New Yorkers see ‘Neighbors’ photos as invasion of privacy

In all the photos, taken by New York City artist Arne Svenson from his second-floor apartment, the faces are obscured or not shown. The people are unidentifiable.

But the residents of a glass-walled luxury residential building across the street had no idea they were being photographed and they never consented to being subjects for the works of art that are now on display—and for sale—in a Manhattan gallery.

“I don't feel it's a violation in a legal sense but in a New York, personal sense there was a line crossed,” said Michelle Sylvester, who lives in the residential building called the Zinc Building, which stands out with its floor-to-ceiling windows in a neighborhood of cobblestone streets and old, brick warehouse buildings.

Svenson's apartment is directly across the street, just to the south, giving him a clear view of his neighbors by simply looking out his window.

“I think there's an understanding that when you live here with glass windows, there will be straying eyes but it feels different with someone who has a camera,” Sylvester said.

Svenson's show, “The Neighbors,” opened last week at the Julie Saul Gallery in Chelsea, where about a dozen large prints are on sale for up to $7,500. His exhibit is drawing a lot of attention, not for the quality of the work, but for the manner in which it was made.

Svenson did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, but says in material accompanying the exhibit that the idea for it came when he inherited a telephoto lens from a friend, a birdwatcher who recently died.

“For my subjects there is no question of privacy; they are performing behind a transparent scrim on a stage of their own creation with the curtain raised high,” Svenson says in the gallery notes. “The neighbors don't know they are being photographed; I carefully shoot from the shadows of my home into theirs.”

That explanation has done little to satisfy some residents of the Zinc Building, where a penthouse was once listed at nearly $6 million. In an email circulating among the building's owners and renters this week, a resident whose apartment was depicted in Svenson's photographs suggested legal recourse against the artist.

“I am not an expert in this area of the law, but I do think we may have some rights and the ability to stop this,” the email reads. “I love art, but find this to be an outrageous invasion of privacy.”

Civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel said that according to New York civil rights law, there may be a way for Svenson's subjects to challenge him in court but the case will depend entirely on context.

“The question for the person who's suing is, if you're not identifiable, then where's the loss of privacy?” he said. “These issues are a sign of the times. How do you balance the right of privacy vis-à-vis the right of artistic expression?”

Linda Darcia, an exchange student from Colombia living with a family on the sixth floor facing Svenson's studio, said she had no idea whether or not she was depicted in any of the pieces but she was anxious to go to the gallery and find out.

“I'm not really upset about it because that's his job,” she said. “But maybe he should have asked before the gallery opens. Everybody's talking about it.”

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-17-13 1124GMT

Toby Mendez picked to do Md. agriculture sculpture

Mendez will join two other artists in the Mary Lou Dewey Sculpture Park, located just outside of the library. The sculpture will be a bronze relief sculpture, meaning it will be mounted to a wall, but have three-dimensional elements to it, he said. Mendez intends to have an agricultural scene on the bronze relief, he said.

“It will be a celebration of the history of agriculture in Carroll County,” Mendez said.

Mendez announced the sculpture last weekend at the Westminster Flower and Jazz Festival, where residents enjoyed swing dancing and music in the park.

Lynn Wheeler, the director of Carroll County Public Libraries, said part of the intent of the sculpture garden is for special events like the festival where Mendez announced the new project. Maintaining the park will keep the space inclusive, Lisa Back, the public relations specialist for the library, said.

“Our main goal is to keep the park the way it is looks now,” Wheeler said.

Commissioning a bronze statue isn't cheap, though—Wheeler said the bronze lion, titled Wild Imaginings by Bart Walter which sits outside of the library, cost $100,000. There were also additional costs like the granite and laying a proper foundation, Wheeler said.

Like for the previous projects, this project is funded through private donors with the Friends of the Mary Lou Dewey Sculpture Park, a nonprofit with the Community Foundation of Carroll County, Wheeler said. Fundraising for the project will begin this summer, Wheeler said.

Mendez said while he doesn't have a particular scene in mind yet for the bronze relief, he intends to start sketching ideas this month, and expects to have it completed in about a year.

He has created works that range from sports figures to political figures, but an agricultural scene shouldn't be too far out of his element.

“I've done a lot of projects that celebrate the working man,” he said.

A bronze relief is a little different than other sculptures, because it focuses more on the drawing and rendering of the form, he said.

Back said that while many residents in Westminster no longer live on a farm, and instead travel the 30 minutes to work in Baltimore, agriculture is a very historical and important piece of the county.

Hilary Hatfield, the president of Art Collector's Athenaeum, helps facilitate public work projects like Mendez's, she said. As the former executive director of the Carroll Arts Council, she said it is wonderful to be working with the community.

