following schedule:

Tuesday - 14h00 - 17h30
Wednesday - Sunday - 10h00 - 17h30

The museum is closed on Monday, Easter Sunday and January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.

Regular admission is €5. Other price plans and discounts are available.

 On September 28th takes place the EPAL Day and the museum will be opened from 10h00 to 24h00 with free admission and on the 29th, the day before the closing, the public will be able to visit the exhibition until 24:00, with free admission after 18:00.

A free multimedia guide is available for smartphones and tablets at http://mnaa.overtour.pt

Map
Latitude: 38.704516
Longitude: -9.162278

ArtRio 2012

 Under the motto "Rio is Art. Everytime. Everywhere," the second edition of ArtRio will inaugurate this Thursday, September 13 (pre-opening for invited guests on the 12).

 After exceeding all expectations in its first edition, for 2012 the international contemporary art fair will occupy three warehouses and one outbuilding of the Mauá Pier,  translating into approximately 13,000m2, with 6,900m2 dedicated to international art.

 Gathering the collection of nearly one hundred national and international galleries, including names with worldwide reputation such as Gagosian, David Zwirner and White Cube, ArtRio is already considered abroad one of the major art fairs in Latin America.

 ArtRio will include diverse activities, such as the Panorama Program which will cover renowned galleries, with more than five years of establishment, with an active role in the art market, as well as the Solo Projects, featuring works by ten famous international artists, with the curatorship of Julieta González (who has worked for Tate Modern, the Alejandro Otero Museum of Caracas and the Whitney Museum of Nova York) and Pablo León de La Barra (art consultant, gallerist and active curator in the London market). The art fair will also feature highlights of the audiovisual production, curated by Carlos Duran, one of the Loop directors. Loop is a screen festival taking place in Barcelona.

 Lectures will take place during all days of the fair, in partnership with Casa do Saber, covering themes such as Art, Global Export; Curated Collection, Art Advisory: Focusing Brazil; etc

 Children were not forgoten and a Kids Area with art workshops for children coordinated by Daniel Azulay; Blooks Bookshop, promoting art book launches and free lectures; the Food Court (open until midnight) and intimate concerts overlooking the sea, are some of the activities available for younger ones with an appetite for art.

 Several parallel activities will occur during the fair, including ArtRio circuits around the city, enabling visitors the possibility to enhance their cultural experience.

 ArtRio 2012 can be visited from 13 to 16 September, at Mauá Pier, Warehouses 2, 3, 4 and 5, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

La Petite Escalère - International Residency Program Spring 2013

 Applications are open for La Petite Escalère's Spring 2013 residency program for international visual artists (Photographers and video artists are encouraged to apply)

 The program will last between April 30 and June 30, 2013 and will provide its residents with the opportunity to develop a specific project or pursue personal research in a unique setting and offers full accommodations, a weekly stipend and transportation to and from LPE.
 Located in the Southwest of France, on the banks of the Adour River, La Petite Escalère offers two residencies each year, one in the spring and one in the fall, each time hosting a single artist (two artists if developing a collaborative project) for a minimum of 1 week (2 for international artists) and up to 4 weeks at a time.

 Covering approximately 70 acres of marshland, meadows and wooded areas, LPE enables a close relation with nature and visual artst, naturally bringing up related artistic practices. Nonetheless, residential artists are invited to develop their own approaches and creations in an open and personal dialogue with LPE, its territory and heritage.
 No production is required at the end of the residency. Each resident is free of his/her time and work during his/her stay at LPE. But he or she agrees to dedicate half a day per week of residency to education programs, meeting and sharing with different groups around their work and experience.

 The application form must be sent by mail only and no later than October 15, 2012, together all the required documents. No reminder will be sent and no additional documents will be accepted. Incomplete applications will be discarded.

 Successful applicants will possess artistic excellence and commitment, affinity with LPE's missions and concerns. In order to facilitate the resident's stay at LPE and the outreach and education programs around his/her work,  the ability to speak French, English or Spanish is a must.

