By James Foritano BOSTON-The press day for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s was a whirl of personalities, expectation, art, architecture and commercialism. For me, the star personality was the Pritzker Prize winning architect Renzo Piano. He charmed everyone with his eloquence and humility as he stood in the middle of the new, sleek music hall and thanked all the people who contributed to its final design from the acoustics expert to the director of musical programming, to the board. The music hall is a cube with the same dimensions of height, width and length, which, along with the single row seating, gives it a very democratic feel: no matter where you sit, you won’t be looking over anyone’s shoulder to see the musicians or squinting over distances. It was all very intimate, although spare of ornament. Additionally, and not incidentally, this new hall frees Isabella Gardner’s … [Read more...] about Inside the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s New Wing

by James Foritano (artscope magazine’s one-of-a-kind art reviewer James Foritano recently visited Italy with his wife, Maddy; he kindly shares his memoir of the journey here) When my sister and I were children, we delighted in assembling in the family room where our father would set up a folding screen and projector, and our mother would draw the curtains. Then we’d watch ourselves living as large as the American 1950s would permit, giggling and pointing at people we thought we knew cavorting in more vivid colors and stranger poses than we’d noticed when we were embedded, pell-mell, in full-throttle action. I didn’t realize when my wife, Madeleine, and I headed for Italy last month that we’d be re-experiencing that inside/outside feeling of being both embedded in swirling action and, at once, distant observers. But we did. I had explained to my skeptical but resigned traveling … [Read more...] about Visiting Italy: Venice, Rome, Florence…

By Sara Farizan NEW YORK- Artscope Magazine was pleased to be a sponsor as well as host a table at this year’s The Artist Project NY. The event was a great success taken place on March 17-20 on pier 92 55th street and hosted over 150 artists from around the world. The weekend long event was an opportunity for artists, art dealers, collectors and enthusiasts to meet one another, purchase art from established and up and coming artists and just enjoy the company of like-minded people and kindred spirits. The idea of the project is for purchasers of art to buy them directly from the artist themselves rather than having to go to an art gallery or having a middleman involved. Several or the artists were also open to gallery representation. Ciaran Tully, a New York based artist originally from Dublin had this to say about his first time at APNY, "Two days before the show I schlepped all my … [Read more...] about The Artist Project NY

by SARA FARIZAN CLINTON- What was supposed to be a fascinating look at Russian works of art is being cut short by Russian’s Minister of Culture who has decidedly issued a “force majeure”, ordering 37 paintings and artifacts, on loan to the Museum of Russian Icons, be returned immediately to Moscow. The Museum of Russian Icons is located in Clinton Massachusetts with 400 pieces of Russian art, the largest private collection outside of Russia and one of the biggest collections of Russian works in North America. Many of the works on display have significant historical meaning and the collections itself spans six centuries. The Treasures from Moscow exhibit was scheduled to be dismantled this morning though the exhibit was to be displayed until July, 25th. The pieces to be returned are on loan from the Andrey Rublev Museum and curator Oxana Smrinova has been sent to the U.S. to … [Read more...] about From Moscow, With Love…