“I think with Toby (Mendez's) piece, it really connects with the roots with the community,” she said.

___

Information from: Carroll County Times of Westminster, Md., http://www.carrollcounty.com/

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-16-13 1335GMT

Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ holding onto top spot

PARIS (AFP) – Christie's in New York fetched nearly half a billion dollars (385 million euros) on Wednesday at an auction of contemporary art, in what was a record haul.

The amount passed the February 2009 auction of the 700-item art collection of the late Yves Saint Laurent and his longtime partner Pierre Berge which netted 342 million euros.

Sales of works by Jackson Pollock, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Roy Lichtenstein contributed to the New York haul.

A Pollock drip painting which sold for a record $58.4 million set a new record for the artist, even though some of his canvases are reported to have changed hands for far more in private transactions.

Below is a list of the 15 most expensive art works ever sold at an auction.

Unless stated otherwise, all works quoted are paintings.

1. Edvard Munch's "The Scream," sells for $119.9 million at Sotheby's in New York in 2012.

2. Pablo Picasso's "Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur" ("Nude, Green Leaves and Bust") for $106.4 million at Christie's in New York in 2010.

3. Alberto Giacometti's sculpture "Walking Man I" for $104.3 million at Sotheby's in London in 2010.

4. Picasso's "Boy with a Pipe" sells for $104.2 million at Sotheby's in New York in 2004.

5. Picasso's "Dora Maar with Cat" for $95.2 million at Sotheby's in New York in 2006.

6. Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II" for $87.9 million at Christie's in New York in 2006.

7. Francis Bacon's "Triptych 1976" sells for $86.2 million at Sotheby's in New York in 2008.

8. Vincent Van Gogh's "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" sells for $82.5 million at Christie's in New York in 1990.

9. Claude Monet's "Le Bassin aux Nympheas" for $80.3 million at Christie's in London in 2008.

10. Auguste Renoir's "Au moulin de la galette" for $78.1 million at Sotheby's in New York in 1990.

11. Peter Paul Rubens, "Massacre of the Innocents" for $76.7 million at Sotheby's in London in 2002.

12. Mark Rothko canvas "No. 1 (Royal Red and Blue)" goes for $75.1 million at Sotheby's in New York in 2012.

13. Rothko's "White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose)" for $72.8 million at Sotheby's in New York in 2007.

14. Andy Warhol's "Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)" for $71.7 million at Christie's in New York in 2007.

15. Van Gogh's "Portrait of the Artist Without His Beard" for $71.5 million at Christie's in New York in 1998.

Rare Van Gogh sketchbook copies up for unprecedented sale

Only four of Van Gogh's many sketchbooks survive today, three of which for part of a new "Van Gogh at work" exhibition and contain "perhaps some of his most intimate creations," the museum said on its website.

The publication marks the first ever facsimile edition of all four sketchbooks, the museum said.

"They contain fleeting impressions of the world in which he lived, allowing us to continually look over his shoulder and gain a genuine insight into his artistry," it added.

Most entries in the small sketchbooks are in pencil and black charcoal, but Van Gogh also used ink and various types of chalk.

Entries include illegible scribblings, hastily-drawn notes, some more elaborate drawings and a few well-considered studies for paintings to come, including works like the 1888 oil-on-canvas "The Sower."

"He also used his sketchbooks to jot down everyday matters such a prescriptions, to copy out entire poems or to sketch a rough map to help him upon arriving in Paris," in 1886, the museum said. "The sketchbooks provide valuable insight into Van Gogh's artistic development and some pages include what are actually standalone miniature works of art."

A limited number of 1,000 editions of the sketchbooks are up for sale at the museum's shop from Thursday, with online sales expected to start next week, museum spokeswoman Lisette Bekker told AFP.

A box set with the four sketchbooks and a short commentary sells for 495 euros (580 dollars).

The Van Gogh Museum reopened its doors on May 1 after a seven month multi-million euro renovation.

It forms part of a trio of art museums which also includes the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk museum of modern art on Amsterdam's Museumplein, making the city a top global destination for art afficionados.

#   #   #

Revealing Andy Warhol's drawing of Andrew Carnegie

Pittsburgh's other famous Andy—the man who made art go Pop and captured celebrities on canvas—created his own take on the bearded, white-haired industrialist in a red and purple silkscreen. That image is familiar to art lovers because it hangs in the Carnegie Museum of Art's cafe. Some readers know it because it adorns the cover of a 1989 Carnegie biography by Joseph Frazier Wall.

