Exhibitions of Interest January/February 2010

1. 2,000 Years of Geography and Mapping at the Bruce Museum
Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, Antwerp, 1570. Private collection.

GREENWICH, CT.- The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, presents the new exhibition Writing the Earth: 2,000 Years of Geography and Mapping from January 30 through May 2, 2010. The exhibition features a selection of world maps that were printed between 1511 and 1800 and are on loan from a private collection. The show also includes a small group of maps from 1570 featuring the Americas. Many maps are startlingly accurate; many are measures of the continuing professional progress of human ignorance. Among the most endearing qualities of any old map is the degree to which its errors vastly outnumber its truths. They are all a record - in line, graphic, color, and word - of the history of the Earth as its keener, commercially ..

2. New York Harbor Quadricentennial Saluted with Extensive Exhibition
These antiquarian maps tell the story from a centuries-old perspective. Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.
NEW YORK, NY.- The New York Public Library celebrates Henry Hudson and Dutch acumen with "Mapping New York's Shoreline: 1609-2009," a comprehensive exhibition featuring rare and extraordinary maps, atlases, books, journals, broadsides, manuscripts, prints, and an animation superimposing historical maps on a three-dimensional Google Earth model drawn primarily from the Library’s Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, and from other New York Public Library collections. In September 1609, Henry Hudson sailed into New York Harbor and up the river that would later be named in his honor, performing detailed reconnaissance of the Valley region. Other explorers had passed by ... More

3. Metropolitan Museum, New York - Contemporary Aboriginal Painting from Australia, December 15, 2009–June 13, 2010The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, 1st floor

This installation features fourteen bold and colorful paintings created by contemporary Aboriginal Australian artists. Drawn from a private collection in the U. S., the installation provides an introduction to Aboriginal painting, which has become Australia’s most celebrated contemporary art movement and has attained prominence within the international art world. The works on view—all of which have never before been on public display—were created primarily over the past decade by artists from the central desert, where the contemporary painting movement began, and from adjoining regions, to which the movement spread. On view are paintings by prominent artists, including some of the founders of the contemporary movement, as well as emerging figures. This is the first presentation of contemporary Australian Aboriginal painting to be held at the Metropolitan Museum.

4. Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming - “Splendid Heritage” opens to the public May 1 and presents more than 140 masterworks of American Indian art from the Northeastern Woodlands, Plateau and Plains regions. The MetLife Foundation grant completes funding for the exhibition, which has also received a grant from the Wyoming Humanities Council and a donation from Naoma Tate, a member of the Historical Center’s Board of Trustees.
The 18th- and 19th-century Plains, Plateau, and Northeastern American Indian objects in the exhibition are all from the private collection of John and Marva Warnock. Pieces include beaded tobacco bags, weapons, dolls, cradles, war shirts, dresses, moccasins and more — most of which had never been on public view prior to the exhibition’s February 2009 debut at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, which spearheaded the project.

5.

Some Thoughts from an Artist

Art is not the application of a canon of beauty but what the instinct and the brain can conceive beyond any canon. When we love a woman we don’t start measuring her limbs. Picasso

Friede - de Young Update

A few weeks ago, it was announced that a tentative settlement has been reached in the four- way dispute among the de Young Museum, John Friede, Friede's two brothers, and Sothebys.

The attorneys involved announced that the agreement if confirmed will give the de Young clear title to 274 of 398 pieces of Papua New Guinea artwork housed at the city-owned museum - a compilation that nation's ambassador to the United States hailed as an "unparalleled and extensive collection of masterpieces."

The fate of the remaining 124 pieces at the de Young Museum, dozens of them on loan from Sotheby's, is still unresolved and could result in some of the pieces being sold to satisfy a roughly $20 million debt to the auction house.

New York philanthropists John and Marcia Friede collected 4,000 or more pieces of New Guinea tribal art over four decades and promised the prized works to the de Young Museum in a series of agreements dating to 2003.

The de Young Museum specifically designed an 8,000-square-foot gallery named for the couple to house the collection when it rebuilt its Golden Gate Park home. The artwork, named the Jolika Collection after the first letters in the Friedes' three children's names, was to be transferred over a period of years. But the couple also used the works to secure loans from Sotheby's to acquire more pieces and, at the insistence of John Friede's brothers, put the collection up as collateral in an inheritance dispute following the 2005 death of John Friede's mother, Evelyn A.J. Hall, sister of publishing tycoon Walter Annenberg.

