August 31st, 2010 by admin

Art theft is an ancient and complicated crime. When you look at the some of the most famous cases of art thefts in history, you see thoroughly planned operations that involve art dealers, art fakers, mobsters, ransoms, and millions of dollars. Here you can read about some of the most famous cases of art theft in the history.

The First Theft:
The first documented case of art theft was in 1473, when two panels of altarpiece of the Last Judgment by the Dutch painter Hans Memling were stolen. While the triptych was being transported by ship from the Netherlands to Florence, the ship was attacked by pirates who took it to the Gdansk cathedral in Poland. Nowadays, the piece is shown at the National Museum in Gdansk where it was recently moved from the Basilica of the Assumption.

The Most Famous Theft:
The most famous story of art theft involves one of the most famous paintings in the world and one of the most famous artists in history as a suspect. In the night of August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen out of the Louver. Soon after, Pablo Picasso was arrested and questioned by the police, but was released quickly.

It took about two years until the mystery was solved by the Parisian police. It turned out that the 30×21 inch painting was taken by one of the museum employees by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, who simply carried it hidden under his coat. Nevertheless, Peruggia did not work alone. The crime was carefully conducted by a notorious con man, Eduardo de Valfierno, who was sent by an art faker who intended to make copies and sell them as if they were the original painting.

While Yves Chaudron, the art faker, was busy creating copies for the famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa was still hidden at Peruggias apartment. After two years in which Peruggia did not hear from Chaudron, he tried to make the best out of his stolen good. Eventually, Peruggia was caught by the police while trying to sell the painting to an art dealer from Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned to the Louver in 1913.
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August 30th, 2010 by admin

Is Art School necessary to be a good artist?

Being creative or artistic is truly a gift, a talent. But as with any talent, it needs to be tempered, honed, and optimized. Without proper training, one might never achieve the potential he or she was born with. And to help you hone your talents, you will need a good Art school!

Any educational institution that offers training in the arts may be called an art school.

They may offer vocational, undergraduate, or graduate and even post-graduate courses.

These schools focus their trainings on the visual arts such as illustration, painting, advertising design, graphical arts, photography, sculpture, and other artistic expressions. In the last few years, even game design has become institutionalized. This means that the art of designing game graphics has become serious business.

If the college is accredited it will grant you a Bachelor’ degree in Fine Arts or a B. A. in Fine Arts or some other certification and degree.

A successful future in the Arts industry depends on choosing the right school to hone your talents. When choosing an Art school, consider the following factors.
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August 29th, 2010 by admin

ART SCHOOLS

An Art school has a primary focus on the visual arts, such as graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, and sculpture. They are specific to the type of education that you wish to obtain. Art schools differ from larger institutions by degrees including such classes as science and math. When the school is considered an accredited college, you can still obtain a bachelor of Fine Arts degree. There are certain criteria that you need to meet in order to be accepted into an art school. What the admissions committees look for in an applicant is:

Grades: the committee wants to make sure that the future student will be successful and thrive under academic pressure.

Students who have strong academic backgrounds are preferred. Do not worry if you are not the strongest academic applicant.

The Admissions counselors also take personal background and extracurricular activities into consideration.

Improve your chances of being accepted at the art school of your choice, by improving your GPA, participating in after school activities, (if you are still in school), involvement in the community or neighborhood, and/or participation in civic or religious groups. These will all give you an advantage when applying to the art school you wish to attend, as they will enhance your application making it more likely to be accepted.
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August 28th, 2010 by admin

You’re not in college anymore, and it’s time to take down the posters and replace them with original art. But, you don’t have the money yet for oils or watercolors. Art prints are an affordable alternative, yet they too can be pricey. How can you tell if that art print that’s caught your eye is more than just another pretty face?

Art prints are works of art in and of themselves, and may be handmade by artist-printmakers (artists’ prints), digitally printed (giclée), or photomechanical reproductions (offset lithographs).

Artists’ prints are handmade and are not reproductions of paintings: the print is a unique work of art. The term covers a range of printmaking techniques such as etching, woodcut, engraving, screenprint and linocut. Editions tend to be less than 200, partly because the materials used to make the prints wear out. This type of print is sometimes called an “original print.”

Limited edition reproductions are multiples copies of the same image, but produced in guaranteed limited numbers. This makes the image more exclusive. The market price can rise over time, if demand outstrips supply. Edition sizes vary but are limited by market forces, not by the physical constraints of the printmaking method. Most limited editions are signed and numbered in pencil by the artist with a commitment that no other reproduction of the image will be made.

An open-edition reproduction print can be produced in any quantity and the image may also be used in other ways, such as on tableware. Open editions tend to cost less than limited editions and are much less likely to increase in value.

Giclée prints are made using digital printing technology, usually inkjet. The technology enables users to produce small runs of prints. It also allows retailers to offer ‘print on demand’ services, where buyers select an image and it is printed out there and then.
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August 27th, 2010 by admin

Assumption: Art becomes more valuable once an artist dies.

Actuality: Prices escalate only when demand is greater than supply. Prices can increase if there was a shortage of the artist’s work prior to his or her death and if the demand continues to be significantly greater than supply. Art News (November 2003) presented an article on the ten most wanted artworks. These would sell individually for more than $5 Million IF the present owners would let me them go. However, as the collectors know they could not acquire a replacement painting/sculpture/drawing, they won’t be selling these artworks.

Assumption: An artist’s proof is more valuable than a print from the regular edition.

Actuality: Artist’s proofs are routinely consistent with the regular edition in appearance and value. On rare occasions, a color trial proof be judged to be more valuable than the regular edition or an artist’s proof. this happens when the reigning experts determine the color trial proof represents a more handsome product than the regular edition or artist’s proof.
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August 25th, 2010 by admin

London has always been one of the most well known cities in the world. A culturally rich city, London is visited by millions each year. Currently London has several fascinating and unique art exhibits on display, one of the most impressive being a collection of Michelangelo drawings at the British Museum. This exhibit is entitled, “Closer to the Master” and is on display from March 23rd until June 25th.

