Renoir Night at the Frick Collection April 27, 2012

Catalog Link "Genius of Renoir"

There will be a Renoir Night at the Frick Collection in Manhattan today, Friday, April 27, 2012 from 6 to 9 pm. You can view the special exhibition RENOIR, IMPRESSIONISM, AND FULL-LENGTH PAINTING in the East Gallery (on display through May 13) or attend lectures and live music performances (songs by Chausson, Debussy, and Fauré).

You can make your own Renoir Night at home. Check out our beautiful books on Renoir, a Renoir DVD, or Music CDs.

Renoir DVD

New DVDs in Art, Architecture, Design

The following DVDs have been recently added to our collection or are on order. The titles are linked to our online catalog. They can be checked out for 7 days.

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens. Directed by
Barbara Leibovitz.

Profiles the celebrity photographer from her Connecticut childhood to her current work for Vanity Fair. Originally broadcast on television as an episode for the PBS series "American masters" in 2006.

Art: 21 - Art in the Twenty-First Century. Season 1 & 2. Created and produced by Susan Sollins, Susan Dowling ; directed by Catherine Tatge and Deborah Shaffer.

Meet diverse contemporary artists through revealing profiles that take viewers behind the scenes into artists' studios, homes, and communities to provide an intimate view of their lives, work, sources of inspiration and creative processes.

Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century. Written and narrated by Frank Whitford ; producer, Julia Cave.

Looks at the development of the Bauhaus and at the key figures involved in it, including the founder Walter Gropius, his successor Mies van der Rohe, Lásló Moholy-Nagy and Josef Albers. The program also sets the history of the Bauhaus in the context of the political unrest and economic chaos of the Weimar Republic in Germany. Former students discuss their time at the Bauhaus and architect Philip Johnson tells how it influenced his work. Contains rare archival footage of the Bauhaus at Dessau and looks at the architecture of Chicago, much influenced by Mies van der Rohe, who emmigrated there after the Bauhaus was shut by the Nazis in 1933.

Dutch Masters. Kultur Video, 2006. 6 DVDs.

This unique series chronicles the life, times and works of the greatest artists in history. Includes: Rembrandt, Vermeer, Rubens, Van Dyck, Bosch and Bruegel.

 
 

Genius of Design. produced by Wall to Wall Media for BBC 2 ; directed by Chris Wilson, Chris Rodley, Peter Sweasey. Originally broadcast on television in 2010.
 
The art, science and development of design and how people are impacted when interacting with what has been designed are explored in five episodes.

The Impressionists: their lives, times and works. 6 DVDs.
 
An in-depth look at the lives of six artists of the Impressionist movement. Monet -- Degas -- Renoir -- Pissarro -- Seurat -- Manet.









The Mystery of Picasso. A film by Henri-Georges Clouzot. Originally released as a motion picture in 1956.

Explores the mind and motivations of Pablo Picasso as he creates over fifteen works before the camera. Using a specially designed transparent 'canvas' to provide an unobstructed view, Picasso creates as the camera records. He begins with simple works that take shape after only a single brush stroke. He then progresses to more complex paintings, in which he repeatedly adds and removes elements, transforming the entire scene, until at last the work is complete.

Painters Painting: a candid history of the New York art scene, 1940-1970. A film by Emile de Antonio and Mary Lampson. Originally produced in 1972.

Artists, critics, and patrons discuss post-war art in New York City against the backdrop of footage of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition "New York painting and sculpture, 1940-1970.







Restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright's Heurtley House.

The Heurtley House is located in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Frank Lloyd Wright constructed the house in 1902.

Van Gogh: a Brush with Genius. Directed by Francois Bertrand.

Bertrand takes the viewer into the heart of van Gogh's paintings and life. His letters are used to explain his art. The locations that inspired him are also part of the film.

Vermeer: Master of Light. A National Gallery of Art Film.
directed by Joseph J. Krakora. Narrated by Meryl Streep.

Explores Vermeer's paintings, examining his techniques of lighting and composition.

New Nonfiction Books in the 700s

We just updated our Bookletter service for the following subject areas:



Crafts, Needleworks and Fashion Design










Architecture, Decorating and Garden Design








Art and Photography










More New Arrivals (Fiction, Nonfiction, DVDs, ...)

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New Nonfiction DVDs - Arts

We added the following titles to our collection of DVDs in the 700s. You will find them in the media room, in the nonfiction DVD collection arranged by Dewey Decimal Number. Links are provided to our online catalog.

Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies.
Produced by Arne Glimcher, Robert Greenhut, Martin Scorsese ; directed by Arne Glimcher.
Explores the influence of technological innovations, particularly cinema, on artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Features: three short films: Slippery Jim (1910), The great train robbery (1903), Frankenstein (1910).




Paris: Luminous Years.
Written, directed and produced by Perry Miller Adato.
Examines the role of the city of Paris in the Modernist art movement, and the people who came there from all over the world.

