— Automakers Give $26M to DIA: Detroit automakers Ford, GM, and Chrysler have pledged $26 million to save the Detroit Institute of Art’s collection and pensions as part of the “Grand Bargain” plan. “The D.I.A. and the city of Detroit need our help,” Joseph R. Hinrichs, executive vice president of Ford, said at a news conference at the museum. “And we are here, as we’ve always been, to do our part.” [NYT]
— Frick Plans Six-Story Expansion: The Frick Collection has announced plans for a new six-story wing to increase its exhibition space, which will have private upstairs rooms and a roof garden. Best-known for its jewel-box galleries, the museum’s expansion of its historic Thomas Hastings-designed mansion has not been presented to its neighbors yet, but officials say it is much needed to accommodate the growing crowds at exhibitions like last year’s showing of Vermeer’s “Girl With Pearl Earring.” The new addition would also connect the museum to its library, which has, up until now, remained separate. [NYT]
— Google Unveils Street Art Database: Today, Google unveiled Street Art Project, a new online gallery and database featuring images of 4,000 works of street art culled from cultural organizations around the world and created by the Paris-based Google Cultural Institute. The database includes pieces like JR’s favela photographs in Rio de Janeiro and even the murals of Long Island City’s 5 Pointz, which was painted over last year. The project comes with strict restrictions, only using images provided by organizations that own the rights to them, and not photos taken through Street View. [NYT]
— Artlantic Curator Heads to DC: Lance Fung, who curated a series of public art projects in Atlantic City (that were at times ill-received by the community), is heading to DC for a new project called Nonuments. [Philly]
— Delaware Calder May Go to Auction: There is speculation that Alexander Calder’s “Black Crescent” mobile could be the third artwork sold by the Delaware Art Museum. [Delaware]
— Meet the New Academy Museum Head: Kerry Brougher, who is slated to start as director of LA’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences museum on July 1, has been profiled in the LA Times and the New York Times. [LAT, NYT]
— Art specialists in Britain have confirmed the authenticity of a suspected Rembrandt self-portrait owned by the National Trust. [NYT]
— Four members of the Broad Art Museum’s administrative and curatorial staff, including Alison Gass and Aimee Shapiro, will depart this month. [Lansing State Journal]
— The British Council has named Emma Dexter its new director of visual arts. [Press Release]
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