International Day for Monuments and Sites 2014

Today is the International Day for Monuments and Sites, with "Heritage of Commemoration" being chosen as the 2014's theme.

 ICOMOS Committees and other organizers from over 40 countries are offering several cultural activities to alert the public on the importance of the cultural heritage and the need for its preservation.

 Not only monuments and museums provide tangible forms of heritage. Mausoleums, monumental sculptures, cemeteries or memorial gardens, are also carriers of memory of the human experience. They contribute to the commemoration and transmission of values which include history. This heritage also includes elements that were given a commemorative value; for example, ruins or industrial vestiges accompanied by dedication plaques, or public squares whose toponymy commemorates a historical event or individual.

 The choice of "Heritage of Commemoration" was partly inspired by the centennial of the beginning of the Great World War of 1914-1918. The theme is an opportunity to present those constructions that have been intentionally created with the purpose of commemorating an event, a person, an idea, etc.

 ICOMOS ( International Council on Monuments and Sites) works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places. It is the only global non-government organisation of this kind, which is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to the conservation of the architectural and archaeological heritage.

Frieze New York 2013 - Contemporary Art Fair

 

Designed by SO – IL architects and sponsored by Deutsche Bank, the second edition of Frieze New York, contemporary art fair, is being held at New York’s Randall’s Island Park until tomorow May 13, 2013.

 Realized annually at Frieze New York and curated by Cecilia Alemani, this year's Frieze Projects program includes seven specially commissioned projects, for which five participating artists were invited to conceive site-specific works that either react to the exceptional location of Randall’s Island or engage with the experience of the fair.
The 2013 invited artists are: Andra Ursuta, Liz Glynn, Maria Loboda, Marianne Vitale and Mateo Tannatt.

 The program also features a special tribute to legendary artist-run restaurant FOOD, originally conceived by Gordon Matta-Clark and Carol Goodden in 1971. With a menu that changes daily, the artists chefs at FOOD 1971/2013 are: Matthew Day Jackson, Carol Goodden, Tina Girouard and Jonathan Horowitz.

 This year's Frieze Projects program includes a literary project entitled Frieze Story, this year with an original text by novelist Ben Marcus.
Interviews with all the commissioned artists, plus a special homage to FOOD as a continuing source of inspiration, appear in the Frieze New York Catalogue, which is available to purchase at the fair, and via frieze.com, and is priced: $39.95 / £24.95 / €30.77.

 Visitors to the Art Fair will have the chance to appreciate the work of sculptors from around the world, including Paul McCarthy’s Balloon Dog (2013), an 80-foot-high inflatable work.
Fiona Connor, Style Guide Spa (2013); Saint Clair Cemin, Fotini (2013); Martha Friedman, Amygdalas (2013); and Nick Van Woert, Primitive (2013) are also among the artists exhibiting at the Sculpture Park, located along the waterfront of Randall’s Island and overlooking the East River
Also on show will be works by artists: Tom Burr, Tom Friedman, Andreas Lolis, Charles Long, Jason Meadows, Pae White and Franz West. The Sculpture Park at Frieze New York is selected by curator Tom Eccles.

 Artists Charles Atlas and the New Humans, Trisha Baga and Haroon Mirza, were invited to create the three commissioned audio works for the second edition of Frieze Sounds, programmed and curated by Cecilia Alemani and presented with BMW. The sound works will be premiered in the BMW 7 Series cars that operate the VIP shuttle services from Randall’s Island.
Additionally, the works will be accessible at friezenewyork.com, available to download since May 10, 2013, and at a listening station within the fair.

 Frieze Talks is a daily program of presentations, panel discussions and conversations with leading artists, writers and cultural commentators. Frieze Talks 2013 is programmed by editors of frieze Dan Fox (Co-Editor) and Sam Thorne (Associate Editor).
This year’s participants include: Douglas Crimp, Lydia Davis, Joan Jonas and John Maus.

 Because education is an important part of our lives, this 2013 edition includes the Frieze New York Education, a space that enables public school classes and museum groups to further explore the fair through workshops.
psonsored by Deutsche Bank and held in a dedicated structure the program is devised by Free Arts NYC and 826NYC who together produce a dynamic context for students ranging from 4th–12th grade to explore notions of contemporary art and color. The guide and space centers around color theory and contemporary art. A creative documentation of the workshops will be made via a Frieze Education tumblr page.

 Gary Hattem, President of the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, said of the Education program: ‘This new educational component is a chance for children to interact with art from around the world in their own backyard.’

