Volume 12, Number 1, Jan. 1990, p.18

In the News

October 20, 1989. Los Angeles Times, Calendar. "Bay Area Arts Community Taking Stock", by Suzanne Muchnic and Allan Parachini.

This 'after the quake' article gives a quick summary of potential and reported damage which forced organizations to close their doors. The Fort Mason Complex area was feared to have sustained considerable damage to both the structures and the collections. The Asian Arts Museum lost about 1% of their collection. The Oakland Museum lost quite a bit of their ceramic and glass collection. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art lost only one artwork. The Richmond Art Center was closed on Wednesday because there were fears of possible gas leaks. It opened again on Thursday and claimed to have only lost protective glass coverings and no works of art.

December 9, 1989. Los Angeles Times, Calendar. "Is Norton Simon's Rembrandt Real?", by Suzanne Muchnic.

The Rembrandt Research Group, subsidized by the Dutch government, is a group of experts who began a systematic examination of all works attributed to Rembrandt 20 years ago. The examination consists of the analysis of paint, cloth or wood backing, the signature and the painting style. The findings have been published in three volumes so far. The third volume studied works dated from 1635 to 1642. Almost half of the paintings studied are not believed to be the master's work. The same number are also questioned in each of the first two volumes. The Simon painting, a self-portrait, is attributed to Carel Fabritius, a pupil. Vickie Rogers, director of program planning said, "We do not endorse the methods of the Rembrandt Research Group. Rembrandt attributions have been debated for 300 years, and this is just the latest chapter in that discussion. History will decide". Critics say that the analysis carried out on the artist's style is a bit too rigorous, and others question the group's scientific methods. Jozua Bruin, the project director sees it this way, "It's only natural that a project of such magnitude provokes scientific criticism, but of course, Rembrandt is a special case. Think of the financial interest involved. You can't carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing some beards."

October 1989. US/ICOMOS Newsletter. "The ratio of Monuments to Bananas--ICOMOS Costa Rica."

In May 1989 the President of the Republic of Costa Rica and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez Issued an Executive Decree whereby one colon (approximately $1.00) will be contributed by banana producers for every exported crate of bananas to a fund for the preservation of historic monuments and other cultural resources. President Arias affirmed that "Costa Rica will attain sustained and balanced development only if the government is concerned at the same time with spiritual and cultural values."