September 2006 Volume 6 #3

> YEAR OF THE MUSEUM
The American Association of Museums managed to have 2006 officially named "The Year of the Museum" in connection with the AAM's centennial anniversary. Their annual meeting, which took place in Boston this year, looked back at the 100 years of AAM history and forward into the future... a future which has, at this point (at least for most museums and especially art museums), been made by the profession, perhaps or perhaps not of necessity, almost totally dependent upon marketing and "education."

PBS has produced a series of television specials entitled "Great Museums" in support of this year-long celebration. I have now seen the one dedicated to art museums and, not unexpectedly, it was well done and aimed chiefly at perpetuating an orthodox version of what art history is with which one is expected, but not obliged, to agree. Nevertheless, it was very nice to see so many wonderful artifacts... and for America to highlight the role of ALL museums in our cultural life is much appreciated; reflecting what might well be a general acceptance of and love for museums which is keenly felt by nearly everyone, everywhere.

> THI$ JU$T IN
From a professional grants analyst in Saginaw, Michigan...

We have ignition

"Welcome to UNITED STATES ARTISTS(USA). We are a new organization dedicated to the support of America’s finest living artists. After decades of dwindling public support, artists now have a home where they may find significant private funding to ignite the creativity that makes this country great.

USA was launched in the September 2005 with $20 million in seed funding provided by a coalition of leading foundations—Ford, Rockefeller, Prudential, and Rasmuson—in an act of unprecedented private investment in individual artists and the creative potential of America. Their initial investment enables our organization to pilot the USA Fellows program, awarding unrestricted $50,000 grants to fifty artists each year beginning in 2006.

USA’s long-term vision is to create an organization dedicated to the unlimited promise of our finest artists. Our horizon line is not three, five, or 25 years, but rather 100 years and beyond. Building on our base of private funding, our aspiration is to be permanently endowed.

How will our national cultural and economic life have changed after a century of United States Artists? Will the thousands of artists we support connect with our citizens in communities throughout America? Will culture be affected when artists are as highly valued as art in our country (An American Paradox)? Will the convergence of science, engineering, and art redefine American innovation and global competitiveness?

The following pages outline an exciting and aggressive agenda to take this vision into action. Distributing significant grants to a diverse array of our nation’s best artists quickly, efficiently, and with minimal expense is our top priority.

Our Los Angeles-based headquarters opened in spring 2006. We look forward to launching and sustaining our national programs from this ever-changing and vibrant arts community."

http://www.unitedstatesartists.org/Public/Home/index.cfm

> ART THEFT
With the recent recovery of certain Munch paintings came a report and graph of interest published by THE ART LOSS REGISTER which reiterated the following facts (pretty much unchanged in the past 30 years or so):

~Where works of art are stolen from:
60.8 % from private homes
10.7% from art galleries
9.3% from churches
8.5% from museums
10.7 from other locations

~Of the 158-170,000 missing works of art, by medium, they are:
41% paintings/pictures
14% timepieces
5% furniture
10% sculpture
5% jewelry
25% coins, vehicles, arms, glass, books etc.

~Of those missing works of art there are:
167 Renoirs
166 Rembrandts
175 Warhols
200+ Dalis

~Not sure if this is still true, but several years ago, art theft was second only to drug traffic in value.