 The 2013 edition of Frieze New York includes a selection of over 180 of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries. A strong contingent of US galleries is particularly in evidence, with 55 participating galleries from the fair’s host city. Galleries from the following 32 countries will show at Frieze New York 2013: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey, UAE, UK and USA.

 Emerging galleries will be participating in the Focus and Frame sections of the fair. Focus is for galleries less than ten years old debuting works previously unseen in an art-fair context.
Focus galleries will show curated projects or solo stands conceived for Frieze New York. Frame is a section dedicated to galleries established less than six years ago and, this year, is supported by Joe Fresh. The Frame galleries selection is made on the basis of a proposed solo presentation and has been advised by curators Rodrigo Moura and Tim Saltarelli.

 A Stand Prize in the value of $15,000, was presented on Thursday 9 May to the most innovative gallery stand at the fair. The award was sponsored by Champagne Pommery and judged by an international panel of curators: Juan A. Gaitán (Curator 8th Berlin Biennale); Naomi Beckwith (Marilyn and Larry Fields Curator, MCA Chicago); Jeffrey Grove (The Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, Dallas Museum of Art).

 Tickets to Frieze New York 2013 are on sale for $26 and can be bought online friezenewyork.com/visitors/tickets. Please note: to ensure the best experience for all visitors, tickets are limited and only available in advance.
 Frieze ferry services run from the 35th Street Ferry Dock on the East River every 15 minutes during fair opening hours and take approximately 20 minutes. $12.50 round-trip including booking fee. Tickets only available in advance.

 Frieze bus services run from outside the Guggenheim Museum on 5th Avenue between 88th and 89th Streets approximately every 10 minutes during fair opening hours. $5.50 round-trip including booking fee. Tickets only available in advance.

 Visitors should visit this page for further information.

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.

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.

Art in The Square Delray Beach 2012

 From 19th to 21st October 2012, the grounds of Old School Square Cultural Arts Center, located in Delray Beach, Florida, will once again host the artwork of contemporay artists from United States.

 In the likeness of previous editions, the 3rd annual Art in The Square Delray Beach art festival aims to enhance the relation between artists and the community. Through this event, RP&G Productions, one of South Florida's premier event planning companies, pretends to benefit local youth art programs and the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, while continuously developing programs and activities that encourage public awareness, participation, and appreciation of the visual arts, contributing to the community's revitalization via the arts.

 With the mission of making art an active part of the lives of children in all South Florida communities,  RP&G Productions provides financial support to local community based youth art programs and children charities by allocating a percentage of the proceeds from all its events.

 Art in The Square Delray Beach permits established artists to show their latest works and is an excellent opportunity for new and emerging artists to start gaining recognition from the public and start building their artistic career.

 According to the information at the official website, the applications after June 2 will not be eligible to receive awards by the juri and payments after July 2 will be charged a $20.00 late fee, besides the regular participation fees.

 If you still wish to participate, carefully check all the items that you need to submit. Also don't forget to read all the terms and conditions, as you always should when entering any art contest or festival.
A contact form and a phone number are provided in case you have any doubts.

arte#ocupaSM - International Art Event

Situated in the heritage site Vila Belga (Belgian Village) in Santa Maria, Brazil, the old building that hosted the Rio Grande do Sul Railway's Administration, will once again breathe life thanks to arte#ocupaSM.

Between 29th May and 2nd June 2012, the event will occupy the building with exhibitions, performances and interventions by near 40 artists from Brazil and abroad. Several meetings will be led by curators, researchers and architects.
Parallel eventswill include live transmission of arte#ocupaSM in Colombia, Spain and city of São Paulo, as well as workshops during the morning period in the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria.

The event will focus on how art can be created and presented having in consideration the venue where is hosted (whether inside or outside) and the dynamic that will exist in an exhibition where several artists will present their works in conjunction or at different time intervals.

Schedule:

Tuesday (29/05) through Thursday (31/05), from 13:00 to 22:00
Non-stop from Friday ( 01/06) 13:00 through Saturday ( 02/06) 12:00pm

arte#ocupaSM is organized by Grupo Momentos-específicos in collaboration with individual, collective and institutional support.

In disuse since 1997, Vila Belga was projected by the Belgian engineer Gustave Vouthier and built from 1901 through 1903, with the purpose of serving as residence for the workers of the Belgian "Compagnie Auxiliare des Chamins de Fer au Brésil", who came to build the railways.

Festa na Baixa (Party in Downtown) Porto 2012

Promoted by the CNC - Núcleo do Porto, the 7th edition of Festa na Baixa (Party in Downtown) is once again taking place throughout the city of Oporto (Portugal).

