Happenings

Qatar: Can Philippe Come Out and Play?

Kate Taylor reports in the NY Sun that Philippe de Montebello, already consulting for Abu Dhabi through NYU, is thinking about working with Qatar on their museum projects.

Are Restaurants the New Museums?

The Independent explores the synergy between restaurants for the well-heeled and the art on display:

Pierre Gagnaire’s rue Balzac restaurant in Paris works with the Galerie Lelong and has shown works by stars such as Richard Serra and Antoni Tapies. Michel Besmond, director of the trendy Restaurant Alcazar on Paris’s Left Bank, reveals that all their spectacular photographs, including those by the likes of Martin Parr and Nobuyoshi Araki, are from the Kamel Mennour gallery, located nearby.

American Art: A Safe Haven?

Pittsburg art reporter Kurt Shaw showcases the American art market. It isn’t clear why he’s covering that market in the middle of August but Christie’s Eric Widing’s enthusiasm knows no news peg:

“Our wealthiest clients are putting money into the art market at levels that we haven’t seen before,” Widing says, “and that’s driving these record prices that we see in many categories. It certainly is driving prices in the American market.”

Still in Pittsburgh: Salon de What?

According to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, local dealer Steve Mendelsohn holds a Salon des Refusées for those who could not get into the 98th Associated Artists of Pittsburgh annual show.

The Monet Buyer’s Art Adviser Speaks

Tania Buckrell Pos is taking her star turn after purchasing Christie’s $80 million Monet water lilies. The previously unknown adviser calls her practice “small but successful” as well as “small and flexible” and says she’s at the forefront of a new business. In addition, she’s sure her client can sell the water lilies if they have to: “I know that there are two other people in the world who would like to own that picture if my client ever needs to sell it, so I feel quite confident at this point that we made a good purchase,” she says.

Collecting: Everybody Does It–But Let’s Not Talk About It

All-Star Baseball catcher Ted Simmons gets button-holed about his art and antiques collection. He does everything he can to drop the subject, “why talk about it? All it does is bring everybody and their brother into it because they’re interested in my art collection, whether it’s contemporary prints or American furniture. It’s something that takes up a lot of time (to discuss) and I’m here for baseball.”