Milwaukee Art Museum opens major exhibition on Impressionism

by Sean McLachlan on


An exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum is looking at Impressionism in a new light.

Impressionism: Masterworks on Paper is the first major exhibition to explore the drawings of famous Impressionists. Previous exhibitions have always focused on their paintings, such as Renoir’s Bathers with Crab, which is also part of the show and appears here in this photo courtesy Moira Burke.

The famous Impressionist exhibitions in Paris between 1874 and 1886 changed European art. Not only was the style vastly different than traditional painting, but the Impressionists emphasized drawing as a medium equal to that of painting. The exhibit gathers together more than 100 drawings, watercolors, and pastels by important artists such as Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is one of Wisconsin’s great attractions, besides all the wonderful hiking, camping, and fishing. In addition to offering major shows such as this one, it boasts a collection of more than 25,000 works of art from a variety of different movements, from German Expressionism to Haitian folk art.

Impressionism: Masterworks on Paper runs from October 14, 2011 to January 8, 2012.

Serial public art around the world

by Libby Zay on

Public art exhibitions featuring a common sculpture that is multiplied and then embellished by various artists have been popping up in cities worldwide since 1998. Artistic director Walter Knapp first came up with the idea and convinced artists to dot Zurich, Switzerland with a collection of artfully-decorated lions. Within a year, Chicago businessman Peter Hanig had taken the idea and ran with it, using life-sized cows for an exhibition titled CowParade that is still circling the world today.

This idea of serial public art spread like wildfire into over 70 cities across the United States and many other locations worldwide. Tourism administrations seem to think the installations draw a crowd, while the exhibitions typically end in pieces being auctioned off to charity. It’s a win-win for all–unless, of course, you think the artworks are an eyesore.

From mermaids to gorillas, click through the gallery below to see a sampling of serial public art from around the world.

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Digital technology meets art with a floating orchestra of ping pong balls

by Jessica Festa on

The Poietic Studio in London in the United Kingdom has combined technology with art in their new exhibit, the Floating Orchestra. Here, 19 ping pong balls come to life, becoming orchestral instruments that increase in volume as each ball rises. By manipulating each ball, you can create your own symphony of music. And, how is this all controlled? By technology, of course, via the touchscreen of an iPhone.

The Poietic Studio has a unique approach to art, focusing on “people’s fundamental joy of play, curiosity, and exploration”. Their practice is multidisciplinary, with backgrounds in art, engineering, and interactive and spatial design. By exploring the bounds of imagination, technology, and science, Poietic Studio is able to create “unique mechanical structures that offer memorable experiences whilst celebrating the poetics of engineering”.

Want to see how the Floating Orchestra works for yourself? Check out this video:


Floating Orchestra from Poietic Studio on Vimeo.

Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, announced new smartphone app

by Jessica Festa on

The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, announced a new smartphone application on Monday that will be available on Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Now, those interested in Warhol’s pieces and collections can get an in-depth look at the art in the museum by also examining archival materials, film, source images, video clips, letters, and audio.

The Warhol App will cost $2.99 for smartphones and $3.99 for tablet-style devices. To get a better idea exactly what the app looks like, check out this video:


Shake Shack in Brooklyn, New York, adds public art installation to their menu

by Jessica Festa on

A public art installation has been added to the space that will soon house a Shake Shack in the Fulton Mall in Brooklyn, New York. Earlier this year, Shake Shack reps heard about the Before I Die installation in New Orleans, Louisiana, and decided that they wanted to do the same thing as it seemed true to the Shake Shack spirit.

The installation is comprised of a giant chalkboard where people can write down things that they wish to accomplish before they die. According to Amanda Kludt of the New York Eater, some of the current postings include “Make Mariela proud of me”, “Change the world”, “Inspire like Steve Jobs did”, and “Hug you heart to heart”.

While the installation has been successful so far in creating a dialogue with their new community, the idea is purely for the Brooklyn location and will not be brought to other Shake Shacks.