The event will last until the 26th of May and will include many cultural activities covering multiple areas such as dance, music, theatre, visual arts, street performances, exhibitions, workshops, pedipapers, conferences, tertulias, guided visits, etc. All events with free admission (reserve may be necessary because of limited places).

Many artists and several cultural institutions are participating in the Festa na Baixa in Oporto 2012, bringing the cultural experience to everyone, often showing how different media may complement each other and how the arts can play an important role in society and make citizens life more pleasurable.

The cultural agenda is available for consulting in Portuguese.
Further information can be obtain through Ângela Faria agfaria@gmail.com or calling (351) 96 137 17 60 (cell phone).

Espaço Berna: a new arts venue in Lisbon

Recently inaugurated with an exhibition of works by Ana Navas, Arlander Peralta, Boanova Dias and Céu Lopes, the Espaço Berna was born from the idea of Céu Lopes to share her taste for the arts together with other artists and the public.

Located in Lisbon at Av. de Berna, 56-C, right in front of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, this new space will include in a near future a painting atelier with regular classes, art workshops, lectures and exhibitions.

One of the main objectives of the Espaço Berna is to reveal the art of emerging artists who often have difficulty in having their works exhibited in galleries.

The place can be visited Tuesday - Saturday (15h00-19h00)

Apply for the MONA Scholarship 2012

Emerging Tasmanian artists are invited to apply for the AUD $12,500 MONA Scholarship 2012.

The money granted by the Scholarship is to be used to buy art materials and equipment for an exhibition at MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) 12 months after receiving it. The exhibition will be held at the Mona Library Gallery, and the museum will select one piece for its permanent collection. The remainder of the works can be sold to the public, with the artist keeping the profit.

The 2012 MONA Scholarship winner will be announced on June 28, 2012 at Mona Library Gallery during Alyssa Simone's opening exhibition. Alyssa is a multi-media artist from Bruny Island, Tasmania and was the 2011 winner. She will exhibit between 6pm and 8pm.
Applications must be posted or delivered by hand to MONA by 5pm Friday 1 June 2012.
The winner will be advised by email in due time.
 
Please read all the participating rules carefully before submiting your application. And if you are not selected, don't worry. There are other ways of getting there.

‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ Los Angeles 2012

‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ was created by artist Luke Jerram and since it started touring in 2008, soon caught the attention of the international artistic community.
The event has taken place in several cities worldwide, encouraging the interaction between the public and the artists, often unveiling unknown talents.



For 3 weeks that started on April 12, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra brings ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ to L.A.
Local artists and community organizations were invited to decorate 30 pianos that are featured across Los Angeles County and are at hand for everyone to play, in celebration of acclaimed conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane’s 15th anniversary as LACO music director.

On April 26th at 8:45pm, the one night only pop-up tribute Love Letters to LA: Pianos Live, will take place around the piano located outside of the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Kicking off the final week of the pianos’ LA visit, this admission free concert will feature stripped down, unplugged performances by over a dozen local artists. Each artist will perform one song – a cover of their choosing of what “Los Angeles” means to them. The event is produced by karmeck Productions and James Gannon with support from LACO, Tadpole Audio, and the Egyptian Theatre.



A page was especially created for ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ Los Angeles 2012, where people can learn more about this project, find the location of the pianos across L.A. and are invited to submit their photos, videos and stories about the event.

3rd Annual Medford Children's Art Showcase

Until the 18th of March 2012, the Meadow Glenn Mall is displaying the artwork created by the 3rd and 7th graders of Medford, Massachusetts. This year's exhibition also includes the works from Medford High School students.

Coordinated by local volunteers and supported by a grant from the Medford Arts Council, an LCC of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the 3rd annual Medford Children's Art Showcase, seeks to highlight arts education in the Medford Public Schools and promote the connection between the schools and the local arts community.

With over 200 students participating this year, the exhibition can be visited at the Center Court atrium of the Meadow Glen Mall during regular Mall hours.

There's a Facebook page where you can leave your comments, encouraging the children to develop their artistic skills.

Pena National Palace is open for works

Contrary to what is many times usual, the responsibles of the Pena National Palace (Palácio Nacional da Pena) in Sintra, Portugal, have decided to choose the time of the year when the visits are less and start important restorations while being open to the public.

This praiseworthy initiative has received positive comments from a curious public who can assist to the restoration of art, furniture, of the building itself, and talk directly with the experts who are executing the work. This way, visitors can have a better idea how the conservation of important patrimony takes placed and how certain pieces are restored.

