Podcasts about Worcester Art Museum

In this episode of Gangland Wire, I sit down with retired FBI agent Geoff Kelly, a specialist in art theft investigations who inherited one of the most notorious unsolved cases in American history—the 1990 robbery at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. He recently wrote a book about this theft titled 13 Perfect Fugitives: The True Story of Mob, Murder, and the World’s Largest Art Heist. Kelly's law enforcement career began as a New York City transit police officer before transitioning to the FBI. Like many agents, he initially sought violent crime work. Instead, he was assigned to economic crimes before eventually transferring to a violent crime squad. It was there that he encountered the Gardner case—a cold case largely untouched by senior agents at the time. The robbery itself remains extraordinary: two men posing as police officers gained entry to the museum and stole 13 works of art, including masterpieces by Rembrandt. More than three decades later, none of the works have been recovered. Inside the Gardner Heist Geoff explains how art theft is often misunderstood. Popular culture portrays refined, sophisticated criminals orchestrating elaborate capers. The reality, he says, is usually more opportunistic and frequently violent. Art theft often intersects with organized crime, drug trafficking, and even homicide. Massachusetts has a documented history of art-related crimes, and several individuals connected to the Gardner investigation met violent ends. The criminal underworld surrounding stolen art is less about wealthy collectors hiding paintings in private vaults and more about leverage—using artwork as collateral in criminal negotiations. The FBI's Art Crime Evolution Following the 2003 looting of Iraq's National Museum during the Baghdad invasion, the FBI formalized its Art Crime Team. Kelly discusses how intelligence gathering, informants, and international cooperation became central tools in recovering stolen artifacts. He emphasizes that solving art crimes often depends less on forensic breakthroughs and more on human intelligence. Informants remain essential, especially in cases where organized crime overlaps with high-value theft. Kelly also discusses his upcoming book, 13 Perfect Fugitives, which explores the intersections of mobsters, murder, and the illicit art market. Organized Crime and the Reality of Stolen Art Drawing on my own experience working organized crime in Kansas City, I found clear parallels between traditional mob rackets and art theft networks. The same structures—intimidation, secrecy, and violence—apply. Once a painting disappears into criminal circulation, it becomes a liability as much as an asset. Kelly challenges the myth that thieves profit easily from masterpieces. High-profile works are difficult to sell. The black-market art world is volatile and dangerous. In many cases, the artwork becomes bargaining collateral rather than a cash windfall. A Case Still Waiting for Closure More than 30 years later, the Gardner Museum still displays empty frames where the paintings once hung. Kelly remains committed to the idea that public awareness may eventually generate new leads.  The Gardner heist stands as both a cultural tragedy and a criminal mystery—one that continues to intersect with organized crime, violence, and international intrigue. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. Transcript [0:00] Hey, you guys, Gary Jenkins back here in studio Gangland Wire. Y’all know me. I’m a retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective and now podcaster and documentary filmmaker. I have in the studio today… Jeff Kelly, he’s a now-retired FBI agent. He was an expert in recovering stolen artifacts and art pieces. He was involved. He wasn’t involved in the original theft of the Boston art theft, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, but he ended up inheriting that case. So welcome, Jeff. Hi. Thanks, Gary. Nice to be here. And guys, I need to mention this right off the bat. Jeff has a book, 13 Perfect Fugitives, The True Story of the Mob, Murder, and the World’s Largest Art Heist. Be out on Amazon. I’ll have links down below in the show notes if you want to get that book. I think it would be pretty interesting. I was telling Jeff, I just interviewed Joe Ford, the million-dollar detective, the guy that goes after classic cars, and I read that book. I love these kind of caper kind of books and caper crimes. Those are the ones I like the best is the caper crimes. And Jeff is an expert at working caper crimes. And that’s what these are, capers. So Jeff, how did you get into this? Now you came on the FBI. You were a policeman before, I believe. So tell the guys a little bit about yourself and your FBI career. Yeah, I started out with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police in New York City. It was a transit cop. I did that for three years. And then I got into the FBI in October of 95. [1:30] And my goal was always, I wanted to work violent crime. That’s what drew me to law enforcement in the first place, working bank robberies and kidnappings and fugitives. I had to do my five years on working economic crime, telemarketing fraud. It was interesting, but not all that exciting. And finally in 2000, I got my transfer to the violent crime squad. And I loved working it. And I did it for my entire career from then on, right up until my retirement in 2024. But back then, art theft was considered a major theft violation, [2:01] and it was worked by the Violent Crime Squad. And so in 2002… My supervisor dumped this old moribund cold case in my lap. It was the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist. [2:15] Nobody wanted it on the squad, so they figured, let’s give it to the new guy. I was ecstatic to get it because I’d heard about it. I went to school in Boston. I went to Boston University and graduated the year before it happened, but I knew about it. [2:28] That’s how I started working this case, this particular case, and then the following year during the U.S., there was a, the U.S. And coalition forces invaded Baghdad in Iraq. And during a 36-hour period, more than 15,000 objects of very, very important cultural history were looted from the National Museum of Iraq. And it’s really one of the most important museums in the world in terms of our shared history. Kind of the cradle of civilization over there in the Tigers and Euphrates River. Yeah, and that was the time when the FBI kind of belatedly realized that there was no art crime team to investigate this. And of course, FBI agents have been working art theft like any other property crime since the beginning of the FBI’s existence, but there was no codified team. So they did a canvas for the team in 2004 and I applied for it because at this point I’d been working the Gardner case for a couple of years and really was fascinated by it and made the team. And so then over the next 20 years, we continued to expand the team both in size and in scope and in our intelligence base and knowledge base. And when I left the Bureau in 2024, it was and still is a tremendous team with a lot of very dedicated and professional agents and professional support. [3:51] Now, guys, if you don’t know about the Isabella Stewart Gardner case, there was a Netflix documentary on it a few years ago. It was an art museum in Boston. [4:01] Two guys showed up. They had Boston police uniforms on, and they got in. They basically, it was an armed robbery, and they took control of the museum. The guards were in there late at night and took these really valuable paintings out. I believe you told me earlier they were Remington paintings. We’ll get into that. And it was a violent crime. It was an armed robbery of paintings, and you told me about other armed robberies of paintings. I think you got into some other armed robberies of paintings. You always think of, as you mentioned before, the Thomas Crown Affair character that goes out and does these sophisticated art thefts. That’s not always true, is it? It’s never that way, but it doesn’t matter. Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. Everybody wants to believe that art thefts are pulled off by the Thomas Crown Affairs and these gentlemen thieves repel in through skylights and do all that fancy stuff, put it in their underground lair. That’s just not the way it works. But if you look to art theft. [4:55] Massachusetts really is a cradle of art theft in this country, and it’s very unique. The first armed robbery of a museum occurred in Boston in 1972. It was committed by a guy named Al Monday, who was a prolific art thief. And they stole four pieces from the Worcester Art Museum in central Massachusetts with a gun. They ended up shooting the guard. And one of the pieces that they stole was a Rembrandt called St. Bartholomew. [5:26] And in keeping with the milieu of true art thieves, the paintings were stored on a pig farm just over the state line in Rhode Island. And when this Connecticut safecracker by the name of Chucky Carlo, who was looking at some serious time in prison for some of the crimes that he committed, when he found out that Al Monday had these paintings, he just simply kidnapped Al Monday and stuck a gun in his ribs and said he would kill him if he didn’t give him the paintings. which is no honor among thieves. And Al turned over the paintings, Chucky returned them, and he got a very significant break on his pending jail sentence. Right here in 1972, Boston thieves see Rembrandt as a valuable get-out-of-jail-free card. [6:09] And then if we jump forward three years to 1975, there was a very skilled art thief, really a master thief by the name of Miles Conner. I interviewed Miles for my book. It was very gracious of him to sit down with me for it. And he had robbed or committed a burglary of the Woolworth estate up in Maine, the family, the five and dime family magnets. And he got caught for it because he tried to sell those paintings to an undercover FBI agent. And so he was looking at 12 years in prison for it. And he was out on bail. And he reached out to a family friend who was a state trooper. And he asked him, how can I get away with this one? How can I get out of this? Because he was in serious trouble. The trooper’s response was meant to be hyperbolic. The trooper said, Miles, it’s going to take you a Rembrandt to get out of this one. [6:57] And so Miles said, okay, I’ll go get a Rembrandt. And he got a crew together and they did a daylight smash and grab at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, just across the street from the Gardner. And they stole Rembrandt, the girl in a gold-trimmed cloak. [7:12] And he was able to return that painting. Instead of doing 12 years, he did 28 months. And he even managed to, he told me he even managed to get the $10,000 reward in the process. So you have this atmosphere in Massachusetts that Rembrandts are a valuable commodity, right? They can help you out in a jam. And so I think it’s no coincidence that in 1990, when the Gardner Museum heist came down, the Gardner Museum had this array of motion sensors all throughout the museum. It would alert to wherever you went, every gallery, hallway, whatever. [7:49] And we know from these motion sensors that after, as you said, the two guys went in disguised as cops and bluffed their way into the museum, they made a beeline for the Dutch room, which is the room of all things Rembrandt. They stole three Rembrandts. They stole a fourth piece called Landscape with an Obelisk, which was actually by Govard Flink, but it had been misattributed to Rembrandt until the mid 80s. And then they took a large Rembrandt oil-on-panel off the wall and it was recovered the next morning leaning against a piece of furniture. We believe they just overlooked it in the dark. So out of the 13 pieces taken, three were Rembrandt, a fourth was misattributed to Rembrandt, and there was going to be a 14th piece taken, which was also Rembrandt. It definitely falls into that theory that this was going to be a hold-on to these pieces for a while and see if you can use them for a break. [8:48] Interesting. Now, back in the 70s, for example, when somebody would work in an art robbery like that or an art theft, you got your tried and true ways of working a crime. You got to have sources, you got to have witnesses, and hopefully you can get a crime like this. You can get a source that says, hey, this guy, we had a guy in Kansas City that he was a fence for these kinds of guys. He had an antique auction and he took all this stuff and got it somewhere else. So at the time, just use your regular police methods. And what changed over the years as you’ve done this? Yeah, certainly we’ve become much more sophisticated with the techniques that we use. But at the end of the day, it’s always still going to be intelligence. But I found from working my entire career in violent crime, virtually my whole career in violent crime, the sources are crucial. Having a good informant can make and break a case. And working art theft investigations, you’re certainly going to have the same types of fences of informants, fences for stolen property and what they’re hearing about what organized crime guys are doing and what drug guys are doing. But it also opened up a whole new avenue of sources for me as working in art investigations, because now you’ve got pawn shops and gallery owners and auction houses, and they’re in a position to know when not only when stolen artwork is coming in, but also fakes and forgeries. We spoke about this, that. [10:16] Somebody comes in with one valuable piece that would be very difficult for somebody in his or her position to come across one piece like this, let alone a dozen of them. That really points to probably a fake. And so that’s really the key to solving these things is just having a good intelligence base who’s going to let us know about when something comes up that’s either stolen or it’s been forged. [10:43] Brings up a question. In my mind, did you ever work a gallery owner or a gallery [10:48] that then would filter in, knowingly filter in some fakes every once in a while? They couldn’t do it 100% of the time, but you could certainly make some extra money by filtering fakes out of it because many people would get it and they’d never know. Nobody would ever know. Listen, it is a really difficult thing when you’re working these types of crimes because unlike bank robber, you go into a bank and you stick them up with a gun and take them on. It’s not up to the government to be able to prove at trial that you knew that the bank was insured by the FDIC. You went in and you robbed it, you committed the offense. When you’re talking about interstate transportation of stolen property or possession of stolen property, there are what’s called specific intent crimes, meaning you have to prove the element of knowledge. You have to be able to prove that the person knew that that item was stolen. Not that it said it was stolen. and you had to show that they knew it. And that’s a really high hurdle to overcome. And typically what we do to try and prove that specific intent is we’re going to go through. [11:53] Recorded statements made to a source or to an undercover or emails or texts or something that we can show that this person knew that item was stolen. And so we would see that a lot in auction houses and galleries. There’s a lot of willful blindness where a lot of gallery owners and auction houses, they’re going to look the other way because it’s too lucrative to pass up. And in fact, in 2015, the art crime team, once we received information that ISIL or ISIS was using looted cultural property from Syria and Iraq as a form, a viable form of terrorism financing. And we put auction houses and gallery owners on notice in 2015, and we basically told them that if you’re selling objects of cultural patrimony or cultural heritage with a dubious provenance, like a wink and a nod, you may be unwittingly or wittingly funding terrorism. While we never charged anybody with it, hopefully it was an eye-opener that when you’re getting into this world, it’s not a victimless crime. There are very real victims involved. [13:07] And that’s one of the things that really is interesting about working our crime investigations. And I used to get ribbed by my friends who were not on the art crime team about [13:18] where like the wine and cheese squad were raised and everything. But our subjects are far from it. We’re dealing with organized crime, gangs, terrorists. This is no joke. These are serious individuals and the stakes are high. And in the Gardner case, three or four people that we believe were involved in the heist were murdered a year after the Gardner case crime occurred. Yeah, I was just going to go back to that a little bit, as we said before, a little bit like the Lufthansa case. All of a sudden, everybody that was involved in the theft. Started