ARCOmadrid: 29th International Contemporary Art Fair Begins

The 29th annual International Contemporary Art Fair ARCOmadrid is being held February 17-21, 2010.

MADRID — The 29th annual International Contemporary Art Fair ARCOmadrid_2010 will officially open to the public February 19-21. A two-day VIP preview began Wednesday, allowing major collectors, galleries and museums an early opportunity to acquire the artworks for sale.

ARCOmadrid_2010 will feature 221 galleries from 25 countries and 3,000 established and emerging artists. Organizers say the fair's core mission is to drive the art market forward.

For the first time this year, instead of spotlighting a special guest country, ARCOmadrid_2010 will focus on a city - Los Angeles. The fair will feature works from a select group of 17 galleries located in Los Angeles, a city known for being one of the world's art capitals and chosen for its vitality and multiculturalism.

"Los Angeles is holding a spot that has been previously reserved for entire nations this year because it's a very complete contemporary art hub," co-curator Christopher Miles told the LA Times. "It has everything covered: the creation, distribution and critical discussion of art. And people here are very eager to see what Los Angeles has to offer."

ARCOmadrid kicks off the 2010 calendar year of major international contemporary art fairs. 

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ARCOmadrid: 29th International Contemporary Art Fair Begins

Celebs Inaugurate 1st Annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary

The inaugural Art Los Angeles Contemporary international contemporary art fair is being held January 28-31, 2010 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

LOS ANGELES — Recent American Idol guest judge Neil Patrick Harris and Brothers and Sisters star Rachel Griffiths were among the A-listers at Thursday evening's opening gala for the first annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary. The international contemporary art fair is in its inaugural year and continues through Sunday at the 14-acre campus of the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. The event boasts displays from 55 "blue chip" art galleries along with world class artist talks, panel discussions and an artist film screening series.

This premiere January event is part of the annual Los Angeles Arts Month - raising "awareness, appreciation, and participation in the arts in Los Angeles in all forms."

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Celebs Inaugurate 1st Annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary

Before You "Buy It Now" - A Warning to eBay Art Collectors

Art dealer Michael Zabrin pleaded guilty on Tuesday to selling fake contemporary artworks on eBay.

CHICAGO — You can buy and sell just about anything on eBay, but scammers like art dealer Michael Zabrin reinforce and remind us all of the warning, caveat emptor.

Zabrin was among a group of seven charged with trading fake artwork in March 2008. According to a plea agreement filed Tuesday, Zabrin, a 57-year-old art dealer from Chicago, admitted to swindling at least 250 art collectors out of more than $1 million using his companies Fineartmasters and ZFineartmasters to sell counterfeit art prints over eBay. He pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and could receive up to 13 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 at the sentencing scheduled for March 23.

According to the Associated Press, when Zabrin needed more prints to sell, he would contact his sources in Spain and Italy. When he ran out of fake Pablo Picassos he would say, "I need some P's." When he needed bogus works by Roy Lichtenstein, he would say: "I need some L's." He has admitted to selling fakes by contemporary masters Picasso, Lichtenstein, Chagall, Miro and Dali.

Zabrin paid between $1,000 and $1,500 for each art print, which he then "resold at no less than three times his cost" to unsuspecting eBay buyers. Some customers who realized they'd been scammed returned the fakes, but Zabrin acknowledged that he simply waited a few months and just resold them to someone else.

Authenticity is perhaps the most crucial aspect of art collecting; this latest eBay fraud case only reinforces the importance of performing due diligence before you click "Buy It Now".

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Before You "Buy It Now" - A Warning to eBay Art Collectors

Museum Watchman Arrested in Degas Theft

"Les Choristes" (1876) by Edgar Degas was reported stolen from the Cantini Museum on Thursday.

MARSEILLE, FRANCE — A security guard at the Cantini Museum of contemporary art made a shocking discovery on Thursday morning; hours later a night watchman was taken into police custody. The museum remain closed Thursday while authorities examined footage from security cameras. Since there were no signs of a break-in, the theft was thought to be an inside job.

The watchman was suspected of stealing a rare work of art by French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. The 13"x10" chalk pastel entitled Les Choristes ("The Chorus") depicts a colorful group of male singers performing on stage and was created in 1876. The piece is reportedly worth $1.15 million.