The result was a series of legal battles in California, New York and Florida. San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera went to court in September 2008 to try to prevent John Friede's two brothers from seizing the collection and selling parts of it to raise up to $20 million after a Florida judge ruled that Friede had violated the terms of a legal settlement involving their mother's estate. In that case, John Friede had agreed to pay his brothers $30 million and put up the Jolika Collection as collateral, despite already having pledged it to the de Young. He values the entire collection at about $300 million.

John Friede had paid his brothers more than $22 million of the $30 million, but legal fees and interest made the shortfall around $10 million, court documents show. In April, the city agreed to sell 76 works not at the museum to help pay the Friedes' debts. Only some have been sold.
Under the settlement, the balance John Friede owes his brothers will be set at $5.65 million and will be paid from three sources: John Friede's one-third share of the Pierre Bonnard painting "Le dejeuner" that he owns with his brothers; a portion of a $3.7 million payment from his mother's estate that was to go the de Young to pay for upkeep, promotion and study of the Jolika Collection; and proceeds held in escrow from the sale of some of the works not housed at the museum, lawyers involved in the case said.

The brothers, Thomas Jaffe and Robert Friede, agree to give the de Young clear ownership of 168 works at the museum, on top of the 106 collection pieces the de Young indisputably owns.
"We've achieved a great result in protecting the museum's works from the brothers' claims," Deputy City Attorney Don Margolis said. "Everyone compromised to some extent."
Rosemary Halligan, an attorney for Friede's half-brother, Thomas Jaffe, noted that the agreement is tentative.

"We're not there yet, but we're hopeful that we'll get there," Halligan said. The Board of Trustees for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which oversees the de Young, signed off on the proposal Dec. 10. 'Very, very pleased' John Friede said it is premature to comment before the settlement is finalized, but added that he is "very, very pleased with the progress."
Also unclear is what will happen to about 3,500 pieces at the Friedes' Rye, N.Y., home, which the couple has planned to gradually turn over to the de Young. Some could be sold to resolve the Sotheby's case in New York. "We believe it's still (the Friedes') desire to bequeath these works to the museum," Margolis said. (Refer to http://www.sfgate.com/)

So in summation the Friedes still have an obligation both to Sothebys and Friede's brothers. Clearly the success at auction of the Friede pieces offered to date suggests this dispute will soon be settled.

Another Great Success for Nelson-Atkins

Credit must go to Marc Wilson, director of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and his exhibition "Magnificent Gifts for 75th" which has inspired 75 matrons to donate over 400 works of art to celebrate this important date in the museum's history. Considering the substantial gift of Northwest Coast and Eskimo art by Estelle and Morton Sosland, this has to be considered extraordinary in these economic time. The lead gift of 7 African works by Edele and Donald Hall (Hallmark cards) will be a great boost to a small but fine African collection. The collection has been without specific curatorial expertise since the departure years ago by African art expert David Binkley, who left for the National Museum of African Art. This is a significant addition that will one hopes will attract a first rate African curator.

"KANSAS CITY, MO.- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art today announced a promised gift of seven extraordinary works of African art from the private collection of longtime Museum patrons Adele and Donald Hall, in honor of the Museum’s 75th Anniversary. The gifts, each a superb example of African art, will greatly elevate and broaden the Museum’s range of holdings in this area. Among the gifts are an intricately carved ivory Salt Cellar from the late 15th to early 16th century and an outstanding example of a wooden carving by the Luba artist known as the “Master of the Cascade Coiffure.”

The seven works will be on view in the exhibition Magnificent Gifts for the 75th that opens to the public Feb. 13 as the capstone event of the anniversary year. The exhibition is the result of a year-long collecting initiative that inspired 75 Museum patrons to give or promise more than 400 works of art to the Nelson-Atkins, including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures, new media art, ceramics, glass, furniture and books. The exhibition will feature 130 of the gifts.