dropping like flies. So tell the guys about that. That is really interesting. [14:00] Yeah. So the two individuals that we believe went into the museum dressed as cops, just a week shy of the one-year anniversary, one of the guys was found dead in his apartment of an acute overdose of cocaine, intravenous. And his family admitted that he used Coke, but they said he was terrified of needles. He was scared of needles. So it really looked to be like a hotshot, an intentional overdose of cocaine. Two weeks later, the other guy who we believe went into the museum with him, his wife reported him missing. And a couple of weeks later, his bullet riddled body was recovered in the trunk of his car out by Logan Airport in East Boston. There was another member of that crew. These were all part of the same crew. This Carmelo Merlino, who was a Boston mobster, had an auto shop down in the Dorchester section of Boston. Another member of his crew, a guy named Bobby, six weeks after the heist, he brought in, he visited a jeweler in the downtown crossing jewelry district in Boston. He came in with this object and he unwrapped it. It was an eagle. [15:03] It was the finial from the Napoleonic flag that was stolen in the Gardner heist. And he asked the jeweler, how much is this thing worth? And the jeweler looked at it and he said, it’s worth nothing. Because he immediately recognized it as one of the people that had been stolen six weeks earlier from the Gardner heist. And then a few months later, Bobby was stabbed to death and nearly decapitated on the front porch of his house. And the responding police saw that his house had been broken into and ransacked like his killers had been looking for something. There was a fourth guy, Jimmy, who bragged to his girlfriend a few months after the heist that he had a couple of pieces from the Gardner Museum hidden in his attic. [15:47] And in February of 1990, 11 months after the heist, he was executed on his front porch in what the local police called a mob hit. So, yeah, these are the types of crimes that have a tendency to have a chilling effect on anybody who harbors any aspirations to come forward with information. Yeah, and we talked earlier a little bit about, like, the crime itself, and the statute of limitations is up on that, what you said, and the crime itself, but how we talked a little bit and explained to them about how this could be part of a RICO case. And you’ve got the murders and you’ve got the actual theft and whatever they did with the paintings, then maybe you could get over after a Bob boss as a Rico case. Tell the guys a little bit about doing that. Yeah. [16:32] I’ve heard it so many times in more than two decades that I worked the case and people would say, geez, why don’t people come forward? They’re just paintings. There are so many times they’re just paintings. They’re like, yeah, they are, but there’s two things about that. Number one, there’s some dead bodies on these paintings, three or four, and that there’s no statute of limitations for murder. And so if you implicate yourself in the theft or you implicate yourself in possessing or transporting these paintings at any time, the fear is that you’re then implicating yourself in a homicide. And the other aspect of this, which I think has a chilling effect, is the fact that transportation of stolen property is one of the predicate acts for RICO, racketeering influence corrupt organization case. And RICO is basically, Gary, is basically an entire organization is corrupt. Yeah. There’s no legitimate purpose. It’s what we think about the mob and the [17:27] FBI has taken down the mob in the past. So if you implicate yourself in stolen property and you’re part of organized crime, that’s one of the predicate acts for a RICO. And that’s basically life sentences. And so one of my goals in the years and years that I worked in this case was to try and convince people that you could come forward with information and the U S attorney’s offices, whether it’s up in Boston or new Haven or Philadelphia. [17:58] Would be willing to figure out a way to get the paintings back with immunity from prosecution for a RICO case. Look, that’s a high hurdle. That’s a high hurdle to convince somebody that if you come forward, you’re not going to get charged and you’re eligible for millions of dollars in reward. That’s a tough bill to swallow, but it’s the truth. I’m retired from the FBI now. I can tell you that it was, it’s a, it was, and still is a bona fide offer. And that’s one of the goals that I’ve always tried to impress on anyone is the opportunity to become a millionaire without going to jail. There you go, Jeff. Can you, now you’re not with the Bureau anymore. Can you go out, if you could go out and find them and bring them in, could you collect that reward? I would certainly hope so. [18:48] I can’t tell you how many of my friends thought that I had some of these paintings stashed in my basement. Waiting for retirement to go turn them in the next day. I think half the guys I worked with were expecting to see me pull into the parking lot of the FBI. [19:01] Big package, but no. But yeah, I suppose I could. By this point, I can tell you the amount of my very being that I put into this case over two days. Yeah. I just would love to see these paintings go back just because they need to be back at the museum. That’s where they belong. Now, these crimes, they seem, You said there’s a lot of murders attached to this. They seem a little boring. Did you have any exciting moments trying to pop anybody or do any surveillances? I know we did a big surveillance of a bunch of junkies that were going around stealing from small museums around the Midwest. And we follow them here in Kansas City. And they would have been pretty exciting had we had a confrontation with them. Did you have any exciting moments in this? It actually was a fascinating case. And for the first, there’s the really boring aspects of this job and tedious aspects. And I would say that in my, two decades working this case, I probably did, I don’t know, 50, 60, 70 consent searches, searching in attics and basements and crawling through crawl spaces and just getting sweaty and covered in cobwebs. But the break in the case for me came in 2009 when one of the guys who was part of Merlino’s crew who was deceased, his niece came forward to me and told me that the paintings. Some of them had been hidden up in this guy’s hide at his house up in Maine. I went up to Maine with Anthony Amore, who’s the director of security for the Gardner Museum. We worked on this case together for years. [20:29] And then we found that hide. And then we interviewed, right from there, we went and interviewed Guarenti. That’s the guy, Bobby Guarenti. We interviewed his widow and she broke down and admitted that he once showed her the paintings and she gave them to a guy down in Connecticut. And we identified that guy and we interviewed him. My name is Bobby Gentile. He’s a made member of the Philly Mob. He got straightened out with his crew back in the late 90s. [20:54] And he refused to cooperate. And then that’s where we really just started getting, using a lot of ingenuity to try and break it. And an agent down in the New Haven office, a guy by the name of Jamie Lawton, he joined our team and we started working this case. And he had a source who knew Gentile, Bobby Gentile, and the source started buying drugs from Gentile. Ah, there we go. We ended up arresting Gentile and we did a search warrant at his house. And it was crazy. Like we recovered, I want to say seven handguns, loaded handguns lying all over the place. He had a pump action shotgun hanging by the front door. He had high explosives. We had to evacuate the house and call him the bomb squad. But the interesting thing was he had the March 19th, 1990 edition of the Boston Herald with headlines about the Gardner heist and tucked inside that newspaper was a handwritten list of all the stolen items. With what looked like their black market values. This is in the house of a guy who swore up and down that he’d never heard of the Gardner Museum. And we were able to figure out who wrote the list. It was written by none other than Al Monday, who’s the guy that did the first armed robbery of a museum, of a Rembrandt. And we interviewed him and he told us that he wrote that list for Bobby Gentile and his buddy up in Maine, Bobby Garanti, because they had a buyer for the paintings and they wanted to know what they were worth. [22:24] So yeah, and then Gentile took 30 months. [22:28] He wouldn’t cooperate. And while he was incarcerated, we turned two of his closest friends to becoming sources. And so when he got out of prison in February or April of 2014, they started talking to him and talked about the gardener and they said they might know somebody who’d want to buy him. That’s how we then introduced an undercover agent. Gentile was introduced to Tony, this undercover FBI agent. Over six months, they had long talks about selling the paintings. Unfortunately, before Gentile would sell the paintings, he wanted to do a drug deal first, which we couldn’t allow to happen. We can’t let drugs walk on the street. So we had to take it down. And although we’d seized all these guns from Gentile back in 2012, he told the sources the FBI didn’t get all of his guns. Because of that disturbing comment, one of the sources asked Gentile if he could buy a gun for him. And Gentile sold him a loaded 38. So we arrested him again. And he still refused to cooperate. I don’t respect what he did for a living or a lot of the things that he did, but you do have to respect his adherence to his values. However, misguided they may have been, he took the code of omerta, the code of silence to heart, and he took it to his grave. He died, I think, in 2021 after going to prison a second time. [23:50] While we never got any paintings back, it was a tremendous ride, and I’m confident they will come back. It’s just going to be a question of when. Yeah, that kind of brings up the question that you hear people speculate. Did you ever run across this? Is there actually any rich old guys or an Arab sheik or somebody that buys stuff like this and then really keeps it and never shows it to anybody? Does that unicorn really exist? everybody wants that to be true i know virtually it’s not yeah there’s there’s never been a case of some wealthy what we call the doctor no theory some some reclusive billionaire with his underground lair filled with all the illicit stolen treasures of the world yeah that’s it’s never happened yeah i guess you never say never but but no look the majority statistically about three-quarters of everyone that collects art in this country does it for, and I assume it’s probably worldwide, does it for the investment potential. There’s a lot of money to be made in collecting art. It rarely, if ever, drops in value. So that’s why people collect art. If there’s somebody who has a particular piece that they want so badly that they’re going to commission its theft, it’s more the stuff of Hollywood. It could happen, but we’ve never seen that happen yet. Interesting. [25:14] We did have one case here where we had a medical doctor and he had it on the wall of his house. And it was, I believe it was a Western artist named Remington that these junkies stole out of Omaha. But it was such a minor piece that he could show it to anybody and they wouldn’t. They would say, oh, that’s cool. You got a Remington. [25:30] There’s plenty of those around. And he could afford a real deal Remington anyhow. So it wasn’t that big a deal. And that’s really what it comes down to is that art, high-end art does get stolen. It gets stolen quite often. The art market is about $60 billion, and the FBI, we estimated about $6 to $8 billion of that is illicit, whether it’s theft or fakes and forgeries. It’s a tremendous market, but it’s mostly second and third tier items. [26:02] Really valuable, well-known pieces. They do get stolen, but that’s the easy part. The easy part is stealing it. The hard part is monetizing it. That’s why you very rarely see recidivism among art thieves, high-end art thieves, because you do it once, and now you’re stuck with the thing. It’s easier to steal something else. You got to go out and boost fur coats and stuff to make a living. Exactly. Do a jewelry store robbery down there and make a living. And that’s exactly the point. That’s why you’re seeing a sea change in terms of art thefts, museum thefts. The Louvre was a great example of that. Dresden green vault robbery where 100 million euros in gems were stolen back in 2019 yeah. [26:45] Gems and jewelry, it can be broken down. It’s going to greatly diminish their value, but you can recut a gem. You can melt down the setting. You can monetize it for a greatly diminished value, but at least you can monetize it. You can’t cut up a Rembrandt into smaller pieces. [27:02] It’s only valuable as a whole complete piece. Yeah. I’m just thinking about that. We got a couple of guys, Jerry Scalise and Art Rachel in Chicago, flew to London, robbed a really valuable piece, the Lady Churchill’s diamond or something, I don’t remember, but really valuable piece and mailed it to somebody on their way to the airport and then got caught when they got back to Chicago and brought back to London and did 14 years in England and they never gave up that piece and nobody could, it never appeared anywhere, but it was just cut up and they didn’t make hardly any money off of it. Yeah. Look, there’s a, there’s much more profitable ways to. Yeah. To make an illicit living than stealing high-end artwork, but it does still get stolen. And that’s one of the cruel ironies when you’re talking about art theft is if somebody has a $20,000 piece of jewelry or a very expensive watch, they’re most likely going to lock it up in a safe in their bedroom or something. But you have a $10 million piece of artwork, you probably got it on the mantle. You’ve got it over the fireplace or in the front foyer of your house and probably doesn’t have a passive alarm system protecting it or security screws to keep it from being taken off the wall because people want to show it off. Yeah. It’s way too enticing. [28:24] Really? So, yes, you need to keep the word out there and keep this in people’s minds. And I’m sure the museum tries to do this in some ways in order, hopefully, that maybe somebody will say, oh. Yeah. [28:38] I think I saw that somewhere in this news program or on this podcast. [28:42] I’ll put some pictures on the podcast when I end up editing this. No, please do, Kerry. And that’s the thing. That’s the basis for the title of my book is it really is a fugitive investigation. And that’s how I work this case is fugitives and perfect fugitives because they’re not like their human counterparts. They’re not going to get tripped up on the silly things that we need to do as human beings, getting a driver’s license or whatnot. Yeah. [29:09] And so that’s how I worked the case. The FBI was really, I was always impressed with the FBI’s support that they gave me on this investigation. We did billboard campaigns and social media and a lot of things to get these images out there to the public, hoping it might resonate with somebody. And that’s really my goal for this book. I felt it should be written. I felt it’s an important case. Certainly, it’s something that I wanted to write about. It’s something that’s very important to me. [29:42] But it’s yet another attempt to apprehend these fugitives. And I’m hopeful that somebody, it might resonate with somebody. Somebody’s going to see something. And there’s so much disinformation and misinformation that’s out there in the media about this case. People are endlessly, all these armchair detectives, and I don’t say it in a deprecating way. Good for them. Work as hard as you can. But if you want to work this case from your armchair, great. but you should be going off accurate information because there’s a lot of bad information that’s out there on the internet. And if you want to help out, if you want to collect that $10 million reward, great, but you should be going off the most accurate factual information that’s available. Yeah. And you probably ought to go down to the deep seamy underbelly of Philadelphia or Boston or somewhere and get involved with a mob and then work your way up and make different cocaine deals and everything. And eventually you might be trusted enough that some might say, oh yeah, I’ve got those in this basement. I would suggest there’s better hobbies. [30:47] That could be hazardous to your health. I wouldn’t recommend it. Yes, it could. All right. Jeffrey Kelly, the book is 13 Perfect Tuesdays. Those are the paintings that were stolen that you’ll see on the podcast on the YouTube channel. The true story of the mob, murder, and the world’s largest art heist. Jeffrey, thanks so much for coming on to tell us about this. Thanks, Gary. Thanks for having me.