This spectacular exhibit displays an incredible selection of one the world’s all-time best Renaissance artists. It draws together various pieces from several other museums, creating an entirely unique collection. It brings together pieces of Michelangelo’s work that have never been seen together before and that have been separated since the dispersion of Michelangelo’s studio during the mid 1500’s. The exhibit displays pieces in chronological order and emphasizes connections between various pieces as well as the importance of various drawings.

Several of the drawings included show the meticulous forethought Michelangelo had in making many of his famous pieces, including paintings, sculptures, and architectures. It is made apparent how he spent hours perfecting every element of a project on paper before he began the actual work itself. Along with the various drawings several paintings and sculptures are also on exhibit on loan from the National Gallery. Several letters written by Michelangelo himself are also on loan from the British Library, offering unique insight into Michelangelo’s persona, showing his complex and petulant character. Among all these drawings are several pieces that stand out more than others as far as their significance. These more notable pieces include; the Study for Adam from the Sistine Chapel, studies for the figure of Day from the Medici Tombs, Flying Angels from the Last Judgement and his final and slightly disturbing Crucifixions.
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August 24th, 2010 by admin

Art Galleries are generally known for art that highlights the natural beauty all around the world. Everyday there are people creating entirely new works of art, and placing them in art galleries all over the world.

The type of art included in a gallery can vary. Art can encompass a wide variety of medium, such as, drawings, paintings, photography, and sculpture, to name a few. The purpose of the art gallery is to show off the work of local and national artists in a way that people will want to purchase them. Many of the artist’s works can also be bought as prints. This allows the artist to sell more, while making the price more affordable to people.

Local Art Galleries

Most major cities have wonderful art galleries. If you have never visited an art gallery, you should make a point to do so. You may think that an art gallery is not where you would want to spend the afternoon, but you may be surprised at how interesting an art gallery can be. Check your local phone book for an art gallery near you.

Virtual Art Galleries

If you have Internet access, then you can find an online art gallery, my choice as well. If you can view and possibly order from the comfort of your own home why not. Virtual tours of art galleries are a lot of fun.
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August 22nd, 2010 by admin

As an interior designer, I always have my eyes peeled for the latest and greatest things for decorating homes and office spaces. I have a knack for detail and a knack for making mis-matched things come together, so interior design is the perfect job for me. One of my favorite things to watch for and to encourage my clients to watch for is any art for sale. You really have to keep a good eye out for art for sale. Why? Because it is rare to have unique pieces of great art be for sale to the public, and when art is for sale, it often goes quickly to the highest bidder. So your eyes must be peeled with a pretty good idea of what you’re looking for if you want to find art for sale.

Something you must do before you purchase any art for sale is create a budget. With any decorating project there is need for a budget because things can quickly get out of hand. So sit down and be realistic about the percentage of your funds that you can devote to finding pieces of art for sale. If you go into searching with a budget you will have a far greater chance of finding things you like and of not being disappointed when things are out of your price range.

Another important thing is to have an idea for what kinds of things you are looking for being you look for art for sale. The world of art is much more vast than you might think, so you have to be prepared or you will likely get overwhelmed. Grab an interior designer or a friend with good taste and begin to gather good ideas for pieces that would add to the uniqueness and style of your home. Finding art for sale that meets your needs will be much easier if you know what your needs art.
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August 21st, 2010 by admin

There are a lot of people who enjoy decorating with beautiful and original pieces of art. Some may think that they spent a fortune on it, but if the attended an art festival they nay have found a bargain.

Attending an art festival to look for your next purchase of a piece of art is a great way to save money. You never know what you are going to find. There are many different artists supplying a variety in different pieces. Whether it is a wall hanging of sculpture for your prize garden there is a choice. You could even be buying a piece of work made by a future artist who works will one day be worth a small fortune.

If you are a collector or a dealer of art this is an excellent opportunity to purchase for your own investment. It doesn’t matter what you are looking for you will most likely find it.

You don’t have to go just to make a purchase either. You can just simply get an idea of some things you might want to purchase in the future. Get an idea of the different types of art that is out there. Discover what your taste in art is. It is a nice way to just enjoy your day. Art usually has a calming effect on most people so just go to simply enjoy a day off. There are other things to do when you attend an art festival.

Some people go to art festivals in search of other homemade products. There are stands that sell beaded jewelry. Silver and turquoise is another popular choice in homemade jewelry. This is a great way to purchase something different. Some of it being better quality then jewelry you’ll find in a department store.
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August 20th, 2010 by admin

Are you looking for quality comedy entertainment? Check out ComedySportz for a great show everyone in your family or group will love.

1. ComedySportz is funny improvisation played as a sport. It is excellent entertainment for people of all ages.

2. Two teams improvise while acting out scenes, games, and songs as they compete for points and laughes from the audience. There are referees who monitor play and the National Anthem is played before every game. The winning team is chosen by the audience who takes a vote.

3. ComedySportz is modeled after the comedy show, Theatersports by Keith Johnson. The comedy version was born in 1984 by Dick Chudnow.

4. You can find this comedy show in cities throughout the United States including: Spokane, Chicago, Indianapolis, Richmond, Dallas, and New York. They also do shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

5. Because this comedy show is clean, funny, interactive and positive it is a great show for the entire family.

6. ComedySportz performs well over 2000 shows on the road ever year. They do shows for colleges, corporate events, churches and fundraising groups.

7. Highly rated by everyone who sees one of their shows fans of ComedySportz rave about the quality of their shows.
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