“The outpouring of gifts has been tremendously gratifying and, as is often the case, Adele and Don led the way with their generosity,” said Marc F. Wilson, Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell Director/CEO. “They are setting once again an example of what individuals can do to share their passion in a way that matters and that benefits the public. Each of these works of art has a personality and a story, almost like a family member in the Hall household. Any museum would be thrilled to have these, but we are especially honored to receive art personally acquired by the Halls.”

The Halls are long-time benefactors of the Nelson-Atkins who have greatly influenced and supported the Museum’s collection-building and recent expansion project. Mr. Hall is chairman of the board of Hallmark Cards Inc., a company founded in Kansas City by his father, Joyce Hall, 100 years ago. Mr. Hall has served on the Nelson-Atkins Board of Trustees for 29 consecutive years, beginning in March 1980, and Mrs. Hall helped lead fund-raising efforts in support of the Generations Campaign and a $100 million endowment initiative.

The Halls bought their first piece of African art within the first year of their marriage. They found themselves drawn to African works because of the tremendous sculptural quality, the power and contemporary nature of the designs, and the function of the objects within their cultures. Throughout the years, they have been advised by curators and specialists in the field, and they continue to acquire important works.

“None of these pieces were originally made to be in a private collection,” Mrs. Hall said. “They were designed to honor an ancestor, or to carry soil from one home place to another, or to bind a contract, or for ensuring fertility. There was a great deal of ceremony involved.”

Masterworks from the Hall Collection

The seven works promised to the Nelson-Atkins are as follows:

• Headrest, African, Attributed to the Master of the Cascade Coiffure, Luba peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo, late 19th – early 20th century. Wood, glass beads, and copper, 5 5/16 x 4 ½ x 3 ½ inches. Promised gift of Adele and Donald Hall in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 14.2010.2.

High-ranking Luba women and men slept with headrests such as this to protect elaborate hairstyles, which indicated civilized refinement and both exterior and interior beauty. This headrest is attributed to the “Master of the Cascade Coiffure,” one of the most renowned 19th-century Luba artists. With its animated female figure, it is an outstanding representative of the diminutive, elegantly carved headrests attributed to this artist, or workshop.

• Salt Cellar, African, Sierra Leone, late 15th – early 16th century. Ivory, 7 ¾ inches. Promised gift of Adele and Donald Hall in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 14.2010.3.

This intricately carved salt cellar with its beautifully rendered figures is one of the more important Sapi-Portuguese ivories. It is attributed to a workshop distinguished by salt cellars featuring cylindrical, openwork bases, and it is carved from one piece of ivory (excepting the lid). A luxury object, it would have been commissioned by Portuguese from local workshops, and incorporates an inventive combination of European and African design elements. The egg-shaped container is decorated with narrow beaded bands (a European embellishment) and supported by four standing figures (an African innovation).

• Trance Diviner’s Figure, African, Baule peoples, Ivory Coast, 19th century. Wood, beads, and cloth, 19 ½ x 5 ¼ x 6 inches. Promised gift of Adele and Donald Hall in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 10.2007.2.

This elegant sculpture was created to house one of the powerful wilderness spirits that communicated with Baule diviners during trance possession. Wilderness spirits, although frightful and inhuman, are attracted to images of ideal human beauty, characterized by this figure’s enlarged head, intricate hairstyle and beard, elongated neck and scarification. The wilderness spirit may partner with a male or female by possessing and placing the diviner in a trance state. The spirit can then communicate remedies for personal or community misfortune to the diviner.

• Female Spirit Mask, African, Punu peoples, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 19th century. Wood and pigment, 10 x 6 ½ x 6 ½ inches. Promised gift of Adele and Donald Hall in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 10.2007.1.

Worldly, wise and peaceful, this beautiful mask with its elaborate coiffure and scarification captures the idealized beauty of a mature Punu woman. It is an outstanding example of masks of this type, which would have appeared in masquerades during funeral celebrations to represent a young woman’s spirit. Applications of white kaolin clay were associated with the spiritual realm to depict female and male ancestral spirits.

• Personal Shrine Figure, African, Igbo peoples, Nigeria, ca. 1900. Wood and pigment, 29 ½ x 9 ¾ x 10 ¼ inches. Promised gift of Adele and Donald Hall in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 12.2001.9.