If there's one filmmaker who has left a mark more than any other on my life, it's been Kelly Reichardt. Through her work, I've gleaned an understanding of what American life through the ages is like. From the pioneer days captured with a desolate despair in Meek's Cutoff, to the heart shattering singularity of Wendy and Lucy, to the manner that taste and fortune appear in opportunistic ways in First Cow, and now, with her latest film The Mastermind, we see a nation at another nexus point, pushed by the Vietnam War and a changing society to be something different, something possibly more equal.The Mastermind is a bit of a heist film, but it's a heist film in the way that First Cow was a heist film, meaning, the nature of the heist is almost perfunctory in that while it's the instigating action for the film, it's the outcomes of the heist that throws Josh O'Connor's James Blaine Mooney life into disarray. Not that his life wasn't in some level of disarray with the feckless out of work father mooching off his parents, all the while his loving wife Terri (another great turn from Alana Haim) has to look after their kids while also working a full time job.James comes up with the idea to steal four abstract paintings from the local art gallery. What he intends to do with the paintings once he has them, we never find out. But it's also quite likely he has no idea too. Josh O'Connor is easy to watch here, so captivating as someone who thinks he's smarter than he is, but really just needs to be nudged along to make something of his life.Yet, for me, he's not the interesting part of The Mastermind. Instead, I found Kelly Reichardt's interest in the bystanders of the 1972 Worcester Art Museum robbery to be more fascinating. Kelly has talked in the past about her fascination with people stealing art, but what drew her to this robbery in particular was the schoolgirls who were bystanders and observed it happen. She plants similar girls as observers of James Blaine Mooney's heist, and it's through their brief perspective that we're also invited to see the film from the viewpoint of the women of the story.It's an idea which I asked Kelly about in the following interview, which talks about the viewpoints of The Mastermind, while also discussing how Kelly's films view the changing state of America. We close by talking about the importance of accessible art, and what it means to be able to see art in rural or remote areas.Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If there's one filmmaker who has left a mark more than any other on my life, it's been Kelly Reichardt. Through her work, I've gleaned an understanding of what American life through the ages is like. From the pioneer days captured with a desolate despair in Meek's Cutoff, to the heart shattering singularity of Wendy and Lucy, to the manner that taste and fortune appear in opportunistic ways in First Cow, and now, with her latest film The Mastermind, we see a nation at another nexus point, pushed by the Vietnam War and a changing society to be something different, something possibly more equal.The Mastermind is a bit of a heist film, but it's a heist film in the way that First Cow was a heist film, meaning, the nature of the heist is almost perfunctory in that while it's the instigating action for the film, it's the outcomes of the heist that throws Josh O'Connor's James Blaine Mooney life into disarray. Not that his life wasn't in some level of disarray with the feckless out of work father mooching off his parents, all the while his loving wife Terri (another great turn from Alana Haim) has to look after their kids while also working a full time job.James comes up with the idea to steal four abstract paintings from the local art gallery. What he intends to do with the paintings once he has them, we never find out. But it's also quite likely he has no idea too. Josh O'Connor is easy to watch here, so captivating as someone who thinks he's smarter than he is, but really just needs to be nudged along to make something of his life.Yet, for me, he's not the interesting part of The Mastermind. Instead, I found Kelly Reichardt's interest in the bystanders of the 1972 Worcester Art Museum robbery to be more fascinating. Kelly has talked in the past about her fascination with people stealing art, but what drew her to this robbery in particular was the schoolgirls who were bystanders and observed it happen. She plants similar girls as observers of James Blaine Mooney's heist, and it's through their brief perspective that we're also invited to see the film from the viewpoint of the women of the story.It's an idea which I asked Kelly about in the following interview, which talks about the viewpoints of The Mastermind, while also discussing how Kelly's films view the changing state of America. We close by talking about the importance of accessible art, and what it means to be able to see art in rural or remote areas.Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Mastermind is a 2025 heist film written and directed by Kelly Reichardt. The film stars Josh O'Connor, Alana Haim, Hope Davis, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffmann and Bill Camp. Set in 1970, the film follows a struggling family man who secretly plots to steal art from a sleepy suburban museum while the nation rages over the Vietnam War. Reichardt described the film as a struggle between the allure of individualism and the necessity of collective action. The film was inspired by a mixture of real-life events and classic films, including the 1972 robbery of the Worcester Art Museum and the films of Jean-Pierre Melville.The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 23, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or, and was released in the United States by Mubi on October 17. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I can't think of a better person to share this conversation with me than Tripti G. Chandorkar. I was blessed to have her as a colleague 17 years ago working in consulting. Our shared experiences bound us, and we are again creating something we both love for Xiang Li Art. In this conversation, we explore the beginning of working together on Xiang Li Art, building up the Etsy store filled with a variety of merch, and running art exhibitions (solo and group shows) at some of the most recognized museums in the state of MA and nationwide, such as Harvard Museums, Worcester Art Museum, and a local boutique event venue named JMAC. Through Xiang Li Art, we celebrate women (including the 3 of us) and women in Chinese history, namely the 200+ empressed paintings all using watercolor on silk by Xiang Li over 12 years (2012 - present). I once wondered if anyone would care, and if Xiang Li's art can truly speak to people who aren't as familiar with Chinese history. Together with Tripti, we discovered the shared experiences and interests with so many women, families, and friends we met along the way. Thank you for listening to any part of the conversation. I hope you'll share your learnings and reflections with us. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/feisworld/support

On today's podcast, Mom and I are discussing self-care, the Worcester Art Museum, and a mixed media collage class I taught in Hartford. Links: Thanks …

Alexander Ross in his studio, 2021, Great Barrington, MA Alexander Ross (b. 1960 in Denver, CO) received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA. Ross has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, MO; Galerie Hussenot, Paris, France; LABspace, Hillsdale, NY; Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY; New York Foundation for the Arts, New York, NY; Nolan Judin, Berlin, Germany; and the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA, among others. The artist has been included in group exhibitions at numerous international institutions including the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA; Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO; Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City, Mexico; New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY; Valencian Institute of Modern Art, Valencia, Spain; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY. His work may be found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; British Museum, London, United Kingdom; Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO; Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY; Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence, RI, and elsewhere. He is the recipient of awards including the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant; Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grant; New York Foundation for the Arts Painting Fellowship; The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award; and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. Ross lives and works in Great Barrington, MA. ALEXANDER ROSS, Modeling the Physical, 2023, Colored pencil, graphite, and crayon on paper, 22 1/8 x 18 1/4 inches. ALEXANDER ROSS, Intelligence Restructuring, 2023, Colored pencil, watercolor, and graphite on paper, 12 1/2 x 17 inches. ALEXANDER ROSS, Another Aspect of the Presentation, 2023, Colored pencil, watercolor, crayon, and graphite on paper, 14 3/4 x 14 1/4 inches ALEXANDER ROSS, Robed in the Illusion, 2023, Colored pencil and watercolor on paper, 12 5/8 x 11 inches