A drawing Warhol made of Carnegie, a kind of initial sketch for the vivid silkscreen, went on display in April at the Duquesne Club and will hang in the club's front hall through Sept. 10. It may go on display to the public at some point.

How Warhol wound up painting one of Pittsburgh's biggest benefactors was one of the topics of a talk Tuesday evening by Eric Shiner, director of the Andy Warhol Museum. Appearing before the Duquesne Club's Art Society in the Carnegie Room, Shiner updated his audience about the success of a Warhol exhibition that opened on April 28 in Shanghai, planned exhibitions for the museum's 20th anniversary year in 2014 and future renovations to the North Side museum.

Six years before Warhol's death in 1987, Jack Lane, curator of the Carnegie Museum of Art, met with Warhol at the Factory in New York City. On Aug. 25, 1981, Lane, along with art curator Gene Baro and philanthropist Richard Mellon Scaife, commissioned Warhol to do a portrait of Carnegie, according to Matt Wrbican, the Warhol's chief archivist. Scaife paid for the silkscreen and donated it to the museum. The vivid image of Carnegie was installed at the museum just before Oct. 22, 1981, Founder's Day.

Martin McGuinn, who chairs the museum of art's board, bought the drawing that's hanging at the Duquesne Club during a visit three years ago to the Andy Warhol Foundation in Manhattan. He has been interested in Warhol's work for more than 20 years.

“We wanted to have something by Warhol and the paintings were kind of out of our budget. I went to the Warhol Foundation in New York and spent about two hours looking at various drawings,” McGuinn recalled.

“The one of Carnegie really appealed for obvious reasons. It seemed to be the perfect Pittsburgh combination. I was told by the Warhol Foundation that there are only about four drawings of Andrew Carnegie by Andy Warhol. We think they were done as studies for the Andy on Andy silkscreen.”

His wife, Ann McGuinn, chaired the committee that organized a weekend's worth of festivities to celebrate the opening of the Andy Warhol Museum here in May 1994. Mrs. McGuinn, who serves on the Warhol museum's board, has been involved with it for the past 19 years. About 10 years ago, her husband gave her a Warhol silkscreen of actress Greta Garbo for Christmas. Warhol's drawing of Carnegie is part of the couple's private art collection.

“Any time you have art that is good art and you share it, it intrigues people into thinking about buying art or coming to the museums. That, to me, is all positive,” Mr. McGuinn said.

He believes the Duquesne Club's art program encourages other club members to lend from their collections so more people can learn about a particular artist.

While Carnegie and his success story are timeless, there is probably no better year to exhibit his portrait. A less colorful version of that vivid Carnegie silkscreen will be exhibited this fall in Scotland when that country opens 16 weeks of activities called “Andrew Carnegie's International Legacy: Shaping the Future.”

The festivities begin in Holyrood, Scotland, in October with a traveling show called “Andy Warhol: Pop, Power and Politics.” The exhibition, which opens Oct. 4 and closes Nov. 3, features screen prints about the assassination of John F. Kennedy and a portrait of Andrew Carnegie by Andy Warhol.

The celebration is being organized by the Carnegie UK Trust and the Scottish Parliament. Most of the artwork for the show is being lent by the Andy Warhol Museum. The McGuinns will travel to Scotland for the festivities and will lend their drawing for the traveling exhibition, too.

Scotland's Parliament is honoring Carnegie because of his philanthropic legacy. By 1911, Carnegie had endowed five charitable organizations in the U.S. and three in the United Kingdom. Pittsburgh continues to benefit from that generosity. Last year, the Carnegie Corp. of New York gave a $1 million grant to the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh to upgrade its technology.

___

Online:

http://bit.ly/17q10CG

___

Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, http://www.post-gazette.com

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-14-13 1527GMT

Hong Kong cries fowl as giant rubber duck deflates

Duck mania has gripped Hong Kong since its arrival, with locals and tourists flocking to catch a glimpse of the 54-foot-tall artwork, conceived by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman.

But those who made the trip to Victoria Harbor to see it on Wednesday morning were left disappointed as the wind had firmly been taken out of the duck's sails leaving it looking like a floating fried egg.

Organizers said that the duck had been deflated on Tuesday evening as part of scheduled maintenance work and that it would be towed to a shipyard on Wednesday for thorough checking.

"We scheduled a body check for these two days. If everything is fine we can inflate it as soon as possible and the public can appreciate it again," said Andrew Yeung, advertising and promotions manager for waterfront shopping mall Harbor City, which is organizing the duck exhibit.

Yeung added that the deflation had been announced on the Harbor City Facebook page on Tuesday night and also on signs around the piers.