 The interview with pre-selected candidates will take place before December 15, 2012.
 A final notification will be sent no later than January 15, 2013

 Residents for the 2013 Spring Residency will be selected by LPE's Board, together with an artistic committee comprised of distinguished art professionals, artists and intellectuals.

Two categories of artists will be more specifically considered:

•On one hand emerging artists for whom such an experience would contribute to career development.
•On the other, established artists for whom LPE can offer a fresh approach to nature and sculpture.

A publication documenting the residencies and conceived in collaboration with the residents is published and distributed by LPE each year

NB: The Spring 2013 residency is limited to visual artists. Applications from other disciplines will not be accepted. For information about upcoming residencies, please check LPE's website.

Application for the Hodder Fellowship (2013–2014) at Princeton University

 Through its Lewis Center for the Arts academic unit, the Princeton University is offering the opportunity to creative people, including but not only, writers, composers, choreographers, visual artists, performance artists to pursue independent projects at Princeton University during the 2013-2014 academic year.

 Successful applicants for the Hodder Fellowship, will have shown exceptional promise and "much more than ordinary intellectual and literary gifts"; they will be selected more "for promise than for performance."
The most successful Fellows have published a first book or have similar achievements in their own fields; the Hodder is designed to provide Fellows with the "studious leisure" to undertake significant new work.
Hodder Fellows spend an academic year at Princeton, but no formal teaching is involved. Fellowships cannot fund work leading to the Ph.D.
A 68,000 USD 10-month stipend will be provided.

Applicants should label each item submitted on-line and/or via mail with their name and genre (ex: writer/fiction, writer/playwright, visual artist, choreographer etc.).  As always, read the submission instructions carefully and according to your field, to avoid disapointment.
The submission deadline is November 1, 2012.
You need not be a U.S. citizen to apply and there's no age limit (according to information provided on the phone).

 Applications for the Hodder Fellowship/Visiting Fellow-Hodder Fellow (2013-2014 academic year) can be submited on this page.
If you need to edit your application information before applying for a position, please click on the Edit Application link on the left-hand side of margin. You will not be allowed to change your application information after you have applied for a particular position.
For a more complete information, please consult the 'jobs at Princeton' page.

The Cecilia Prize: Restore Your Own Ecce Homo

 Soon after the mishap done by Cecilia Giménez when she tried to restore the Jesus Christ fresco entitled " Ecce Homo" (Behold the Man), painted by Elias Garcia Martinez over 100 years ago in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza, news started spreading through the internet, provoking all sort of reactions from perplexity to merriment. There's even a petition circulating on the internet to keep the painting as it is.

 Now the BBH London creative team Viv Yapp and AK Parker, decided to create The Cecilia Prize for amateur restoration. A prize that invites you to daub away at the original painting and "restore" it to the best of your ability and creativity.

  After completing their work, the 'fixers' should tweet their masterpieces with the hashtag #ceciliaprize for a chance to win a poster of world famous Cecilia's "restored" Ecce Homo.
There is a gallery at Pinterest showing the already submited pieces.

 On this other website, you can take a photo of yourself using your webcam and be the Ecce Homo.

"Mitos y Mitotes" at the Mexican Embassy in Portugal

 From 12 September through 10 November de 2012, the Mexican Embassy in Portugal, presents the collective exhibition "Mitos y Mitotes."

 In collaboration with the Colectivo Cultural Vallarta (city Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) and commissioned by Maria José Zorrilla, the exhibition gathers the artwork of 26 artists working in different mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography and sound landscape. Photos of the old and recent history of the city, accompany the exhibition and serve as support to the works presented by the artists.

 "Mitos y Mitotes" showcases the plurality evident in the cultural diversity of a city with nearly 161 years of existence, named after Ignacio Vallarta, a former governor of Jalisco. A city that differs itself from the majority of Mexican cities, it's during the 1960s and early 1970s that Puerto Vallarta starts its trajectory toward becoming a major resort destination.