Originally from Honduras, Daniel Handal lives and works in New York City. He received his BS in Applied Sciences from Rutgers University and studied photography at the International Center of Photography. His work centers on portraiture and explores issues of gender, sexuality, identity, and community. He has had a solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library (Flatbush Branch) and has been shown in group exhibitions at the New Mexico Museum of Art, FotoFest in Houston, and the Center for Photography in Woodstock, among others. His work has been exhibited internationally at the Australian Centre for Photography and MKII in London. Handal's photographs have been published in HuffPost, Slate, and Hyperallergic. He has been awarded residencies at The Millay Colony for the Arts, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and VCAA—France. Handal currently serves on the board of directors of Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York. His work is represented in the permanent collections of the Worcester Art Museum, 21c Museum and Hotels, Transformer Station Contemporary Art, Kala Art Institute, Kimmel Harding Center for the Arts, and more.   Here is a link to Daniel's exhibition where you will find the exhibition press release and more details. © Daniel Handal; “Tulip Thijs Boots (Misty Gray),” 2023; Pigment print on gesso-coated aluminum, painted museum box (Edition of 3 + 2 APs); 16 x 20 x 1.5 inches, Courtesy of CLAMP, New York. © Daniel Handal; “Red Hobbit Columbine (Rustic Wood),” 2023; Pigment print on gesso-coated aluminum, painted museum box (Edition of 3 + 2 APs); 16 x 12 x 1.5 inches; Courtesy of CLAMP, New York. © Daniel Handal; “Bunny Tails (Black Iron Silhouette,” 2022; Pigment print on gesso-coated aluminum, painted museum box (Edition of 3 + 2 APs); 13.5 x 9 x 1.5 inches, Courtesy of CLAMP, New York.

It's Monday, which means we're back with another story from our friends in the WBUR Newsroom while The Common works on some future projects. Today's story is a quick but important one, and comes to us from WBUR Arts Reporter Cristela Guerra. It's about a former curator at the Worcester Art Museum, who is suing senior leadership at the museum, accusing them of discrimination. WBUR Arts Reporter Cristela Guerra reports that according to the lawsuit, former curator Rachel Parikh was “mocked and ridiculed because she is a brown-skinned South Asian” Indian woman and was “subjected to a hostile and offensive work environment." Greater Boston's daily podcast where news and culture meet.

In a 64-page lawsuit, Rachel Parikh alleges she was “mocked and ridiculed because she is a brown-skinned South Asian” Indian woman and “subjected to a hostile and offensive work environment” at the museum. The complaint details a slew of damning allegations against two of its leaders.

In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha and artist, Meghann Riepenhoff discuss her book Ice, published by Radius Books. Meghann talks about how she makes work collaboratively with the environment and how she uses moments of failure as a signal that she is moving in a new direction. http://meghannriepenhoff.com https://www.radiusbooks.org/all-books/p/meghann-riepenhoff-ice Meghann Riepenhoff's work has been exhibited and is held in the collections at the High Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston), the Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago), and the Worcester Art Museum. Additional collections include the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which holds Riepenhoff's 12'x18' unique cyanotype. Additional exhibitions include Yossi Milo Gallery, Jackson Fine Art, Galerie du Monde, Euqinom Projects, the Aperture Foundation, San Francisco Camerawork, the Denver Art Museum, the New York Public Library, and the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston). Her work has been featured in ArtForum, Aperture PhotoBook Review, The New York Times, Time Magazine Lightbox, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Oprah Magazine, Harper's Magazine, Wired Magazine, and Photograph Magazine. Her first monograph Littoral Drift + Ecotone was co-published by Radius Books and Yossi Milo Gallery.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show with a call-in session to ask our listeners how they feel about the official launch of legal sports betting in Massachusetts. On Tuesday morning the state's three casinos — Plainridge Park, MGM Springfield, and Encore Boston — began accepting bets on a wide range of competitive sports. The law doesn't allow betting on high school sports, local college teams and e-sports. Trenni Casey joined to talk about the upcoming Super Bowl showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, allegations that Harvard's women's hockey coach created an abusive and toxic locker room environment and the opportunity for a professional women's soccer team to once again play in Boston. Trenni Casey is an anchor and reporter with NBC Sports Boston and a Boston Public Radio contributor. Gov. Maura Healey came down to the Boston Public Library for an in-person edition of “Ask the Governor,” fielding questions from the audience and Jim and Margery. During the segment, Healey said she would not offer a position on whether public employees should have the right to strike in reference to the teachers' work stoppage in Woburn. She also said that she supports the city of Boston having a seat on the MBTA's Control Board, a priority for Mayor Michelle Wu. Jared Bowen came on to discuss the Japanese prints at the Worcester Art Museum, “The Art of Burning” at the Huntington and why White Lotus' season two theme song is playing at the club. Bowen is GBH's executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu took questions in the latest edition of “Ask the Mayor” from the Boston Public Library. She discussed the lack of affordable practice spaces for artists and musicians and said that her administration is directing federal pandemic funding towards expanding artist space in Boston. She also addressed the challenges that weather fluctuations present to maintaining safe and pothole-free streets. Wu also talked about the challenges of finding reliable bus transportation for Boston Public School students. Wu is the mayor of Boston.

Join us as we launch our fourth season discussing – what else? – the arts, specifically with a trip to the Worcester Art Museum by Drew and Ryan. From there we talk about the usefulness of works of art over the years, and how much value absorbing oneself into a museum's galleries can enlighten the boredoms of life. We also reflect on state identity and how our resident "Massholes" cope with it. We may be three-quarters of a squad, but rest assured that Brother Matt will return soon. Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @manciniryan (Instagram) Andrew Martinez: @andrewomartinez (Twitter) Artwork by Zachary Erberich (@zacharyerberichart) "Space X-plorers" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Space Jazz" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Nowhere Land" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mars-on-life-show/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mars-on-life-show/support

Episode 26:  Art Heist at WAM // Worcester, MA   This week we traveled to Worcester, MA to talk about Alicia Witt but also…. an art heist?  That's right, friends!  We are so excited to tell you all about this incredible story, complete with Scooby Doo style antics and Teen Girl Squad energy!  Ashley and Jamie both with cis men would stop doing this one thing, too.  SOURCES:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester,_Massachusetts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester_Art_Museum https://www.worcesterart.org/news/pdf/Doherty-High-students-recall-1972-armed-heist-at-Worcester-Art-Museum.pdf https://www.telegram.com/picture-gallery/news/2022/05/04/photos-50-years-after-worcester-art-museum-heist/9648241002/ https://www.inflationtool.com/us-dollar/1972-to-present-value 

In 1972, the Worcester Art Museum was robbed in what was then the world's second-largest postwar museum crime. Four teens were held at gunpoint — and they're still friends today.

Priceless artwork and tribal artifacts have made their way across the globe through several means, some legitimate and others … not so much.While we rely on these objects to tell us about history, tradition and culture, the way they end up in our communities sometimes raises questions about what should happen to them, where they rightfully belong and how the legal system can get them home.Congress has passed laws regulating what should happen to items taken from tribes without their permission, including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The water gets muddier internationally though, as political drama takes center stage.In this episode, we take a trip across the globe to see how this issue plays out in different communities.The Founders Museum in Barre, Mass. is grappling with how to properly return moccasins, dolls and clothing from the Wounded Knee Massacre to the Lakota, which lost nearly 300 people in December 1890. Down the street, the Worcester Art Museum uses art once stolen by Nazis in World War II to show the difficult task of getting back Richard Neumann's renowned art collection. We also break down communications between Austria and Mexico over a storied feathered Aztec headdress.

About the guestTodd Radom is a designer, sports branding expert, and writer. His work includes the official logos for Super Bowl XXXVIII, the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, the 2014, 2016, and 2018 MLB All-Star Games, the graphic identities of multiple Major League Baseball teams—including the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels—and league, team identity, and branding for Ice Cube's BIG3 basketball league. Among the leading creators in the professional sports industry, his three decades of work have resulted in some of the most familiar icons of our popular culture.Born in New York City, Todd is a fourth-generation working artist. He has been inspired and intrigued by the iconography and visual culture of American sports, particularly baseball, since childhood. He attended the School of Visual Arts and earned a BFA in Graphic Design.Todd is regarded as an expert on design for professional sports, the aesthetics of baseball, and the dynamics of brand loyalty between consumers and professional sports franchises. He regularly speaks to design groups, professional conferences, and colleges about his work and creative career. He has provided commentary about sports logos and branding for ESPN, National Public Radio, and The New York Times. In addition, he has been profiled or quoted in numerous publications including the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and Sporting News. Radom is the author of “Winning Ugly: A Visual History of Baseball's Most Unique Uniforms,” and co-author of “Fabric of the Game: The Stories Behind the NHL's Names, Logos, and Uniforms.” In 2015, Todd served as co-curator of “The Sports Show” at the SVA Chelsea Gallery in New York, a sports-themed exhibition of more than 140 works from 32 different artists, representing a range of creative disciplines. His work was included in the Worcester Art Museum's 2021 exhibition, “The Iconic Jersey: Baseball x Fashion,” the first exhibition solely devoted to the baseball jersey in an art museum.Todd currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the SVA Alumni Society. He also volunteers for the Baseball Assistance Team, an organization dedicated to assisting members of the professional baseball community who are in need.The Truth In This ArtThe Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond's arts and culture.Mentioned in this episodeTodd Radom's websiteTo find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory.Stay in TouchNewsletter sign-upSupport my podcastShareable link to episode★ Support this podcast ★

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michelle Singletary gives financial advice for the new year, including navigating the buy now pay later trend, the state of inflation and overdraft fees. Singletary is a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, whose award-winning column “The Color of Money” provides insight into the world of personal finance. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on the buy now pay later trend and other financial plans. Juliette Kayyem discusses the chaos on I-95 which closed this week due to snow in Virginia, and the latest on the Jan. 6 investigation one year after the insurrection. Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Lauren Kennedy talks about Omicron's strain on child care and early education workers during the latest surge, and the work her group does to provide access to testing. Lauren Kennedy is co-founder of Neighborhood Villages, a non-profit that works to improve access to affordable child care and early education. Art Caplan updates listeners on the latest with Omicron, and how he thinks the country should navigate the next couple weeks as cases surge. Caplan is director of the division of medical ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. Jared Bowen previews the newest arts events in the region, including an exhibit about love at the Worcester Art Museum, Immersive Van Gogh shows and “WITNESS,” a show about Jewish immigration during times of antisemitism. Bowen is GBH's executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. We end the show by asking listeners if they have returned to movie theaters at this point in the pandemic.