This masterfully carved personal shrine figure is one of the most important Igbo ikenga figures, or those dedicated to male power and achievement. Rams’ horns symbolize male aggression and determination, and the curved sword symbolizes decisive action. The eagles and python-reigning creatures of sky and water allude to supreme achievement in life, including military endeavors. Human trophy heads symbolize military success, and European pith helmets on the trophy heads express continuing power despite the challenges of colonial rule

• Seated Female Figure, African, Baule peoples, Ivory Coast, early 20th century. Wood, 14 ½ inches. Promised gift of Adele and Donald Hall in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 14.2010.1.

This serenely composed figure, adorned with armlets and waistbeads, displays the idealized traits of a Baule spirit wife: an elegant coiffure, beautifying scarification and filed incisors. According to customary beliefs, all men and women have other-world mates with powers to influence their human partners’ lives. Sculptural representations of one’s spirit spouse could be commissioned for a shrine situated in the privacy of one’s sleeping room.

• Royal Staff Finial, African, Kongo Kingdom, Yombe peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 17th – 18th century. Ivory with palm oil, 7 7/8 x 2 ¾ x 1 ½ inches. Promised gift of Adele and Donald Hall in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 12.2001.11.

The ivory figure, half female and half leopard, appears to represent a founding ancestress of the Yombe. The royal woman holds two gourds that may contain potent medicines associated with rulers’ occult powers. The snarling leopard with its serpent-headed forepaws is a fearsome representation of royal authority and military prowess. Two spiraled staffs flanking the leopard may be royal mvwala staffs drawing power from the earth and ancestral dead. Ivory and the warm, red tone of this figure, achieved through the application of red palm oil, represent powerful spiritual forces. " ArtDailey.org

Washkuk figure - Picture of the Month

Channeling Other Worlds

Washkuk Mindja figure

1st half 20th century

Insuring Your Art, A Sign of The Times

If there is one question I am asked more often other than "what kind of wood is this", it is what should I insure in the collection. Not being an expert in insurance I won't advise anyone on the types of coverage that can be purchased from a company. However, some thoughts may be helpful - especially as the insurers are evolving in their coverage of art.

Insurance is basically risk management on the part of the insured and the insurer. The Insured wants to minimize the potential loss of a valuable asset. The insurer wants to minimize their risk in having to provide to provide insurance coverage and maximize their profits for providing this service. In a perfect world this relationship can be a win-win situation. Unfortunately, more often than one might like the insured is either under insured, over insured, or not adequately protected with proper documentation of their assets.

Here are some basic thoughts:

* Photograph and document your collection, or at least the most valuable works in your collection. Include current appraisals, original sales receipts, and any additional paperwork that speaks directly to the value of your art.

* Buy as much insurance as you can comfortably afford, whether or not that amount covers the entire value of your art. Most loss, damage, or theft affects only a portion of a collection, not the entire collection. To repeat-- receiving some compensation is better than receiving no compensation at all. See the definition of terms at the end of this article.

* Make sure you understand your insurance policy. This means reading the fine print, and asking every question about every conceivable loss or damage situation that you can think of. You don't want to find out after a loss that you were not covered for that specific type of loss. Important questions should be asked and answered by written communications that you can file and retrieve later if necessary.

* Theft/damage insurance for art, added onto your home insurance, generally costs $1-$2 annually per $1000 of coverage (less if you have a good security system in place). Several insurance companies specialize in covering art and antiques exclusively. Coverage details can be discussed and/or negotiated with your insurance company. There's no excuse for not insuring an art collection. If you can afford the art, you can afford the insurance. And remember-- you don't have to insure for every last penny of value in your collection. Loss or damage rarely affects an entire collection, and you'll find that in the large majority of cases, even partial coverage will reimburse you for a substantial percentage of the dollar amount involved in most occurrences. Understand you risks and the most likely event you are insuring against. Are you in a flood plain, earthquake area, tornado prone state etc. ?

