BWW Reviews: What's All This Fuss About Detroit's Art at Risk; Where Does It All End Up Anyway?

What's all this fuss about Detroit's art at Risk; Where does it all end up anywhere?

So what of Detroit's mess. Detroit has been dying since the late 80's. Put a fork in it- it's done. The Japanese made a better product and Detroit has been taking advil ever since for what has swooned to be $18 Bill of debt headaches. The Detroit Institute of Art- DIA was not set up as a non-profit and the art may be vulnerable to a firehouse sale to satisfy some of the debt. The wolves and bottom feeders are on the proul for the wounded, wearing friendly faces and yet ready to dine on large commissions. Christes is appraising the value of the whole collection. They'll come close to a $2 Billion estimated value for the whole kit and Kaboodle. What's a Kaboodal worth anyway? If the whole shebang was worth $18B I'd think some more , however at 11% of gross debt (ain't all debt ugly?) I'd let the Museum stay intact and let it slide as it won't cure the problem. Turn the Museum to a non-profit to stop this from happening again.

Better yet have President O'Bama forgive some debt, sort of like bank deals or do a long term government loan. Maybe let the treasury buy some, they (we?) still hold a bunch of GM stock. Maybe make the Museum a part of the Smithsonian in good old Detroit. Or, Barry the Bomber ( think three point chucker and not nuke dropper) could use the $1.3B we give Egypt yearly to buy some art. Maybe a chunk of the military budget for Art used as a war on war with a cultural deploy, a war of good. Imagine, John, the kids coloring and painting, playing with clay, smiling and happy. War art to kill the war.

Back on earth.

What's the difference if a museum sells it's art- decessioning- the cancer word of the Museum art world? What if it sells at Sotheby's or Christies? Whose gonna buy it? It's always been private wealthy individuals. In the end they give it away, loan it or build their own museum. The more corrupt they are the more they give away. Steven Cohen will be giving much away one day soon. The Corocoran in D.C. was established as a tax swap for debt to the government.

Museum directors don't like the trend of the wealthy setting up their own Museum. They feel they are loosing control. Most of the great spaces in the world were just such individual acts of humanity. Eli Broad is the lost angel of Los Angeles to many LA-yers though he controls both LACMA and is building his own joint nearby . Museum directors and LACMA are brooding over his every decision. I wish this Bronx boy would do some good here in NY, in the South Bronx. The Smithsonian was given to the US by a wealthy Brit. Indeed the MET, MOMA and many more museum's are chiseld with names as you go by the enterance way steps with donors from dough. Many warily wealthy, including Mr. Broad, have taken up the 'Giving Pledge" and plan on forking over 75% of their assets to charity.

John Chamberlain's dented car part sculpture at Dia Beacon

One thing that should be settled for sure is the duplication of acronyms and misunderstanding the Detroit Institute of Art- DIA has caused; Most New Yorkers know Dia as the place to go see nothing-maybe a mile of brass rod here, some dirt there, a few dented car parts and many unhung walls- so chic! Dia Beacon leaves you thinking where's the bacon. True, Dia as the beaconites use it is not a proper acronym: Dia references the greek word for "through" as in "I can see 'through' the emptiness of most modern and contemporary art and the emperor looks quite ugly without clothing."

True, rusted retro is the hot trend for some collectors but Detroit has been stale for too many years.

To post a comment, you must register and login.