To learn more, please visit the Worcester Museum's webpage.SHOW NOTES 2:45 Richard Neumann's grandson Tom Selldorff  approached Worcester Museum to take  Neumann collection of 16 recovered works on long term loan3:45 exhibition is meant to tell the story of the Neumann collection and efforts to reconstitute it 4:25 Richard Neumann was a collector's collector 5:10 two exceptional works by Alessandro Magnasco5:50 Madonna and Child by Neri di Bicci7:45 Maerten van Heemskerck Donor Panels9:20 Donor panels held in the Künsthistorisches Museum 12:00 Neumann's inventory 12:50 Neumann's lecturing on art in Cuba 13:10 collection includes some works Neumann purchased from the Habsburg Dynasty holdings13:45 Neumann's primary advisors included Albertina Museum curator Otto Benesch 14:25 Vienna was a city of Old Master and new artists when Neumann is collecting all while royal collections are also becoming available 16:05 Sophie Lillie's role in restitution of works to Neumann family 17:40 di Bicci panel  discovered in a Sotheby's catalog by Lilly18:00 materials incorporated into exhibition 18:30 verso of two paintings shown in exhibition on pedestals 18:40 note on di Bicci's verso indicates it to have been from the Neumann family19:00 images in exhibition include French Ministry of Culture ceremony in 2013 for return of six works to Neumann family19:30 Neumann family's experience of looting speaks to larger narrative 20:00 Neumann family's efforts to locate looted works20:30 museum's responsibility for looted works20:50 Worcester Museum publishes all works with incomplete Nazi provenance online and is in the process of working with one family to determine if a work in the Worcester collection is the looted work that the family is seeking21:40 exhibition design has two spaces: recreation of works as would have been hung in the Neumann's Vienna home and process of locating works post-war from 1950s-202125:20 verso of works 26:50 forced sales / sales under duress27:55 di Bicci's Madonna and Child and Magnasco's Monks at Mealtime appeared at auction 30:00 Sotheby's Art Loss Register search for Magnasco's Monks at Mealtime 31:20 1938 inventory of Neumann assets32:20 1938 inventory includes paintings but not sculpture or works on paper33:20 works from Neumann collection intended for Linz Museum and works shipped to Paris34:00 works that have gone missing from Neumann inventory, including van Dyck and Rubens35:00 late 17th C / early 18th C Barogue / Rococo paintings chosen for Linz Museum 35:30 Neumann prized oil sketches, showing his deep interest in the art37:30 visitor reactions to exhibition40:15 exhibitions that informed Whitner in preparation of Neumann exhibition 44:45 Sophie Lillie's book Was Einmal War (What Once Was)46:10 Stephanie Barron's catalog of Degenerate art exhibition for LACM 47:15 French government website with images of looted works 48:30 Richard Neumann's legacy is one of generosity and tenacity50:00 Neumann's escape from Vichy France and arrival in Havana, Cuba; his work and art lectures and joined effort to create the Palacio de Belles Artes in Havana To view rewards for supporting the podcast, please visit Warfare's Patreon page.To leave questions or comments about this or other episodes of the podcast, please call 1.929.260.4942 or email Stephanie@warfareofartandlaw.com. © Stephanie Drawdy [2021]

Anika Orrock is an award-winning illustrator, writer, designer, cartoonist, storyteller & author of The Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and the illustrator of “Birdie Can, Too!” by Malaika Underwood. Anika's work is included in the Society of Illustrators 62nd Annual exhibition & book and has been featured in national publications, including The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post and on NPR. Her illustration work has been commissioned by The Worcester Art Museum, National Pastime Museum, ABC News & FiveThirtyEight, Merrill Lynch, Resy & American Express, The International Women's Baseball Center, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association, Major League Baseball organizations and international sports publications, as well as by a variety of musicians and record labels.  

In this episode of “The Journey of My Mother's Son” podcast, I sit down to talk with a fellow author and storyteller, Anika Orrock. This podcast was truly an honor and surprise for me, I've followed Anika and her work on social media for quite some time.  I had no idea that she would be attending the Baseball for All Nationals until our mutual friend, Donna Eden Cohen had let me know.  Knowing that she was on a tight schedule, I still didn't know if we'd be able to do an interview.  As it turned out, the Lord had everything align for us and she was willing to squeeze in a quick chat. Anika is an award-winning illustrator, writer, designer, cartoonist, storyteller & author of The Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (March 10, 2020; Chronicle Books) and the illustrator of “Birdie Can, Too!” by Malaika Underwood (Feb. 2, 2021). Anika's work is included in the Society of Illustrators 62nd Annual exhibition & book and has been featured in national publications, including The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post and on NPR. Her illustration work has been commissioned by The Worcester Art Museum, National Pastime Museum, ABC News & FiveThirtyEight, Merrill Lynch, Resy & American Express, The International Women's Baseball Center, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association, Major League Baseball organizations and international sports publications, as well as by a variety of musicians and record labels.

Sights and sites to see in an and around Worcester Mass. that may puzzle or intrigue you. We discuss the concept of road trips in general and explain how the road trip itself started in Massachusetts. I want to talk about 5 or so things. A hat, a tower, a pumpkin, an unpronounceable name, and a strange street. The Duryea Brothers of Automobile History (thoughtco.com) Stephen Jendrysik: Chicopee played important role in the early 20th century auto industry (masslive.com) Pastie Duggan (patsiedugans.com) Golemos Market (golemos-market.food96.com) "Bancroft Tower is a 56-foot-high natural stone and granite tower, which looks like a miniature feudal castle. It is located in Salisbury Park, in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. It was erected in 1900, in memory of George Bancroft." (discovercentralma.org) "Salisbury's interest in archeology was sparked during his first visit to the Yucatan peninsula in 1862. He wrote several essays on South American archeology for the Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, including "Dr. LePlongeon in Yucatan," (1877) and "Terra Cotta Figure from Isla Mujeres," (1878)." (americanantiquarian.org) Salusbury Mansion/Worcester Historical Museum (worcesterhistory.org) Worcester Art Museum (worcesterart.org) The American Antiquarian Society (americanantiquarian.org) Grave of Stephen Salisbury III (findagrave.com) The Central Massachusetts Korean War Memorial (kwmworcester.org) The Epic Halloween Store In Massachusetts That Gets Better Year After Year (onlyinyourstate.com) Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg (ctmq.org) 11 Places in The World You'll Never Be Able to Pronounce (theculturetrip.com) LostMass Podcast Reviews at Apple (podcasts.apple.com) Photos at: instagram.com/lostmassachusetts Sound Effects From Zapsplat (zapsplat.com) Music Courtesy of Free Music Archive (freemusicarchive.org) More on lostmassachusetts.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lostmass/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lostmass/support