Les Choristes was on loan from the Musee d'Orsayas part of an exhibition featuring 20 works by the 19th century artist. Marseilles city hall, which runs the Cantini Museum, said 70,000 people had already visited the exhibition due to close January 3 before heading to Italy and Canada.
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Museum Watchman Arrested in Degas Theft

In San Francisco, a Modern Art Museum Celebrates 75 Years

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art turns 75 on January 18, 2010.

SAN FRANCISCO — Hop on a cable car and head over to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the museum is inviting the public to join in their celebration this weekend. On January 18, SFMOMA will turn 75-years-old, and they're starting the festivities early with a new exhibit - The Anniversary Show.

More than 400 works from the SFMOMA's spectacular collection of paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, videos, photographs, architectural models, and design objects have been selected for The Anniversary Show. Curators have culled the museum archives and made selections representing  the art and individuals that have made SFMOMA the institution it is today. Artists including Frida Kahlo, Jeff Koons, and Jackson Pollock, Constantin Brancusi, Georges Braque, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso are among the many whose works are on currently on display.

In addition to the The Anniversary Show, SFMOMA will entertain visitors with a yearlong program of special anniversary exhibitions and events. Each illustrates the stories of the artists, collectors, cultural visionaries, and community leaders who founded, built, and animated the museum. SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art and has been a major influence on modern and contemporary art since its opening in 1935.

The Anniversary Show (December 19, 2010) | SFMOMA

The Anniversary Show brings together more than 400 works from the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,
including highlights such as: "Michael Jackson and Bubbles" (1988) by Jeff Koons, [©Jeff Koons]; "Two Bathers" (1958) by David Park,
[©Estate of David Park]; "Cityscape I (formerly Landscape I)" (1963) by Richard Diebenkorn; [©Estate of Richard Diebenkorn].

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In San Francisco, a Modern Art Museum Celebrates 75 Years

Vegas Gambles on $40-Million in Fine Art

A rendering of an overview of the entire CityCenter development. [Credit: MGM Mirage]

LAS VEGAS — A huge fireworks display Wednesday night signaled the official grand opening of CityCenter, a massive urban metropolis spanning 68-acres between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. At 18-million square feet, the "city-within-a-city" is the largest private sustainable development in the world and at an estimated $11-billion was the largest privately funded construction project in the history of the United States.

"Big Edge" by Nancy Rubins. [Credit: CityCenter Land, LLC]

In addition to featuring casinos, hotels and residential towers, fine dining and shopping, CityCenter boasts a $40-million fine art program. Works by by acclaimed artists including Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, Nancy Rubins, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Frank Stella, Henry Moore and Richard Long, among others, are featured. Visitors will be particularly impressed by fifteen major works of art, most of which are sculptures, interspersed throughout CityCenter.

"CityCenter will be an international architectural achievement that integrates the talents of world-renowned artists, architects and designers in one development; it will be a landmark of global taste and style," said Terry Lanni, Chairman and CEO of MGM Mirage. "The CityCenter Fine Art Program will be the first initiative of its kind to merge public and corporate interests on this grand scale, and we're proud to deliver this prominent force in contemporary art and culture to Las Vegas."

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Vegas Gambles on $40-Million in Fine Art

Whitney Museum Announces 2010 Biennial Artists

NEW YORK — Every two years, the Whitney Museum of American Art hosts an exhibition featuring artists who reflect the latest trends in contemporary American art. On Friday, the Whitney released the names of the 55 artists who will be participating in the 2010 Whitney Biennial, which will run from February 25 through May 30, 2010. The artist list has been cut from past years (81 in 2008 and 100 in 2006), with each exhibitor limited to showing one work or series.

Video: Watch as curators Francesco Bonami and Gary Carrion-Murayari announce the artist list for 2010, the Whitney Biennial. Or read the full list below:

David Adamo Richard Aldrich Michael Asher Tauba Auerbach Nina Berman Huma Bhabha Josh Brand The Bruce High Quality Foundation James Casebere Edgar Cleijne and Ellen Gallagher Dawn Clements George Condo Sarah Crowner Verne Dawson Julia Fish Roland Flexner Suzan Frecon Theaster Gates Maureen Gallace

Kate Gilmore Hannah Greely Jesse Aron Green Robert Grosvenor Sharon Hayes Thomas Houseago Alex Hubbard Jessica Jackson Hutchins Jeffrey Inaba Martin Kersels Jim Lutes Babette Mangolte Curtis Mann Ari Marcopoulos Daniel McDonald Josephine Meckseper Rashaad Newsome Kelly Nipper Lorraine O’Grady