 The exhibition can be visited Monday through Friday, from 9h00 to 18h00. Free admitance.

 The Mexican Embassy in Portugal is located in Lisbon, at Estrada de Monsanto, 78.

Last days to see "Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective" at The Art Institute of Chicago

                                    Roy Lichtenstein. Ohhh...Alright..., 1964

 Until September September 3, 2012, you still have the rare opportunity to see the ever assembled largest group of drawings, paintings, and sculptures by Roy Lichetenstein, organized by The Art Institute of Chicago. Comprising more than 160 works, "Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective" offers a full scope of the artist's process, interests, and ambitions.

 A catalogue with nine essays by leading critics and scholars; an extensive timeline of Lichtenstein’s life and career, filled with archival images; and 172 color plates, accompains the exhibition.

 Painter, sculptor, and printmaker, throughout his career, Lichtenstein dedicated himself to explore different styles, including Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism and Art Deco design, always transforming them into something completely his own. Better than any other, he defined the basic premise of pop through parody, often in a tongue-in-cheek humorous manner.

 Due to its success, the exhibition can be visited until 8:00 p.m. from Friday, August 31, through Monday, September 3. Please use the Michigan Avenue entrance after 5:00 p.m.

 "Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective" is curated by James Rondeau, Dittmer Chair and Curator of the Department of Contemporary Art.

 On November 8, 2011, Lichtenstein's "I Can See the Whole Room…and There's Nobody in It!" (1961), was sold for $43,202,500 (₤26,785,550/€31,105,800), setting an auction record for the artist.

Gravesend Art Group Annual Exhibition 2012

The Gravesend Art Group will be holding its annual exhibition at the St Andrew's Art's Centre, Royal Pier Road, Gravesend

 Work exhibited will be in a variety of mediums ie watercolour, oil, acrylic, and textile, covering a wide range of subject matter. This year much was given over to Charles Dickens and some of the work exhibited will be Dickens related.
The majority of work will be for sale.

 Also for sale will be post cards and greetings cards (of work done by our members), together with books, of poetry etc (again work done by our members)

 The Gravesend Art Group Annual Exhibition can be visited  from Saturday 25 August to Sunday 2 September 2012.
On weekends and Bank Holiday from 10am to 6pm,  and on week days from 12 noon to 6pm.
Admission is free.

 A preview evening for invited guests will take place on Friday, 24 August. The mayor elect of Gravesham, Councillor Lyn Miller will be opening the exhibition.

Elderly woman botches Jesus Christ painting in restoration attempt

Provided with the best intentions, Cecilia Giménez decided to restore a Jesus Christ fresco in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
 Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), painted by Elias Garcia Martinez over 100 years ago, was in a state of deterioration due to moisture and according to the woman, the saltpetre rot was going to cause even more damaged unless she did something.

 According to her granddaughter Teresa García, she had already made some retouches on the tunic before.
The problem is that this time the unskillful 'restorer' decide to go for the head and the result was disastrous.
One could say that if an austronaut had gone on a voyage through the galaxy and comeback, and the first thing he saw had been the restored painting, he would have thought that he had landed on the Planet of the Apes.

 After realizing what she had done, the woman soon contacted Juan Maria Ojeda, the city councillor in charge of cultural affairs, who recognized that she had good intentions. However he also said that it's a situation that be dealt with impunity.

 The Ayuntamiento de Borja (Zaragoza) and the descents are discussing eventual legal actions. But the Government of Aragon has already reported that there's no foreseable legal action to take place on thneir initiative, since  Martinez' Ecce Homo is not an officially classified work of art, therefore not of their competence.



 Experts will meet with Cecilia Giménez to try to understand what kind of materials she used, in the hope that the fresco may be restored; due to its already previous state of deterioration, this will prove to be a difficult task. Although the  itself is not very valuable, it holds a high sentimental value for local people.
The author of the clumsy act is a woman in her 80s with a disabled 60 year-old son at her expenses.