"I know people are disappointed but we need to do the checking the overall condition. We don't want to upset everyone."

Yeung said he did not know when the duck would be re-inflated.

On a gray morning in Hong Kong tearful 45-year-old clerk Mirinna Chan reflected the feelings of visitors to the pier.

"The sky looks like it is crying for me—I took time off from work just to see the duck, now it is just a blob," she told AFP. "It's really our childhood dream, because when we bathed as children, we would have one or two of the rubber ducks next to us."

Hong Kong has taken the bright yellow inflatable bird to its heart since it arrived on May 2 to cheering crowds, with stalls and shops throughout the city selling replicas and restaurants creating special duck dishes.

"The duck represents happiness for us," 30-year-old office assistant Lee Chun-shing told AFP.

"It was the highlight of this place, but now the highlight is deflated, of course everyone is disappointed," he said.

One man commenting on the Harbour City Facebook page said: "Kids were crying when they deflate the duck."

Most visitors resorted to having their pictures taken with smaller rubber ducks on show nearby.

Since 2007 the duck has traveled to 13 different cities in nine countries ranging from Brazil to Australia in its journey around the world.

Hofman said he hopes the duck, which is due to stay in Hong Kong until June 9, will act as a "catalyst" for connecting people to public art.

Sculpture stolen for scrap returns to Topeka church

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Members of a Topeka congregation have a special reason to reflect on forgiveness: A beloved sculpture, stolen for scrap last fall, is back in place outside their church.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the 10-foot-tall bronze, called "Forgiven Man,'' was reinstalled Friday in a courtyard of First Congregational United Church of Christ.

The 350-pound sculpture, valued at $40,000, had been undergoing repairs and refinishing since a tip led to its recovery in rural Topeka last Oct. 11. That was eight days after thieves unbolted it from its pedestal and drove away with it.

The church offered a $2,000 reward for its return after the theft occurred. When the thieves were apprehended, the church congregation decided to forgive them rather than prosecute them for the crime.

Topeka artist Jim Bass, the sculpture's creator, was on hand for Friday's reinstallation. He says "Forgiven Man'' is more secure now, having been welded as well as bolted to the pedestal.

Click to view a WIBW-TV video report about the recovery of the statue: http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Forgiven-Man-Graces-Church-With-Prescence-Once-Again--207121871.html

___

Information from: The Topeka Capital-Journal, www.cjonline.com

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Vatican turns to its art patronage roots for Venice Biennale

The exhibition explores themes from the Book of Genesis through works by artists including renowned Czech photographer Josef Koudelka—but there are no depictions of the Madonna and Child or suffering Christs, the Vatican said Wednesday.

"Creation, Un-Creation, Re-Creation" brings Koudelka together with Italian artists from the Studio Azzurro and Australian-born American Lawrence Carroll in a show that probes themes from the essence of human relationships to the destruction wrought by natural disasters.

Organized by the Vatican's cultural minister Gianfranco Ravasi, the project—which revives a tradition which once led to the creation of wonders such as Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling—will cost sponsors some 750,000 euros ($973,635) and will run from June 1 for six months.

While Studio Azzurro artists behind the "Creation" theme look at the origins of humanity, Koudelka's Un-Creation draws inspiration from the sibling rivals Cain and Abel and "the material and ethical destruction" by man, who is opposed to God's plan, the Vatican said.

Carroll's Re-Creation uses salvage materials to create a sense of a fresh start, the sort Abraham experiences after a dark period of war and destruction according to the Genesis.

Cardinal Ravasi, who organized the show along with the director of the Vatican museums Antonio Paolucci, said Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who resigned in February because of old age, had hoped the project would spark dialogue on the modern world and questions of faith.

Banksy 'Slave Labour' up for sale again, this time in UK

LONDON (AFP) – A work by renowned British graffiti artist Banksy that was withdrawn from a controversial U.S. auction is being put up for sale again in London, auctioneers said Saturday.

The mural, called Slave Labour, mysteriously vanished from its original site on a wall in north London in February before appearing on an auction list in Miami later that month.

The work, which shows a boy making Union Jack bunting on a sewing machine and is an apparent comment on sweat-shop labor, was pulled from sale at the last minute, apparently after pressure by campaigners who wanted it returned to its original home.

The piece had been expected to fetch up to £450,000 ($691,000, 532,000 euros).

The work had first appeared in May last year on the wall of an outlet of thrift store Poundland in the Wood Green district of Haringey shortly before the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The piece is now set go on sale at the London Film Museum in London's Covent Garden on June 2, auctioneers The Sincura Group said in a statement.

