Reposted from NPR

La Casa del Libro Museum Library in San Juan was among the many cultural institutions to suffer devastating consequences after hurricanes Irma and Maria walloped Puerto Rico in 2017. Human-driven climate change was the engine behind both. Strong winds caused the museum's power to go out. This meant no air conditioning. And the high humidity levels threatened the museum's world-class collection of 15th century books and artworks with mold. About a month after disaster struck, the institution put out a call to the National Heritage Responders Hotline for help.

The National Heritage Responders is a volunteer network of around 100 experts in cultural heritage conservation from around the country. They assist individuals and institutions in figuring out how to save important objects and buildings after disasters. Their crisis hotline has been busier than ever in recent years because of more frequent and severe weather brought on by climate change. In 2023, there have been around 70 calls so far, up from fewer than 10 in 2008, when the hotline first appeared. (The hotline is intended for the use of cultural institutions; individual members of the public can get in touch with the network via email.) "Climate change is increasing the frequency and the severity of the disasters that we're experiencing," said Ann Frellsen. The Atlanta-based book and paper conservator is a longtime heritage responder volunteer with more than three decades of experience helping out cultural institutions after disasters. She was among those deployed to Puerto Rico over several visits starting a couple of months after the hurricanes hit. "It's just a constant battle." After providing initial support via the phone, Frellsen and her team came in to help La Casa del Libro and other local institutions in crisis with equipment, supplies and advice. (Much of the advice the hotline provides is via phone or video-chat; volunteers are sent out into the field in certain cases, on an as-needed basis.)"There were no stoplights and there were no signs on the highways, because they'd all blown away," Frellsen said. Frellsen said figuring out how to reach the more than 20 institutions that needed assistance in Puerto Rico was challenging — and that's to say nothing of the on-the-job hazards. "As hot and humid as it was, we were in full Tyvek suits the entire time because the mold situation was just unfathomable," Frellsen said. When she isn't heading into disaster zones to help salvage artifacts and heirlooms from fires, hurricanes and floods, Frellsen trains others in the heritage conservation field to do the same.

Recently, she co-led a workshop of professional librarians, archivists and conservators at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. Some of the participants may eventually take the test to become National Heritage Responders. But at this moment, they were deep in a hands-on training exercise, based on an imaginary scenario cooked up by Frellsen and her co-trainers. In the scenario, a blizzard had triggered the museum's sprinkler system — which can happen in strong winds — and all that water has left behind soggy carpets, excess humidity, and many precious presidential artifacts in a World War II exhibition in peril. Huddled around a tall glass case containing a ball-gown worn by John F. Kennedy's sister, Rosemary Kennedy, in 1938, the trainee heritage responders tried to figure out how to protect the gauzy, peach-colored dress — and the other treasures on display — from the ravages of mold. "I would mitigate the high humidity in the space," said Evan Knight, the preservation specialist with Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the state agency that supports libraries in Massachusetts. "And if we deal with the humidity, then that should help at least arrest mold growth to some extent before a conservator can come in." But Annie Rubel, a historic preservation expert in Deerfield, Mass., wasn't too keen on this idea. "Well, I think that this is an extremely fragile piece," Rubel countered. "If there is no textile conservator on the way immediately, I would fashion some kind of support sling and very gently remove it from the area."

