Latest news with #IsabellaStewartGardnerMuseum
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Art Detectives' Review: Flirtation and Forgery on Acorn TV
There's nothing genuinely counterfeit about 'Art Detectives,' although the series is far less about art than about detectives, of the type that usually populate Sunday-night Brit mysteries on PBS. Is it a case of bait-and-switch? Or just the palette at hand? 'Any Day Now,' a rentable new feature about the 1990 robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (during which a Vermeer, three Rembrandts and a Manet were heisted) is also far more about the characters on screen than the ones on canvas. The still life does not comfortably conform to the motion picture. Thus 'Art Detectives' ranges far and wide. Investigator Mick Palmer (Stephen Moyer, 'True Blood') is the U.K.'s virtual one-man Heritage Crime Unit, whose assignments can range from Belfast to Cornwall to London and involve vintage wines, Titanic memorabilia or a crime that happened to be committed in a National Trust house. His jurisdiction is fluid, his knowledge extensive; his cases involve forgery, fraud, trafficking and murder. During the investigation into an art historian's fatal bludgeoning in episode 1, he is assisted by a local constable, Shazia Malik (Nina Singh), who takes stock of her tiny force, small-minded supervisor and the rolling landscape of art investigation and promptly doubles the size of Mick's department.
Washington Post
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
A plainspoken painting that subtly kicks against stereotypes
Great Works, In Focus • #191 A plainspoken painting that subtly kicks against stereotypes The 'artist-reporter' Allan Rohan Crite's straightforward depictions of ordinary Black city life challenged simplistic assumptions. Expand the image Click to zoom in Column by Sebastian Smee April 24, 2025 at 11:05 a.m. EDT 4 minutes ago 3 min Allan Rohan Crite painted 'Bass Violin Player' in 1941 and gave it, along with dozens of his other artworks, to the Boston Athenaeum 30 years later. It shows a man in a room playing an upright stringed instrument. What's not clear is what kind of music he is playing. In the 1930s and '40s, Crite painted dozens of street scenes showing African Americans going about their daily lives in Boston. His chosen manner did not embrace African-influenced stylization in the manner of other artists connected with the Harlem Renaissance, nor was it about virtuosity or polish. It was concerned primarily with depicting life as it is lived by ordinary African Americans in an urban setting. In this rare image of a musician rehearsing, Crite conveys a sense of movement with brisk, deft brushstrokes. The man's at-the-ready pose, the slightly jaunty shape of his jacket's lapels and the freshness with which he conveys the fabric's creases all suggest a dynamism that feeds into the painting's immediacy. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Is the man playing jazz? I'm going to say probably not. Being an 'artist-reporter,' as Crite saw himself — trying to capture a panorama of life as it's lived by any given group — can get unexpectedly complicated when you press in on the idea. It may mean leaning into all the things your community shares — the kind of food you like to eat, your politics, your musical tastes, maybe your hair or your skin color. But it may also mean wriggling out of other people's lazy descriptions of you. Crite, who will be the subject of two exhibitions this fall, at the Boston Athenaeum and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, loved his Boston community. He loved feeling like he and everyone in it belonged to something important, as they surely did. But if Crite's audience was tempted to associate urban Black culture with jazz clubs and nightlife, as depicted by such artists as Archibald Motley and Aaron Douglas, Crite wanted none of it. He was a religious man. (He once produced a book pairing African American spirituals with illustrations in which he cast holy figures as Black people.) His heartfelt ambition was to show his audience the 'real Negro' — as he referred to it — as opposed to the 'Harlem' or 'jazz Negro,' which he saw as a kind of fiction created by White people. His own feelings about jazz, which he associated with debauchery and disorder, seem to have come from his mother, who regarded jazz and the dancing it encouraged as 'almost the drumbeat to the Devil.' Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Crite's attitude chimes with criticisms made by the trumpeter and jazz advocate Wynton Marsalis of rap and hip-hop, which he has labeled 'ghetto minstrelsy.' You could say that both Crite (in judging jazz) and Marsalis (in denigrating hip-hop) were missing something important. But we, too, may be missing something vital if we don't admit how complicated it can be, on the one hand, to embrace belonging and, on the other, to think for ourselves, to push back against other people's urges to link who we are with what we like.