Nature in America: Taming the Landscape

 

Until the 26 of this month, you are still on time to see a major exhibition of paintings, drawings, photographs, and prints—many rarely or never shown—of the American landscape. From the works by early artists of the Hudson River School through the mid-twentieth-century ones, before abstract expressionism changed the artistic dynamic.

 Presented by the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, "Nature in America: Taming the Landscape," comprises forty-four works on view, of which forty-two belong to the Art Center's permanent collection.

 The exhibition is arranged throughout three galleries, as to offer a better perception to the visitors, of the different interpretations of the American landscape from the depiction of the largely wilderness, passing through more intimate scenes after the Civil War, and until the early-20th-century with works inspired by the art of European modernists.

 The first part, entitled  "The Young Nation and Expansion: Domesticating the Wild," includes among other renowned artists, the names of Aaron Draper Shattuck, Andrew Joseph Russell, Frank Jay Haynes, Jervis McEntee, Thomas Doughty, Thomas Cole, and William Henry Jackson.

 Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, that is to say, a wilderness that is becoming more rare in Europe, is offered to the artists of the Hudson River School and to the early Western photographers.
Their paintings convey a sublime and romanticized landscape inspired by the dramatic American wilderness.

 After this, the visitor is taken to "After the Civil War: Softening the Face of Nature," a period during which a considerable number of painters, printmakers, and photographers in the United States, started creating more atmospheric up-close and intimate depictions of nature, with growing emphasis on strong passages and veils of color.

American painters start following the style of artists such as Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot and Theodore Rousseau, depicting an informal and vibrant landscape. It is also during this time that artists embrace a new way of painting, brought by those working in Europe: En Plein Air
These paintings often show the influences of the French Impressionsists, exhibiting luminous and color-saturated palletes.

In this section, one can find the works of Abbott H. Thayer, Coswell Rubincam, Daniel Garber, Dwight William Tryon, Henry Wolf, George Inness, John Francis Murphy, and Milton Avery among others.

 The exhibition ends with "The Progressive Era through the World Wars: Breaking Nature Apart."
In this part, one can perceive the depiction of masses, planes paterns and colours in the interpretation of the landscape. A style inspired by Matisse, Picasso and other European Modernists.
It's the first half of the twentieth century, a period of reformist politics and new ideas in the arts.

 Among the artists included in this section, some from the Woodstock Art Colony, are the renowned names of Andrew Dasburg, Ansel Adams, Arthur Dove, Ernest Fiene, John Marin, Rosella Hartman, and William Zorach.

 The exhibtion "Nature in America: Taming the Landscape" is sponsored by the Evelyn Metzger Exhibition Fund and can be visited until August 26,2012 at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, located at the entrance to the historic Vassar College campus.
Admission is free and open to the public. All galleries are wheelchair accessible.
The Art Inquirer consulted  the Dutchess County Tourism website as a resource for this article

World Photography Day 2012

The World Photography Day project was founded in 2009 and since then has grown to be global.
It celebrates photography not only as an artistic expression, but also as a medium that revolutionized the world as we see it and how we represent it - let's not forget the influences between painting and photography, especially in still-lifes.

 Photography has made possible to everyone to record moments of their lives, meaningful events, historical happenings. With recent technology it's possible to take a photo anytime at any place and share with everyone. It has become so common that we often overlook its importance.

 On April 19, the World Photography Day is celebrated by amateur and professional photographers worldwide. They capture scenes and moments that remind us how the world is beautiful and how life can be great. Around these days, the organizers of the project welcome everyone to enter the World Photography Day Competition 2012, with prizes to win.

 Video didn't kill the radio star and it didn't kill photography either.

2012 Contemporary Art Fair, American Craft Show NYC & Art Off The Main

 New York's Fall art scene will stage under the same roof at the Javits Center from 19 to 21 October, three events that will bring to the public the artwork of nearly 250 artists and artisans occupying 70,000 square feet of space at the 2012 Contemporary Art Fair NYC, American Craft Show NYC and Art Off The Main.

