Daniel Grant

1 week ago | observer.com | Daniel Grant

Constantino Brumidi’s The Apotheosis of Washington, which can be seen on the Rotunda ceiling. Courtesy of the Architect of the CapitolWhen you think of the U.S. State Department, what comes to mind? Diplomats delivering messages to foreign governments to stave off war or resolve disputes? Public servants and contractors? Or a glorified passport office? Yet another way to think about the State Department building in Washington, D.C.’s northwest district is as a museum.

2 weeks ago | observer.com | Daniel Grant

The Cleveland Museum of Art has the Provenance Restaurant and Provenance Café. Courtesy Cleveland Museum of ArtWhy does someone visit a museum? Perhaps it’s to see the permanent displays of works from the collection or the special exhibitions. My best friend’s boyfriend said his book group went to the art museum after seeing the movie Girl with a Pearl Earring. Then again, maybe it’s just because the lunch menu sounds so good. “In the past, museums were more academic.

3 weeks ago | observer.com | Daniel Grant

Unlike standard self-storage, fine art storage facilities offer purpose-built environments designed to house and protect artworks under tightly controlled conditions. Courtesy FortressWhat is the afterlife of an artwork? After a piece’s creation, it emerges briefly into public view, and—if fortunate—is acquired and shown again elsewhere.

1 month ago | observer.com | Daniel Grant

Rembrandt’s A Woman Holding a Pink will be on display in Denver until 2027. Courtesy the National Gallery of Art and Denver Art MuseumAngelica Daneo, chief curator at the Denver Art Museum, calls Rembrandt “one of the most celebrated artists of the 1600s” and an artist who “played a pivotal role in the development of European Art,” but until recently, residents of the Mile High City weren’t able to actually see any of his paintings unless they traveled somewhere else.

1 month ago | observer.com | Daniel Grant

Institutions across the U.S., including MASS MoCA, are grappling with sudden NEA grant cancellations that have upended budgets and programming. Courtesy MASS MoCAWhen Deborah Block, artistic director of Philadelphia’s nonprofit theater company Theatre Exile, received word last November that a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts had been approved for the development and production of R.