Boston Globe
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
A sample of the Globe's best photos from March
Send questions or suggestions to the Starting Point team at . If you'd like the newsletter sent to your inbox, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT That's how Jessica Rinaldi, a Globe photographer, describes the nasturtiums that the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum This year, Jessica got access to the museum's off-site greenhouse, where she captured horticulturalists perched on ladders tending to 20-foot blooming vines stretched on trellises above their heads. Jessica watched them move the flowers to the museum's courtyard balconies, where they will hang on display for the next week. 'It is as sure a sign of spring as I know,' she says. Advertisement From pets and pirouettes to basketball and a birthday, here are some of the Globe's other Erin Clark/Globe Staff Erin Clark attended Dorothy Burnham's Advertisement Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff The Animal Rescue League of Boston reported in early March that more people Barry Chin/Globe Staff Photographer Barry Chin was in the perfect spot when Celtics forward Jayson Tatum stuffed Lakers guard Luka Doncic on his shot attempt during the third quarter of the March 8 game at TD Garden. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Danielle Parhizkaran captured the coordinated, graceful movements of pairs skaters Riku Miura, left, and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan as they performed during an exhibition gala at the Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe Brett Phelps photographed 11-year-old Sofia Hernandez-Williams as she John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Photographer John Tlumacki was there when Jeff and Paula Babel decided to sample a batch of maple syrup in their Advertisement Click here to of this month's best photos. 🧩 4 Across: | 🥶 42° POINTS OF INTEREST From left, Tony Winslow Jr., Jessica Adams, and Tony Winslow Sr. wore memorial shirts displaying images of 15-year-old Troy Winslow, who died along with two other teenagers in a January 2024 high-speed crash in Boston following a police pursuit. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Boston Startling revelation: Despondent over his play and some fans' criticisms, Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran Mayoral race: Josh Kraft proposed focusing Boston police Read and ride: Massachusetts Democrats advanced a measure to spend nearly $1.2 billion from the state's surtax on wealthy households Aftermath of a crash: A supervisor told Boston police officers not to chase a car. Minutes later, Massachusetts and New England Gov. candidate: Mike Kennealy, who worked in former governor Charlie Baker's administration, Hot and cold: Trump urged Chris Sununu, New Hampshire's Republican former governor, SOS: Rescuers Trump administration Rümeysa Öztürk: Representative Seth Moulton compared ICE's arrest of a Turkish grad student at Tufts Déjà vu: Trump said the United States and Iran are holding direct talks over Iran's nuclear program. In his first term, Trump scuttled a 2015 nuclear deal Iran made with the US. ( Canceling aid: The administration terminated lifesaving humanitarian aid for refugees in Syria, Jordan, and other countries. ( Maine v. Trump: The state sued the administration for withholding federal funds over Maine's policy on transgender athletes. ( Presidential power: An appeals court ruled that Trump improperly fired Democratic appointees to independent labor agencies. The case will likely end up at the Supreme Court. ( Taking stock: Markets have crashed before. But most downturns are caused by external events, BESIDE THE POINT By Teresa Hanafin 🍅 Cheap eats: If you're worried about Trump's tariffs increasing the price of groceries, Sheryl Julian says to 💰 Mega money: Changes are coming to the Mega Millions lottery today: Ticket prices will increase from $2 to $5, but that means much bigger jackpots and larger secondary prizes. ( 📺 Vengeful: The new season of 'The Last of Us,' which takes place five years after the events of last season's finale, is a slow-burn tale of love and 🧬 De-extincting: Using deft genetic engineering, ancient DNA, and domestic dogs, scientists have re-created dire wolves, a line of beasts whose live gene pool vanished long ago. ( 🎭 They mean well: There are no villains in ' 🌏 Who sells what? Since tariffs and trade are in the news, see if you know what countries export which products in this interactive game called Tradle. ( Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at Advertisement ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can sign up for your own copy. 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
Boston Globe
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
March's best photos: Figure skating, Match day and high school championships
Lindsay Grimes, a horticulturist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, climbed a ladder in order to remove a 20-foot vine of nasturtiums from their trellis on March 25, as a team from the museum moved the nasturtiums from the greenhouse where they're grown to the museum's courtyard. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff The Wachusett Girls Basketball team celebrated after winning the D1 Girls MIAA basketball finals against Bishop Feehan High at Tsongas Center in Lowell on March 15. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Theresa Lister, 16, a junior at North Andover High School, spoke to some of the students after they walked to the School Administration building on March 24 during a walk-out in support of their teachers and programs. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff Civil rights activist Dorothy Burnham (left) reached toward a guest during her 110th birthday celebration March 22. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Victoria Ajayi from Nigeria was overcome with emotion after learning she will serve her residency at the Cleveland Clinic. Tufts University School of Medicine Class of 2025 opened their letters to learn where they will serve their residencies during National Match Day on March 21. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Cellist Sofia Hernandez-Williams, 11, practiced before rehearsing with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, March 2. She is a Project STEP student who recently became one of the youngest semifinalists at the prestigious Sphinx Competition. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe University of Maine's Luke Antonacci celebrated his game-tying goal with teammates and fans against Northeastern University during the Hockey East semi-final game at TD Garden on March 20. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum stuffed Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic on his shot attempt during the third quarter at TD Garden on March 8. Barry Chin/Globe Staff The New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge cast a shadow over MacArthur Drive. Fisherman Alfredo "Freddy" Loya once confronted Officer Jorge Santos here after Santos allegedly stole pills from him. The police in New Bedford have a long history of abusing the confidential informant system in the fight against drugs, guns, and gangs. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Members of the Colonel Henry Knox Color Guard Sons of the American Revolution made their way down the spiral staircase inside the Old State House for a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of the Boston Massacre anniversary on March 5. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Demonstrators carried Palestinian flags during a 'standout' organized by Needham for Palestine on March 8. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Protesters gathered outside of the Boston Public Library to advocate against the removal of the Boylston Street bus lane on March 18. Erin Clark/Globe Staff The Catholic Memorial team celebrated after winning against Saint John's at the 2025 Boys D1 Ice Hockey State Championship on March 16 at TD Garden. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe Jeyden, 6, (left) and his cousin Sylvia, 5, played together in Jeyden's family's apartment. Jeyden's brother, 17-year-old Jose Adalberto Herrera who entered the United States as an unaccompanied minor in 2019, was released back to his parents and is now being held again in federal custody. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Paula and Jeff Babel sampled a recent batch of maple syrup inside their sugar house in Mason, N.H., on March 7. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Ace, a 2-year-old dog who was surrendered to the Animal Rescue League of Boston Dedham branch, attempted to look out the door on March 6. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Survivors of the commercial sex industry (from left) Brittanie Adams, Audra Doody, Audrey Morrissey, and Stacy Reed watched a live broadcast of the Cambridge Court proceedings with client Mark Zhu shown on the screen. They are from the EMMA Coalition. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Greg Bobst, 65, who lives in a tent in an abandoned lot in Bridgewater, had a cigarette in the rain on March 17. He said he doesn't feel safe in a shelter. 'I just want to have a mail in address and have a nice room by myself and just start my life over.' Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff Members of the Tenth Regiment of Foot, a reenactment group portraying British troops at Lexington and Concord, underwent drills in preparation for the April 19 commemoration in the parking lot at St. Brigid's Church in Lexington. Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Boston Globe
26-03-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Nasturtiums make their vibrant annual return to the Gardner Museum
From left: Volunteers Corey Roche and Steven McGrail held a nasturtium vine alongside Amelia Green, a horticulturist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, as they moved the nasturtiums from the greenhouse. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Erika Rumbley, director of horticulture at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, was silhouetted as she reached up to remove one of the clips holding a vine of nasturtium to a trellis. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Each year, the nasturtium seedlings are started in June and planted in late summer. The plants require daily attention through the winter, which involves pruning and training for correct form and color. The vines, which grow up to 20 feet long, are nurtured in a greenhouse on the South Shore, its location undisclosed, where most of the museum's plants are tended when not on display. Tuesday afternoon, workers gently laid the plants down and began removing small clips meticulously placed every inch along the vines. Happy chatter and the occasional clink of a clip being dropped into a bucket could be heard over the burble of the museum's fountain. Advertisement A team of horticulturists and volunteers from the Isabella Stewart Gardner stood on the lift of a box truck as they loaded a nasturtium vine. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Jennifer Pore, senior manager of horticulture at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, reached up to catch a vine of nasturtium as it was removed from its trellis inside the greenhouse. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Once all of the clips were removed, seven members from the horticulture team carried the 50-pound vines up several flights of stairs. 'I took out a million and a half clips, so I feel very attached to this one,' one team member joked as they helped hoist a vine up the stairs. Once upstairs, the vines were set down at short tables along each balcony and carefully dangled over the edge. As rays of sunlight broke through the clouds and shown through the courtyard's glass ceiling, the dazzling blooms brightened the building's interior walls. The tradition of hanging nasturtiums was started by Isabella Stewart Gardner herself to mark the arrival of spring. There is no select date when the nasturtiums are unveiled each year, as the flowers bloom at different times depending on temperature and weather conditions, the gardeners said. Erika Rumbley, director of horticulture at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, led the way as a nasturtium vine was brought into the museum. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Jared Schneider, a horticulturist from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, worked to remove the clips that bound the vines of nasturtium together in the courtyard. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff 'People call months in advance asking when the nasturtiums are going to be,' said Dawn Griffin, senior director of communications at the Museum. 'We usually don't know until the day before.' Advertisement The floral tradition has taken place every year since the early 1900s except during the Great Depression, World War II, and the Covid-19 pandemic, according to museum literature. Nasturtiums are one of 10 seasonal displays hosted at the Gardner. On Tuesday, the flowers' peppery aroma earned them their Latin name, meaning 'nose-twister.' The nasturtium display will be visible to the public starting Wednesday and the flowers are likely to bloom through April 14, Gardner's birthday. Erika Rumbley and others carried one of the vines up a flight of stairs. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Nasturtium flowers that had fallen from the vine lay at the feet of those installing the flowers in the courtyard. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Horticulturist Jared Schneider (right) held a pot that the 20-foot trailing vine of nasturtium was grown in. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at
