MCASD leases new round of masterpieces to Bellagio Fine Art Gallery in Las Vegas

More smart marketing and imaginative leadership from MCASD’s Hugh Davies in choppy economic times.
 

Call it a financial boost for public institutions or an ethical slap in the face. Either way, Las Vegas, one of few cities in the United States without a public art institution, is reaping museum-quality works… to [be viewed at] the Bellagio gallery for Figuratively Speaking: A Survey of the Human Form, opening May 1.

The work spans from the 19th century to present day. Artists include Pierre-August Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Judith Shea and Yoshitomo Nara. Word has it that there will also be a Cindy Sherman coming in from the San Diego museum….”

 
Read theg rest of this article with more details online at Las Vegas Weekly.

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Contemporary Art Teacher Training at MCASD Teacher Institute this Saturday

This half-day seminar is offered this Saturday March 6, 2010 in conjunction with the “Classic Contemporary” show currently at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego La Jolla galleries, call the Education Department at 858 454 3541 x153 or e-mail education@mcasd.org (RSVP required; space is limited).
 

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Hugo Crosthwaite returns to San Diego for onsite drawing exhibition

The press release from TFM friend Pierette Van Cleve:
 

 

Hours of operation: Tuesday – Saturday Noon to 6:00 PM

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Tara Donovan in person at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

The Frame Maker is pleased to continue as a corporate sponsor of the the Museum of Contemporary Art in 2010, and we want ot make sure you know about this chance to meet the artist behind one of the most visually rewarding shows MCASD has done recently, Tara Donovan:

Saturday, February 27 , 2 PM
 
MCASD Downtown, Jacobs Building
 

 
Join artist Tara Donovan for an exclusive gallery talk and tour through her exhibition*. Turning ordinary, manufactured objects into astounding works of art, Donovan creates astonishing visual experiences that attest to the poetic wonder of close looking and bigger thinking about the everyday materials that surround us.

 
Read more about this special event on the MCASD website.
 

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USD interns join San Diego Historical Society to reopen Serra Museum

Its great to see news of a museum re-opening (rather than closing or selling off their collection) in a collaborative partnership in San Diego. Read the complete article by Nathan Scharn for the San Diego Union Tribune online at Sign On San Diego.

OLD TOWN — History graduate students from across Interstate 8 will help reopen the landmark Junipero Serra Museum this weekend.

A team of interns from the University of San Diego history program will strengthen their résumés while operating the oldest arm of the San Diego Historical Society. A recent graduate will be paid to lead the group, acting as curator….

“It’s the birthplace of California as we know it today, where Father Serra and the missionaries settled at Presidio Point,” said Joey Seymour, the curator. “It’s one of the most historical places in California.”….

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MCASD’s Hugh Davies: This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.

Reported in the San Diego Union-Tribune online:
 

From Santa Barbara to San Diego, arts venues are preparing exhibitions and a host of other programming that will be part of the ambitious initiative called “Pacific Standard Time: Art in Los Angeles, 1945-1980.” The Getty Foundation gave $3.6 million in 2008 to support research and planning for these presentations. Now, it’s adding $3.1 million to support the actual implementation of this broad array of shows and their accompanying publications at 26 institutions — set to open in September and October 2011 and continue into spring 2012.

Locally, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is participating — in a large way. The institution has long had a strong connection with artists who were central to the Light and Space school, such as Robert Irwin (who lives here), James Turrell, Maria Nordman and Mary Corse, as well as related artists like Bruce Nauman. All will be represented in “Phenomenal: California Light and Space,” which is being organized by the museum’s curator, Robin Clark. The Getty gave $225,000 in the first round to the MCASD, and now it has granted the museum the same amount for the second phase of this show. (The National Endowment for the Arts also gave the museum $40,000 for the same project in 2008…..

Read the complete article here: Arts News: MCASD’s ‘incredible luxury’

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February is Museum Month throughout San Diego county

AS noted by Dan Bennett in San Diego’s North County Times.
 

Those who love museums in San Diego County celebrate 21 years of bliss in February.

