Arthur Okamura, RIP

This morning I received an email from Stephen Beal, President of California College of the Arts, bearing sad news: FROM PRESIDENT STEPHEN BEAL Dear CCA Community, I’m very sad to report the death of Professor Emeritus Arthur Okamura. He passed away on July 10 near his home in Bolinas. He was 77. Arthur taught at [...]

Real or Forgeries: Nelson Mandela Prison Lithographs

The exhibit, Nelson Mandela at 91, is scheduled to run from July 13 through 31, 2009, at London’s Belgravia Gallery. Many of the lithographs, purportedly by the the former South African President, who will be 91 on July 18, are based on a series of sketches of Robben Island, where Mr. Mandela was imprisoned for [...]

Happy Birthday to David Gilhooly

On any given April 15th, many Americans are sweating out last minute tax returns. But my thoughts always turn to my good friend David Gilhooly. He was born April 15, 1943, in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. A sculptor, painter, printmaker and all-around fine artist, David rose to prominence in the 1960s as a [...]

Property Rights, Copyrights and Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey, 38, the California street artist who accelerated to fame with his Obama-Hope portrait has pleaded not guilty to vandalizing property following his arrest in Boston Friday night. While he is in town for an exhibition of his work at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Mr. Fairey may have also been painting “Andre The [...]