Porn in Word Girl?

There we were, my son and I watching one of his favorite PBS cartoons - Word Girl - when the opening credits showed up...

WTF? Is it me, or is the "World's Best Dad" sporting a world class boner?

Mock theft

Cleveland artist Frank Oriti said the National Portrait Gallery in London, England, has assured him that a painting he submitted for an exhibition is safe and in good condition after having been subjected to a mock theft by protesters on Sunday.

 Read the story here.

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this mutant!

Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2015 08:08:15 -0700
From: mrsmichaelanderson@zoho.com
Subject: Order enquiry

Hi there,

During the last exhibition campaign /competition, I'm just wondering if your gallery would be able to ship to my Country In Europe?And shipping costs shouldn't be  prohibitive for sending paintings overseas

Kindly get back to me with your online portfolio for more information about your available works and price guide list.

Yours sincerely.

Stari Grad, Zelene beretke 

15A Sarajevo

71141 Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Hypocritical art or political art?

Gone are the days when modern art used sex to earn your embarrassed attention. The latest Venice Biennale shows that to get international visibility these days, contemporary art must play with something much hotter: politics.

 Hypocritical art or political art? Details here.

Stolen Rodin recovered in NYC

From the folks at Art Recovery Group:

LONDON, 9 JULY 2015 – A version of Auguste Rodin’s ‘Young Girl with Serpent’ stolen 24 years ago has been recovered in New York.

In 1991, thieves stole artwork valued at over $1 million USD in a series of raids on a private residence in Beverly Hills whilst the owners were out of town. Among a number of high-value works of fine art stolen during the robberies was an edition of ‘Young Girl with Serpent’ by esteemed French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917).

The residence was left unoccupied for several weeks, allowing multiple visits by thieves whose access had been arranged by the victims’ trusted housekeeper. It is understood that the individual in whose care the residence was regularly left had bragged about his employers’ wealth at a local bar and was convinced to sell a duplicate of the house keys for $5,000 when propositioned by criminals.

Upon their return, the victims described their home as looking as though it ‘had been hit by an earthquake’ and, with no sign of their housekeeper, they immediately informed the Beverly Hills Police Department of his assumed involvement in the crime. A police search identified the existence of a previously-unknown arrest warrant for the housekeeper, issued in his native Switzerland. He was subsequently tracked to a Miami hotel and arrested whilst sunbathing by the pool.

The location of all stolen items remained unknown until Rodin’s ‘Young Girl with Serpent’ was identified when consigned for sale at Christie’s in New York.  Art Recovery Group was appointed by the insurer and led the negotiations with the consignor’s legal representative. With title to the work unconditionally relinquished by the consignor, the sculpture has been offered back to the theft victims in line with the benefits of their insurance policy.

Speaking this morning, Christopher A. Marinello, CEO of Art Recovery Group, said:

“This case was a perfect example of public and private sector collaboration. We are extremely grateful for the steadfast determination of the Beverly Hills Police Department, and in particular the perseverance of Detective Michael Corren, in keeping this case open for 24 years and seeing through its resolution."

Additional artworks taken in the raid remain unaccounted for but the outstanding losses have been recorded on the ArtClaim Database. The last time the Rodin was offered for sale at Christie’s, its value was estimated at around $100,000.

In accordance with the confidential resolution agreed between the loss victim and their insurance company, this work will now be consigned for sale later this year.