R.H. Quaytman Charles Ray Emily Roysdon Aki Sasamoto Aurel Schmidt Scott Short Stephanie Sinclair Ania Soliman Storm Tharp Tam Tran Kerry Tribe Piotr Uklański Lesley Vance Marianne Vitale Erika Vogt Pae White Robert Williams

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Whitney Museum Announces 2010 Biennial Artists

Future Generation Art Prize Will Offer Celeb-Judges and Hefty Cash Award

NEW YORK — One lucky artist will be $100,000 richer this time next year, thanks to Ukranian billionaire/art collector Victor Pinchuk. Announced Tuesday, the Future Generation Art Prize hopes to encourage the support of one generation of artists for another, hence the contest's only eligibility requirement that entrants must be under the age of 35.

Artists can apply online starting January 18 and through April 18. Then on June 20, a short list of twenty artists will be announced; their works will be posted online and shown at Kiev's Pinchuk Art Center in October.

The artwork submissions will be judged by an international jury of arts professionals. And although the panel has yet to be formally announced, singer Elton John and designer Miuccia Prada have been mentioned as potential judges.

The Future Generation Art Prize winner and up to five finalists will be announced in December 2010. Established artists, including Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, will serve as mentors to the finalists and the winner. The grand prize is $100,000, which comes with one stipulation - $40,000 of the award must be used to create new art. An additional $20,000 will fund artist-in-residency programs for up to five other special prize winners.

Following in the footsteps of this summer's ArtPrize, the Future Generation Art Prize will also offer the public an opportunity to vote for their favorite entries online (American Idol-style) for a non-cash People's Choice Award.

“I am hoping that the Future Generation Art Prize will help promote the Ukraine and Kiev as an important contemporary art center,” said Pinchuk, who plans to offer the Future Generation Art Prize every two years.

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[Photo: Singer Elton John, potential judge of Future Generation Art Prize]

Future Generation Art Prize Will Offer Celeb-Judges and Hefty Cash Award

Art Basel Miami Beach: Comfy Shoes Required

MIAMI BEACH — An estimated 40,000 art enthusiasts, art collectors, artists, dealers, curators and critics will attend the eighth annual Art Basel Miami Beach, America's preeminent contemporary art fair. From December 3-6, the fair, held at Miami Beach Convention Center, will offer contemporary art and rare museum-caliber artworks.

Art Basel Miami Beach is the younger sister of Art Basel Switzerland, held annually in June since 1970.

This year's Art Basel Miami Beach boasts itself as bigger and better - 20% more exhibition space, extra lounge areas, wider aisles and bigger stands - so you'll want to wear comfy shoes in order to see it all. Exclusive selections of more than 250 leading art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa will exhibit 20th and 21st-century artworks by over 2,000 artists. Visitors will also experience an exciting program of special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music, film, architecture and design.

In the city known for its all-night parties, Art Basel Miami Beach always attracts its share of celebrities. So far, early sightings include Lenny Kravitz, Sylvester Stallone, Calvin Klein, Naomi Campbell and John McEnroe. Stallone, who paints when he's not busy acting, unveiled a collection of his artwork at the fair. "I’m not just painting for painting’s sake. I want to be truthful," said Stallone, who reportedly already sold two paintings for $40,000 and $50,000.

Are these early sales a good sign? Tough economic times have caused most art collectors to scale back on their spending, but fair organizers remain optimistic. “What we are seeing, and what we saw at other shows in the fall, is that there is definitely a market for high quality art,” said Art Basel co-director Marc Spiegler.

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Art Basel Miami (December 3-6, 2009) | Website
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[Images: Top - Olaf Breuning, "Colors" (2009), Metro Pictures, New York. | Bottom - (Row 1, Left) Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin. (Row 1, Right) James Cohan Gallery, New York. (Row 2, Left) Niels Borch Jensen Editions & Gallery, Berlin. (Row 2, Right) Mona Hatoum, "Undercurrent (red)" (2008), Galleria Continua, San Gimignano.]

Art Basel Miami Beach: Comfy Shoes Required

PINTA Latin American Contemporary Art Fair Sails Into NYC

CHELSEA, NY — A unique celebration of modern and contemporary art movements - abstract, concrete, neo-concrete, kinetic and conceptual art - had its official opening reception on Thursday evening. Artists, collectors and museum representatives from around the world have arrived in New York for the third annual PINTA; the only contemporary art fair in the United States featuring works exclusively by Latin American artists.

