ArtCurious News This Week: March 24, 2023
Hello and how are you, ArtCurious listeners! This is ArtCurious News this Week, our new short-form Friday roundup of my favorite art history updates and interesting news tidbits. Today is Friday, March 24, 2023.
This week’s stories:
ArtNews: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Closes Early After Plans for ‘Guerilla Art Installation’ by Climate Activists Leak
CNN: Scientists confirm long held theory about what inspired Monet
ArtNews: New Investigation Finds More than 1,000 Objects in Met’s Collection Linked to Antiquities Trafficking
The Art Newspaper: Chicana muralist Judith Baca to receive National Medal of Arts in White House ceremony
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Episode Transcript
Hi there, everyone, and happy Friday to you! Jennifer here with your short-form news roundup meant to bring you up to date on some of the latest goings-on in the realm of art history. This is ArtCurious News This Week and today is Friday, March 24, 2023. It’s nice to be back here with you this week, and I loved being able to bring a little bonus content to you last week with our interview with Damian Dibben about his new novel, The Colour Storm. If you haven’t already done so, please check that out and I encourage you to buy the book if you are so inclined. Now, onto the news.
Today I want to begin by talking about another climate protest focused on the art world, and one that had an outcome that we might have predicted a few months ago: it forced the closure of one of the most iconic museums in the U.S.: the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The Gardner closed its doors to visitors last weekend on March 18th after members of the climate activism group Extinction Rebellion staged a protest outside the museum. As usual, Extinction Rebellion, like many climate protest organizations around the world, demanded that the museum take action to address climate change and its impact on the art world.
According to a statement released by Extinction Rebellion, the group was targeting the museum because of its association with the fossil fuel industry. Isabella Stewart Gardner, the founder of the museum, was married to a wealthy businessman who made his fortune in the coal industry.
The protesters argued that the museum's connection to the fossil fuel industry was incompatible with its mission to preserve and promote art, and thus they called for the museum to divest from fossil fuels and take other measures to reduce its carbon footprint.
In response to the protest, the museum closed its doors for the day. In a statement, the museum acknowledged the protesters' concerns and emphasized its commitment to sustainability. The statement read, quote, "The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is committed to sustainability and to reducing our carbon footprint. We recognize the urgency of the climate crisis and are actively working to reduce our impact on the environment. We appreciate the concerns expressed by Extinction Rebellion and will continue to engage with them and other stakeholders as we move forward." Unquote.
The protest at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is just the latest example of how the art world is grappling with the impact of climate change. Museums and other cultural institutions are increasingly recognizing the need to address the issue and take action to reduce their carbon footprint, with much of this action carried out in response to a growing movement of artists, activists, and museum professionals who are pushing for change. But I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: their intentions are good and saving the planet is necessary. But it does come at the expense of the art world for sure, and these protests will continue to have effects of shutting down museums entirely, as in this case, in response.
It only makes sense that our next story continues the theme of climate change. Next up, a new study has revealed the impact of air pollution on the paintings of the one and only Claude Monet.
The study, which was conducted jointly by researchers at the National Research Council of Italy and the University of Bologna, found that air pollution can significantly affect the way Monet's paintings look. Specifically, the study found that exposure to haze and other pollutants can alter the appearance of Monet's paintings, making them appear darker and less vibrant.
The researchers conducted the study by exposing replicas of Monet's paintings to different levels of air pollution in a laboratory setting. They found that after just a few days of exposure, the paintings began to show signs of discoloration and loss of detail.
According to the researchers, the findings have important implications for the conservation and restoration of Monet's paintings, as well as for the preservation of other works of art that may be affected by air pollution.
In a statement, the lead author of the study, Letizia Monico, emphasized the need for museums and other cultural institutions to take steps to protect their collections from the harmful effects of air pollution. She said, quote, "Air pollution can have a significant impact on the appearance of works of art, and it's important that museums and other cultural institutions take steps to protect their collections from this threat. Our study highlights the need for increased awareness and action on the issue of air pollution and its impact on our cultural heritage." Unquote.
I admit that this is a topic I’ve thought a lot about on my various travels around the world. As an art professional based in the U.S., I know that museums need to be climate-controlled and humidity-controlled to best care for their artsy charges. Art, like anything, can degrade with exposure to the elements, and when you visit historic buildings, museums, and collections around the world, many of them don’t have access to dehumidifiers or air conditioners. I’ve spent time in many a museum where the windows are flung open to provide any relief from a stifling summer’s day. And while that helps tourists and guards, it’s not always so great for the art. But finding a middle ground can be daunting. And as always, doesn’t it seem to come down to money?