Ultimately, they decide to remove the carpet from under the case and stabilize the environment in the case itself. The National Heritage Responders was launched by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation in 2006. But it was in the 1940s that the United States and Europe first started thinking seriously about how to recover culturally important artifacts and sites after a crisis. World War II compelled countries to band together to protect cultural treasures, forming a group of 345 men and women from 13 countries known as The Monuments Men. Since then, efforts around saving cultural heritage after disasters have evolved beyond historic buildings and celebrated works of art. For example, after floods devastated Eastern Kentucky in 2022, National Heritage Responders helped salvage thousands of reel-to-reel tapes documenting Appalachian cultural traditions. They also recently ran online workshops on disaster recovery for people in Maui following this summer's wildfires. "A community can't recover if they lose those cultural identities," said Frellsen, "and their cultural identity is often tied up in the objects and the spaces that they live with." Frellsen said she's excited about the next generation that she's training — especially with human-caused climate change creating a lot more work. "It's really comforting to know that there are a lot more people who can come in and replace us, with a lot more stamina and energy than I find I have," she said. "I would really love to be deployed," said Rubel, the preservation expert who attended the training in Boston. Rubel said she hopes her background in building conservation will secure her a spot in the National Heritage Responders' network. "That's an underrepresented skillset on the team," Rubel said. "So I'm hoping that that comes up sooner rather than later."

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Reposted from Chronicle

Hadrian's Wall "sustained some damage" after the world-famous Sycamore Gap tree near it was felled, inspectors have found. The landmark tree in Northumberland, believed to have been around 300 years old, was cut down overnight between Wednesday and Thursday last week, in what detectives called a "deliberate act of vandalism". The incident led to widespread anger and upset across the region. Early signs suggest that Hadrian's Wall, which stands next to where the sycamore had been, sustained "some damage", according to preservation body Historic England. It comes after Northumbria Police arrested a man in his 60s and a 16-year-old boy in connection with the incident. Both have been released on bail.

A Historic England statement read: "We visited Sycamore Gap on Friday for a preliminary inspection. Whilst we identified that Hadrian's Wall has sustained some damage, we have not been able to access the site to carry out a full investigation so a further archaeological appraisal will take place once the site is considered safe. "As the Government's heritage adviser, we are involved because Hadrian's Wall is protected as a scheduled monument. We appreciate how strongly people feel about the loss of the tree, and its impact on this special historic landscape, and will continue to work closely with key partners as these progresses." The wall, built by the Roman army on the orders of emperor Hadrian, has Unesco World Heritage status. The sycamore was looked after by Northumberland National Park Authority and the National Trust. It was among the UK's most photographed trees and was made famous in a scene in Kevin Costner's 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Experts have said new shoots are expected to grow from the tree, but it will never be the same again.

Over the weekend, a fence was erected around the sycamore to protect the site and visitors were urged not to touch the tree or remove any pieces from it. A sign, placed there by the National Trust, said: "Please respect the tree and avoid touching it or removing pieces from it. We will find a way to commemorate it. Thank you."

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Reposted from Artnet News

A painting by the French post-Impressionist artist Edouard-Leon Cortés, stolen from a New York gallery in the 1960s, has been recovered after it was spotted for sale in the U.K. earlier this year. The painting, Flower Market Madeleine, was one of about 3,000 paintings stolen from the Herbert Arnot Gallery in New York City over a 12-year period in the 1950s and 1960s, Art Recovery International announced on November 21. The private company deals in dispute resolution and art recovery services. Arnot Gallery was founded in Austria in 1863, but moved to New York during World War II. In 1966, Louis Edelman left his apprenticeship at the midtown Manhattan gallery with plans to start his own. Before leaving his former employer, Edelman schemed to invoice sales he made at the Arnot Gallery in his own name and sold most of the paintings in Chicago, Kansas City, and St. Louis, which was revealed when the FBI arrested him in the Windy City. According to Art Recovery, when a gallery owner was asked during the trial whether he knew the paintings he bought from Edelman were stolen, he replied, “Well, not all of them.”

Edelman was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $10,000 for the thefts. The paintings he stole were valued at more than $1 million, according to Art Recovery. Federal prosecutors at the time said the works were worth more than $250,000. Most of them were never recovered, though some have reappeared at auction houses and galleries across the world. The Cortés painting was found for sale by Carnes Fine Art, a dealer in Mawdesley, England, which purchased it in November 2022 at Capes Dunn auction, according to Art Recovery. Artnet News has reached out to Carnes Fine Art for additional comment. Christopher A. Marinello, lawyer and founder of Art Recovery, thanked Bradley Carnes and Capes Dunn for releasing this stolen painting “unconditionally” back to the Arnot Gallery. “While in this instance, we were able to convince many of the parties to reimburse the other, eventually there will be those who are out of luck,” he said. Marinello advised that anyone buying or selling a painting by Edouard-Leon Cortés or Antoine Blanchard check with the Arnot Gallery for proper authentication. “We have been recovering one or two pictures per year from this 60-year-old theft and we’re never going to give up until every last one is returned,” he said.