"There is an increased interest in Latin American art from the rest of the world, and now is the time to take advantage of it," explained PINTA's Vice President, Alejandro Zaia.

Museums, artists and 60 galleries from 13 countries are represented at this year's show, taking place in Chelsea's Metropolitan Pavilion. The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Britain's Tate Modern museum, the Harvard Art Museum, the Latin American Art Museum in Buenos Aires (MALBA) and the Tamayo Museum in Mexico will be participating.

PINTA London is slated to take place June 3-6, 2010.

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PINTA (November 19-22, 2009) | Website

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[Photo: Manuel Pailos. Constructivo, 1962.]

PINTA Latin American Contemporary Art Fair Sails Into NYC

Size DOES Matter: Shaq Scores a Job as an Art Curator

NEW YORK, NY — Sometimes bigger IS better, at least according to basketball legend and current Cleveland Cavalier Shaquille O'Neal. The 320-pound, 7'1" NBA athlete is taking off his size-22 gym shoes and stepping into the world of fine art. Shaq has scored himself a new job as curator of the Size DOES Matter exhibit opening at the FLAG Art Foundation in February.

“As a curator, I have a responsibility to the artists, who are my 'teammates.' We all have to make each other look good - no different than what I do on the court," Shaq said in an interview.

Size DOES Matter will explore how scale affects the perception of contemporary art and includes pieces whose size is a key component of their composition, whether giant or microscopic. Fifty-two artworks by thirty-nine artists, including Chuck Close, Jeff Koons and Ron Mueck, were hand-selected by Shaq for the exhibit.

“It was a little harder than I thought it would be," Shaq explained. "When you think about what each of the artists put into their work, what they are expressing and want to share with the world, you feel bad about having to narrow it down."

The exhibit will be accompanied by a comprehensive catalog of images and an essay by controversial (recall his semi-fictional memoir A Million Little Pieces - Oprah's Book Club Selection scandal), bestselling author James Frey.

“This won’t be like another nice show at MoMA or the Met," Frey said. “Getting Shaq, one of the largest people in the world, to curate a show about scale is really fun. He does a lot of things that are unconventional for a guy of his stature."

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Size DOES Matter (February 19 - May 27, 2010)

FLAG Art Foundation | Website

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Read More - Shaq Takes a Shot at Art as Curator of Show 'Size DOES Matter' | Bloomberg

[Photo: Ron Mueck's Big Man (2000) is on loan from the Hirshhorn Museum for the Size DOES Matter exhibit.]

Size DOES Matter: Shaq Scores a Job as an Art Curator

Top ART News: Week In Review | Nov. 8 - Nov. 15

■ Visiting the Louvre - There's an App for That! | PARIS (11/08/09) — Not only is there an App for just about everything, there's just about everything in the Louvre museum Carrousel shopping center. Thus, on Saturday, Apple opened its first retail store in France (the 277th in ten countries), underneath the Tuileries garden and great glass pyramid in the Louvre... More >

■ Oxford's Ashmolean Museum Reopens After 10 Months and $100 Million | OXFORD, ENGLAND (11/08/09) — After 10-months and an almost $100 million renovation, Oxford's Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology reopened to the public on Saturday. The world's first university museum, the Ashmolean has added 39 new galleries, including four temporary exhibition galleries, a new education center and state-of-the art conservation studios... More >

■ MoMA Designs a Bauhaus Retrospective | NEW YORK, NY (11/09/09) — From architecture, industrial design, textiles and furniture, to graphics, painting and sculpture, the 20th century art movement known as the Bauhaus continues to influence our modern world (all one has to do browse the latest IKEA catalog for examples). In its first major exhibition dedicated to the Bauhaus since 1938, the Museum of Modern Art is celebrating the extraordinary artists, architects and designers of the avant-garde school... More >

■ Extreme Makeover: King Tut's Tomb Edition | CAIRO (11/10/09) — Disturbing brown spots are forming on the walls in the famous tomb of Egypt's most popular pharaoh, King Tutankhamen (better known as King Tut). The Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) are embarking on a new preservation project aimed at assessing the damage. On Tuesday, the two entities announced a new 5-year partnership in which they will work together to analyze and conserve the ancient burial site... More >

