Art History

CINCINNATI -- Not many prominent museums have a wing devoted to local artists. The Museum of Fine Arts has no "Boston" floor, and one wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art would overflow with the works of New York artists. Yet Timothy Rub, director of the Cincinnati Art Museum, where the new Cincinnati Wing debuted last May, insists that this recent addition is an important step in confirming his city's place as a cultural hub of the 19th century. "Outside of the East Coast, Cincinnati has the longest and most interesting art heritage," says Rub, noting that the Cincinnati Art...

When she organized last fall's "On the Edge" juried exhibition at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, artistic director Kris Waldman hoped to generate more diversity in the gallery's offerings. She was richly rewarded when the contest attracted the work of photographer Lindsey Payson, a 23-year-old Hopkinton native and recent graduate of Vassar College. As a reward for winning the "On the Edge" competition, Payson now has her own show at the center, entitled "Studies Abroad. " "I've long been trying to introduce some new exhibits to our gallery, both with the goal of...

Bookshelves, the ultimate marketing device Bookshelves have long been a familiar, reassuring sight in every readerly home. But in a short history of the bookshelf in The Paris Review, writer Francesca Mari explains that modern bookshelves, with their books arranged spines outward, haven't been the historical norm. In fact, they're a relatively recent invention. Until the 16th century, Mari writes, and even afterward, books were stored in all sorts of zany ways: in trunks and armoires, shackled to podiums in reading rooms, on their sides, or with the paper facing outward, in which case "an...

NEW YORK — Frederick J. Brown, an American artist who explored the relationship between music and painting in portraits of hundreds of jazz and blues artists, died May 5 at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 67. The cause was cancer, said his wife, Megan. Mr. Brown had a long and prolific career producing work with religious, historical, and urban themes in addition to his portraiture. His work is represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Mo. Influenced by the German Expressionists and...

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) was a post-Impressionist French painter who bridged the gap between the Impressionism of the 19th century and the Cubist style of the 20th century. Although not famous in his lifetime, Cézanne is now considered one of the most important and influential painters in modern art history. Both Matisse and Picasso called him "the father of us all. " Art Institute of Chicago: Paul Cézanne www.artic.edu/artexplorer/search.php?tab=2&resource=468 As this Art Institute of Chicago biography reveals, Cézanne "was a shy man who adopted a deliberately crude, rustic manner to...

Many thanks to Leon Neyfakh for his excellent recount of Boston City Hall's history ( "The birth of City Hall," Ideas, Feb. 12). I first came to Boston in 1971 as a doctoral student of art history with a special interest in architecture. Having grown up in Washington, and having lived two years each in New York City and Chicago, Boston was the most exciting city I had yet experienced in terms of the drama and daring innovation of contemporary architecture mixed in with the building traditions of the past.

It's a scream that's still reverberating around the world. One of the most iconic images in art history — Edvard Munch's "The Scream" — has become the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. During an intense 12 minutes, the 1895 artwork — a modern symbol of human anxiety — was sold at Sotheby's in New York City on Wednesday for a record $119,922,500. Neither the buyer's name nor any details about the buyer was released. The previous record for an artwork sold at auction was $106.5 million for Picasso's "Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust," sold by Christie's...

The departments of art and art history and athletics at Providence College have teamed to stage a photography exhibit of the school's student athletes in competition. The two-month collaboration, known as SPORT:ART, features the work of five students in the Student Sports Photography Exhibition. Three of the students are varsity athletes in cross country and track, lacrosse and field hockey. The idea for the collaboration originated with Catherine Little Bert, a member of the board of trustees.

WORCESTER - The Worcester Art Museum, which has one of the nation's great collections, is entering a period of momentous change after many years of relative stability. That stability, personified by its beloved director James A. Welu, who has worked at the museum since 1974 (as director since 1986) has served the 115-year-old museum well: Welu's contributions, both to the institution and the city, have been immense. But Welu announced his retirement in September last year. And although no one wants to come even close to criticizing him, many are privately hoping that the imminent leadership...

With a little help from Led Zeppelin, the widow of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun has donated more than 26 million pounds ($41 million) to Oxford University to fund humanities scholarships for graduate students. On Wednesday the university announced the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Program, which will initially fund 15 annual international scholarships for the study of subjects including literature, history, music, art history, Asian studies, Middle Eastern studies and archaeology.

