Samuel Maull of the Associated Press reports that fine art
dealer Jack Wright, 50, of Preston, Conn., who allegedly fled
his home and eluded police when they tried to arrest him
surrendered to face charges he stole hundreds of thousands of
dollars worth of paintings that had been consigned to him for
sale. Preston turned himself in to the Manhattan district
attorney a week after evading police, Assistant District Attorney
Charles Curlett said during the defendant's arraignment in state
Supreme Court. Wright pleaded not guilty to second- and
third-degree grand larceny charges before Justice Brenda Soloff,
who set $125,000 bail and scheduled a hearing for next week. He
could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Curlett said
Wright, who has run galleries in Manhattan, Southampton, N.Y.,
and Palm Beach, Fla., is accused of stealing five paintings worth
more than $500,000. He said detectives have information on other
possible victims and believe Wright may have stolen money and art
totaling more than $1 million.
The Society for the Preservation of New England
Antiquities (SPNEA), Boston, Mass., has changed its
name to Historic New England. By expanding its
membership program, creating new family friendly activities,
enhancing its tour offerings and personalizing visitor services,
Historic New England hopes to define how history museums can
thrive in the Twenty-First Century.
Another name change has been announced in Kansas. In an effort to
encompass the change and growth within the auction industry, the
National Auctioneers Association (NAA) board of directors
has voted unanimously to pursue a name change for the 55-year-old
organization. The proposed new name is the National Auction
Marketing Association (NAMA). "A name change will better
reflect our constituency, our emphasis and our true mission,"
said Larry Theurer, CAI, GPPA, president and chairman of the
board. "In addition, it will help to educate the public about the
true role of our professional organization."
Las Vegas Casino developer Steve Wynn and his wife Elaine
spent $8.8 million for one of John Singer Sargent's
best-known works, "Portrait of Robert Louis Stevenson and His
Wife," AP reports, referring to an article in The New York
Times. Wynn plans to hang the painting in his new casino,
Wynn Las Vegas, scheduled to open in 2005, the Times
reported. The 1885 painting, which sold recently at
Sotheby's, is the second of three Sargent works portraying
Stevenson, the Scottish novelist and poet.
Scaffolding will soon rise inside Boston's Trinity Church
at Copley Square as conservators begin restoring the
priceless murals painted in 1876-1877 by artist John La
Farge, a Nineteenth Century master recognized as the father
of the American Mural Movement and for his key influence in
reviving the art of stained glass. This work is part of a $53
million campaign to preserve the building's priceless art and
architecture.
According to AP, referring to an article in The New York
Times, The Whitney Museum of American Art has
renewed discussions about an expansion after more
than a year, interviewing new architects including Italian
designer Renzo Piano. "Our committee has met with a number of
people, and we're still deliberating," Leonard A. Lauder,
the Whitney's chairman and head of its building committee, told
the Times. Last year the museum withdrew its plans for a
$200 million expansion designed by Rotterdam architect Rem
Koolhaas, calling the project too expensive. Whitney officials
have said they need to expand the museum's home at Madison Avenue
and 75th Street to provide a better showcase for a growing
permanent collection and perhaps an auditorium for public events.
The museum several years ago bought four nearby brownstones that
would likely be demolished for the expansion.
Phillips Academy Head of School Barbara Landis Chase has
announced the appointment of Brian T. Allen as the new
director of the Addison Gallery of American Art,
located on the academy's Andover, Mass., campus. Allen, who will
take the reins of the Addison in August, currently serves as
director of collections and exhibitions and curator of American
art at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in
Williams, Mass. His appointment completes a nine-month search to
fill the job formerly held by Adam D. Weinberg, who left
the Addison last summer to become director of the Whitney
Museum of American Art in New York.
GoAntiques.com, Columbus, Ohio, an online sales network
for arts, antiques and collectibles, is now offering its members
live auction selling and bidding on eBay Live Auctions.
The company said it is offering the service with no listing or
reserve fees and a 30-day free membership. More than 50
GoAntiques auctions are planned for 2004, including porcelain and
pottery, glass, fine and period jewelry, silver, furniture,
lighting, carpet and decorative accessories and arts, antiques
and collectibles.