The project is consisted by a total of six works of restoration:

The restore of the famous domes with gilded tiles, one of the most emblematic symbols of the palace, with its increasing moon referring to the "Monte da Lua" (Mount of the Moon) and to the Moorish exoticism.

Avoiding its deslocation and eventual damages is a good reason for the restoration of the furniture of the Grand Hall (Salão Nobre), where visitors can observe the restore workshop in loco.
The furniture was acquired by D. Fernando to the Casa Barbosa e Costa, Lisbon, in 1867, quite possibly already thinking about the future marriage with his second wife, the Countess of Edla.

The famous Neomanueline style window, inspired by the one in the Christ Convent (Convento de Cristo) in Tomar, will have its wooden frames restored. It's one of the most important elements of the palace, since it materializes the revivalism of the 19th century.

Work will also be done on the mural painting of the Calabash stair (escada das Cabaças). The painting which is in bad state of conservation due to condensation, will be cleaned, released from fungos and carefuly restored to its original look as best as possible.
This stair would grant access to the New Palace (Palácio Novo) and to the Grand Hall (Salão Nobre) without the need for the guests to pass through the residential area of the royal family.

Another important project consists in the recovery of the trompe l'oeil mural located in the living room of the royal family, which had been covered since 1991, when part of the dome's coating fell partially.

In the chapel of the Palace takes place the restore of the rosewood window and of its stained glass, as well as the restoration of the tiles surrounding it.
A light and resistant structure will frame the stained glass, after which the window will be replaced. The stained glass were made in Nuremberga (1841) and depict the figures of D. Manuel I and Vasco da Gama, attesting the liasion of D. Fernando II with the more emblematic past of Portugal.
The image of S. Jorge and Nossa Senhora da Pen(h)a conclude the reference to the foundation of the Pena National Palace or Pena Palace as it is commonly known.

These projects gather the experts of the Parques de Sintra and the Instituto dos Museus e Conservação (Museums and Conservation Insitute), while the complexity of some works requires the partneship with some universities, namely the restoration of the stained glass in the chapel, which includes the support of the Conservation and Restore Department of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa.

Guimarães 2012 European Capital of Culture

Today at 18h00(GMT) will take place the opening ceremony of Guimarães 2012 European Capital of Culture. Located in the Northwest of Portugal, the historic city of Guimarães will host a series of art events presented by artists from several countries.

With the creation of artistic residencies and a proactive involvement with the public, in particularly with the population and schools, Guimarães 2012 will contribute to the cultural development of the city and its surrounding, as well as to the interaction between artists working in distinct areas and from different countries.

Throughout the year, the programme will include music, cinema, photography, fine arts, architecture, literature, thought, theatre, dance and street art.

Guimarães 2012 opening performance will take place at 22h00(GMT) at the Toural Square (Largo do Toural) and will be presented by the famous Catalan theatrical group founded in 1979, La Fura Dels Baus.



The city of Maribor in Slovenia is the other European Capital of Culture for this year. Maribor 2012 was inaugurated on January 13 and will present a programme focused on a young audience.

The future European Capitals of Culture will be Marseille (France) and Košice (Slovakia) in 2013; Umeå (Sweden) and Riga (Latvia) in 2014; Mons (Belgium) and Plzeň (Czech Republic) in 2015.

"Portugal Connosco" A photography exhibition through the eyes of postmen

Last spring, near six thousand postmen were given a disposable camera to photograph what they see during the mail distribution.
The project, called "Portugal Connosco" (Portugal With Us), resulted in approximately eighty thousand photos, from which two hundred were selected by a team of curators.

From the most common situation to the most peculiar one, including some humorous ones, this unlosable exibition shows the genuine Portugal through the eyes of those who, in a world where social networks get so much hype, contact with the individual in loco.



The photos of "Portugal Connosco" can be seen in the CTT building located at Rua de São José, in Lisbon, until January 8, 2012. After which, a yearlong itinerant exhibition will take place throughout the country.



A book with the two hundred photos is available in every post office of the CTT (Correios de Portugal).

Photos (from top to bottom): Nelson Paiva; Paulo José Rodrigues; José António Pombo

Gerardo Rueda Modern Art Center in Matosinhos

The Gerardo Rueda Modern Art Center (Centro de Art Moderna Gerardo Rueda) was inaugurated today in the portuguese city of Matosinhos, Oporto district.
Exhibiting near 500 items from the Fundación Gerardo Rueda and others belonging to the heir José Luis Rueda, the permanent collection includes 35 pieces of several art genres completed by Gerardo, of which only 16 are showing, and artworks by Antonio López, Carmen Laffón, Doukopil, Manuel Millares, Miró, Palazuelo, Sempere and Zobel, among others.