Sincura said that the mural has "been sensitively restored under a cloak of secrecy" and will be "the centerpiece" of the group's latest private art exhibition alongside pieces by Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Mario Testino and Russell Young.

But Alan Strickland, a councilor for Wood Green who has spearheaded the “Bring Back Banksy” campaign since the piece was removed from its original site, said he would fight to prevent the sale going ahead.

"We feel very strongly that this piece was given freely by Banksy to our area, it belongs to the community and it should be returned to Wood Green," said Strickland.

"The sale shows complete disregard for the strength of public feeling.

"We were delighted to stop the sale in Miami and we are determined to campaign hard to stop this sale.

"News that the piece is being sold at an exclusive VIP reception is particularly galling for residents who previously enjoyed the artwork for free on a daily basis."

Strickland said the successful sale of the work would set a dangerous precedent for other pieces of street art in public view.

"People from around the world have got in touch with us about this," Strickland told AFP. "They are watching this because they know the possible consequences for street art where they live if this sale takes place.

"If it goes ahead every piece of street art will have its price."

Keith Flett, secretary of the Haringey Trades Union Congress (TUC), said: "The Slave Labour Banksy belongs to the people of Haringey not to a wealthy private client.

"We want the sale stopped and the Banksy back where it belongs in London N22."

Sincura's director Tony Baxter said his group does "not condone any acts of wanton vandalism or other illegal activity" and said that they were "entirely satisfied that the mural was legally salvaged."

He said the current owners of the work preferred to remain anonymous "due to unnecessary and disproportionate criticism," adding that the piece was now being represented by a group called Bankrobber.

There was suspicion that the mural had been stolen when it first disappeared in February but London's Metropolitan Police said there were "no reports of any theft."

Jonathan Wright’s latest work merges art, Internet, rock music

Replicating a radio tower, the three-dimensional artwork is a fascinating structure with the intrinsic capability of relaying sounds that emanate from the building’s interior. Through the use of microphones and transmitters, the functional art piece records and broadcasts – via the Internet – music, the thunderous beat of dancers’ feet and other sounds of party life from within the club. Club-goers can add their own personal stamp to the continuous broadcast by speaking through telephone boxes located inside the venue.

At night, the tower’s indigo-blue lights illuminate and flash to the tempo of the band’s performance. From its lofty perch, it is a distinctive beacon that draws curious visitors from afar.

While unquestionably proud of the finished product, Wright admits that the actual work was “a bit scary, as I don’t like heights. I was very pleased to get it over with!”

Those who may have missed any given day’s broadcast can still catch it a day later by visiting the nearby Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery, where a model of the project, complete with receiver, is currently ensconced.

Wright’s commission to create the sonic installation is part of a project known as Hoodwink, initiated by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Arts Development Unit. The project’s goal is to take contemporary art out of its comfort zone, e.g., galleries, and into more-pedestrian venues such as supermarkets, pubs and shopping centers.

Jonathan Wright’s radio tower art installation at The Forum will be in place and fully functional through and including UNFEST, a popular annual music festival that draws large crowds to scenic southeastern Kent, England. This year’s UNFEST runs from May 24-26, inclusive.

Monitor the broadcast online at webradio.radiomonitor.com/m3u/ProfoundRiches

Visit Jonathan Wright’s website at www.jonathanhwright.com

Learn more about the Hoodwink project at hoodwink.org.uk/where/fourm

# # #

Copyright 2013 Auction Central News International. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Largest-ever LEGO display opens June 14 in Times Square

NEW YORK (PRNewswire) - THE ART OF THE BRICK®, a captivating exhibition of intriguing works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world, LEGO®, is set to make its debut in New York City at Discovery Times Square (226 West 44th Street) on June 14, 2013, with tickets now on sale.

The critically acclaimed collection of creative and inspiring art constructed using only LEGO® toy bricks by renowned contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya is coming to New York after enjoying record-breaking runs to sold-out crowds in Singapore, Taiwan and Australia.

"I want to have the broadest impact possible to inspire people to change the way they view the world and the way they think about art," said Sawaya. "What better way to do that than in the heart of New York City, at the crossroads of the world - Times Square."

The Discovery Times Square collection will be the world's biggest and most elaborate display of LEGO® art ever. Sawaya will be creating brand-new, never-before-seen works exclusively for this New York City premiere with more than 100 works of art made out of millions and millions of little LEGO® bricks.

"This will be my largest showing of artwork to date and I've got some very exciting surprises in store for New York, of course, being it's my hometown," said Sawaya. "Discovery Times Square is known for bringing epic collections of unique and immersive exhibits to New York so to be able to have my collection of sculptures exhibited here has profound meaning to me."