 The Contemporary Art Fair NYC will show the artwork of established and emerging painters, photographers, sculptors and artists working in mixed media, presenting itself as an opportunity to follow the work of your favourite artists, discover new ones and keep up with the contemporary art market.

 At the American Craft Show NYC, visitors will be able to get in touch with the latest developments and creations in fashion, jewelry and accessories as well as furniture, ceramics, glass, wood, metal and textiles.
It will also be a moment to meet some of the artisans and discuss present and future trends.

 Both the Contemporary Art Fair NYC and the American Craft Show NYC celebrate their third year and were launched by Richard and Joanna Rothbard of American Art Marketing, who have directed art fairs and craft shows for over 30 years.

 This year marks the first time that the Art Off the Main joins the art fair and craft show.
Founded by Loris Crawford, owner of Savacou Fine Arts Gallery, and launched in 2004, and most recently in an online format, Art Off the Main is a showcase for paintings, drawings, graphics, sculpture and installations by artists of Caribbean, African and Latin American ancestry, featuring artists from 20 countries including the United States.

 In a globalized world, art collectors are discovering new talents from emerging art markets, namely from Latin countries. Art Off the Main presents itself as a venue where to discover new names.

 The 2012 Contemporary Art Fair NYC, American Craft Show NYC and Art Off the Main can be visited during the following schedule:

Friday October 19, 2pm - 7pm

Saturday October 20, 10am - 7pm

Sunday October 21, 10am - 4pm
Where: Javits Center, Hall 1A—11th Avenue and 39th Street.
Visit this page for directions.

Tickets: Adults: $14 Seniors: $13: Students: $8 Children under 10: Free
One ticket opens three doors to the juried events.

The Academy of Reciprocal Enlightenment, Shanghai Biennale 2012 - Call for Applications

 The Shanghai Biennale 2012 will occur under the theme Reactivation, interpretating among other aspects the social mobilization and structure of community, as well as  the critical role of education.

 With the purpose of offering a broad view upon these subjects, the curatorial team determined to include lectures, seminars and other communication events into the framework of a short-term training program that will take place this autumn.

 The program is named “the Academy of Reciprocal Enlightenment”, as “Academy” refers to a Platonic-style community of wisdom and criticism. It embodies our educational philosophy: education is a self-governing action by learner communities, which serve as a platform of exchanges and dissemination of opinions.

 Art Writer/Journalist Workshop; Curatorial Practice Workshop; IMMERSION - Art

Technology Workshops, are the three choices available for those who wish to participate in the program. Each workshop is explained in detail, together with the qualification and application requirements.

 Although the Shanghai Biennale will grant tuition and accommodation to all of the selected participants for the entire course in Shanghai, these will be responsible for their round-trip airfares to and from Shanghai, visa fee and living expenses (meal and local car fare) during their stay.

 Participants should read all the details about the workshops that they wish to frequent and contact the organizer in case of any doubt.

 This can be a great opportunity to gain experience and advance your artistic career, especially when the East and Middle East are assuming an indubitable role in the art market and this program will give you a closer view about their perspective. You will also have the chance to share your ideas with others like you and learn from theirs.

"Corto Maltese: Viagem à Aventura" - The artwork of Hugo Pratt

The followers of the worldwide famous comic character Corto Maltese, who is also a reference of the 20th century literature, have the opportunity to see the work of his creator, the renowned Venitian illustrator Hugo Pratt.

 Presented by the Fundação Eugénio de Almeida and commissioned by Stefano Cecchetto and Cristina Taverna, the exhibition "Corto Maltese: Viagem à Aventura" brings to the public, 51 works of art - watercolours, gouache and Indian ink - portraying one of the many adventures of the errant Maltese captain: starting in Venice and passing through Africa, from Samarkand to Polynesia and from the Caribbbean to the Isla Escondida.

 Created in 1967, Corto Maltese is an eponymous character, a romantic anti-hero faithful to his ideals, a restless traveler always looking for remote places to explore, crossing moments of history as his witness.
 Through the adventures of his most famous creation, this exhibition helps the public to become familiarized with the immense work of Hugo Pratt.