■ Bidding War Over '200 One Dollar Bills' Ends at $43.76 Million | NEW YORK, NY (11/11/09) — The art market may still be suffering, but a successful contemporary art auction on Wednesday night indicates a rebound is  on the horizon. A surprise bidding war between five potential buyers broke out when Sotheby's brought Andy Warhol's 200 One Dollar Bills (1962) up to the auction block... More >

■ Ciao MAXXI! Contemporary Art Museum Opens in Italy | ROME, ITALY (11/13/09) — The vision most of us see when we think of a museum in Italy is a Renaissance or Baroque-style palace or cathedral, a Medici-commissioned structure, with classical columns, frescoes on the ceiling and gilding as far as the eye can see. The National Museum of the XXI Century Arts (or MAXXI for short) opening Saturday in Rome hopes to change that perception... More >

■ Munch Art Heist Was Well-Planned, Oslo Police Say | OSLO, NORWAY(11/13/09)  — Perhaps it's the miserable, tortuous scenes in the artwork of Edvard Munch that makes it attractive to the criminal element. The Symbolist painter's most famous agony-laden image, The Scream, was stolen on the same day as the opening ceremony of the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics. In 2004, another version of The Scream and the Madonna were both taken from Oslo's Munch Museum. And on Thursday, a man smashed the window of the Nyborg Kunst art gallery in Oslo and snatched Edvard Munch's Historien... More >

■ Mona Lisa's Eyebrows Were Tweezed and 24 Other Startling Revelations | MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (11/14/09) — What's behind Mona Lisa's mysterious gaze? Art historians and scholars have been trying to answer that question for centuries. No one will ever know for sure, but scientists have discovered answers to other questions about Leonardo da Vinci's famous gal. Da Vinci - The Genius, a new exhibit at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), presents a comprehensive exploration behind the genius of the Italian Renaissance master... More >

■ Manolo Blahniks Under $70? Only at the RCA Secret Sale! | LONDON (11/14/09) — Pssst... the Royal College of Art has a secret. It's selling artwork by some of the world's most renowned artists for just under $70. And if you register in time, you can get in on this exclusive sale. Now in it's 16th year, RCA Secret is an annual contemporary art exhibition and sale which offers original postcard-sized artworks, made and donated by professional artists, designers, illustrators and postgraduate art students... More >

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Top ART News: Week In Review | Nov. 8 - Nov. 15

Manolo Blahniks Under $70? Only at the RCA Secret Sale!

LONDON — Pssst... the Royal College of Art has a secret. It's selling artwork by some of the world's most renowned artists for just under $70. And if you register in time, you can get in on this exclusive sale.

Now in it's 16th year, RCA Secret is an annual contemporary art exhibition and sale which offers original postcard-sized artworks, made and donated by professional artists, designers, illustrators and postgraduate art students. More than 800 artists have donated over 2,000 postcards this year. Each postcard is signed only on the back, so buyers won’t know if they got the Yoko Ono, Manolo Blahnik or Gerhard Richter until after they've made their purchase.

To take your chances in the one-way "Secret Santa" art sale, register online now through November 17. The postcards are on view at the RCA or at www.rca.ac.uk/secret and will be sold in a huge one-day sale on November 21.

RCA Secret 2009 (Nov. 13 - 21, 2009) | Website

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Manolo Blahniks Under $70? Only at the RCA Secret Sale!

Ciao MAXXI! Contemporary Art Museum Opens in Italy

ROME, ITALY — The vision most of us see when we think of a museum in Italy is a Renaissance or Baroque-style palace or cathedral, a Medici-commissioned structure, with classical columns, frescoes on the ceiling and gilding as far as the eye can see. The National Museum of the XXI Century Arts (or MAXXI for short) opening Saturday in Rome hopes to change that perception.

The MAXXI, a $223 million museum built in a residential area of the city, was created to promote 21st century art and architecture. The museum's collection includes works by contemporary artists like Ed Ruscha, Anish Kapoor, William Kentridge, Gerard Richter and Andy Warhol. The building is located on a 312,000 square foot campus which includes an auditorium, library, media library, study rooms, laboratories, a bookshop, cafe and spaces for live events and commercial activities.

