interior architech kome design - Bunny Williams

The beauty of books and art a la Bunny Willams...

stret Lauren Marsden

Lauren Marsden is a talented Victoria artist who creates some of the most amazing artistic creations I have ever seen. Her indoor/outdoor carpeting gallery space of Home Sweet Home (above) exhibit blew me away. Her latest artistic endeavour is called Territorial Knittings... she is knitting street sign covers for every street she has lived on in Victoria. The pattern is an exact duplicate of the sign itself... very clever, very creative!

home garben - Dawn MacNutt

"I will continue to be a sculptor or to make art in some form for as along as I breathe, I believe. In this pursuit, one never 'arrives'. Hopefully... the journey is the thing."

The unique weaved sculptures of Canadian artist Dawn MacNutt. The formations are interpretations of featureless human figures or large architectonic columns created from natural and non-traditional materials. Her compelling life-size willow, grapevine, seagrass or bronze works (sometimes upwards of 12' tall!) are used for outdoor installations, sculpture gardens, and indoor spaces. I like how the bits of copper glisten out from the interlaced basketry in her works...

wall decor - Beth Dunlop

wall decor - Beth Dunlop

home decor wall - Sol Sugar

"When people see my work I would like them to smile, to be filled with a rush of warmth that causes their cheeks to turn pink, to giggle…

I want them to feel alive with colour"

Dazzling acrylic paintings by Brandy Saturley of Sol Sugar Designs here in Victoria... I showcased some of her colourful, curvaceous pieces from her Toe collection awhile back.
Literally a neighbour of mine (James Bay... yah!!), Brandy's art is incredibly vibrant and full of exquisite detail. She is inspired by the ocean and the colour blue which resonates as a dance of rigorous patterns throughout her pieces. So lively and whimsical... I adore her work.

Local Spin On Deaccessioning Debate

In a recent blog post I discussed the debate over whether museums and public galleries should be able to liqidate a portion of their holdings to help pay the bills in troubled times like these. This controversial practice, known as deaccessioning, allows museums to keep the bulk of their work together and exercise their own judgement. Critics claim that this is a violation of a public trust, and that it often directly conflicts with the wishes of the entity that donated the works in the first place (which is true). A local Nashville case illustrates the conflict.

Fisk University Battles O'Keefe Museum: This Nashville Tennesseean article describes a recent Tennessee Court of Appeals ruling which will, if it stands, allow Fisk University to sell a 50% share of its Alfred Steiglitz collection. Steiglitz was the husband of Georgia O'Keefe, and the collection includes primarily O'Keefe works. After Steiglitz's death, O'Keefe donated his collection of her works to Fisk University, a historically black university in Nashville, with the stipulation that the work be displayed as a complete set.

The financially troubled unversity is wishing to sell a share of the collection to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas. The university and the museum would then split the display time for the collection evenly. The O'Keefe Museum in New Mexico, as administrator of Mrs. O'Keefe's estate, claimed that the university's arrangement with Crystal Bridges violated the stipulation that Mrs. O'Keefe had placed upon the collection, and further claimed that the collection should returned to the estate rather than allowing Fisk to enter into these types of arrangements.

"[Public galleries] see these things as assets, and they sell them off to pay their gas bills, which is frustrating," said Stan Mabry, owner of Stanford Fine Art in Belle Meade [a Nashville suburb]. "Long term, they'll regret it. I wish there was a way to get the city, the state museum, collectors and others to pitch in and keep them in Nashville." [emphasis added]

As a Middle Tennesseean, I would love for this work to stay in Nashville permanently. It seems to me that the larger issue is the right of the public galleries to do with their collections what they see fit. I understand that donors give to public galleries and museums in order to keep works on display for the good of all, but if a museum can't keep its doors open due to poor cash flow, then all of its pieces leave the public view, obviously a far worse fate. Unfortunately, these decisions will be for the courts to take moving forward, and who knows how that might end up?

If you are a collector of fine art, you need an inventory of those works for your insurance carrier as well as a separate insurance policy. Keep this in mind as you build your collection.

Farley Home Services provide home inventory documentation for everyone regardless of your stance on deaccessioning. Please visit EverySingleItem.com for more information. Thanks for reading!

Hurricanes, Bulls and Bears. What a Day!

Good Insurance News? No Way! Texas officials reviewing claims data from the two recent hurricanes says that a surprisingly small number of justifiable complaints were filed, less than one quarter of one percent! Way to go, Texas insurance industry! Claims Journal has the story.

"There will always be complaints arising from any storm damage. When you are dealing with a lot of money in a catastrophic situation, it can be difficult for all of the parties to be completely satisfied with the claim settlement," said [Texas Insurance Council Chair Dorothy] Langley. "But these low numbers on complaints coming from both Ike and Dolly are remarkable considering the volume and severity of the claims. It shows the industry has worked hard and been successful in putting their policyholders back on their feet in difficult circumstances."

It's refreshing to see some good insurance news for a change. The industry needs all the help it can get these days.

"Deaccessioning" Debate Rages On: Deaccessioning occurs when a public art gallery or museum sells off its own pieces in an effort to raise capital, either to acquire new works, or to restore or maintain other pieces, and a debate rages both in Europe and here about how vigorously museums should engage in this practice and to what ends. Regulation has been difficult to enact and even more difficult to enforce. London's Telegraph has the story of the latest round of discussion.

The [British] Museums Association has attempted to restrict “deaccessioning” with some ethical guidelines, based on stages of consultation and a preference for loans or exchange over sale. But although restrictions are legally imposed by the terms of charitable bequests, the law is far from watertight and conscience is the ultimate policeman of the process.

This practice is far more prevalent in America. For instance, recently the New York Historical society sold one of its paintings, a William Holbrook Beard work entitled The Bulls and the Bears in the Market, in order to pay for an air conditioning upgrade. The New York legislature (see this New York Times piece) is attempting to regulate this practice, but major museums are fighting for the ability to use their own judgement, particularly in this era of tight budgets.

Farley Home Services provides the home and small business inventory documentation that insurance carriers require to handle claims. Please visit us on the web at EverySingleItem.com for details, and thanks for reading today!