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Reposted from Kelowna Capitol News

David Hunwick had no idea that his two bronze fish-kissing sculpture had been stolen in Penticton. A friend notified the Victoria-based artist on Sunday, Oct. 15, about the theft. The city had not notified him, so he was unaware the sculpture had been vandalized, he said. The bronze fish have been missing since at least August. Hunwick took to social media to ask if anyone saw anything and that’s when he found out the fish were taken some time in the summer. “I had no idea they had gone missing. It’s very sad that a few spoil the enjoyment of the many,” said Hunwick. “I just found out by chance yesterday (Sunday, Oct. 16). I am the eternal optimist and still hope for a positive outcome.” “The Kiss” sculpture was located opposite Lickity Splitz on the boulevard looking towards the SS Sicamous. The two fish kissing have been broken/cut off, leaving just the bronze ring. Now Hunwick is out thousands of dollars for his art. He has contacted Penticton police who he said were very helpful. Hunwick’s fish sculpture was part of the Penticton public sculpture exhibit that is featured along the Okanagan Lake boulevard, beside city hall and in the roundabout by the Penticton Art Gallery. His sculpture was displayed in Castlegar for many months without issue. Sadly, this is the second theft from the 2023 Penticton Public Sculpture Exhibition.

In June, Wish to Fly by Coquitlam artist Serge Mozhnesky was torn off its pedestal and stolen. Damage was done to the huge red spider art — GIGASPIDER by Ron Simmer. The Wish to Fly sculpture has never been recovered. In those cases, the city notified the artists. Shane Mills, communications director for the city, said the staff member in charge of the exhibition is away at the moment but will provide a response when they get back. In 2021, someone stole the key off the Raven’s Key sculpture located at the same location the Kiss fish were. If anyone knows anything about the two missing bronze fish, contact the Penticton RCMP detachment.

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Reposted from The Art Newspaper

Arthur Brand, who helped to recover a Van Gogh painting last month, says he was watching a "boring football game" when the surprising delivery was made Six paintings stolen from an old town hall in the small coastal town of Medemblik in north Holland have been returned via an unusual doorstep delivery to an art detective in Amsterdam. Arthur Brand, known for his work in recovering an early Van Gogh painting last month as well as Hitler’s missing horse statues and a Picasso painting, tells The Art Newspaper that he was sitting at home when his doorbell rang. "I was watching a boring football game: Holland was losing to France 2-0,” he said. “They just called at my door on Friday night at 10.30pm.” He was asked to come downstairs to unload a delivery by a man who apparently was uninvolved with the theft, Dutch media reported. He brought the six historical paintings up to his flat before alerting the police. “I think this was a direct result of the recovery of the Van Gogh [The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring (1884)] last month,” Brand says. “That made headlines all over the world and one of the reasons the Van Gogh was returned was that they couldn’t do anything with it—sell it or get a lesser sentence. “Most likely [the Medemblik thieves] got scared and maybe there was a possibility the police was on their tracks already. You either burn it, which is a bad idea because when you are caught later you get extra prison time, or they thought they would dump it at my doorstep.” 