What you'll learn in this episode: Why jewelry carries meaning beyond just its material value Where jewelry and adornment fits into visual culture How Lisa developed Initiatives in Art and Culture's series of conferences, and how she has adapted them during Covid When the next IAC Gold Conference is and what speakers to expect About Lisa Koenigsberg Lisa Koenigsberg is the Founder and Conference Director of Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) which aims to educate diverse audiences in the fine, decorative and visual arts. Lisa has organized conferences, symposia and special sessions at universities, museums and professional organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad which explore fashion, materials and process. Her writings have appeared in books, journals, magazines and in Trendvision's Trendbook 2018. Lisa previously served as Advisor to the Dean for Arts Initiatives; Director, Programs in the Arts; and adjunct professor of arts, NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Additional positions include: Assistant Director for Project Funding, Museum of the City of New York; Executive Assistant, Office of the President, American Museum of Natural History; architectural historian, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; and guest curator, Worcester Art Museum and Yale University Art Gallery. She holds graduate degrees from The Johns Hopkins University, and from Yale University where she received her Ph.D. Additional resources: Initiatives in Art and Culture Instagram Initiatives in Art and Culture Facebook Initiatives in Art and Culture Linkedin Initiatives in Art and Culture Linktr.ee Lisa Koenigsberg Linkedin Photos: Transcript: Throughout history, people have always had an instinct to adorn themselves. Although the materials and trends change, the desire to make things beautiful is deeply human. Lisa Koenigsberg, President of Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC), joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about this phenomenon, as well as IAC's series of conferences covering a variety of jewelry topics. Read the episode transcript below.  Sharon: Hello everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. Today, my guest is Lisa Koenigsberg, President of Initiatives in Art and Culture, an organization which is committed to educating diverse audiences in the fine, decorative and visual arts, with particular emphasis on jewelry. The organization offers some intriguing conferences and live stream events. We'll hear all about those today as well as Lisa's own jewelry journey. Lisa, welcome to the program. Lisa: Thank you. I'm so glad to be here. Sharon: Tell us about your jewelry journey. I know you covered a lot of ground prior to founding the organization. Lisa: It's actually a more complicated question than that, because our journeys—the personal and the professional are always intertwined. I'll start with one memory from my childhood, which is of my mother getting dressed for special evenings. She had an outfit that was red and shoes that were printed with a raspberry print—perhaps it was floral and I remember it as that—and she had earrings that were two rounds of small rubies with little diamond flowers and a ring that matched. That association is very profound, one of beauty with my mother, one of the meaningfulness of adornment, the specialness that it denotes. Special can mean many things, of course. I happen to be an extremely visual person. I was born into a world, if you will, a culture, and I have always looked at materiality from across a disciplinary perspective. How does the mother's jewelry indicate that? On the one hand, you have the emotion that resonates, the association, which is a powerful way that humans think. When they see something they associate with X, and if you do it often enough, then you have an accepted, codified language. If we always see, for example, a steeple and then think “church,” then we've created a convention of meaning. The other thing is that her jewels were beautiful objects made of materials, meaning what? You'd have stone; you'd have metal; you'd have artisanry that shapes material, crafts material—another loaded word—into something that is then worn. I think one of the great challenges about jewelry is that adorning ourselves and crafting objects to which we give significant value—and by that I don't mean monetary value, but we imbue it with spiritual value, we load it with emotional association and the resonance of love, of friendship, the power of faith, for example, a cross, or a more singular object would be the Pope's ring. This is an innate instinct in us to want to adorn and to create adornment.  I'm steering away from the word “jewelry” in this context, simply because any word, as we're discovering these days—we had the War of the Roses, and now we have the War of the Words. What exactly do words mean? Wearing and creating what we could call jewelry is so innately human, and yet we burden it with the weight or the negotiation of associations that can come with the word “luxury.” Luxury, to many people, implies something that is superfluous; it is frivolity. One of the ways people are trying to resolve that dichotomy is in contemplating how the materials that go into the adornment are sourced, how the adornment is made, which gets at “good, better, best” and this idea of fewer, better things, which is not anti-materialist; it is actually an affirmation of the importance of materiality and the importance of being selective, purposeful, considerate and deliberate about choice. But it's a heavy burden that jewelry bears. Sharon: That's true, and in Initiatives in Art and Culture you've explored this. Tell us about the organization, your webinars, the conferences you're doing. Tell us more so we know when we get something in our email about an upcoming event. I know you've explored a lot of this. Lisa: The organization launches and then stewards projects, very often conferences, symposia or series. Now we're looking at publications that focus on—I'm going to borrow my term back “visual culture,” and by that we mean what you see. From the earliest point in my life which is preschool, pre-everything, I have seen the visual as a language. You have the language of form; you have the language with which you execute form: Is it classic? Is it baroque? Is it spirit? Is it colorful? You have the materials out of which it's made. What value do we ascribe to those materials? Is one better than the other? Does material value influence our concept of whether something is better or not?  With this general swirl, what does a picture of Andrew Jackson astride a horse tell you? It references a whole tradition of visual culture. It reinforces the mythology of Jackson, which you may wish to unveil to see some ugly subtext. It is about communicating effectively to a culture with imagery that conveys extant but perhaps not articulated messages that need to be articulated. If you think about religious art, much religious art is not only glorious, but it also serves as a visual manifestation of something so we think, “Oh, that's a textual narrative.” Before the universality of text, we had images, and how those images are created impacts us as much as the words with which a statement is crafted.  Then there are many dimensions to value of material. So, it's made of aventurine and it's blue, and therefore it's one of the most costly colors. Is that the product of a society that relies upon it for its subsistence? Then there's what we might call social sustainability as a dimension. All of these things are, from my perspective, summarized in visual culture. So, our purpose is to explore from every angle—and we welcome new thoughts as to what those angles might consist of—but to explore from every angle possible that which you see. Jewelry is of central importance in that canon of objects.  Sharon: In a different lifetime when we could travel, I attended one of your conferences, the Gold Conference. You have an upcoming virtual conference. Tell us about that. It really sounds interesting, and it focuses on jewelry and some of the issues you've been talking about, sustainability.  Lisa: With pleasure. We have two conferences that have focused on jewelry that are fairly long-running. One of them tends to look at fashion, cultural zeitgeist, materials, and it often uses color as a lens. It was the 10th anniversary of that conference, which was called Green. It was in 2008 that we made an effort to rework our significant commitment to that and transitioned into exploring jewelry and materials related to jewelry. In the process of working on that conference, we met many people with whom we still have wonderful relationships today, ranging from Toby Pomeroy, who was a pioneer in what was then called ecoluxury and who has such an important mercury-free mining initiative underway, to Benjamin Zucker, who is a gem merchant but also an extraordinary novelist and collector. He came and spoke about green diamonds because we wanted, one might say, a polymorphously perverse approach to green and gold and how it is mined. That was a focus of that conference, and that was the beginning of a leg of a journey. We did a Coral Conference; we did a Diamond Conference. I woke up one day and said, “Oh golly, we've never done gold,” but the nuggets were there, if you will. It's a corny metaphor, but that was the beginning of what you referred to, a decade as the “Gold Conference,” which has explored the emotional power and resonance of artistic potential residing in gold, associated values attributed to gold and how it is yielded from the earth. As the cultural conversation has become more complex and look into more angles, so has ours with a pronounced emphasis on craft or artisanry as well as on our responsibility to the planet and to one another. It's something we would call responsible practice. At the same time, I've been very interested in pushing the boundaries so that we do more comparison, for example, of gold and diamonds and established categories or vehicles of value and the different ways they are produced, to use the industry terminology, or mined. What are the society implications; what are the different ways we consider value; what's the relationship between, say, stone and metal in creating something of beauty? We were very fortunate to partner with Ronnie Vanderlinden and a number of groups he's associated with and do something called Day of Light. Sharon: Who's this person? I don't him; I'm sorry. Lisa: Ronnie is very prominent in the diamond world. He's an extraordinary human being of great kindness and immense connectedness throughout that world. When I say “that world,” I mean the world of diamonds in particular, which is a very complicated and interesting universe. We were asked to partner with him and a group of colleagues to produce a day called Day of Light. Out of that day—which looked largely at diamonds, everything from their significance, to the range of colors in which they come, to the moral ramifications of extraction, all of that—out of that, came the idea of pushing the borders of the Gold Conference so the Day of Light shone brightly on the Gold Conference. So, we married the two, or one has expanded to include the other, which is something I've been quite interested in. Of course, that doesn't preclude our looking at colored stones at all, but that, in effect, is the upcoming virtual conference. So, it's our 11th year of what is now the Gold and Diamond Conference. We are doing it virtually July 13-15. The reason for doing this virtually is, one, I had an extraordinary epiphany. The first time we did a webinar and understood the impact we have or did have, we were really honored because we had 44 countries listening in. That was enormously exciting to me, and I guess unfortunately meant more work, because I was so excited that I said, “All right, we're going to do this even if this is whatever the world looks like.” The conference is in person because there's a criticality to being in person that you cannot replicate. On the other hand, the virtual and web context provides other things that also are irreplicable and important, so together they are more than the sum of their parts. Sharon: What are the dates of the conference? Lisa: The conference is going to happen July 13-15, which is a Tuesday through Thursday, approximately 10:30-2:00. Sharon: Is that Eastern Time, 10:30-2:00? Lisa: Yes, ET. The reason for that is that we try to be mindful of as many time zones as we can be; West Coast, U.K., Europe, etc. and that seems to be a good slice. Those are not precise hours. We are working to have an elegantly crafted program, because the way people experience time virtually is different than they do when you come together for something in person. That's something we've been quite aware of. Sharon: First, I want to make sure everybody listening knows we'll have a link to your website and that they can get more information about the conference if they want to sign up for it. I also want to emphasize, just from my own experience, that you're talking about deep, profound issues, but at the same time you had makers; you had designers. I'm not in mining or manufacturing, but I want to make sure everybody understands that you had guests that were of interest to a lot of people. Lisa: We have a tremendous cross-section of people participating in the program, from makers to curators to collectors to yes, manufacturers, which is a bit of a separate realm, to people who cut stones, to people who write about value in the world. You pick up the newspaper and there's a column, “Should I Buy Gold Today?” That's actually related to what's on your finger, and the people who come to our conferences mirror that diversity. We have collectors. We have people who love jewelry and are interested in it for a range of reasons, and it is not what they do for a living or their day job. Then we have a range of people who do come from different aspects of it. You can have somebody who works in mining sitting next to somebody who has the breath of god in their hands. That actually brings up something interesting, which is the hand aspect. The open door to everyone is something that has been fundamental to me forever, and I have to say I'm very indebted to my father for this. My father was deeply, deeply interested in American art all his life. I was immersed in that world; I still am. My father approached that world as the amateur. He read everything. He looked at everything, but this is not what he did for his day job. This was a passion to which he was deeply committed. That enthusiasm and joy in the field of endeavor was something that was transmitted. That spark, that is the most interesting thing to feel that and to bring whatever question, whatever interest, whatever approach you have.  Something that's important that needs to be talked about more is how we wear jewels. We tend to think, “Oh, we're going to put the broach on the shoulder. That's where it goes.” Well, that's the idea of a coat pin, but in fact the brooch unbelievable. It is positioned in many ways, has many functions. It becomes quite related to fashion, and by fashion I don't mean “It's got to be pink or navy blue,” but literally, “Well, if I'm going to wear it at my waist, can the structure of my outfit, whether it's pants or a skirt or a dress, accommodate that positioning?” What does positioning mean? We know innately that we respond to these things, because all you have to do is scroll your media feed and say, “Oh my goodness, somebody has an engagement ring and it's a portrait cut. Somebody else has worn it. It's a pearl. Somebody else set a magnificent stone and created a highly original ring.” We see these things. We may not be drilling down into the particulars in the footnotes, but we're all susceptible to the buzz, the power, the cultural associations of needing to do better. There's the example of the impact of “blood diamond” and what the industry has done and the efforts that inspired them to do better, to be better. Frankly, some of the people who consider this on the most important level, they're the consumer. Jewelry is a powerful vehicle that touches us all. Take a look at your left hand or your right hand. Are you wearing something? It probably says something to you, and that's what we're here to explore and talk about.  Sharon: You've had series of—I call them webinars, but they're live streams with a variety of people participating from all over the world with live discussions. Lisa: Yes, our Child of Covid. This was sparked by one of our partners. We were going to have our 10thanniversary conference in April of 2020, and fortuitously it was going to be on Earth Day. Then circumstances prompted us to push it back to October, and we were asked, as was everyone, “What are you doing to meet the circumstances that exist now? What are you putting in front of people? How are you engaging them, how are the issues and the beauties and all the rest of it being brought to bear?” I had no experience in the realm, but I said, “O.K., we'll do three webinars, one a month, between now and when the conference is meant to happen.” I say meant to happen because we ended up doing a virtual manifestation, but it was that experience, the first episode or webinar that we put forward, and the breadth of audience and the responsiveness of audience that moved me to say, “We're going to continue doing the conferences, absolutely; they're critical and irreplaceable, and at the same time this is something important, too.”  One of the things we strive for is unscripted, guest-prepared lectures, and always with people who are speaking from a perspective of accomplishment, whether they're an amazing jeweler or somebody who represents a particular part of the government or a particular part of the industry, whether it's retail or women's issues. People who bring, from their own informed vantage point, a readiness to talk with each other about questions and shared interests, even if perhaps they come from different avenues. We've been excited to welcome people as participants from all over the world, as you suggested, and we also receive questions, comments and responses in real time from people who are all over the world wanting to have answers or make comments about what's going on. That's our Child of Covid, but we will find another name because it is here to stay, I hope.  I like to turn that on its ear and say it's something that prompts in me a thought about this interlude or period of time that has been Covid. Interlude maybe suggest something a bit too pleasantly musical. Along with the devastation and the very traumatic impacts, loss of life and transformed social structure, have also come some very positive outcomes, even if the way one defines that outcome is a period of reflection to think about how we can do something better, how we can have better lives, how we can be more reflective or conscious or kind. What is the meaning of what we do? Do we want to be a bit deeper with less of the frequency that seems to have characterized culture prior to the pandemic?  Sharon: I understand why you've had so many conferences, virtual or in person, because these are deep issues. You bring in people from across the board, people who are working hands-on, bench jewelers, designers, people who are familiar with mining and manufacturing. We could talk about that more, but what was interesting to me in your last webinar was a lot of people saying, “We're not there yet. We have been working on environmental consciousness and how and where things are mined.”  I want to make sure everybody knows that your next conference is July 13-15, and it's Gold and Diamond. For me, being on the West Coast, I'm thrilled when these things are virtual, even though I've been fortunate enough to go to New York to attend some in person. To sit on my living room couch and listen to these is great. Lisa, thank you so much for being here today. Lisa: May I leave you with a parting thought? Sharon: Absolutely. Lisa: O.K., I'm going to take this off. On my right hand, I wear two rings. One of them was given to me by mother on my first Mother's Day as a mother. Imagine that I'm holding up this ring, which is beautiful; it is Greek in expression, timeless looking, very, very warm gold. Those are the attributes visually. Then there are all the associations the ring has, because my mother wore it for years and years, and I was actually present when my father gave it to her. So, that ring is on my hand. Clearly that ring is important to me. In a way, the jewelry journey starts with each of us. The fact that jewelry is meaningful in whatever way it is actually prompts a quest for the materials. That opens up the world of questions about practice and sourcing, for example. Then, as it's transformed, you have other questions regarding taste, etc. But it all begins with us and our deep-seated connection to jewelry. I think the personal connection there is something that we celebrate, and hopefully it is a universal touch point for all of us as we go forward to talk about it in whatever ways we will.  Sharon: There's so much to talk about. We can talk for hours about some of these subjects, and I'd love to do that. Hopefully we'll have you back again and we'll continue the conversation, but thank you so much for being here today. Lisa: It's absolutely a pleasure. I'd love to come back anytime. Sharon: O.K., thank you. We will have images posted on the website. You can find us wherever you download your podcasts, and please rate us. Please join us next time, when our guest will be another jewelry industry professional who will share their experience and expertise. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.    