Guests will have the opportunity to get an up-close and in-person view of the iconic, pop culture fan favorite, Yellow, a life-size sculpture of a man ripping his chest open with thousands of sunshine yellow LEGO® bricks cascading from the cavity. In addition, visitors will be able to walk under a 20-foot-long T-Rex dinosaur skeleton made out of bricks and come face-to-face with a giant LEGO® skull.

"At Discovery Times Square we celebrate man's greatest achievements both throughout history and in contemporary times. What THE ART OF THE BRICK® does by raising this simple children's toy into an art-form is ingenious and is in line with our past exhibitions, providing a truly unique experience," said James Sanna , President of Discovery Times Square. "The scale of this exhibit and the creativity that Nathan Sawaya brings to his work makes for an outstanding show. We are also thrilled that Nathan, a hometown phenomenon, has chosen Discovery Times Square to unveil his newest masterpieces."

THE ART OF THE BRICK® is the first major museum exhibition to use LEGO® bricks as the sole art medium. Sawaya transforms them into tremendous and thought-provoking sculptures, elevating the toy to the realm of art. Sawaya's ability to transform this common toy into something meaningful, his devotion to spatial perfection and the way he conceptualizes action, enables him to elevate what almost every child has played with into the status of contemporary art.

"These works are very personal to me, since they reflect my growth as an artist as I strove to discover my creative identity," said Sawaya. "THE ART OF THE BRICK® exhibition is accessible because it engages the child in all of us while simultaneously illuminating sophisticated and complex concepts. Everyone can relate to the medium since it is a toy that many children have at home. But my goal with this exhibition when it first debuted in 2007 was to elevate this simple plaything to a place it has never been before."

THE ART OF THE BRICK® at Discovery Times Square runs until January 5, 2014.

Discovery Times Square is open seven days a week. Tickets are available for $14.50 (child 4-12), $19.50 (adult) and $16.50 (senior = 65). Special savings for groups of 10 or more are available with advanced reservation. Once open, the last tickets are sold 60 minutes prior to closing. For individual tickets and venue hours, visit http://www.DiscoveryTS.com/ art-of-the-brick, call 866.9.TSXNYC (866-987-9692) or visit the Discovery Times Square box office.

Discovery Times Square (DTS) is New York City's first large-scale exhibition center presenting visitors with limited-run, educational and immersive exhibit experiences while exploring the world's defining cultures, art, history and events. More than a museum, DTS has featured exhibitions of unparalleled breadth, including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Leonardo Da Vinci 's Workshop, King Tut, Pompeii The Exhibit, Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition and most recently Terracotta Warriors: Defenders of China's First Emperor. DTS is located at 226 West 44th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenues).

ABOUT NATHAN SAWAYA & THE ART OF THE BRICK®

Nathan Sawaya is an acclaimed New York-based artist who creates awe-inspiring artwork out of a toy. His art focuses on large-scale sculptures using only LEGO® bricks. Sawaya was the first artist to ever take LEGO® into the art world and his touring exhibition – THE ART OF THE BRICK® – has entertained and inspired millions of art lovers and enthusiasts from Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, China and around the world. CNN heralded, "THE ART OF THE BRICK® is one of the top 12 must-see exhibits in the world!" Originally from Oregon, Sawaya's childhood dreams were always fun and creative. He drew cartoons, wrote stories, perfected magic tricks and of course also played with LEGO®. His days were filled with imagination. When it came time for college, Sawaya moved to New York City, attended NYU and became a lawyer. But after years of million dollar mergers and corporate acquisitions on Park Avenue, Sawaya realized he would rather be sitting on the floor creating art, than sitting in a board room negotiating contracts. He walked away from the law and took an artistic risk on LEGO®. Now Sawaya is an author, speaker and one of the most popular, award-winning contemporary artists of our time. For more information about Nathan Sawaya and his artwork, visit www.brickartist.com.

#   #   #

Kimpton's Hotel Monaco Chicago unveils results of renovation

CHICAGO (PRWEB) - Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Chicago has revealed its newly renovated lobby and event space renovation featuring bold colors, playful textures and nods to the building’s rich history. Recently named one of US News and World Report’s 2013 Best Hotels and a Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice 2012 winner, Monaco Chicago now boasts an entire floor of modernized meeting space, a glamorous new lobby, an updated bar at the adjacent restaurant, South Water Kitchen, and 191 refreshed guest rooms.

“The renovation first began with a guest room refresh in 2011 and we’re thrilled that the full makeover is now complete,” said Marco Scherer, general manager, Hotel Monaco Chicago. “The new look creates a fresh ambiance that combines comfort and style, and allows us to introduce great new features like communal lobby seating and fun culinary options for meeting breakouts.”

