NEA charts its success
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released a report, April 19, charting the economic impact of the arts both federally and at state level. The report shows that between 2013 and 2014, the growth in arts and cultural workers exceeded the national rate in 17 states, with the largest growth in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Washington.
Based on data collected in 2014, the report comes at a time when the future of the National Endowment of the Arts and Humanities looks uncertain. President Trump proposed to eliminate them in his 2018 Federal Budget plan, which is yet to be approved by Congress. Research shows that cultural industries contributed $729.6 billion to the US economy in 2014 alone. Whilst, between 1998 and 2014, the arts and culture sector to the nation’s gross domestic product grew by 35.1 percent.
Polish sculptor and fiber artist, Magdalena Abakanowicz, passes away
Magdalena Abakanowicz has died at the age of 86, on Friday, April 21. The artist is perhaps best known for her biomorphic, large-scale sculptures of headless human figures made from thick fibres in synthetic resin — known as Abakans.
Abakanowicz’s work has been applauded for its ability to evoke the weight of political trauma and oppression. As the artist once said: “Art does not solve problems but makes us aware of their existence. It opens our eyes to see and our brain to imagine.” Abakanowicz began her career as a painter, before moving towards sculpture — creating those gigantic soft sculptural forms using natural textiles her name became synonymous with. She won gold at the São Paulo Biennial in 1967, and received the Award for Distinction in Sculpture from the New York Sculpture Center in 1993 and the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts in 1999. Further detail of the artist’s life via The New York Times.
Magdalena Abakanowicz inspecting Bronze Crowd (1990-1991), Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
South African Galleries disown convicted murderer Zwelethu Mthethwa’s photography
Convicted of murdering 23 year old sex worker Nokuphila Kumalo, in 2013, acclaimed photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa will have his work removed from displays across a number of prominent South African galleries.
Mthethwa’s defence attorney, William Booth, said the artist will face an “uphill battle” to get permission to create art from prison, whilst highlighting that despite local galleries’ protest, many of his photographs remain on display internationally. Details via IOL
Zwelethu Mthethwa, Courtesy of Netwerk24 | Zwelethu Mthethwa, Untitled (2000) Image courtesy of Dr Kenneth Montague / The Wedge Collection
South African artist William Kentridge makes record sale for gouache series Heads at Paris auction
At the Art Contemporain Africain auction, held by Piasa auction house in Paris last week, South African artist William Kentridge sold his Heads series — “a monumental gouache characteristic of Kentridge’s work” for a staggering R5‚7 million (442,300 US dollars). The sale was among 100 early 20th century works by African artists to go on sale at the event. The sale marks an auction record for a work on paper by the artist. Details via Business Day.
