– George W. Bush, Oil Painter: In a rare public appearance, the 43rd President of the United States revealed what he's been up to now that he's no longer in the Oval Office. The answer? Oil painting. Bush told the audience — comprised of civic and business leaders in Memphis — that he's "kinda stuck" to painting dogs these days. "I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks," he joked. (Now, if you will, take a minute and imagine the former leader of the free world trying to get his dog to stay put while he paints his portrait. You're welcome.) [Daily Beast via AFC]
– The Secret Life of an American Art Forger: Art forger extraordinaire Ken Perenyi just can't stop talking about his exploits now that the statute of limitations for his forgeries has passed. In advance of the release of his memoir, "Caveat Emptor: the Secret Life of an American Art Forger,” he gave an in-depth interview about the "thrill of fooling the experts" and his new gig as a painter of high-end reproductions. He estimates that hundreds of his fakes remain in circulation, and occasionally glimpses one in an auction catalogue or magazine. "It's like bumping into an old friend," he said. [NYT]
– Preemptive Crackdown on Graffiti Ahead of Olympics: The British Transport Police are serious about preventing graffiti during the London Olympics: they have already arrested four men who they suspect were planning to tag during the event, though no one has been charged. Another man, Darren Cullen, who runs a branding firm that has designed spray paint campaigns for Microsoft, Adidas, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, has been banned from possessing art materials, using public transportation, or coming within one mile of an Olympic venue. [Guardian]
– Kiev Biennale Venue to Become Museum: The main venue for the inaugural Kiev Biennale, the just-renovated Mystetskyi Arsenal in the center of the city, will function as an art museum after the exhibition closes on July 31. "The museum will represent the art of the people who have inhabited the territory of Ukraine throughout the past several thousand years," said the Arsenale's director general Nataliia Zabolotna, "as well as contemporary Ukrainian art, and also masterpieces of international art." [TAN]
– Artist Removes Halo From Joe Paterno Mural: Painter Michael Pilato erased a halo above the head of late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno after the FBI revealed he had been involved in the cover-up of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's long-term child abuse. When news of the scandal first broke, Pilato replaced Sandusky's likeness with a blue child-abuse-aweness ribbon. "As a public artist, you've got to listen to the public and I started to hear the public, and I wish I hadn't put [the halo] up there, to tell you the truth," he said. [LAT]
– Major Donation for Princeton Museum: The Princeton Art Museum has endowed its directorship thanks to a $5-million donation from alumni Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger, capping a five-year fundraising campaign that raised $1.88 billion for the university. Professor and current museum director James Steward will be the first to hold the new named position. [Princeton Patch]
– Milwaukee Art Hub Goes Up in Flames: The building at 631 East Center Street in Milwaukee, which was home to many artists' live-work studios and some of the city's leading experimental galleries — including Center, Plum House, and Nomadic — was decimated in a five-alarm fire on Tuesday morning. "I am stricken,” said performance artist Pegi Christiansen, whose group In:Site had a space in the building. "That building has such an amazing history in it. So many shows fly into my head, the things I saw there." [Milwaukee Jounal Sentinel]
– China's Art Funds Expand Rapidly: The quickly expanding Chinese art market, already the world's largest, has spawned a corresponding increase in art funds and art-investment ventures — industries now valued at more than $900 million. But experts worry about their very informal and untested business practices. "Art investment in China is new, and it’s very much ‘make the rules up as you go along,'” Bobby Mohseni, director of art advisory MFA Asia, says. "It lacks a lot in terms of clarity and compliance, and it’s hard to gauge whether the level of professionalism is there." [TAN]
– Detroit Institute of Art Proposes Museum Tax: The Michigan museum hopes to persuade voters to authorize a $20 tax on homes worth $200,000 to support its operating costs. In exchange, it promises free admission and expanded programming. If approved, the proposal would result in an extra $23 million a year for the Detroit Institute of Art. [AP]
– Sotheby's to Offer 100 Lots From Marcel Brient Collection: On September 25, Sotheby's Paris will sell part of the collection of free-thinking Frenchman Marcel Brient, one of the country's most prolific contemporary art collectors. Over the last 40 years, Brient has amassed significant holdings of French art, including works by Simon Hantaï, Martial Rayesse, and Martin Barré, as well as of significant artists who worked in France, such as Joan Mitchell and Sam Francis. [ArtDaily]
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Private Sales Surge at Christie's — Will the Auction House Crowd Out Dealers?
Stuck in a Deitch: L.A. MOCA's Meltdown as an Economic Metaphor
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