With a coveted central location overlooking the Chicago River, the newly renovated Monaco Chicago showcases how globally inspired design can elegantly marry Chicago sensibility. Raising the bar for Windy City hospitality, interior designer Susan Caruso of Intra-Spec Hospitality Design created a warm and graceful new backdrop for an unrivaled travel experience focused on care, comfort and fun.

Remodeled Lobby & New Living Room Offerings

As guests enter Kimpton’s Monaco Chicago, they are greeted by pops of color, whimsical patterns and rich textures. The vibrant backlit art at the front desk features vintage photographs of fashionable ladies in dramatic hats, a nod to the building’s origins as the D.B. Fisk & Co. hat factory. Beyond the alligator-fabric front desk, guests are treated to a harmonizing aesthetic of royal blue, cherry and lemon. On the walls, guests will find the juxtaposition of black and white photographs of Chicago architecture and a large flat panel TV playing popular movies filmed in Chicago. Lacquered finishes, exotic woods and comfortable seating combine to create a vibrant experience for lounging or casual meetings.

The 8-seat bar table with built in power outlets and high-backed chairs is ideal for business travelers seeking a social setting to get work done. “Power Packs” are available at the front desk for both convenience and entertainment: power up with an iPhone charger, drown out distractions with noise-cancelling headphones and keep busy with a tablet pre-loaded with music and books.

Hungry lobby loungers will now have their choice of food and drinks from the Tavern Menu of South Water Kitchen, adjacent to the hotel. The full beverage and small bites menu features homemade favorites like Duck Jerky and Spring Pea Flatbread as well as local draft beers and craft cocktails. In addition to complimentary daily morning coffee service (6:00-10:00am) and Hosted Evening Wine Hour (5:00-6:00 pm), guests can enjoy a rotating list of entertainment offered in the lobby living room. The line-up ranges from live music performed by local community college students to wine tastings and cocktail demonstrations provided by South Water Kitchen.

Renovated Event Rooms

Located on the third floor, the new meeting and event space is comprised of 4,100 square feet, including a 2,700 square foot ballroom. The pre-function area now features a graceful focal table as well as new mahogany and ebony consoles, geometric mirrors and artful silver lamps. Within the rooms, lush carpeting softens into curvaceous medallions complemented by amber hued walls. Luxurious new window treatments in tones of silver, black and fawn call attention to the large windows with views of the Chicago River.

Meetings are enhanced by the convenience of Monaco Chicago’s “Concierge on Demand.” Upon request, the concierge station can be moved to the third floor, strategically placed to be on hand to make reservations, arrange transportation or answer any other questions during meeting breaks or post-meeting.

Groups can also choose from new, playful food and beverage offerings:

Making Whoopie – Brides, grooms and their wedding guests will now have the option of a new turndown service: upon request, whoopie pies and old-fashioned bottles of milk will be placed in each guest’s room near the conclusion of the wedding for a clever post-party treat. Members of the wedding party will also be invited to return to the Monaco for a future trip and receive 25% off their stay.

Chicago-Style – A Chicago-native, South Water Kitchen’s Chef Roger Waysok took inspiration from signature Windy City cuisine to create new menu options. A Chicago-style hot dog bar is complete with all the traditional fixings including housemade relish, pickled peppers and poppy-seed buns, among other options. Flavored popcorn, inspired by local favorite Garrett’s Popcorn, is now an option for afternoon breaks with original combinations like bacon-carmel and toppings like ranch-seasoned salt.

Redesigned Restaurant

Recent renovations also included South Water Kitchen, adjacent to Monaco Chicago. The new look of the Tavern section of the restaurant is inspired by the “working man’s” tavern of the 1920s. The design team of VOA Associates Inc. used modest materials typical of this era to bring a feeling of honest simplicity to Chicago’s dining scene. A new tin ceiling, crisp white subway wall tile, a polished brass bar rail, and stone topped bar are all newly installed pieces reflective of the 1920s. Light and airy linen chandeliers, copper mirrors and antique metals bring an updated yet relaxed atmosphere to match Chef Waysok’s authentic Midwest cuisine.

Hotel Monaco Chicago is located at 225 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60601. Tel. 312-960-8500 or visit www.monaco-chicago.com.

#   #   #

Giant rubber duck towed into Hong Kong harbor

HONG KONG (AFP) – An inflatable bright yellow rubber duck six stories high sailed into Hong Kong harbor on Thursday to the cheers of hundreds of people who gathered to watch the classic bathtime-inspired artistic creation.