Homeowners Insurance policy:

If one was to look at a home insurance declarations page, which is usually the first page in a home owners insurance policy, they would see Part I: Property Protection. This protection is usually broken down into four additional sections:
A. Dwelling
B. Other Structures
C. Personal Property
D. Loss of Use
Coverage A. Dwelling typically covers your house, attached structures, fixtures in the house such as built-in appliances, plumbing, heating, permanently installed air conditioning systems, and electrical wiring.
Coverage B. Other Structures typically covers detached structures such as garages, storage sheds, and fixtures attached to the land including fences, driveways, sidewalks, patios, and retaining walls. Detached structures used for business purposes are not covered under a personal home owners insurance policy.
Coverage C. Personal Property typically covers personal property including the contents of your home and other personal items owned by you or family members who live with you. This protection can be based on actual cash value or replacement cost. Home insurance policies may provide limited coverage for small boats, however, most home insurance policies do not cover motorized vehicles unless they are unlicensed and used only at your home. Some items may have coverage limits such as firearms, artwork, business property, electronic data, jewelry, and money. Extra coverage is usually available by adding endorsements to your policy.
Coverage D. Loss of Use typically covers living expenses over and above your normal living expenses if you cannot live in your home while repairs are being made or if you are denied access by government order.

Endorsements can also be added to your home owner insurance policy at an additional cost to provide extra protection. Examples of endorsements include:

1. Guaranteed replacement cost coverage will pay the cost to rebuild your home as long as you have met the requirements of your home insurance policy.
2. Extended replacement cost coverage insures your home for a specific value and usually adds a 20-25% extended limit if reconstruction costs run over.
3. Inflation Guard increases the amount of your home owner insurance to keep up with inflation so that you can maintain adequate coverage to replace your home in the event of a loss.
4. Scheduled personal property protects articles such as jewelry, furs, stamps, coins, guns, computers, antiques, and other items that often exceed normal policy limits in your regular home owners insurance policy. It often provides coverage that is broader than the coverage in the home insurance policy. There normally is not a deductible for this coverage. Increased limits on money and securities provide additional coverage for money, bank notes, securities, and deeds.
5. Secondary residence provides protection for a second home such as a summer residence.
Theft coverage protection broadens the theft coverage to include personal contents in your motor vehicle, trailer or watercraft to be covered without proof of forcible entry.
6. Credit card forgery and depositor's forgery coverage provides protection against loss, theft or unauthorized use of credit cards. It also covers forgery of any check, draft, or promissory note. No deductible applies to this endorsement.

Important: Check your policy. Some policies have limits of coverage under your homeowners by class of property. Some policies calculate your homeowners by a percentage of the total value of the house. For example your house is worth $200,000 and your contents policy is 50% or $100,000. If you have a piano that is worth $50,000 then all you have remaining is $50,000 for the rest of the contents. If your house burns down, you have a problem. It is also important to note that coverage on a homeowners is usually a named peril. Not included unless scheduled separately would be your baby throwing your diamond ring into the running garbage disposal.

Check your policy for a co-insurance clause. If you have both a loss and this clause in your policy you may be disappointed in the final settlement by the insurance company. Basically this clause states that if your scheduled property is under-insured then if a loss occurs you will share the loss with the insurance company. The theory behind this is that you are self insured for the difference thereby limiting the liability on the part of the insurance company. If it has been some time since the insured has updated values, this is definitely a concern if a claim is made. On the flip side during economic downturns the only punishment for you the insured is that you may be paying premiums that do not reflect the true value of the property.

Museum Directors Lead By Example in Budget Cuts

Last summer U.S. museums joined corporate America in adjusting budgets to reflect significant decreases in cash flow. The following statistics are certainly interesting when noting that the combination of perks and salaries indicates that the museum community feels the need to be competitive in their compensation packages. Indeed in this climate if a director passes the scrutiny as both a manger and an art connoisseur, they become a very desirable and rare commodity.

"Art Institute of Chicago Director James Cuno took a 10% pay cut. All salaries are frozen and employees must take one week unpaid leave by the end of March 2010.
Baltimore Museum of Art Director Doreen Bolger took a 10% pay cut and six deputy directors 5% cuts. Around 80 staff earning $30,000 or more take two weeks unpaid leave.
Contemporary Art Museum, St Louis Director Paul Ha took a 10% salary cut from $170,000 to $153,000, beginning in January and continuing through 2010. Denver Art Museum Employees had three unpaid days in the fiscal year that ended 30 September, will have no cost-of-living or merit increases for 2010, and three traditionally paid holidays are unpaid days off.
Detroit Institute of Arts Director Graham Beal took an 8% cut and an 18% bonus cut. Others had cuts ranging from 2% to 7% that affected 112 of 196 full-time employees. Pension benefits were modified. Dia Art Foundation, New York Senior staff had a 4% salary reduction.
Field Museum, Chicago President and chief executive John McCarter Jr voluntarily took a 20% cut in salary for calendar year 2009. Another 50 employees earning $75,000 or more had cuts of 3% to 5%.

