1) A Profile of Photographer Trevor Paglin

Here’s a profile of artist Trevor Paglin, who has been creating works that explore the idea of surveillance for a number of years. The artist is known for photographing restricted areas and military installations with the help of specialized camera lenses normally used for astrophotography. A survey of Paglin’s work is scheduled to open at the Smithsonian in summer 2018. The article is an interesting introduction to the artist, as well as a meditation on the nature and vastness of surveillance.

2) Historic Grafitti Discovered in NY Development

A construction project in New York has uncovered some potentially historically important graffiti. Workers at a site in Manhattan’s NoHo area, working on a project that will turn a former women’s shelter into a luxury retailer space, noticed a tag apparently reading “DONDI.” The eponymous artist, who passed away in 1998, is still regarded as one of the most impactful talents of the street art scene. Also at the site was a “SAMO©” tag, a signature often attributed to Jean Michel Basquiat. No news as of this writing on whether the works will be preserved.

3) Weiwei Installation Presents Problems for Residents

A vast planned Ai Weiwei installation in New York is facing controversy at at least one of its locations. The artwork, titled “Good Fences Make Good Neighbours,” is an ambitious project that was originally designed to consist of 100 separate fence installations at sites throughout the city. However, residents near a planned located under the Arch at Washington Square Park are voicing concerns that they were not properly consulted about the piece. The Arch installation is a location of the work that was introduced after the original planning phase, when the 100 sites were expanded to 300. Installation of the piece will reportedly cause disruptions to foot traffic for up to four months, as well as interfering with an annual tree-lighting ceremony.  

4) NEA Offers Aid to Hurricane-Affected Art Institutions

The NEA is offering aid to institutions affected by hurricane Harvey (now downgraded to a tropical storm.) Institutions will reportedly have until December 31st of 2017 to apply for emergency grants to fund repairs and restorations. Each museum may be entitled to up to $30,000 USD, with a total of $1,000,000 being offered by the Endowment. At its peak, Tropical Storm Harvey caused significant flooding and property damage to areas in Texas and Louisiana, with areas of the States being declared disaster zones by FEMA.