The 54-foot-tall artwork, conceived by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, dwarfed other craft as it was towed past the city's iconic skyline by a tugboat a fraction of its size.

Since 2007 the duck has traveled to 13 different cities in nine countries ranging from Brazil to Australia in its journey around the world.

Peggy Shieh, 28, made a special trip from Taiwan to see the duck after she learned about it on Facebook. "It takes me back to my childhood memories," she said.

People began queuing from as early as 6 a.m. for a chance to buy a miniature replica. Kathy Cheung, who was second in line, took half a day off work to ensure she got her piece of art history.

"I think it's the first and last time I will see a rubber duck in Hong Kong. It has a message for peace but for me it's just fun," she said.

Hofman said he hopes the duck, which will stay until June 9, will act as a "catalyst" for connecting people to public art.

"It's about connecting people ... don't take life for granted, your urban space for granted. You walk every day the same route to work, but look and stop going too fast," he said.

The duck has already proved a welcome distraction from the everyday routine of city life, with office workers pressing up against skyscraper windows to take pictures.

Twitter and Facebook feeds hailed its arrival, brightening the gloomy weather. "So there's a duck in HK harbor ... a really really big duck!" said Twitter user Jason Girard.

The southern Chinese city is also exhibiting a land-based collection of inflatable art, including a larger-than-life upside-down cockroach, close to where the rubber duck is moored.

Mao’s image omitted as Warhol exhibition opens in China

The Pittsburgh-based Andy Warhol Museum, which supplied more than 300 pieces for the show, said months in advance that paintings of Mao Tse-tung would not be shown in keeping with the wishes of the Chinese hosts.

"We worked with curators at both institutions in Shanghai and Beijing and there was a little bit of concern about bringing them right now," Warhol museum director Eric Shiner told AFP on Sunday.

"We wanted to introduce Andy Warhol's work to China. If those paintings could be a problem in any way, we didn't want them," he said, adding it was a "mutual decision" not to include them.

The show has already traveled to Singapore and Hong Kong, and will head to Beijing and Tokyo after Shanghai.

Among the highlights of the Warhol museum's collection is a 1972 painting showing a blue-suited Mao.

Shanghai is seeking to become an art capital on a par with New York and Paris, opening government-funded modern and contemporary art museums in October last year.

But critics have questioned how Shanghai can become a true cultural center since the government censors art that it considers politically sensitive or pornographic.

During the 1960s and 1970s, China built a personality cult around Mao, worshipping his portrait, but images and statues of the leader, who died in 1976, have now largely disappeared.

Chinese artists have also depicted Mao in their works, including painter Li Shan, who shows the leader with a leaf in his mouth in a well-known piece.

Warhol himself visited China not long before his death in 1987.

"He was very interested, when he went to Beijing, in how Mao Zedong was represented, over and over again," said Abigail Franzen-Sheehan, director of

publications for the Warhol museum.

The exhibition "Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal" is showing at Shanghai's Power Station of Art for three months.

The works on display include his famous depiction of Campbell's Soup cans as well as his portraits of movie star Marilyn Monroe.

"His work contains significance in terms of looking at your contemporary surroundings with a critical eye. We hope that (people) will think about Warhol's work, the questions he was provoking," Franzen-Sheehan said.

Detroit's Masonic Temple in foreclosure over taxes

The Masonic Temple is one of thousands of properties expected to be on the block in Wayne County's September tax foreclosure auction, and bidding would start at $160,000, The Detroit News reported. Despite foreclosure, events at the facility continue.

David Szymanski, chief deputy treasurer, said his office hasn't “heard from any party about this property,” so there are no plans to work out payments.

A message seeking comment from officials with the Masonic Temple was sent Thursday by The Associated Press.

The building, the largest Masonic Temple in the world, is on the National Register of Historic Places, takes up an entire block and has more than 1,000 rooms. It houses the Masonic Theater, a concert site for decades for some of the biggest acts in music, including The Who and the Rolling Stones.

The Masonic Temple now is in the hands of the county treasurer's office. The default was triggered by unpaid 2010 property taxes, the newspaper said. Under state law, owners have time to catch up, but if they don't, a court may order a foreclosure.

Before the building goes to auction, state, city and county governments would get a chance to buy it, Szymanski said. If there is no interest from any of the government agencies, the building would go to auction. Former owners could buy it back at auction.

Located north of downtown, the Masonic Temple is home to several masonic organizations. Construction on the Gothic structure began in 1920, and the temple was dedicated in 1926. It has ballrooms, dining rooms, a barbershop and even bowling lanes inside.

___

Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-04-25-13 1322GMT