Links List: Wealthy Collectors, Poor and Foolish Governments

• Is the art world’s global expansion related to growing economic inequalities? [Adbusters]
• Washington State considers selling off its art collection to fund grants for low-income students. [Herald]
• The Italian government overpaid by €2.5 million for a crucifix created not by Michelangelo, but by his workshop. [ARTINFO]
• Philanthropist Shelley Rubin has created a new foundation, A Blade of Grass, to support arts organizations and artists whose practice expands beyond the gallery context [WSJ]
• President Obama speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the National Museum of African American History and Culture [WaPo]
• Villanova cancels workshop by gay performance artist Tim Miller [ARTINFO]

Scene in New York

David LaChapelle's "Lovers"

Today is Marti Gras. In the spirit of over-indulgence, on Thursday, attend the opening of “The Nudist Museum Gift Shop” at DODGE Gallery, where, in addition to creating a series of paintings of nude design objects found on e-bay and in second-hand stores, artist Ellen Harvey has modified “every nude postcard currently on offer in the art museums of New York City… to show only the human bodies depicted therein.” Then head over to Fred Torres Collaborations to see David LaChappelle’s Baroque-inspired still lifes, “Earth Laughs in Flowers” which include not just fruit, flowers and skulls, but also upended cell phones, cigarette butts, balloons, Barbies, and a Starbuck’s iced coffee cup. On Friday, repent for the overindulgence, and view “On the Outer Edge,” PS3* Pedro Sanchez3′s “new video work in a full-scale home designed for a life of deliberate deprivation” at Abrons Art Center. On Saturday, see Joe Heaps Nelson’s “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” at Fuse Gallery and then head over to Ars Nova Theater to prepare for the next evening’s Oscars with “You Like Me: An Evening of Classic Acceptance Speeches.”

This week’s collection of openings, performances and happenings. (All addresses are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted.)

Knock Knock: Opportunities for Artists

This week’s collection of opportunities for exhibition, residencies and grants. 

Artist as Small-Business Owner

On Monday, the NY Times reported that President Obama’s proposed budget includes an $8 million dollar increase to National Endowment for the Arts funding.

Not surprisingly, Republican presidential hopefuls have criticized the plan. Mitt Romney calls it “an insult to the American taxpayer.” In fact, in the Op-Ed that Romney wrote last November for USA Today, he calls for:

“deep reductions in the subsidies for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Legal Services Corporation.”

Culture programs always seem to be deemed “unnecessary” extras that should be the first to be cut during a recession. But in reality, we should think of agencies like the NEA as programs that support and advocate for small-business owners.

Scene in New York

Monday is President’s Day. Celebrate the revolutionary spirit at the 2012 New Museum Generational Triennial, “The Ungovernables,” “an exhibition about the urgencies of a generation who came of age after the independence and revolutionary movements of the 1960s and 1970,” which opens to the public on Wednesday, and go to the artists’ roundtable about the exhibition on Thursday evening. Or ruminate on copyright laws and how they affect visual artists during Thursday evening’s panel discussion, “The Case for Appropriation” at the School of Visual Arts Theatre, and then head over to Salomon Contemporary for “American Responses: Reverence,” an exhibition of Ned Smyth’s work that’s part of a four-part series examining “American regionalism as a major influence on art of the early 1970s.”  On Friday, take in Charles Atlas’ “The Illusion of Democracy” the inaugural exhibition at Luhring Augustine’s new Bushwick space.

This week’s collection of openings, performances and happenings. (All addresses are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted.)

Knock Knock: Opportunities for Artists

This week’s collection of opportunities for exhibition, residencies, papers, proposals and grants. A special shout-out to FIGMENT, a non-profit dedicated to participatory arts culture that I work with.

Scene in New York

Love is in the air. With Valentine’s Day coming up, a number of love-themed shows are opening this week. On Wednesday, “Made for Love,” an exhibition of small intimate figurative paintings by Sarah Kurz, opens at Allegra LaViola Gallery. On Thursday, experience “Modern Love,” a group painting show at Mayson Gallery on the Lower East Side. On Friday, you can check out some creative collabs at dm contemporary’s “Love + Art,” and then head over to ICI The Curatorial Hub for “an evening riot of love letters and spiked tea,” produced by Limited Time Only (LTO), ICI, and BOMBLOG. End the night across the Williamsburg Bridge at Wildlife Art Space in Bushwick, and take in  “Chilled Oily Nicely Corrupt Hearts (C.O.N.C.H.),” ”an inter-disciplinary examination of Valentine’s Day’s visceral horizon bearing down on all artistic creation.” On Saturday, André Saraiva’s “Love Letters,” opens at Half Gallery.

This week’s collection of openings, performances and happenings. (All addresses are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted.)

Knock Knock: Opportunities for Artists

This week’s collection of opportunities for exhibition, residencies, papers, proposals and grants.

Good Vibrations or Misappropriations?

Erik den Breejen's "Smile"

Copyright is a hot topic these days, from the misguided SOPA and PIPA acts to the Cariou v. Richard Prince case that is currently working its way through the courts. Now Artnet reports that painter Erik den Breejen has received a cease-and-desist letter from the lawyer of Beach Boys lyricist Van Dyke Parks. Den Breejan’s recent Freight + Volume show, “Smile,” featured the artist’s series of works inspired by the album, “SMiLE.” The series included paintings of brightly colored blocks of the album’s lyrics from the album assembled into ocean waves, smiling lips, flames, and other imagery related to the album. It also included paintings of session worksheets and images that had no text, but were titled with song titles from the album.

So the question here is: What is included in a musical work’s copyright?

H&M: Hijacking & Misappropriating Other’s Art

Earlier this week, regretsy posted an exchange that Atlanta-based artist and designer Tori LaConsay had with H&M. It looks as though they’ve blatantly stolen her work without crediting her paying her for it, and are using it on various items in their stores, including pillowcases, towels, and doormats.