Vancouver

Matisse at the Vancouver Art Gallery "Short of jumping over a cliff we would do anything to get it" So wrote a curator in 1951, trying to arrange a Matisse exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery. But that exhibit never happened (you can find a series of letters within the gallery to read the full story). Jump ahead 60 years, and the Vancouver Art Gallery is currently featuring a fantastic collection once owned by the Cone sisters -- two art collectors from Baltimore.  Overall, the collection of works is enthralling, and the story of the art-collecting sisters from Baltimore even more so.  About.com (blog) July 12, 2012

VPL AND VAG TEAM UP   The Vancouver Public Library and the Vancouver Art Gallery are putting on a book club and movie series, Modern Masters Medley, to investigate the beginnings of modern art. The group is open to all ages, and begins Tuesday, from 6: 30 to 8 p. m. at the Gallery.  Vancouver Sun, July 14, 2012  

'Art as a Means of Survival'  As Gastown pushes out low-income residents, Gallery Gachet remains a creative refuge.  The Tyee July 16, 2012

Canada lowdown  Granville Island, in downtown Vancouver, has an interesting market, while Vancouver Art Gallery is brilliant.  The West Australian, July 13, 2012

Kelowna

Kelowna Buzz - Kelowna: The art of acquisition, as seen by a ...  How a gallery like the Vancouver Art Gallery, acquires treasures had VAG senior historical curator Ian Thom waxing poetic on the overtures of art patrons and their ability to help assemble a creatively robust collection on a minimal acquisition budget.  Kelowna Capital News, July 12, 2012

Calgary

Local artist marketing his work in creative ways  Artists are increasingly using different venues to sell their art. No longer are they solely on display in galleries. From restaurants to homes to luxury home sales centres and coffee shops, art is being shown in a new wave of marketing as the business side of the creative pursuit has taken off in popularity.  Calgary Herald, July 14, 2012

Nokomis, Saskatchewan

Kara Uzelman & Jeffrey Allport Sounding Saskatchewan

Following successes in Vancouver and Berlin, rising Canadian artist Kara Uzelman and partner Jeffrey Allport relocated late last year to the tiny town of Nokomis, Saskatchewan. Here, Uzelman talks about the move and the duo’s current AKA Gallery show.  Canadian Art, July 2012  

Toronto

Telephone booth public art ignites a ‘fiery’ debate Public art in phone booths across Toronto hasn’t only sparked conversation. A booth decorated by a local women’s shelter was recently set on fire.  Toronto Star, July 13, 2012

Common Ground Hole-in-One  Minigolf doesn’t usually come to mind when thinking about public art. But Cambridge Galleries curators revamp the game in “Common Ground,” a nine-hole course featuring Derek Liddington, PLANT Architect and other creatives. Canadian Art, July 2012

Los Angeles

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Is Divided The artist John Baldessari has announced his resignation from the board of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, as differences continue over that institution’s shift to a more pop-culture-oriented mission.  New York Times, July 14, 2012 

Detroit

Institute of Arts wants tax support  The Detroit Institute of Arts is working to persuade voters to authorize a tax to support the cultural institution, promising free admission and expanded programming if it passes - while raising the possibility that the museum would be a shadow of its current self if it's rejected.  Windsor Star, July 14, 2012
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

Brandywine museum names new director  Thomas Padon, the Vancouver Art Gallery's assistant director and director of its international partnerships, has been named director of the Brandywine River Museum, the museum announced Friday. "We reviewed scores of candidates, and are delighted to have found in Tom Padon the ideal mix of museum management experience, leadership style, and enthusiasm for our collection and mission," Virginia A. Logan, who succeeded Duff as executive director of the conservancy, said in a statement.  Philadelphia Inquirer, July 15, 2012

Pa. art museum gets new director  Padon, with art history degrees from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University and University of Colorado, has been based in New York with the Vancouver Art Gallery.  Delaware Online, July 13, 2012

London

Ingrid Z  Serious Fun

Ingrid Z, co-founder of Toronto’s pioneering, early 2000s West Wing Art Space, recently opened a gallery in London’s Hackney neighbourhood. In this feature from our current issue, critic R.M. Vaughan visits for tea and gets Z’s views on Canadian art abroad. Canadian Art, July 2012  

Attersee, Austria

Gustav gets a new gallery on his birthday We couldn't let today go by without mentioning that 14 July is the 150th birthday of Gustav Klimt which, according to the Art Media Agency, is marked by the opening of the Gustav Klimt centre in Kammer near Lake Attersee. The Art Newspaper, July 16, 2012

Jerusalem

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Renewed A revamped Israel Museum, with its themes of archaeology, fine arts and Jewish art and life, combines a rigorous formality with a casual playfulness.  New York Times, July 14, 2012

Sydney

The 18th Biennale of Sydney Canadian Gold The 18th Biennale of Sydney is co-curated by a Canadian and features roughly a dozen others. In this review, Alberta artist and curator Tanya Harnett picks the show highlights, concluding that our nation—and First Nations—are very well represented.