The paintings, which together are thought to be worth around €100,000, include a portrait of King Radboud—which is considered of particular local significance—and portraits of Prince William of Orange, Maurits of Orange, Count Jan van Nassau, Queen Wilhelmina and a scene from the Bible. The paintings are currently with the police. A spokeswoman from Medemblik municipality tells The Art Newspaper that the find was a surprise. “One of our executives had a message completely out of the blue,” she says. “It’s really extraordinary and a bit of a mystery, but for us it is really good news. We are especially pleased that the painting of Radboud is back because it really belongs to our municipality.” Deputy mayor Jeroen Broeders said in a press release that “sometimes you only know how much something is worth to you when it isn’t there anymore and that is certainly the case with these paintings.” Brand said he would not claim the reward. “But” he added, “I have asked for a book voucher.”

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Reposted from The Guardian

The Palace of Versailles was briefly evacuated for the second time in days after a bomb threat on Tuesday as France remains on high alert for a possible terror attack. Hundreds of visitors were led out of the palace as a specialist police explosives unit was dispatched to the site. Hours later the palace, which has about 15,000 visitors a day, was reopened and a security cordon lifted. 

On Saturday, the palace was cleared and closed after receiving a message suggesting there was a security risk. This came just hours after the Louvre Museum, which has 30,000 visitors daily, was evacuated after receiving a threatening message. Both warnings were found to be false alarms. France has been on its highest security alert since the terrorist attacks on the Bataclan music venue and across the capital in November 2015 after a terror suspect stabbed to death a teacher, Dominique Bernard, and injured two others in the northern French town of Arras on Friday morning. The 20-year-old arrested at the scene was a former pupil. On Tuesday morning, a 45-year-old Tunisian man suspected of killing two Swedish tourists in Brussels was shot dead by Belgian police. Security fears have been raised across Europe since Hamas’s attack on Israel 10 days ago.

After the weekend’s alerts, France’s culture minister, Rima Abdul Malak, said: “Maximum security is in place; we will not give in to terror. “There are wonderful exhibitions everywhere and it has always been France’s strength to maintain a cultural life. It’s a way of affirming our attachment to the values of the republic.” The Museum of Jewish Art and History’s president, Dominique Schnapper, said in a message published on its website: “In the face of violence and hatred, more than ever the museum’s response will be to give nothing away in its mission to educate people about citizenship and the fight against antisemitism. With strengthened security measures, the museum will remain open and welcomes you.” At the Institute of the Arab World in Paris, visitor numbers to an exhibition entitled What Palestine Brings to the World remained stable, said the institute’s president and former Socialist culture minister, Jack Lang. “More than ever, people want to understand the situation,” Lang told Le Monde.

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Reposted from CISA

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently announced the release of a new resource titled, Preventing Workplace Violence: Security Awareness Considerations Infographic | CISA. This product provides an overview of workplace violence and actionable, culture-based guidelines for critical infrastructure leaders, human resources personnel, managers and workers to consider and tailor to their unique workplace environment.

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Reposted from Türkiye Newspaper

Türkiye has ensured the safe return of 3,016 cultural treasures, underscoring the international commitment to preserving heritage and combating the illicit artifact trade, Culture Minister Ersoy says.  The total number of artifacts brought back from abroad within the scope of the anti-smuggling of historical artifacts increased to 12,076 in 2023 as work to identify and digitize the artifacts continues.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced on Wednesday the recent data on the cultural assets returned to Türkiye as part of the fight against the smuggling of historical artifacts.  "We continue our efforts to return our cultural properties that belong to these lands but were found to have been taken abroad in the past," Ersoy said at the Turkish Parliament Plan and Budget Commission. "In this context, the 'Anti-Smuggling Department' was established within our ministry in March 2020. We have also signed bilateral agreements with 12 countries in the field of combating smuggling of cultural property," Ersoy added. "As a result of these efforts, in 2023, a total of 3,016 artifacts were returned from abroad to the lands where they belong. The total number of artifacts brought from abroad between 2002 and 2023 increased to 12,076," Minister Ersoy noted.