There's one thing we all had to do in some form or another in 2020—pivot! Nowhere is that more clear than when it comes to holding events, especially when those events are a significant driver of income for your organization. No one did that better than the New England Innocence Project. Led by their Director of Development and Communications, Jordan Salvatoriello, with the help of Liz Page and her team at Liz Page Associates, the 2020 event exceeded both their goals for the event and the amount raised the year before! In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, we learn not only how they did it, but what they expect events to look like post-pandemic!   Episode Guests Liz Page  After ten years as a performing artist with the Oregon Mime Theatre, Liz Page moved to Boston in 1982 and began her development career at the Worcester Art Museum. When the AIDS crisis hit she became a dedicated volunteer at the AIDS ACTION Committee. The Committee soon hired her as its first fundraiser and she launched the AIDS Walk – From All Walks of Life. As Walk Manager for the first 5 years, she led the team that raised consciousness and millions of dollars to fight the epidemic. In 1994, Liz opened Liz Page Associates, a fundraising and special event production company that proudly celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019. Liz and her staff have built a reputation for producing special events for nonprofits, academic institutions, and corporations that not only meet but exceed significant financial, marketing, and employee engagement goals.  As a volunteer leader Liz has served on the boards of The Shared Heart Initiatives, GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation,) Hospice West, and the Hospice on Mission Hill Project, Women's Statewide Legislative Network, and Fenway Health. Jordan Salvatoriello He is the Director of Development + Communications at the New England Innocence Project. Jordan has 20 years of experience in communications, public relations, fundraising, and community outreach. She is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with a proven history of creating and sharing powerful social justice stories that mobilize communities and create change. Jordan specializes in developing and executing communications and development strategies aimed at increasing public awareness of NEIP's mission to correct and prevent wrongful convictions, tapping vital public support, while also providing a forum for exonerees and their family members to share, heal, and inspire action.   Key Takeaways -Approach going virtual as an opportunity, not a hardship -Don't be afraid to mix pre-recorded and live interaction  -Embrace the innovation that's all around us -Invest in high production values   To hear more details about the triumph that was the 2020 event, listen to Liz and her colleague Amanda Harless on the Joan Garry podcast, Nonprofits are Messy. You'll find a link to that episode in the show notes. Creating 5-star events in the virtual age.  https://blog.joangarry.com/ep-126-creating-5-star-special-events-in-the-virtual-age-with-liz-page-and-amanda-harless/   Useful Links -Joan Garry Podcast, https://blog.joangarry.com/ep-126-creating-5-star-special-events-in-the-virtual-age-with-liz-page-and-amanda-harless/ -Liz Page Associates, https://www.lizpageassociates.com/  -New England Innocence Project -New England Innocence Project, https://www.newenglandinnocence.org/  -Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/newenglandinnocence/ -Twitter, https://twitter.com/NEInnocence -Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/newenglandinnocence/ -LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/newenglandinnocence -YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoh4hQbOfJMU6BYBifhnzcg

Edmund Barry Gaither, the Director and Curator at the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Roxbury, joins Nichole to discuss this year's performance of Langston Hughes' "Black Nativity". This year's performance marks 50 years since the show arrived in Boston, and the pandemic's not stopping the museum from celebrating. Lynne Bourque and Alicia MacDonald from Littleton started a holiday tree scavenger hunt in their town four years ago, and they talk about how getting outside for some fresh air's an extra special way to celebrate this season. Julieane Frost from the Worcester Art Museum details their ongoing holiday celebrations, "Zip Zoom Tours", and new exhibits as we enter the new year.

Most photo collectors dream about stumbling upon a significant collection that changes our understanding of photo history. For Frank Morrill, it was a series of connections that led to his purchasing a huge collection of glass negatives. Years later his granddaughter held one up and asked him about them.  That second look led to a collaboration with a historian at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, an exhibit and an award winner catalog for the show. Those negatives documented the African American community in that city, a group of individuals studied by Janette Greenwood for a project on migrations.  She never thought she'd see the faces of those individuals nor did the descendants of many of the people in the photographers.  It was a case of photographic kismet.  Related Episodes:Episode 65: Lost Films Needs Your HelpLinks:Rediscovering an American Community of ColorSign up for my newsletter.Watch my YouTube Channel.Like the Photo Detective Facebook Page so you get notified of my Facebook Live videos.Need help organizing your photos? Check out the Essential Photo Organizing Video Course.Need help identifying family photos? Check out the Identifying Family Photographs Online Course.Have a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation.About My Guests:Frank J. Morrill is a lifelong educator. He received his graduate degree from the University of Buffalo and taught science, history and law at Millbury, Massachusetts High School.  In retirement he has written several local history books and co-authored three with his granddaughter Hannah Morrill.  He has always had a strong interest in historical documents and photographs and has collected them for more than 50 years.  This interest led to the acquisition, in 2003, of the collection of William S. Bullard's 5,400 glass negatives taken primarily in Worcester County.  Janette Thomas Greenwood is Professor of History at Clark University. She teaches a variety of courses in U.S. history including Race and Ethnicity in American History, Reconstruction, The Gilded Age, Public History, and History of the American South. She is the author of several books and articles including First Fruits of Freedom: The Migration of Former Slaves and Their Search for Equality in Worcester, Massachusetts, 1862-1900 (2010. She co-curated “Reimagining an American Community of Color: The Portraits of William Bullard, 1897-1917,” an exhibition at the Worcester Art Museum, October 2017—February 2018 and co-edited and contributed an essay to the exhibition catalogue, which won the Historic New England Book Prize in 2018.About Maureen Taylor:Maureen is a frequent keynote speaker on photo identification, photograph preservation, and family history at historical and genealogical societies, museums, conferences, libraries, and other organizations across the U.S., London and Canada.  She's the author of several books and hundreds of articles and her television appearances include The View and The Today Show (where she researched and presented a complete family tree for host Meredith Vieira).  She's been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, The Boston Globe, Martha Stewart Living, Germany's top newspaper Der Spiegel, American Spirit, and The New York Times. Maureen was recently a spokesperson and photograph expert for MyHeritage.com, an internationally known family history website and also writes guidebooks, scholarly articles and online columns for such media as Smithsonian.com. Learn more at Maureentaylor.comDid you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Welcome painter Pat Coomey Thornton to In-Focus Podcast Number 49. Pat is one half of a painting power couple! Her husband, John Havens Thornton is also a painter of note. She holds an MFA from Pius XII Institute Graduate School of Fine Arts, Florence, Italy, and a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston. Pat Coomey Thornton taught at the School of the Worcester Art Museum before working at Rhode Island School of Design for 20 years.She has exhibited in galleries and museums in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and her works are in the collections of the Rose Art Museum, at Brandeis University, Paine Webber, and Meditech as well as in private collections. Pat works in oils on canvas and gouache, watercolor, and mixed media on paper, using abstraction to create energy and associations with life.   music courtesy of www.bensound.com

Twentieth-century, American, feminist artist fearlessly breaks with artistic traditions of the female figure, compellingly experiments the narrative of women's lives, their pain, both visible and invisible in installations and formats outside of the flat, framed rectangle or square hooked on the wall.View all the images discussed on my website www.beyondthepaint.net. References used for this episode include Worcester Art Museum, Art21 (www.art21.org) and Bomb Magazine.

Twentieth-century, American, feminist artist fearlessly breaks with artistic traditions of the female figure, compellingly experiments the narrative of women's lives, their pain, both visible and invisible in installations and formats outside of the flat, framed rectangle or square hooked on the wall.View all the images discussed on my website www.beyondthepaint.net. References used for this episode include Worcester Art Museum, Art21 (www.art21.org) and Bomb Magazine.

There is a strong market for witchcraft these days. As practices such as astrology, tarot, crystals, and herbal medicine enter the mainstream, the use of witchcraft to sell stuff has increased dramatically. Jessa sits down with writer, artist, and witch, Katelan Foisy, to discuss what happens when a serious religious practice becomes commodified. Katelan Foisy is a multimedia artist, writer, and witch. Her fine art pieces have been displayed at The Worcester Art Museum, Ohio History Museum, MODA, WEAM, A&D Gallery, and Last Rights. She has graced the pages of the Grammy Award programs and the stage of Cynthia von Buhler's immersive historical plays "Speakeasy Dollhouse" and "The Brothers Booth." Katelan has been featured in NY Times, Elle magazine, Paper Magazine, GQ Italy, Time Out NY, and many others—for her work both as an artist, curator and occultist. She has written for Motherboard/VICE, Electric Literature, Luna Luna, ERIS magazine, and COILHOUSE. She is co-owner of London Conjure with Sister Enable in the UK. She was called a “Female Jack Kerouac” by Taylor Mead and a “Modern Day Francesca Woodman” by Cynthia von Buhler. William Patrick Corgan has said, "They used to burn witches like Katelan." SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to access bonus content, merch, and more: https://www.patreon.com/publicintellectual

Lisa Koenigsberg is the Founder and Conference Director of Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) which aims to educate diverse audiences in the fine, decorative and visual arts. Lisa has organized conferences, symposia and special sessions at universities, museums and professional organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad which explore fashion, materials and process. Her writings have appeared in books, journals, magazines and in Trendvision’s Trendbook 2018. Lisa previously served as Advisor to the Dean for Arts Initiatives; Director, Programs in the Arts; and adjunct professor of arts, NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Additional positions include: Assistant Director for Project Funding, Museum of the City of New York; Executive Assistant, Office of the President, American Museum of Natural History; architectural historian, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; and guest curator, Worcester Art Museum and Yale University Art Gallery. She holds graduate degrees from The Johns Hopkins University, and from Yale University where she received her Ph.D. What you’ll learn in this episode: The types of conferences Initiatives in Art and Culture hosts. How the inspiration for the International Gold Conference developed. How precious materials have gained their desirability historically. What events will take place at the 2019 International Gold Conference. Why the theme of this year’s New York Fashion + Design Conference is the color blue. Additional resources: Ninth Annual International Gold Conference: April 4-5, 2019 Website: www.artinitiatives.com Instagram: @initiatives_in_art_culture Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InitiativesInArtAndCulture LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/initiatives-in-art-and-culture Lisa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-koenigsberg-749a66a/

Today's episode is a re-release of one of our favorite episodes: "Witchcraft Capitalism" (w/ Katelan Foisy) from October 12, 2017.---There is a strong market for witchcraft these days. As practices such as astrology, tarot, crystals, and herbal medicine enter the mainstream, the use of witchcraft to sell stuff has increased dramatically. Jessa sits down with writer, artist, and witch, Katelan Foisy, to discuss what happens when a serious religious practice becomes commodified. Katelan Foisy is a multimedia artist, writer, and witch.Her fine art pieces have been displayed at The Worcester Art Museum, Ohio History Museum, MODA, WEAM, A&D Gallery, and Last Rights. She has graced the pages of the Grammy Award programs and the stage of Cynthia von Buhler's immersive historical plays "Speakeasy Dollhouse" and "The Brothers Booth." Katelan has been featured in NY Times, Elle magazine, Paper Magazine, GQ Italy, Time Out NY, and many othersfor her work both as an artist, curator and occultist. She has written for Motherboard/VICE, Electric Literature, Luna Luna, ERIS magazine, and COILHOUSE. She is co-owner of London Conjure with Sister Enable in the UK. She was called a Female Jack Kerouac by Taylor Mead and a Modern Day Francesca Woodman by Cynthia von Buhler. William Patrick Corgan has said, "They used to burn witches like Katelan."SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to access bonus content, merch, and more:https://www.patreon.com/publicintellectualPLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCASThttp://foreverdogproductions.com/fdpn/podcasts/public-intellectual/

Polly Apfelbaum is an artist living and working in NYC. In 2018, Polly had solo exhibitions at the Belvedere 21 in Vienna, Austria and Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, UK, which travels to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO, in 2019. She has exhibited widely since the 1980s, including one-person exhibitions at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC, the Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA at Bepart in Waregem, Belgium, the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, MA, the lumber room in Portland, OR and at the Mumbai Art Room, Mumbai, India. A major mid-career survey of her work opened in 2003 at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, PA, and traveled to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO, and Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH, both in 2004. Her work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions including Pattern and Decoration, Ornament as Promise, Ludwig Forum for Internationale Kunst in Aachen, Germany , An Irruption of the Rainbow at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Wall to Wall at MOCA Cleveland in Cleveland, OH, Pretty Raw: After and Around Helen Frankenthaler at the Rose Art Museum, , Three Graces at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY,  Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft and Design, Midcentury and Today at the Museum of Art and Design in New York , AMERICANA: Formalizing Craft at the Perez Art Museum in Miami, FL, Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, amongst many, many others. 

