ArtDiction March/April 2020

news Vincent van Gogh Painting Stolen in Overnight Raid A painting by Dutch master Vincent van Gogh was stolen in an overnight smash-and-grab raid on a museum that was closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, police and the museum said on March 30.

According to the Singer Laren museum east of Amsterdam, “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring 1884” by the Dutch master was taken in the early hours of Monday. By early after- Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum closed by virus. noon, all that could be seen from the outside of the museum was a large Emergency Relief Grant for to ten artists, but the COVID-19 crisis white panel covering a door in the Women Artists Over 40 prompted her to launch the emerbuilding’s glass facade. gency relief grant in addition to the Artists can be of the first and perhaps yearly award.

Museum General Director Evert van most deeply impacted by economic Os said the institution that houses the hardship. During this time of crisis, Her initiative is an example of how collection of American couple William that may be even more true when other existing funding programs could and Anna Singer is “angry, shocked, other factors such as race and class rework their missions to serve those sad” at the theft. are considered. A new emergency in urgent need. Today, the Women’s relief grant, launched by Anonymous Center for Creative Work (WCCW) in The work was on loan from the Was A Woman in partnership with Los Angeles, California announced Groninger Museum in the northern the New York Foundation for the Arts it would adapt its 2020 Emergency Dutch city of Groningen. Van Gogh’s (NYFA), seeks to address two of these Health Grant, offering a shorter form paintings, when they rarely come up factors—gender and age—by supportapplication and a rolling weekly deadfor sale, earn millions at auction. ing women artists age 40 and older line for $1,000 awards.

Police are investigating the theft. who have lost income or opportunities due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Low-income artists who work in any “I’m shocked and unbelievably genre or medium, who identify as a annoyed that this has happened,” said The new grant will distribute a total of woman, as trans or nonbinary, and/ Singer Laren museum director Jan $250,000 in funding, up to $2,500 for or as a person of color, who live in Rudolph de Lorm. “This beautiful and each grantee, to eligible women-idenLos Angeles, Orange, Riverside or San moving painting by one of our greattifying visual artists in the US and its Bernardino Counties are eligible to est artists stolen - removed from the territories. apply,” the WCCW explains. community,” he added. “It is very bad for the Groninger Museum, it is very A report by the National Endowment The application for Anonymous Was A bad for the Singer, but it is terrible for for the Arts found that as women age, Woman’s grant will be made available us all because art exists to be seen they earn less and less than their on April 6 at 10 AM EST and remain and shared by us, the community, to male counterparts. By the time they open through April 8. Funds will be enjoy to draw inspiration from and to reach ages 55 to 64, they make only awarded to eligible applicants on a draw comfort from, especially in these $0.66 for every dollar male artists first-come, first-served basis, and they difficult times.” make. “In many cases, women over will be notified of their funding status the age of 40 carry additional stress

by April 30. More information can be The 25-by-57-centimeter (10-by-22as caregivers for both children and found on NYFA’s website, here. inch) oil on paper painting shows parents,” said Susan Unterberg, a person standing in a garden surfounder of Anonymous Was A Woman, rounded by trees with a church tower in a press release.

Cleveland Museum of Art Receives in the background.

Gifts Valued at More Than $100M Unterberg has traditionally funded an annual unrestricted grant of $25,000 The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) ArtDiction | 6 | March/April 2020