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Reposted from Muscat Daily

Muscat – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is proactively working to curtail illicit trade and trafficking of cultural property, which includes prevention of unauthorized excavations, production of counterfeit artefacts, and smuggling of heritage items. “The ministry is collaborating with international and regional   organizations in this regard,” said Rahma bint Saeed al Zawaidi, who heads the Cultural Heritage Register and Combating Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property Department at the ministry. Rahma emphasized the crucial role of coordination between the ministry and the Royal Oman Police, ensuring that heritage and archaeological pieces are not exported without a permit issued by the ministry after thorough inspection. 

In 2019, the ministry established the Cultural Heritage Register and Combating Illicit Trafficking Department, making it the central unit to coordinate preventative measures, besides monitoring risks associated with cultural property preservation, managing risks, and ensuring that warning regulations are implemented at various archaeological sites throughout the sultanate. Rahma also mentioned the ministry’s initiative to encourage citizens to submit any found antiquities to the ministry.  The legal framework in Oman stipulates stringent penalties for illegal possession of cultural heritage – ranging from one month to three months and a fine between RO500 and RO10,000.

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Reposted from CBC News

 A pioneering Ottawa b-boy is hunting for his vintage velour tracksuit after it was stolen from a hip-hop exhibition at a local art gallery. Stephen Leafloor, also known as "Buddha," is one of the founding members of the Canadian Floor Masters. The crew helped bring "breaking" — or what's often known as breakdancing — to Ottawa in the early 1980s. 

They opened for James Brown, Ice-T and Grandmaster Flash.  Leafloor called the blue and red Fila tracksuit "a vintage relic" from the early days of hip-hop with both emotional and historic value. The theft makes him feel disrespected. "It was a beautiful tracksuit," he said. "It's that crushed velvet velour. … You feel magical." The theft was captured on camera at the Ottawa Art Gallery on Daly Street, where Canadian Floor Masters memorabilia was displayed as part of an exhibition on the local history of hip-hop.  The gallery's director, Alexandra Badzak,  said it happened Nov. 5 and the crime took fewer than three minutes to complete in broad daylight. "It was very quick," she said. "They were out the door, unfortunately, before security was able to apprehend." Badzak said surveillance footage revealed the thief climbed up on a glass display case and apparently used a tool to cut the wires holding up the tracksuit. Scuff marks are still visible on the walls.  Senior curator Rachelle Dickenson called the theft "appalling." She said the tracksuit represents a period in hip-hop fashion and losing it affected her deeply. "I felt sick," she said. "The first thing I thought of was that I needed to call Buddha." Leafloor was out of town when Dickenson broke the news.  He's been drawn to "swag" from an early age. He still remembers what motivated him to pick up the tracksuit in the late 1980s during a trip to Detroit.  "When I saw it way back then, I was like, 'yo, LL Cool J rocks this — I want one too,'" Leafloor said.  He posted a Facebook message about the theft, which has produced an outpouring of support and indignation. But Leafloor isn't holding out hope that he'll recover his tracksuit. He said he can't put a value on an item with such a deep personal connection. "I wish it would come back just because it's emotionally part of my life," he said. "It's part of who I am."  Dickenson said the Ottawa Art Gallery has hourly security patrols, but anyone can simply walk in and out of the gallery, which is free and open to the public.  She said the gallery will raise up suspended exhibits higher to further limit public access, but there are no plans to impose stricter controls on public access to the gallery itself, she added. "We're not prepared to risk community comfort and that sense of ownership that community should have when they come into the Ottawa Art Gallery," Dickenson said. "This is an appalling incident. It's a very rare incident. But it's more important to us that folks feel like it's their space, too. Why would we punish everybody for the actions of one person?" She said she's currently tracking online shopping websites to see if the tracksuit turns up. If search efforts are unsuccessful, she said insurance is expected to cover its value.  

Leafloor has no animosity toward the art gallery, which he commended for working collaboratively with the dozens of people from the hip-hop community.  "This is an important exhibit. Go see the exhibit if you want to feel and touch the vibes of the generations of hip-hop," he said. He hopes his experience doesn't discourage others from lending their artifacts. "This can have a beautiful impact on how we celebrate our history, and I would hate that not to happen out of fear."

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