"The walls of the MAXXI create major streams and minor streams," explained Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid, who designed the modern museum. "The major streams are the galleries and the minor streams are the connections and the bridges." Hadid was the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize (2004) and her other designs include the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, Ohio (1998) and the BMW Central Building in Leipzig, Germany (2005). "I see MAXXI as an immersive urban environment for the exchange of ideas, feeding the cultural vitality of the city," she said.

This weekend, the MAXXI will open for just two-days, providing an "architectural preview" before the grand opening scheduled for February 2010.
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Read More - Italy Opens a New Contemporary Arts Museum | AP
[Photo: MAXXI exterior, via MAXXI Flickr page]

Ciao MAXXI! Contemporary Art Museum Opens in Italy

Bidding War Over '200 One Dollar Bills' Ends at $43.76 Million

NEW YORK, NY — The art market may still be suffering, but a successful contemporary art auction on Wednesday night indicates a rebound is  on the horizon. A surprise bidding war between five potential buyers broke out when Sotheby's brought Andy Warhol's 200 One Dollar Bills (1962) up to the auction block.

The 7 1/2-foot wide silkscreen painting of 200 life-size dollar bills in black, white and gray tones, sold for $43.76 million - more than three times its $12 million estimate. The painting sold to an undisclosed phone bidder, who paid the second-highest price at auction for a work by the Pop artist.

"Bidding was very deep tonight," said Tobias Meyer, Sotheby's contemporary art director. "The desire to have great things will make [collectors] step up and pay more than $40 million."

The late Warhol's artwork is certainly enjoying 15 minutes of fame this week. On Tuesday evening, another Warhol silkscreen, a portrait of Michael Jackson, also beat estimates; it sold for $812,500 at a Christie's auction.

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Read More - Warhol Fetches $43.7 Million at Auction | New York Times
[Photo: Andy Warhol. Two Hundred One Dollar Bills, 1962.]

Bidding War Over '200 One Dollar Bills' Ends at $43.76 Million

Artissima 16 Brings Contemporary Art to Torino

TORINO, ITALY — The international contemporary art fair, Artissima, begins Friday in Torino. Now in its sixteenth year, the dynamic event will bring together an exciting network of emerging artists, gallery owners and curators from around the globe. Fair director Andrea Bellini describes Artissima as "an authentic intellectual adventure, a place where personal encounters, tastes and choices are still important: a type of approach to contemporary art that is dedicated to true collectors and art lovers."

Artissima 16 will be held in and around the Lingotto Building, formerly home a huge Fiat factory complete with a rooftop test track. The fair is divided into sections offering paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, videos, photographs and performances.

Inside the fair:

• MAIN SECTION - the most important Italian and international galleries
• NEW ENTRIES - young galleries taking part in Artissima for the first time
• PRESENT FUTURE - devoted to emerging talent
• CONSTELLATIONS - large-format museum-type works
• LISTEN TO THE WRITER - guided tours for the general public
• ARTISSIMA CINEMA - the world of the visual arts, theater, music, dance, poetry, cinema and video art
• THE STORE - a celebration of art objects, and a critical reflection on the market

Outside the fair:

• BLINDING THE EARS - action, behavior, instant theater
• ARTISSIMA VOLUME - the links, inspiration and influences between the visual arts and music
• ARTISSIMA FUMETTO - from the world of comics: the latest, most up-to-date forms of expression

"Once again, art will take us on innovative and unforeseen journeys, helping us to believe in the power of change and of the imagination," said director Bellini.

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Artissima 16 (Nov. 6 - 8, 2009) @ Lingotto Fiere | Website

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Artissima 16 Brings Contemporary Art to Torino

A Night at the Museum: Guggenheim's First Annual Art Awards Ceremony

NEW YORK, NY -- There are dozens of award shows honoring actors and musicians, and now artists are finally being recognized for their creative achievements. On Thursday evening, stars including Kylie Minogue, Julianne Moore, James Franco and Mary-Kate Olsen, were at the Guggenheim Museum for a Hollywood-esque awards ceremony - The First Annual Art Awards. Conceived by artist Rob Pruitt, The First Annual Art Awards "honors select individuals, exhibitions, and projects that have made a significant impact on the field of contemporary art during the past year." And instead of the traditional metal statuette, winners took home a celebratory bucket of champagne that conveniently also serves as a fully functional lamp.

More than four hundred artists and art world professionals selected the nominees. And winners are (envelope please)...