One last not-so-happy art story for you today. It’s another investigation into that ongoing problem of looted antiquities, with this one in particular focused on the findings of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists ( or the ICIJ) into the Metropolitan Museum of Art's acquisition of works taken unlawfully or forcibly from their countries of origin. This investigation noted that over 1,000 of the Met’s acquisitions were looted and smuggled into the United States, including some major works from the Met’s various antiquities department, such as a marble head of a bull from Lebanon, a statue of a goddess from Italy, and a gold funerary wreath from Greece.
According to the ICIJ report, the objects were acquired by the Met through a network of dealers and collectors who were known to be involved in the illicit trade of antiquities. That’s bad enough, and with a collection as old as the Met and as large, it’s also not terribly surprising. What is surprising—well, okay, maybe not terribly so, either—is that the report also suggests that the Met was aware of the questionable provenance of some of these objects but chose to acquire them anyway. What the news reports don’t make clear here is the date—or date range- of these acquisitions. It’s one thing if a work was garnered for the Met 100 years ago when, sadly, it seems like we, as a collective group of humans, didn’t know better—or at least tried to ignore the reality of art looting. But if these works were acquired in the last couple of decades, however, that’s far more damning. So who knows, but either way, not great, right?
In response to the report, the Met issued a statement acknowledging the "complexity and seriousness" of the issue and pledging to take steps to address it. The statement read, quote: "The Metropolitan Museum of Art acknowledges the complexity and seriousness of the issue of antiquities trafficking and the need for the museum to continue to strengthen its due diligence practices. We are committed to working with our colleagues in the museum community and with governments and cultural organizations around the world to ensure that our acquisitions are ethically sourced and legally obtained." Unquote.
That’s a big up-front list of some not altogether happy news items. I guess that climate change and antiquities looting is kind of like the art world’s version of “if it bleeds, it leads.” (If it’s a protest or if it is looted, it leads?) Regardless, I think now is a great time for a little break. We’ll be back to more ArtCurious News This Week in just a minute. Meanwhile, if you like this show but not the ads, join us over at Patreon.com/artcurious to grab an ad-free feed and show me that you care! That’s patreon.com/artcurious. I’m pleased to welcome aboard a new patron this week: thank you, Julia B, for your kind support. Ongoing thanks to my VIP patrons Flamestress, Gaston, Stephanie, John, JL, Rhonda, Lance, and Robin and Andrew! To me, you are worth reporting on each and every week. Thank you.
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Welcome back to ArtCurious, and our News this Week. For our final story today, I’m thankfully sharing something lovely—you know that I don’t want to leave you hanging with some bummer news! To close us out today, we're celebrating the work of artist and activist Judith Baca, who was recently awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Joe Biden. Judith Baca may not be a household name, but she should be—she’s awesome. West Coasters in particular know her for for her large-scale murals and public art installations, which frequently explore themes of social justice, identity, and community. I love her works, as a former Angeleno, because she often focuses on underrepresented communities, including immigrants, people of color, and women—people whom you see every day in Los Angeles.
In a statement, President Biden praised Baca's contributions to the art world and to society as a whole, declaring, quote, "Judith Baca is a trailblazer in the world of art and activism, whose work has inspired countless people and helped to bring attention to important social issues. Her murals and public art installations are not only beautiful, but they also serve as powerful reminders of the importance of community, diversity, and inclusion." Unquote.
Baca's work has been featured in exhibitions and public spaces around the world, and she has received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the arts. She is also a co-founder of the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), a nonprofit organization that promotes public art and community engagement.
Baca is the latest in a long line of artists to receive the National Medal of Arts, which is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government. Past recipients include Georgia O'Keeffe, Robert Redford, and Maya Lin.
As we continue to celebrate Baca's achievements, we're reminded of the power of art to inspire, educate, and effect change. So that’ll be my little challenge to you today: Google Judith Baca, check out her mural, The Great Wall of Los Angeles, which is noted as the longest mural in the whole world—currently in the process of being expanded to a one-mile-long creation that shows the history of Los Angeles in such a clear, colorful, and enlightening way.
That's it for ArtCurious News This Week. Thank you so much for I’ll be back with you next week for another round of art news, and only a little more than a month and the countdown has begun—you’re less than two weeks out to the start of the next season of ArtCurious! Can’t wait to share it with you. As always, I’d like to thank you all for your support and for listening today—and until next time, stay curious.