J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles President and chief executive James Wood had his 2008 base salary of $728,000 reduced to $684,320 (calendar year 2008: total compensation was $1.11m). Getty Museum director Michael Brand’s salary of $545,828 was reduced to $513,079 plus benefits (2008 compensation was $929,075), and chief investment officer James Williams’ salary of $851,760 was reduced to $800,654 (2008 compensation was $1.14m) and he will not be eligible for a bonus. Though senior staff had salary cuts of 2% to 6%, the pay and benefits of other employees was not reduced.

High Museum of Art, Atlanta Director Michael Shapiro took a 7% pay cut, six senior managers had 6% cuts, and all other employees saw pay reduced 5% from February to May 2009. Salaries were reinstated 1 June but employees must take 13 days unpaid leave in fiscal year 2010.
Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, Pasadena President Steven Koblik, five directors and the heads of communications, advancement, operations and finance had 10% reductions in compensation, with all other employees taking cuts of 7% to 3.5% based on salary.
Indianapolis Museum of Art Director Maxwell Anderson and ten senior staff made voluntary contributions of 3% of their salaries, and there is a total salary freeze.

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston Pension contributions were reduced from 5% to 3%.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston Director Anne Hawley and nine other senior staff had their salaries reduced 5%, end-of-year bonuses were eliminated and an all-staff salary freeze instituted. Los Angeles County Museum of Art Director Michael Govan’s salary remains $741,000 plus benefits, the same as last year, but he and president Melody Kanschat declined their bonuses. Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams, modest decrease in medical benefits. Miami Art Museum Senior management took a 5% reduction in salary, effective April 2009, and all full-time staff take a mandatory one-week furlough.
Minneapolis Institute of Arts Director Kaywin Feldman’s compensation was cut 10% from $415,205 to $375,830 and five division heads had 3% salary reductions.
Morgan Library, New York Staff were required to take 10 days unpaid time off in the summer, and a hiring and salary freeze remain in effect.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Senior staff took a salary cut of at least 5%, other employees agreed to cut pay or hours, and employee benefits were cut.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Director Malcolm Rogers, four deputy directors and the dean of the School of the MFA took a 5% salary cut.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Director Peter Marzio voluntarily took a 4% cut in salary and a reduction of his 2009 bonus by 32% from the previous year. Salaries of $52,000 and more were reduced by 4%, and less than $52,000 by 2%, effective 1 February.
Museum of Modern Art, New York Director Glenn Lowry had a 15% cut in salary and benefits in fiscal year 2009—his total compensation was $1.32m ($674,582 salary, $159,000 bonus, $152,320 benefits, and $336,000 for onsite housing). The salary portion of his pay was further reduced 10% for 2010. Others earning more than $150,000 had reductions of 2% to 10% and increases in their contributions to health insurance.

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa 34 directors and managers will take off five days without pay, and 16 employees voluntarily agreed to take between two and five days off without pay in the fiscal year begun 1 April.

New York Historical Society All employees were given four days unpaid leave beginning in January and pension contributions for non-union employees (72% of the staff) were reduced from 7.5% to 3%.

Noguchi Museum, New York Salaries were frozen and the health-care plan modified to trim around 30% of its cost.

North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh Director Larry Wheeler did not receive an annual bonus last year or this year, a loss of 26% of his normal compensation. Senior staff had no raises, lost portions of retirement and health benefits, and will be subject to further reductions of 2.5% to 5% if there is a shortfall. The earned-income workforce was cut 25% and hours were reduced.
Philadelphia Art Museum Senior staff took a voluntary salary cut of between 5% and 10% for the most senior. Employee contributions to health insurance were increased and museum contributions to retirement plans reduced.