"Corto Maltese: Viagem à Aventura" can be visited at the Fórum Eugénio de Almeida (Évora, Portugal), daily between 9h30 and 19h00, until December 2, 2012.    Guided tours, educational services, workshops and family activities at a symbolic price, are available through previous appointment. A Portuguese/English catalogue can also be aquired for €20.

Christie's to auction The Collection of Hélène Rochas

           Andy Warhol 'pink' portrait of Hélène Rochas (1 of 4), 1974 (c) Christie's Images Limited 2012

Chrisitie's will be offering at auction in Paris on 27 September 2012, following a pre-sale public exhibition from 11 to 26 (except on Sundays) of the same month, The Collection of Hélène Rochas, also known as ‘la belle Hélène’ or ‘la belle Madame Rochas’.
 The collection comprises art works from the Modern and Post-War eras; exquisite examples from the Art Deco period, important furniture and European objets d’art as well as Old Master and 19th century paintings and drawings.

 Set aside from the big aristocratic collections as well as from those amassed by the French financial and industrial bourgeoisie,  Rochas' preferences were influenced by wealthy foreigners, aesthetes, and collectors who followed the examples of Carlos de Beistegui, Arturo Lopez-Willshaw, Antenor Patiño or even took inspiration from the more modern tastes of Eugénia Errázuriz and Cole Porter.

Alongside her friends Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé, Hélène Rochas was one of the first to start an important Art Deco collection. Among the acquired artworks and objects, now to be offered at auction, are a torchère serpent, created by Edouard Marcel Sandoz in 1931 (estimate: €25,000-30,000); a floor lamp by Edgar Brandt & Daum (estimate: €40,000-60,000), Deux masques, circa 1925 by Jean Lambert-Rucki and inlayed with egg shell by Jean Dunand (estimate: €60,000-80,000), as well as four works by Diego Giacometti, led by a Berceau coffee-table circa 1963 (estimate: €60,000-80,000). She explained she found a “dreamlike potential” in the period.

An important sale of her Art Deco collection was organised at Christie’s Monaco in 1990.

 In 1974, while living in New York, she commissioned four portraits by Andy Warhol (each estimated at €200,000-300,000), and also acquired Ben Nicholson’s 1933 abstract painting "Fiddle and Spanish Guitar", a testimony to the Abstract movements that led the 1930s art scene (estimate: €300,000-500,000). This work was displayed in her Paris apartment facing a striking Neoclassical sofa previously owned by Arturo Lopez-Willshaw, who had acquired it at the age of just 16 (estimate: €12,000-18,000). It was flanked with a pair neoclassical ormolu and lac burgaute candelabras, from Harewood Castle in England (estimate: €100,000-150,000).

 A magnificent 151 x 94 cm life-size Portrait of Lucien Guitry by Edouard Vuillard (estimate: €150,000-250,000), which was featured as number 303 in the Vuillard retrospective at the Grand Palais, Paris September 2003-January 2004, dominated the entrance hall of her Parisian apartment on rue Barbet de Jouy, in the elegant 7^th arrondissement.
 The living room was presided over by Braunes Schweigen, a 1925 oil painting by Wassily Kandinsky, which hung above a sofa (estimate: €1,5 million-2 million). A large 1954 terracotta vase by Picasso (estimate: €40,000-60,000) stood on one of a pair of Neoclassical side tables (estimate: €80,000-120,000).

The petit salon was the area where Madame Rochas hosted friends and guests, presenting them with a large Balthus painting, Japanese woman with red table, 1967-76, which hung over the entire wall (estimate: €3 million-5 million; dimensions: 144 x 192.2 cm). The work represents Setsuko Ideta, the painter’s second wife, whom he met in Rome, after he was appointed director of the Academy of France at the Villa Medici, and married in 1967. This relationship had a considerable influence on his art, and Setsuko became his muse, adopting a traditional Far-Eastern style. In the same room, above the fire-place sat an important flower bouquet by Jean Fautrier (estimate: €60,000-80,000) once part of the André Malraux Collection.