Building the Great Cathedrals. Written and produced by Gary Glassman ; produced and directed by Scott Tiffany.
Carved from a hundred million pounds of stone, soaring effortlessly atop a spiderweb of masonry, Gothic cathedrals are marvels of human achievement and artistry. But how did medieval builders reach such spectacular heights? Consuming the labor of entire towns, sometimes taking a hundred years to build, these architectural marvels were crafted from just hand tools and stone. Many now teeter on the brink of catastrophic collapse.

Hermitage Masterpieces.

A tour of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, one of the oldest and largest museum of the world which was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great. This digitally re-mastered series includes images and rarely seen treasures that represent the development of world culture and art from Ancient China to the 20th century. The Hermitage is home to 3 million masterpieces.

Every Picture Tells a Story.
produced by Mike Lerner ; directed by James Bluemel.
Profiles the the creations and legacies of eight masterpieces of Western art. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews by Gainsborough -- The anatomy lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt -- Tempest by Giorgione -- The birth of Venus by Botticelli -- Boy bitten by a lizard by Caravaggio -- Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci -- Le dejeuner sur l'herbe by Manet -- The Arnolfini marriage by Van Eyck.

American Photography: a Century of Images.

Produced and directed by Muffie Meyer and Ellen Hovde.The story of the pictures we have taken and where they have taken us. The series traces the profound effect photographs have had on American life-- influencing what we buy, how we dress, how we get the news, and in the matters of life and death, medicine, science, and war.

Art of the Western World.

Directed by Tony Cash. 3 DVDs.Explores the history of Western art from the classical ideals created by ancient Greeks to modern-day works. The classical ideal -- A white garment of churches : Romanesque and Gothic art -- The early Renaissance -- The high Renaissance -- Realms of light : the Baroque -- An age of reason, an age of passion -- A fresh view : Impressionism and post-Impressionism-- Into the 20th century -- In our own time.


Between the Folds: a film about finding inspiration in unexpected places.
Written, directed & produced by Vanessa Gould."Between the Folds chronicles the stories of ten fine artists and intrepid theoretical scientists who have abandoned careers and scoffed at hard-earned graduate degrees -- all to forge unconventional lives as modern-day paperfolders"--Production company's website.

Typeface.
Produced and directed by Justine NaganA look at the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Two Rivers, WI which is considered the birthplace of graphic design.

Art & Copy.
Produced by Jimmy Greenway & Michael Nadeau ; directed by Doug Pray.A powerful film about advertising and inspiration. It reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time, people who've profoundly impacted our culture. Their work grabbed the attention of millions and truly moved them. The social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.


Craft in America: Family
Craft in America is a groundbreaking, comprehensive visual exploration of the history, vitality, and cultural significance of America's craft movement. Features Paul and Dante Marioni, Lisa Sorrelli, Philip and Matt Moulthrop, and Cliff and Holly Lee.



David Macaulay: Pyramid.
Based on the book by David Macaulay ; executive producer Ray Hubbard ; written by Mark Olshaker ; produced by Larry Klein and Mark Olshaker. Explore the process of building an ancient Egyptian pyramid and visit various historic sites and rare artifacts, including the mummy of Ramses II.

Library Science Exhibition at Artspace New Haven

Tuesday, November 8, 2011-Saturday, January 28, 2012
50 Orange Street
New Haven, CT 06510

Artspace is pleased to present Library Science, an exhibition curated by Rachel Gugelberger, Senior Curator at Exit Art, New York. Bringing together a selection of work by 17 international artists, Library Science contemplates our personal, intellectual and physical relationship to the library as this venerable institution—and the information it contains—is being radically transformed by the digital era.

Through drawing, photography, sculpture, installation, painting and web-based projects, the artists in Library Science explore the library through its unique forms, attributes and systems: from public stacks to private collections, from unique architectural spaces to the people who populate them, from traditional card catalogues to that ever-growing “cyber-library,” the World Wide Web.

Library Science takes its title from two sources: the interdisciplinary field of library and information science, and Eleanor Antin’s 1971 conceptual work of the same name, which used library classification methods to represent and archive the identities of living women.

Artists include: Erica Baum (New York), Jorge Méndez Blake (Mexico), David Bunn (California), Chris Coffin (New York), Madeline Djerejian (New York), Melissa Dubbin & Aaron S. Davidson (New York), Philippe Gronon (France), José Hernández (New Jersey), Candida Höfer (Germany), Nina Katchadourian (New York), Reynard Loki (New York), Loren Madsen (California), Allen Ruppersberg (New York), Mickey Smith (New York), Blane De St. Croix (New York) and Xiaoze Xie (California).

http://artspacenh.org/galleries/gallery1/Libraryscience

Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Pass

We received two new passes to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT. Each pass admits the pass-holder and accompanying family members for free. The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm. Closed on Mondays and New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The museum is open on the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. The passes can be checked out by Hamden residents only with valid Hamden Library cards (first come, first served).