Salvador Dali Museum, Florida Salaries were frozen and employee contributions to healthcare increased. Seattle Art Museum Salaried employees took five days of unpaid leave (around 2% of their salaries) in 2009, and 11 senior staff had additional 3% cuts for fiscal year 2010.
Walker Art Centre, Minneapolis Director Olga Viso gave up 6% of her salary and benefits last year and 7% this year. All staff had a five-day furlough in 2009 and there is a salary and wage freeze for 2010.

Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Director Gary Vikan will take 20 days unpaid leave, two deputy directors 10 days, and six division directors five days. " The Art Newspaper

Scheduled ArtFact Auctions - January/February 2010

Upcoming Auctions
January 25 - Leslie Hindman - Fine Furniture & Decorative Arts
January 25 - Bruun Rasmussen - Paintings, Works of Art & Wine
January 26 - Cannon and Cannon - Antiques & Collectables
January 26 - Bruun Rasmussen - Paintings, Works of Art & Wine
January 27 - Morton Casa de Subastas - Jewerly & Wristwatches
January 27 - Bruun Rasmussen - Paintings, Works of Art & Wine
January 27 - Cannon and Cannon - Antiques & Collectables
January 28 - Keys - Books Sale
January 28 - Morton Casa de Subastas - Latin American Art
January 28 - Bruun Rasmussen - Paintings, Works of Art & Wine
January 28 - Waddington's - Antique & Contemporary Silver Online Auction
January 28 - Waddington's - Inuit Online Auction
January 28 - Waddington's - Sculpture Online Auction
January 28 - Artcurial - Charity Sale Savour Club Benefiting to Reporters sans Frontieres
January 29 - Garth's - Decorative, Oriental & Asian Arts
January 29 - Keys - Books Sale
January 29 - Mallet - Modern & Contemporary Art
January 30 - Neal Auction Company - Art & Antiques
January 30 - New Orleans Auction Galleries - Fine Art & Antiques Auction
January 30 - Morton Casa de Subastas - Antiquarian Books & Documents
January 30 - Tiroche Auction House - Israeli & international Art - Part A
January 30 - Crocker Farm - Wm. Kelly Young Collection of American Stoneware & Redware
January 30 - Garth's - Decorative, Oriental & Asian Arts
January 30 - Eldred's - Antiques & Accessories
January 30 - Antique Helper - Art, Antiques incl African & Oceanic Art of Eiteljorg Estate
January 30 - Jeffrey S. Evans - Miniature Lamps & Victorian Glass
January 30 - Lyon & Turnbull - Antiques
January 31 - Ken Farmer - Winter 2010 Catalogue Auction
January 31 - Westbridge - Collectible Works of Art
January 31 - National Book Auctions - Books & Ephemera - Signed, History, Sets, etc.
January 31 - Alex Cooper - Fine & Decorative Arts
January 31 - California Auctioneers - American Art Auction
January 31 - Neal Auction Company - Art & Antiques
January 31 - New Orleans Auction Galleries - Fine Art & Antiques Auction
January 31 - Bruun Rasmussen - Paintings, Works of Art & Wine
February 01 - Alex Cooper - Oriental Rugs, Jewelry, & Silver
February 02 - Alde - Old & Modern Books
February 04 - James D. Julia - Winter Antiques & Fine Art Auction, Day 1
February 04 - Swann - Vintage Posters
February 05 - Freeman's - FF: Jewelry & Accessories
February 05 - James D. Julia - Winter Antiques & Fine Art Auction, Day 2
February 06 - Thomaston Place - Winter Feature Fine Art & Antique Auction, Day 1
February 06 - Weschler's - Fine Furniture & Decorations
February 06 - Tiroche Auction House - Israeli & international Art - Part B
February 07 - Thomaston Place - Winter Feature Fine Art & Antique Auction, Day 2
February 09 - Doyle New York - Fine Jewelry
February 11 - Swann - Shochet Collection of Signed Historical Photos
February 12 - Freeman's - Lehman Collection - Part II
February 13 - Stahl - Antiques & Collectables
February 16 - Artcurial - Chandigarh Project 2: Le Corbusier - Pierre Jeanneret
February 20 - Mound City Auctions - Duck Decoys, Henredon, Antique Corner Cabinets
February 24 - Doyle New York - Belle Epoque