Art in the Round

Once, museums and libraries appeared to hold rare books or pieces of fine art captive in the name of preservation. But now, libraries and museums make viewing these objects a simple matter for anyone with a computer.

Albert C. Barnes stipulated in his will that his extensive art collection was to remain intact and displayed at his home in Merion, Pennsylvania. But the Barnes Foundation’s endowment has dwindled over the years. In 2004, a judge ruled that the collection would have to move to a larger location to generate sufficient revenue. Although art lovers dispute how Barnes would have handled the situation, they all agree that the collection is a wonder.

Since its inception in the mid-20th century, modern dance has defied conventions of plot and technique, showcasing the expressiveness of movement and the body outside of a formal structure. FindingDulcinea takes a look at the inspiration and enduring work of Merce Cunningham and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, from its founding to its current dancers and repertory.

The Chanel Mobile Art exhibit has landed in New York’s Central Park.

Several current art exhibits are showcasing critical paintings, sculptures, and mixed media works that reflect the state of the Union and where it’s headed.

The Tate Britain’s exhibit collects over a hundred depictions of “bazaars, public baths, domestic interiors and religious sites”—the diverse, intricately decorated spaces of another world that became a fascination for European artists beginning in the late 18th century. The exhibit doesn’t gloss over the artistic movement, however, whose purpose was challenged in the 20th century by the philosopher Edward Said.

The Turner Prize honors the crème de la crème of young, daring British artists. Established in 1984, the prize is awarded annually to “a British artist under fifty for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work in the twelve months preceding,” according to the Tate Britain’s Web site. It is a prize with apparently little to do with its namesake, J.M.W. Turner, but definitely in step with the modern art avant-garde.

The Victorian & Albert Museum in London is currently honoring Chinese designers with “China Design Now,” focusing on the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. We explore the latest in Chinese design and its position in the global cultural and economic landscape.

2008 marks the 500th anniversary of the start of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It’s a perfect time to commemorate the sculptor-turned-painter and learn more about the background of and players involved in these world-renowned ceiling frescoes: the commissioner of the work, Pope Julius II, and the great arts patron and leader of Florence, Lorenzo de’ Medici.

London’s Tate Modern kicks off summer 2008 with the exhibit “Street Art,” a public display of strange and beautiful works by five important artists and collectives from around the world. We showcase some of the artists in the exhibit, as well as other important street artists and projects not included in the lineup.

The Art Institute of Chicago is the last of three museums to host a Hopper retrospective that includes nearly 100 paintings, watercolors and prints by the artist who set the standard for modern American painting. The exhibit began at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston last year, traveled to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C, and concludes its tour as part of the Art Institute’s yearlong tribute to “American Perspectives.”

Our first installment in this new column celebrates the Broadway revival of South Pacific and looks back to the original that inspired it.