Vancouver

Fred Herzog: Retro Refresh.  Given Fred Herzog’s importance to colour photography and his history with Equinox Gallery, which has played a critical role in bringing his pioneering work out of the shadows to international acclaim, his work seems a fitting choice for the debut exhibition in the Equinox Gallery’s major new space on Great Northern Way.  Fred Herzog: A Retrospective, at Project Space, closes on April 28. Canadian Art (Online), April 19, 2012

Toronto

Diane Borsato: Building on the Ephemeral.  “Grow lights shining on rows of tiny tomato seedlings; a table overflowing with spider plants; some multi-sided dice resting on a high shelf; and a half-moon bedroom doubling as a wood-fired sauna. These are just a few of the treats tucked into Walking Studio, the centrepiece work in Diane Borsato’s current solo show at the Art Gallery of York University.” Canadian Art (Online), April 19, 2012

Picasso returns to Toronto: Are you ready to ‘be nude in front of the works’? “We all think we know Picasso, but ‘what we need to do is go freely to the work,’ says the Paris curator bringing the first blockbuster show of the Spanish master’s work to Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario since the 1960s next week.”  Globe and Mail, April 25, 2012

Art Gallery of Ontario counts on Picasso mania. “You can bet the leadership team at the Art Gallery of Ontario is hoping the Spanish-born giant of 20th-century art will work his crowd-pleasing magic at the Grange, where this large and spectacular exhibition opens a four-month run officially on Tuesday.”  Toronto Star, April 24, 2012

Ottawa

Classic & contemporary: Artist Kristy Gorden’s conjures a bewitching mix. Kristy Gorden’s wanderlust combines on canvas into portraits that are clearly contemporary and just as clearly based on classical styles and even poses.  Ottawa Citizen, April 23, 2012

New York

What makes the Portrait of Wally case so significant?  “It was the initiative taken by the US government that made all the difference [in the Portrait of Wally case], signalling that it would expend national resources to seek justice.”  Art Newspaper, April 24, 2012

United States

US museums rebuild but fears of relapse linger “Leading US museums are finally in recovery mode and their directors are much more optimistic about the financial outlook than a year ago, but few are feeling bullish. Endowments may have increased but they have not regained their peak of 2007. Of the ten richest museums we surveyed, seven were within sight of their previous levels, but the wealthiest, the Getty Trust, is only a third of the way to the $1.8bn it lost during the downturn (see table, p10). The road to financial health will be long for all but a fortunate few, and many fear that the economic recovery may prove short-lived. Nevertheless, many directors describe themselves as “cautiously optimistic””.  Art Newspaper, April 2012  

Running Afoul Of Artist Copyright "Artists' copyright is frequently misunderstood. Even if a painting (or drawing or photograph) has been sold to a collector or a museum, in general, the artist or his heirs retain control of the original image for 70 years after the artist's death. Think of a novel. You may own a book, but you don't own the writer's words; they remain the intellectual property of the author for a time." The New York Times, April 25, 2012

A gallery of Picasso’s muses on offer at auction.  At its spring sale of Impressionist and Modern Art on May 1, Christie’s is featuring a virtual gallery of the women who figured in the Spanish artist’s long life, from Marie-Therese Walter to Jacqueline Roque. Together the six works, being sold by various owners and spanning four decades from 1932 to 1968, are expected to fetch about $30 million and could help gauge the mid-level of the market for works by the artist. Calgary Herald, April 23, 2012

London

Beyond The Turbine Hall: Tate Modern Expands Into Underground Oil Tanks "Dropping in to Tate Modern's new underground oil tank spaces this summer might mean seeing a performance of minimalist dance, taking part in a debate on what it is to be an immigrant or experiencing work by an artist who most recently filmed naked men playing five-a-side football." The Guardian (UK), April 23, 2012

Rome

Rome's Zaha Hadid-Designed Maxxi Museum Could Close The administrators of the museum said last year's losses were in part due to a 43% cut in government funding and had, in any case, been covered by profits carried over from the previous year. They expressed "surprise and concern" at the minister's decision which "damaged the international credibility" of the museum. The Guardian (UK) April 24, 2012

Dakar

Artists still await return of work from 2010 Dakar festival Some pieces are returned but shipping company awaits payment from Senegalese government.  Art Newspaper, April 23, 2012