■ Artist of the Year | Mary Heilmann

■ Curator of the Year | Connie Butler

■ Exhibition Outside the United States | Jeff Koons, Versailles, Château de Versailles, France

■ Group Show of the Year, Gallery | Who’s Afraid of Jasper Johns? Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York

■ Group Show of the Year, Museum | The Pictures Generation, 1974–1984, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

■ New Artist of the Year | Ryan Trecartin

■ The Rob Pruitt Award | Cynthia Plaster Caster

■ Solo Show of the Year, Gallery | Manzoni: A Retrospective, Gagosian Gallery, New York

■ Solo Show of the Year, Museum | Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and Museum of Modern Art, New York

■ Writer of the Year | Jerry Saltz

■ Lifetime-Achievement | Joan Jonas and Kasper König

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[Read More - Winners of Art Awards Announced at Guggenheim Museum Ceremony | Guggenheim.org]

A Night at the Museum: Guggenheim's First Annual Art Awards Ceremony

Top ART News: Week in Review | Oct. 18 - 25, 2009

■ Conde Nast's #1: 21c Museum Hotel Offers Rooms and Art | More >

■ Nefertiti Remains in Berlin's Neues Museum, Despite Egyptian Demands | More >

■ Defining a Masterpiece at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts | More >

■ Stars Shine at Whitney Museum Gala Benefit for the Arts | More >

■ The Guggenheim Museum Celebrates 50 Years | More >

■ American Feminist Artist Nancy Spero (1926-2009) | More > 

■ Contemporary Art Rendez-Vous at the FIAC in Paris | More >

■ LAPD Chief Calls It a Cow Splat, But Is It Art? | More >

■ Green Day Rocks Fine Art | More >  

■ The Art of the Sun King Reigns in Versailles | More >

■ Emerging Artist Wins Big in Temple University Art Competition | More >   

Top ART News: Week in Review | Oct. 18 - 25, 2009

Contemporary Art Rendez-Vous at the FIAC in Paris

PARIS -- Art aficionados have gathered in "The City of Light" this week for the 36th annual FIAC ("Foire internationale d'art contemporain"), the most prestigious contemporary art fair in France. Following on the heels of London's Frieze Art Fair last week, Paris' FIAC is hoping to capitalize on the momentum of this year's reported upswing in art sales achieved at the Frieze. Despite 28 dealers and more than 40 galleries from last year not returning, FIAC 2009 will present over 200 exhibitors representing thousands of artists.

At FIAC's VIP preview on Wednesday night, Femme Ecrivant, a $24 million painting by Pablo Picasso of his mistress, Marie-Therese Walter, was put on reserve. Fine art by other modern masters such as Francis Bacon, Piet Mondrian and Fernand Leger, will also be up for bid. More than 65,000 visitors are expected to stroll the picturesque locations around the Tuileries Gardens, Grand Palais and the Louvre Museum, where the FIAC will display some of the world's finest modern masterworks.

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FIAC (Oct. 22 - 25, 2009) | Website
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[Read more - $24 Million Picasso Reserved as Arnault Joins Browsers at FIAC | Bloomberg]

Contemporary Art Rendez-Vous at the FIAC in Paris

Conde Nast's #1: 21c Museum Hotel Offers Rooms and Art

LOUISVILLE, KY -- When you pull up to the entrance, it's hard not to notice the bright red penguins guarding the doors. And that's not all that sets the 21c Museum Hotel apart. After 25,000 individuals voted, the 21c Museum Hotel was recently named #1 hotel in the United States and #6 in the world in the prestigious 2009 Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards.

The 21c Museum Hotel is more than just an overnight stop for Louisville guests. Even without reservations, all are welcome to visit the hotel's 9,000 square feet of exhibition space featuring rotating art displays. And, of course, there are the 40 red penguins who roam the hotel as permanent guests, originally commissioned as public art for the 2005 Venice Biennale. Philanthropists and art collectors, Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, founded the hotel in 2006. Their vision was to make contemporary art accessible for everyone.

"We are thrilled with the recognition 21c Museum Hotel has received from travelers around the world and from Conde Nast Traveler," said Wilson. "Louisville is widely known for the Kentucky Derby, but there is much more to do in our city than go to horse races. We look forward to welcoming new visitors to experience 21c Museum Hotel and our presentation of works by living artists."

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[Read more - 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky Voted #1 Hotel in U.S. and #6 Hotel in the World In Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards | Reuters]

Conde Nast's #1: 21c Museum Hotel Offers Rooms and Art