Some extremely shakey camera work of an extremely not-shakey exhibition.
» Director Thomas P. Campbell Announces New Senior Staff Appointments at Metropolitan Museum
(New York, September 8, 2009)—Thomas P. Campbell, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, today announced four major senior staff appointments:
• Carrie Rebora Barratt as Associate Director for Collections and Administration;
• Keith Christiansen as John Pope-Hennessy Chairman of European Paintings;
• Sheila R. Canby as Patti Cadby Birch Curator in Charge of the Department of Islamic Art; and
• Peggy Fogelman as Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chairman of Education.The four were formally elected at today’s meeting of the Museum’s Board of Trustees.
If you don’t read the last part of some of their jobs, it looks like a casting list.
In other news, looks like some people are still hiring.
» Metropolitan cuts major loan shows by a quarter
NEW YORK. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present fewer major loan exhibitions in future, says the museum’s director Thomas Campbell. In his first major interview since taking on the post (published in The Art Newspaper, September 2009), Campbell said that economic pressures require a reduction in the number of marquee exhibitions and lavish publications.Ugh. This is depressing.
Annually, the Metropolitan has been mounting 30 to 35 exhibitions, including 10-12 major loan shows, 10 medium-sized shows, and various smaller installations. He estimates there will now be 20-25% fewer large, expensive loan shows. The reductions will not be apparent for some time because the museum makes public its schedule no more than a year in advance.

Johannes Vermeer, The Milkmaid, ca. 1658
Sometimes it’s really nice just to look at something that is absolutely beautiful. Next to Jan Van Eyck, I believe Vermeer is my favorite painter. So take a minute, breathe it in….Now continue reading.
In a rare and extremely generous loan, the Rijksmuseum is loaning the piece to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and along with the otehr 5 Vermeer’s already in the collection and some other Dutch masters they will have what I am sure to be an outstanding show starting September 9.
Why are they feeling so generous? Because it’s the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic journey from Amsterdam to New York.
I don’t know who that is and have no desire to look him up but I will extend my thanks for being so great that more people are exposed to beautiful art because of his bravery. Cheers Henry Hudson! Thanks for the memories!