Dereck Stafford Mangus reflects on moving from Boston to Baltimore, and into a building clad in Formstone. Dereck compares Formstone’s shaped-stucco facades to art forgeries, calling them “urban kitsch.” But he’s learned to appreciate them as part of what makes Baltimore …Baltimore!
Read MoreDeborah Krieger indulges her “Gardner Fever” and reviews ‘This is a Robbery,’ Netflix’s documentary series on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist of 1990 that stole a Vermeer, Rembrandt and other works. Deborah says Netflix’s decision to ride the “true crime format” wave was a disservice to the Gardner museum story, and as a result it was overly long and overly dramatic.
Read MoreNow in its fourth year, The Velocity Fund, administered by Philadelphia Contemporary, continues to lead the field here in providing money to artists for experimental art projects in the community. Bravo to The Velocity Fund, and congratulations to this year’s 12 awardees!
Read MoreThe new book, “The Soul of a Nation Reader” rounds up long-inaccessible material on Black American art and artists from 1960-1980. The authors who collected this material have done a valuable service to the field of art history, our contributor Andrea Kirsh says.
Read MoreArtblog contributor Deborah Krieger reviews “Critical Cartography: Larissa Fassler in Manchester,” an exhibition of two-dimensional maps of Manchester, New Hampshire, describing socioeconomic conditions combined with anecdotal comments. The exhibition is on view at the Currier Museum, Manchester, New Hampshire, through Fall 2021.
Read MoreAndrea Kirsh, Artblog’s art book aficionado, reviews two great books for reading and looking: Lorraine O’Grady’s “Writing in Space 1973- 2019” and “Gladys Nilsson Honk!; Fifty Years of Painting” published by Matthew Marks Gallery and Garth Greenan Gallery. This is a great place to start your 2021 New Year’s Resolution to read more. Happy New Year!
Read MoreDereck Stafford Mangus shares his thoughts on current trends in urban development and the connection with Brutalism and Legos.
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Support for Artblog has been provided by The Philadelphia Cultural Fund.