Museum Month, allowing visitors to most museums in the county to receive half-off regular admission prices, began in 1989, and is going stronger then ever. Last year, more than 19,000 visitors took advantage of Museum Month — double the number of visitors only four years ago.

“It remains a very unique program around the country,” said Theresa Kosen, executive director of the San Diego Museum Council, the event organizer. “And with this economy, people are looking for entertainment value. We’re unique in that we offer entertainment value that is also education value.”

Nearly 40 museums are participating this year, including regional museums, historical sites, educational institutions and cultural offerings. Passes are available exclusively at the 16 Macy’s stores in the county, and allow for the pass-holder and up to three guests to receive half off the museum admission price….

Read the complete write-up here.

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Last week to see Automatic Cities at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

MCASD’s Automatic Cities show is subtitled “The Architectural Imaginary in Contemporary Art” and “explores the myriad influences of architecture on contemporary art production”. As big architecture fans, we enjoyed this show , which consists of “images of sites and cities built and unbuilt, rising from collective experience and imagination.”
 

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San Diego Museum of Art’s excellent new blog on TFM friends

TFM found this note reading The Gallery, an excellent new blog full of current San Diego art notes, well illustrated and linked by Sarah at SDMA. Great job!
 
This particular note mentions TFM friend Pierette Van Cleve and one of our favorite San Diego artists, Hugo Crosthwaite, whose work we’ve had the privilege to frame many times so far.

Friday Lunch: How Cool is Hugo Crosthwaite?
Friday we had lunch with Pierette Van Cleve, of Van Cleve Fine Art. Van Cleve represents artist Huge Crosthwaite, who is a San Diego artist (in NY) making it big. Really big. And he’s going to be at the Museum in February installing a major piece for Brutal Beauty: Drawings by Hugo Crosthwaite. Not sure what this installation might be like? Check this clip out (below). At the February Culture & Cocktails you’ll have a chance to see him at work…We’re pretty smitten, and we think you will be too.

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New Year Programming at the Museum of Contemporary Art

What's Happening in January at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego: PROGRAMS Members’ Celebration: Tara Donovan →Thursday, 1/14/10 > 7-9 PM > Downtown MCASD Members are invited to celebrate the Tara Donovan exhibition with a special Members-only reception. Members will get an insider’s look at the exhibition and have the opportunity to discuss the works on view with MCASD Curators. More . . . Open House: Free Third Thursday Evening →Thursday, 1/21/10 > 5-7 PM > La Jolla and Downtown On the third Thursday of every month from 5 to 7 pm, visitors receive FREE admission to the Museum, plus free themed Gallery Guide-led tours beginning at 5 and 6 pm. Teen Workshop: Electrifying Sound Collage with Beatrix*JAR →Saturday, 1/23/10 > 11 AM-1 PM > Downtown Brought to you by MCASD’s Teen Art Council, join Minneapolis-based conceptual electronic duo Beatrix*JAR as they spread the good word of electronic recycling through a hands-on circuit bending workshop. More . . . Artist Talk: Nancy Rubins →Sunday, 1/24/10 > 2 PM > La Jolla In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Contemporary Collectors donor group, and in advance of the opening of the exhibition Pleasure Point: Celebrating 25 Years of Contemporary Collectors, artist Nancy Rubins will give a public lecture discussing her work, including the astounding installation she created for MCASD in 2006. More . . . EXHIBITIONS →FINAL WEEKS! On view through 1/31/10 at MCASD La Jolla Automatic Cities: The Architectural Imaginary in Contemporary Art Featuring an international roster of both established artists and emerging talents, this imaginative new exhibition weaves architectural imagery within contemporary visual art. Museums in Miniature Works by Marcel Duchamp and Joseph Cornell explore the use of collage, assemblage, and staged tableaux as plays on the notion of an exhibition space. →On view through 2/28/10 at MCASD Downtown, Jacobs Building Tara Donovan See the number one exhibition of 2009, according to Union-Tribune art critic Robert Pincus. Tara Donovan’s sculptures and installations transform everyday materials — such as drinking straws and plastic cups — to dazzling effect. STAY IN THE LOOP. Follow us on Twitter @mcasd Become a fan on Facebook @ facebook.com/mcasd

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