 Both the exhbition and sale will take place at Christie’s, 9 avenue Matignon 75008 Paris.
 The Collection of Hélène Rochas (sale 3538) is estimated to realise 8 million euros.

Alcarte 2012 opens today

 The colective exhibition Alcarte opens today at 18h00 (GMT) in the City Hall Museum Center of Sacred Art, inside the Misericórdia Church of Alcochete (Núcleo de Arte Sacra do Museu Municipal, na Igreja da Misericórdia de Alcochete), located near 30kms south of Lisbon and easily accessible through the Vasco de Gama bridge.

 Entitled “Alcarte – 30 anos” to celebrate its 30th anniversary, the event includes over 60 works, comprising painting, sculpture, drawing, photography and screenprinting. One of the highlights of the 2012 edition is the participation of young artists through the “Alcarte Júnior 2012” initiative.

 The exhibition can be visited until September 9, during the following hours: Tuesday (14h00 - 17h30); Wednesday to Friday (10h30 - 12h30 and 14h00 - 17h30); Saturday (14h30 - 18h30); Sunday (10h30 - 12h30 and 14h30 - 18h30). Closed on Monday.


 During the "Festas do Barrete Verde e das Salinas" celebrations, the Alcarte – 30 anos can be visited at extended hours:

10 of August - 18h00 - 24h00

11 and 12 of August - 20h30 - 24h00

13 of August - 14h00 - 18h00 and 20h30 - 24h00

14 of August - 20h30 - 24h00

15 of August - 15h00 - 18h00 and 20h30 às 24h00

16 of August - 20h30 - 24h00

14th annual Pastel 100 Competition (2012)

Considered one of the most relevant art competitions for pastel artists all over the world, offering them the chance of having their work recognized and seen by the public and fellow artists from several countries, the annual Pastel 100 competition is again open for submissions.

 Following what has been usual in previous ones, the 2012 edition allows participants to enter in as many categories as they wish. Each category will be juried and the best works will be awarded with cash prizes and art materials.

 The Pastel Journal prizes will be awarded as follows:

$5000 cash for the Pastel Journal Grand Prize Award
$2500 cash for the Pastel Journal Gold Medal Award
$1500 cash for the Pastel Journal Silver Medal Award
$1000 cash for the Pastel Journal Bronze Medal Award

 The Ruth Richeson/Unison Pastels special award will be attributed to an artist, who will take home a set of Unison pastels (324 pieces, value $1,800) + $750 worth of Richeson Co. products.

 As mentioned before, artists are able to enter as many categories as they wish.
The 14th annual Pastel 100 Competition offers five categories, each one juried by a renowned pastel artist: Landscape & Interior—Liz Haywood-Sullivan; Portrait/Figure—Alain Picard; Still Life/Floral—Anne McGrory; Animal/Wildlife—Sandy Byers;Abstract/Non-objective—Jennifer Gardner



The Jack Richeson/Unison Pastels Category Awards:


■5 First Place Awards—valued at $500 72 piece Unison Pastel set, plus pastel surfaces

■5 Second Place Awards—valued at $250 36 piece Unison Pastel set, plus pastel surfaces

■5 Third Place Awards—valued at $150 18 piece Unison Pastel set, plus pastel surfaces

■5 Fourth Place Awards—valued at $100 36 piece Richeson soft pastel set, plus pastel surfaces

■5 Fifth Place Awards—valued at $50 18 piece Richeson pastel set, plus pastel surfaces


 All top prize winners and place winners will receive features in Pastel Journal (April 2013 issue).

70 honourable mentions will be awarded and an image and information about each painting will be published in Pastel Journal.