The Center results from a three year protocol, renewable for another five, signed between the Fundación Gerardo Rueda and the City Hall of Matosinhos, where the first, besides lending the works of art, commits itself to organize eight temporary exhibitions per year in the Gerardo Rueda Modern Art Center and two exhibitions of portuguese art in Madrid, while the second one grants an annual subvention to the Foundation. Private sponsors are also involved in this project.

The first temporary exhibition will be dedicated to the portuguese artist Noronha da Costa, of whom José Rueda owns 200 works of art. After which will follow one that compares Gerardo Rueda and Viera da Silva and another one with works by Mapplethorpe and Warhol

Located inside the building of the Town Hall of Matosinhos, the Centro de Arte Moderna de Matosinhos is open from Tuesday to Sunday (1 pm - 7 pm) and has an admission price of €3.5.

In the future, the collection will move to the 30,000 sqm building of the former Real Vinícola, much better than the actual 6,000 sqm.
An association of friends of the Center and a Gerardo Rueda prize for the arts and sciences will also be created.

How Art Can Help People With Disabilities

Proclaimed in 1992, the annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons takes place on the 3rd of Decemmber.
The theme for 2011 is “Together for a better world for all:
Including persons with disabilities in development.”

We live in a society where laws and benefits fall far behind the needs of disable people and their families, and in many countries those laws are constantly disrespected without any sanction. Moreover there's a gap in terms of educating people in their relation with each other, especially between the so-called normal and those with disabilities - People with disabilities make up an estimated 15 per cent of the world’s population. Almost one-fifth of the estimated global total of people living with disabilities, or between 110-190 million, encounter significant difficulties. Furthermore, a quarter of the global population is directly affected by disability, as care-givers or family members.

One of the most successful methods of providing disabled people with personal development and social integration is through the arts, especially in the case of children.
Art enables dexterity development, a better perception of space (including negative space and relation), colour, form and many other things. It is also a great opportunity to end individual isolation, as art projects can be completed in group.
Several resources for those working with special needs students in the arts, can be found online or by contacting official and private institutions.

Several art projects for children can be found at Julie Voigt's blog Art for Small Hands.

The Andy Monument on view until May 2012

Rob Pruitt "The Andy Monument" from Public Art Fund on Vimeo.

Commissioned by Public Art Fund, NY, and created by Rob Pruitt, The Andy Monument was unveiled on March 30, 2011.
The nearly ten-foot-tall chrome finished sculpture is a tribute to Andy Warhol.

Its deinstallation was intended for October 2, 2011, however due to the amazing response to the monument, Rob Pruitt's creation will be on view in the pedestrian mall at the northwest corner of Union Square at 17th Street and Broadway, until May 13,2012

A free audio guide is available by calling 646.862.0945 and a free iPhone app may be downloaded at the Public Art Fund.

LUMINA Light Festival in Sintra

Today, September 23rd at 21h00, will be inaugurated at the National Palace in Sintra (Palácio da Vila), the LUMINA light festival.

Everyday until the 25th, between 21h00 and 24h00, the public will be able to watch several light based artistic events such as performances, multimedia projections and installations. These events will take place in several venues throughout a "Light Path" (Caminho da Luz).

Lumina Light Festival is promoted by the SINTRARTES 2011 – Artes de Rua, an initiative of Sintra's City Hall.
The city of Sintra is part of UNESCO's World Heritage Site.

Admission is free to all events. Don't forget to bring your flashlight !

Association des Pastellistes Belges

A new association dedicated to the promotion of pastel has been recently inaugurated in Belgium, following a successful pastel exhibition in the Floreffe Abbey where the public demonstrated great enthusiasm concerning the medium.

With the aim of creating bridges between pastelists and their public, as well as connecting with other associations and promoting artistic initiatives, the Association des Pastellistes Belges counts already with near 50 enthusiasts, including from the North of France.

On August 6 (10h00 - 16h30) it will take place in the pedestrian streets of Namur, an initiative to make the public familiar with the medium and learn about its possibilities.

An exhibition is already anticipated for April 2012.
It will be called "1er Salon du Pastel" and will occupy six halls of the Floreffe Abbey (Abbaye de Floreffe).

The association was founded by Claudine Boignet and is located at:
12, rue de Libérateurs
5100 Jambes, Belgique.