Pass Status

List of Museum Passes

New Art and Photography Books

A closer look at art

A painting can depict so much and tell us a lot about the time period it was painted in. Take a closer look at art with the following books, and you might be able to see so much more.

Discovering the Great Masters: The Art Lover's Guide to Understanding Symbols in Paintings. By Paul Crenshaw. Universe, 2009. This book presents a unique design: It pairs each of the 62 featured paintings with a page of die-cut windows that help the reader focus on specific objects or viewpoints.

Food and Feasting in Art. By Silvia Malaguzzi. J.Paul Getty Museum, 2008. What role does food and drink play in art? There is also a chapter on the dining table and its furnishings.




Master Pieces: Making Furniture from Paintings. By Richard Ball and Peter Campbell. Hearst, 1983. Go ahead - design and build furniture as seen in works of art. This book is a visual treat in itself.

Flowers in the Louvre. By Michel Lis and Beatrice Vingtrinier. Flammarion, 2009. This book focuses on floral inspired works in the Louvre's world famous art collection.

Monet Exhibit in Hartford

The Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford has a new exhibit:

Monet's Water Lilies: An Artist's Obsession
It will be on display from February 17 to June 12, 2011.

Hamden residents with valid Hamden library cards can check out a free museum pass to the Wadsworth Atheneum. The pass offers free admission for up to two adults and two children. Please note: Museum Passes cannot be reserved. They are available on a first come, first serve basis. Here are some of our newer books on Monet:

Women Artists at the New Britain Museum

There is a new exhibit at the New Britain Museum of Art, featuring Women Artists. 80 works chosen from over 600 will be on display through March 20, 2011. If you are a Hamden resident with a valid Hamden library card, you can borrow a free museum pass to the New Britain Museum of Art which admits four people free.

Among the influential artists featured are Sarah Miriam Peale, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe, Dorothea Lange, Louise Nevelson, Lee Krasner, and Helen Frankenthaler. Among the contemporary artists are Nina Bentley, Ellen Carey, Lisa Hoke, and Lalla Essaydi.

American Moderns On Paper

"American Moderns on Paper" is the title of an exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT. It will run from Oct. 2, 2010 to Jan. 17, 2011. It presents a "selection of approximately 100 of the finest watercolors, pastels, and drawings by leading American modernists from the Wadsworth Atheneum's renowned collection of American art."

If you are a Hamden resident with a valid Hamden Library card, you can check out our free museum pass to the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Exhibition Catalog
Exhibition Website

Picasso is still popular

The exhibition "Picasso in the Metropolitan Museum of Art" was the museum's best attended show since 2001. It drew 703,256 visitors during a 17 week run, from April 19 to August 15.


Check out the exhibition catalog

Books/videos about Picasso

Article in the New York Times - find out about the most popular art exhibits at the Met

John Schoenherr, 1935-2010

John Schoenherr, Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator, died April 8 in eastern Pennsylvania. He was 74.

As well as illustrating Owl Moon, for which he won the Caldecott Medal, Shoenherr illustrated such books as Gentle Ben, The Fox and the Hound, and Julie of the Wolves. He was also the first illustrator responsible for bringing both Anne McCaffery's Pern and Frank Herbert's Dune to life.

He is survived by his son Ian, also a children's author/illustrator; his wife of 49 years, Judith Gray Schoenherr; a daughter, Jennifer Schoenherr Aiello; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

New York Times Obituary

Read books illustrated or written by John Schoenherr.

Grant Wood Birth Anniversary February 13

The American artist Grant Wood was born on February 13, 1892 near Anamosa, Iowa. He died of liver cancer one day before his 51st birthday at Iowa City, Iowa, on February 12, 1942.

His painting from 1930 called AMERICAN GOTHIC remains one of the most famous American works of art. His realist painting style was influenced among others by the work of the 15th century Flemish artist Jan Van Eyck.

Society6

What Etsy is to crafts, Society6 is to fine art. Artists can use the site to sell their prints online, collaborate with other artists, and even find grant opportunities. Anyone can join, and artists can choose the selling prices of their own works.

Even if you aren't an artist, you can join the site as a curators. Select your favorite pieces and help promote them. The pieces that receive the most promotions both from artists and curators are displayed on the Society6 homepage.

American Stories 1765-1915

American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life 1765-1915 is the title of an exhibit on display now through January 24, 2010 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Our library has the exhibition catalog. This exhibit assembles more than 100 masterpieces of American painting from more than 45 museums across the country. It includes works by John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt and George Bellows. The exhibition is organized into four chronological sections which can also be viewed online: Inventing American Stories 1765-1830,
Stories for the Public 1830-1860, Stories of War and Reconcilation, 1860-1877, Cosmopolitan and Candid Stories, 1877-1915. The website for this exhibition is a treat in itself, well presented and surprisingly detailed. See the review article by
Roberta Smith in the New York Times. There is also a link to a slide show with some selected paintings.
Another interesting book in our collection on a smiliar topic is Daily Life in Art by Béatrice Fontanel.