The Swellesley Report

The Boston Phoenix writes about a big turnover this year among Boston art galleries, especially those in the South End. But one gallery bringing some life back to the area is Khaki Gallery, known in Wellesley for its Crest Road location. Khaki Gallery, now with a spot on Harrison Avenue in Boston, is launching with a show of gallery owner Nahid Khaki’s stuff.  She tells the Phoenix: “This is where everything happens.”

And Wellesley isn’t?

In other artsy-fartsy news, J. Todd Galleries at 572 Washington St. in Wellesley is featuring an exhibit of 60 or so works highlighting views of Boston, according to this MetroWest Daily News piece. A public reception for the exhibit is scheduled for Nov. 14 from 5-8pm and the exhibit runs through Dec. 5. These stocking stuffers are expected to sell for between $2K and $70K.

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Tags: art by bbrown
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Babson College is hosting an art exhibit called “Fork, Knife or Spoon?…a question of identity” that encourages people to answer the question and have those answers become part of the exhibit. The sculpture is the creation of artist Julie Levesque and runs Oct. 28-Dec. 15 at the Reynolds Campus Center.

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See this photograph from Maud Sulter and other works celebrating Black Womenhood at Wellesley College’s Davis Museum and Cultural Center through Dec. 14. A free symposium is scheduled for Oct. 18.

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David Mickenberg, under fire since word leaked out recently that the Wellesley College Davis Museum and Cultural Center couldn’t find a valuable Fernand Leger painting, has resigned, according to this Globe article. He joined the museum 7 years ago from a Northwestern University art museum and was hailed at the time by Wellesley College’s then-president for his “impressive record of achievement,” including his bringing of technology-based projecs to the Block Museum of Art (something he also brought to the Davis Museum, along with other well-received exhibits). The Globe story says that Wellesley College president Kim Bottomly shared the news with faculty yesterday but didn’t mention anything about the missing cubist painting, “Woman and Child.” Mickenberg reportedly is pursuing the dreaded “other opportunities.” Maybe he could help Wellesley Booksmith out with its upcoming scavenger hunt?

Tags: Wellesley College, art by bbrown
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The Globe followed up its page 1 story from yesterday about a missing Fernand Leger painting with an article based on Wellesley College President Kim Bottomly’s (shown here) assurance that the school will take measures to better protect the art in its possession.

By the way, the college’s Jewett Art Gallery kicks off a month-long exhibit on Sept. 1 called “Arrivals/Departure.” No, it has nothing to do with the missing Leger painting: It celebrates the work of some incoming faculty and one outgoing one.

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…please notify the Wellesley Police and Wellesley College’s Davis Museum and Cultural Center. The 1921 Fernand Leger painting called “Woman and Child” was either lost or stolen at some point in the past year or so, according to this Boston Globe account, which says Leger paintings on average are worth $2.8 million.

Meanwhile, a lecturer at Wellesley College is calling for the museum to return three works she donated in light of the Leger situation.

No shortage of opinions on this story out in the web world, including at the blog: In No Particular Order:

Between the lines it’s clear that hoity-toity Wellesley was just itching to blame the disappearance on those dumb-ass Sooners - but the Oklahoma folks followed cataloguing procedure, so their hands are clean.

Another blogger, Museumy, feels confident that local cops are on the job:

But don’t worry, the “Wellesley Police Department are working with college police on the case, though there is nothing to report.” Nothing to report YET, people. The WPD and the campus cops are ON IT.

Web site The Bostonist fired off this headline: Wellesley College Takes Stand Against Modernism.

Tags: Wellesley College, art by bbrown
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That’s the name of this new outdoor sculpture by Kenneth Snelson located near the Science Center. (Mozart I is at Stanford University, Mozart II is at PepsiCo headquarters in Purchase, NY). The sculpture consists of stainless steel tubes joined by wire cables. Snelson compares building his works to playing music (thus the name of this piece) and describes his work as being concerned “with nature in its primary aspect [and] the patterns of physical forces in three dimensional space.” Took the words right out of our mouths. Click here to see a mini-slideshow of the sculpture going up.

Tags: Wellesley College, art by bbrown
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