For many teen moms in Holyoke, taking care of a child and putting food on the table is a daily struggle. So why would they want to learn about art? But that's what teenage mothers do once or twice a week at The Care Center in this Western Massachusetts city, as students of an alternative education program that helps them earn a GED. When sculptor and teacher Ezra Parzybok started at The Care Center nine years ago, he was an idealistic sculptor intent on instilling the love of art and art history in these young moms, most of whom had dropped out of school and were living in poverty.

Warren is a waterfront village in the state's smallest county, tucked between Newport and Providence, and sometimes overlooked because of its proximity to those more recognizable tourist destinations. But with more than 16 miles of shoreline, abundant recreational opportunities, and a downtown bursting with restaurants, boutiques, antique shops, historic buildings, and a thriving arts scene, it's a tiny town with a lot going on and well worth a visit by couples, singles, and families.

It's a scream that's still reverberating around the world. One of the most iconic images in art history — Edvard Munch's "The Scream" — has become the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. During an intense 12 minutes, the 1895 artwork — a modern symbol of human anxiety — was sold at Sotheby's in New York City on Wednesday for a record $119,922,500. Neither the buyer's name nor any details about the buyer was released. The previous record for an artwork sold at auction was $106.5 million for Picasso's "Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust," sold by Christie's...

With a little help from Led Zeppelin, the widow of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun has donated more than 26 million pounds ($41 million) to Oxford University to fund humanities scholarships for graduate students. On Wednesday the university announced the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Program, which will initially fund 15 annual international scholarships for the study of subjects including literature, history, music, art history, Asian studies, Middle Eastern studies and archaeology.

Bookshelves, the ultimate marketing device Bookshelves have long been a familiar, reassuring sight in every readerly home. But in a short history of the bookshelf in The Paris Review, writer Francesca Mari explains that modern bookshelves, with their books arranged spines outward, haven't been the historical norm. In fact, they're a relatively recent invention. Until the 16th century, Mari writes, and even afterward, books were stored in all sorts of zany ways: in trunks and armoires, shackled to podiums in reading rooms, on their sides, or with the paper facing outward, in...

Many thanks to Leon Neyfakh for his excellent recount of Boston City Hall's history ( "The birth of City Hall," Ideas, Feb. 12). I first came to Boston in 1971 as a doctoral student of art history with a special interest in architecture. Having grown up in Washington, and having lived two years each in New York City and Chicago, Boston was the most exciting city I had yet experienced in terms of the drama and daring innovation of contemporary architecture mixed in with the building traditions of the past.

WILLIAMSTOWN -- George H. Hamilton, a leading authority on modern art and former director of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, died Monday at a Williamstown nursing home. He was 93. Mr. Hamilton was a graduate of Yale University and served nearly 30 years as a member of the faculty and curator of modern art at the university's art gallery. Mr. Hamilton was also a professor emeritus at Williams College. At Williams, he helped cement the school's reputation for developing and nurturing students who later reshaped the landscape of art in America.

THEATER Opening THE WIZARD OF OZ Maybe you've heard of it? John Kane's stage adaptation for the Royal Shakespeare Company (from the screenplay of the 1939 film classic based on L. Frank Baum's book) features Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's songs, with direction by James P. Byrne. Known for his work with the Gold Dust Orphans, Byrne plans to employ puppets, humor, and magic tricks in the production. Jan. 27-Feb. 26. Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston. 617-879-2300, www.wheelockfamilytheatre.org Now playing THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW When you're Ryan Landry, nothing...

The departments of art and art history and athletics at Providence College have teamed to stage a photography exhibit of the school's student athletes in competition. The two-month collaboration, known as SPORT:ART, features the work of five students in the Student Sports Photography Exhibition. Three of the students are varsity athletes in cross country and track, lacrosse and field hockey. The idea for the collaboration originated with Catherine Little Bert, a member of the board of trustees.

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) was a post-Impressionist French painter who bridged the gap between the Impressionism of the 19th century and the Cubist style of the 20th century. Although not famous in his lifetime, Cézanne is now considered one of the most important and influential painters in modern art history. Both Matisse and Picasso called him "the father of us all. " Art Institute of Chicago: Paul Cézanne www.artic.edu/artexplorer/search.php?tab=2&resource=468 As this Art Institute of Chicago biography reveals, Cézanne "was a shy man who adopted a deliberately crude, rustic manner to...