Polly’s work is in numerous permanent collections including the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX; Brooklyn Museum, New York; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; Dallas Museum of Art; Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; The Museum of Modern of Art, New York; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA; Pérez Art Museum Miami; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ; Tang Teaching Museum, Saratoga Springs, NY; and Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. She was the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 1987, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1993, an Artist's Fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts in 1995, an Anonymous Was a Woman Award in 1998, a Richard Diebenkorn Fellowship in 1999, a Joan Mitchell Fellowship in 1999, an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2002, and the Rome Prize in 2012. Brian stopped by Polly’s loft in lower Manhattan where she’s lived and worked for the last 40 years for a talk about early influence, the Pennsylvania Dutch, Philadelphia funk, craft, design, endless drive and so much more.

Matthias Waschek, Executive Director of the Worcester Art Museum, says truly accessible museums create experiences that make visitors want to return. In doing so they must challenge institutional norms to welcome and engage more diverse populations. Matthias Waschek joined the Worcester Art Museum in 2011 as the C. Jean and Myles McDonough Director. German born, … Continue reading "Episode 68: Access Means Overcoming Psychological Barriers, Too"

Today, we look at a familiar ghost from three different angles; a poem, a play, and a song. You can find the images for this episode and the notes for the show on accession.fm.

In this special episode of Accession for Kids, we take a look at a landscape painting of a place that may be familiar, even if it doesn't look the same today. For a map and worksheet, a full transcript and a version of the story without music, visit accession.fm.

It's just the story of a young man, barely more than a boy, and a small piece of wood that he may or may not have painted. You can find the notes to the show, links to the art, and maybe a few other goodies on our website at accession.fm.

In this week's episode, we dive into Gene Davis' Lemon Look to explore why we are fascinated by illusions, and what illusions can teach us about ourselves. The transcript and notes for this episode can be found at accession.fm. 

This week's episode is the famous story of the Messon Frogs, the brother’s who came to be known as the Tuxtla Two, and the act of courage that saved the game. The transcript and notes for this episode can be found at accession.fm. 

Just the simple story of a person falling in love with a painting told over five letters.  The transcript and notes for this episode can be found at accession.fm. Instagram - Twitter - Facebook - Tumblr

This story isn't about a painting, or a sculpture, or a vase, or a váse, or a photograph. It's about... well, I'll let you listen for yourself. The transcription and notes for this episode can be found at accession.fm. Instagram - Twitter - Facebook - Tumblr

This week, we talk about Hubert Robert's The Shipwreck, accession number 1927.34 at the Worcester Art Museum. It's such an incredible piece, you might think that the artist spent his entire life painting naval landscapes and shipwrecks. But he didn't. So why did he paint this one? The notes for the show can be found online at accession.fm. Follow the show @accessionfm Instagram Twitter Facebook Tumblr   

On this week's episode, I talk about Worcester Art Museum accession number 2014.1151, Carrie Moyer’s Rapa Nui Smashup. Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter @accessionfm. Our website is under development, but will be going live at accession.fm. Our show art was made by V Silverman. You can hire them to make art for you at their website. Our theme was recorded and engineered by Casey Dawson. You can hire him to make music for you at his website. The music in this episode is from the album Azalai by Blue Dot Session. This episode was written, recorded, and edited by me, T.H. Ponders. You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter @thponders, and read my writing at muchadoabout.net. Thank you for listening!

On this week's episode, I talk about Worcester Art Museum accession number 1937.91, Statuette of a Man, a Sumerian sculpture from about 3000-2500 B.C.E. and one of the oldest pieces in the WAM. Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter @accessionfm. Our website is under development, but will be going live at accession.fm. Our show art was made by V Silverman. You can hire them to make art for you at their website. Our theme was recorded and engineered by Casey Dawson. You can hire him to make music for you at his website. This episode was written, recorded, and edited by me, T.H. Ponders. You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter @thponders, and read my writing at muchadoabout.net. Thank you for listening!

There is a strong market for witchcraft these days. As practices such as astrology, tarot, crystals, and herbal medicine enter the mainstream, the use of witchcraft to sell stuff has increased dramatically. Jessa sits down with writer, artist, and witch, Katelan Foisy, to discuss what happens when a serious religious practice becomes commodified. Katelan Foisy is a multimedia artist, writer, and witch. Her fine art pieces have been displayed at The Worcester Art Museum, Ohio History Museum, MODA, WEAM, A&D Gallery, and Last Rights. She has graced the pages of the Grammy Award programs and the stage of Cynthia von Buhler's immersive historical plays "Speakeasy Dollhouse" and "The Brothers Booth." Katelan has been featured in NY Times, Elle magazine, Paper Magazine, GQ Italy, Time Out NY, and many othersfor her work both as an artist, curator and occultist. She has written for Motherboard/VICE, Electric Literature, Luna Luna, ERIS magazine, and COILHOUSE. She is co-owner of London Conjure with Sister Enable in the UK. She was called a Female Jack Kerouac by Taylor Mead and a Modern Day Francesca Woodman by Cynthia von Buhler. William Patrick Corgan has said, "They used to burn witches like Katelan."SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to access bonus content, merch, and more:https://www.patreon.com/publicintellectualPLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCASThttp://foreverdogproductions.com/fdpn/podcasts/public-intellectual/

Jennifer DePrizio is the director of learning and interpretation at the Portland Museum of Art. In this capacity, she strives to provide opportunities for all visitors to make meaningful connections with works of art. To achieve this goal, she focuses on developing opportunities that are learner centered, involve active and social interaction, tap into individual visitor’s motivation, and provide relevant context. Her particular interests are gallery teaching, effective training strategies, and finding ways in which experiences with works of art tap into core human values. Prior to joining the staff at the PMA in September 2014, Jenn was the director of visitor learning at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston for eight years. Previous museum positions include the Education Specialist for Public Teaching Programs at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, assistant curator of education at the Worcester Art Museum and director of education at the Vermont Historical Society. From 2008 to 2014 Jenn was an adjunct faculty member in Tufts University’s Museum Studies Graduate Program where she taught the foundation museum education course. She guest-edited and authored an article for the February 2106 issue of the Journal of Museum Education titled “Transforming Training: New Approaches for Engaging Adults.” She has also taught college level art history and museum studies courses, and is regularly invited to museums across New England assist in training gallery educators. She holds a B.A. in art history from the College of the Holy Cross and a M.A.T. in museum education from the George Washington University. Stephen Hayes is a physician with Maine Medical Partners. He practices general internal medicine in Westbrook and is actively involved with teaching residents and medical students at both his Westbrook practice site and at Maine Medical Center. He teaches in the Maine track program, a combined Medical School Program between Tufts University and Maine Medical Center. He has taught clinical reasoning to the second-year students since the inception of the program. For the last two years, he and Dr. Jo Linder have brought second-year medical students to the Portland Museum of Art as part of their introduction to clinical medicine. Dr. Hayes has also been involved with the Literature and Medicine Program at Maine Medical. This is a program originally developed by the Maine Humanities Council, which utilizes discussions of literature to explore issues faced members of the Maine Medical Center community in their work providing care. He serves on the Hospital Steering Committed for this program. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Maine Humanities Council. He did his medical school and residency training at the University of Rochester and served on the faculty of the University of Chicago prior to moving to Maine For the last two years, he and Dr. Jo Linder have brought second-year medical students to the Portland Museum of Art to work on visual thinking strategies with Jennifer DePrizio. https://www.themainemag.com/radio/radio-guests/jennifer-deprizio-stephen-hayes/

Elizabeth Athens, assistant curator of American art at the Worcester Art Museum, talks about "The Philosophy Chamber: Art and Science in Harvard’s Teaching Cabinet, 1766–1820" on view May 19 through December 31, 2017 at the Harvard Art Museums. http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/visit/calendar/gallery-talk-philosophy-chamber-conversations-virtual-realities

Cat-centric “Meow” Series at Worcester, MA art museum; bringing in POI dogs from Hawaiian islands; Julia Cameron (It's Never Too Late to Begin Again)

Center for Community Media Podcast Series: Episode 2 Scott Britz discusses the relationship between Worcester State University and the Worcester Art Museum. Britz speaks with Dr. Kristin Waters and Dr. Catherine Wilcox-Titus about the museum and the opportunities available for members of the Worcester community.

Wyatt Gallery, a person not a place, was raised in Philadelphia and received his BFA from NYU Tisch School of The Arts in 1997. He is the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, the PDN 30, the PDN Rising Stars, and 25 Under 25 Up-and-Coming American Photographers by Duke University. His photographs are in numerous public and private collections such as the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the George Eastman House, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Worcester Art Museum, Comcast, Twitter, and American Express. His work has been featured in Esquire, Departures, Condé Nast Traveler, Mother Jones, The New York Times, Oprah's OWN Network, and NBC, amongst others. Wyatt was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and continues to lecture at New York University, the School of Visual Arts, the New School, and more. His first book Tent Life: Haiti was featured in the Moving Walls 19 exhibition at George Soros' Open Society Foundation and has sold out of the first edition. His most recent book #SANDY was selected for “Best Photo Books of 2014” by American Photo magazine. 100% of the royalties from both books have been donated to support rebuilding efforts and have raised over $50,000 to support communities in Haiti and New York City. Wyatt recently exhibited his new series, SUBTEXT, at Foley gallery in New York City, which received reviews in The New Yorker, PDN, Feature Shoot, and more. His forthcoming book Jewish Treasures of The Caribbean will be released in the Spring of 2016 by Schiffer Publishing.

Philip Klausmeyer, Worcester Art Museum, USA. "The use of laser shearography to quantify and map induced strain in canvas paintings".

This week Duncan and Richard talk to Tony Feher about his work and installation at The Suburban in Oak Park. The following is shamelessly lifted from the Worcester Art Museum's site : American artist Tony Feher has become a leading voice among his generation of sculptors. Rooted in the legacy of Minimalism, Feher's understated use of humble, â��forgettableâ�� materials that he findsâ��bottles, jars, plastic soda cratesâ��turns the commonplace and mundane into work that is rich with human emotion and fragile beauty. Next, Terri and Serena talk to Larry Shure about his blisteringly kickass project Ultra Local Geography a zine focused on the microcosm. Then, Christian and Emily talk about the galleries in the East End of London. Hey, we know you are an opinionated bastard, go post on the Blog www.badatsports.com. Next week. Miami!