 The 14th annual Pastel 100 Competition is open to all artists worldwide, with 16 years of age or older.
Submited work must be at least 80% soft pastel; no oil pastels. Hard pastels are eligible.
All works must be original in concept and cannot be based on published material or other artists’ work. Paintings executed in a workshop under another artist‘s supervision or paintings based on another person’s photograph (even if it’s copyright-free) are NOT eligible.
Employees or associates of F+W Media, Inc., Jack Richeson & Co. Inc., or their immediate families may not enter.
Work previously published in a national publication or receiving an award at a national-level exhibition at the time of submission to this contest is not eligible.

 Entries can be made online or via regular mail. All digital files submitted via regular mail must be accompanied by an Official entry form. Participants that choose to enter in more than one category must include a separate sheet that gives the title and dimensions of each image and titles of the images on the CD must match the titles on that sheet. One CD can be used for all entries. CDs will not be returned.
The file format must be JPEG and slides are not accepted.
Artists selected for the Top 100 will be contacted about sending a high-res replacement.

 Each entry must be accompanied by $20 per image, payable through credit card number and signature, check or money order (in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank). A single check can be used to cover all entries. There will be a $10 charge for returned checks or declined credit cards. Credit cards will be charged within 90 days of contest deadline. Charge will appear as “F+W Contests.”

 Entries must be postmarked or submitted online no later than 11:59 pm EST August 15, 2012.

 Winners will be notified by October 31, 2012. The results will not otherwise be made public until they are published in Pastel Journal (April 2013 issue).

 As usual, The Art Inquirer advises you to carefully read all the submission rules before submiting your work in order to avoid disapointment due to a single rule that you missed.

Remains found beneath the floor of a convent in Florence may belong to Mona Lisa

 It all began last year, when a team of archaeologists started digging at the abandoned Convent of Saint Ursula (St.Orsola), where they would soon discover a female human skull along with other fragments of human ribs and vertebrae five feet under the convent's original floor. For the team, that crypt located under the remains of the altar, was Lisa Gherardini's final resting place.
However, the digging works were suspended due to the lack of funds and only recently, the team of archaelogists was able to resume their work.

 According to archaelogist Silvano Vinceti, who is in charge of the dig , his search in the convent was based on church records found by historian Giuseppe Pallanti a few years ago. Records from 1495 mention a crypt that was accessed by the archaelogists via a grate followed by a staircase. The second crypt found by the team, where they believe to be the bones belonging to Mona Lisa, is mentioned in the records from 1625.

 During his extensive research, Pallanti found several significant documents, including Francesco del Giocondo's will, where he asked his younger daughter Marietta to take care of his "beloved wife" Lisa.
Marietta was one of the couple's five children and at the time of the will had become a nun, thus she brought her mother to the nearby convent of Saint Ursula, where she would remain for the rest of her life.

 Pallanti found in the church archive, a document known as "Book of the Dead," where it states the following: "Lisa di Francesco del Giocondo died on July 15, 1542 and was buried in Sant'Orsola."
The document noted that the whole parish turned out to her funeral, demonstrating that Lisa was renowned among the Florentine society.

 Vinceti said that the newly discovered remains will undergo DNA testing, radiocarbon dating and hystological analysis. Comparisons will eventually be made with the DNA of Lisa's children Bartomoleo and Piero, who are buried in the church of Santissima Annunziata in Florence.

 Should the tests confirm that those bones belong to a female skeleton, according to Silvano Vinceti there will be two possibilites: Either they belong to Lisa Gherardini or to the noblewoman Maria del Riccio, since according to historic records, only these two women, who were not nuns, were given special burials in the convent.

 In the outcame of a positive confirmation that not only the bones but also the skull belong to Lisa Gherardini, forensic artists will attempt to reconstruct her face to see how it compares with the portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci near 500 years ago. Maybe it will also help to solve or at least shed some light upon Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile.

 Known in Italy as La Giconda or La Joconde in France, Lisa Gherardini (June 15, 1479 - July 15, 1542) was married to the wealthy Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. Among the experts exists the concensus that she was the inspiring muse who posed for the most famous portrait in the world: Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.