CAA News Today

Each week CAA News publishes summaries of eight articles, published around the web, that CAA members may find interesting and useful in their professional and creative lives.

Detroit Bankruptcy Creditors Ask Judge to Take Steps toward Sale of DIA Treasures

A coalition of the largest creditors in Detroit’s bankruptcy is taking the first legal step toward pressuring the city to sell art at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Three bond insurers, the city’s largest employee union, and several European banks filed a motion in federal court last week asking Judge Steven Rhodes to appoint a committee to oversee an independent evaluation of the market value of the multibillion-dollar city-owned collection at the DIA. (Read more from the Detroit Free Press.)

Debating an MFA? The Lowdown on Art School Risks and Returns

For aspiring artists, December is the cruelest month, when thoughts of pursuing an MFA must turn to action or be cast to the winds. It’s grad-school application time—and what a time it is to undertake such a commitment! Given the skyrocketing cost of tuition, mounting student debt, high interest rates on loans, and a tough job market, you’d be crazy not to measure your education’s value against the risk involved in paying for it, especially if you are considering a master’s degree in art or design. (Read more from Modern Painters.)

When Do Great Artists Hit Peak Creativity?

The question of when highly accomplished people reach their peak level of creativity has long fascinated researchers. Some make huge breakthroughs relatively early in life: think of Igor Stravinsky, who composed the groundbreaking ballet The Rite of Spring at age 31. Others go through an extensive period of trial and error before finding their unique voice. A 2011 study found modern-day physicists make their most innovative discoveries at age 48. (Read more from Pacific Standard.)

Are Arts Donors Also Arts Leaders?

If a wealthy person writes a large check to a worthy cultural organization, does that constitute an act of leadership? It’s an interesting question. You’d think it must, since that increasingly has become the descriptive word of choice, along with “vision,” in the speeches of thanks from grateful recipients, preferably coupled with adjectives on the level of “extraordinary” or “stunning.” (Read more from the Chicago Tribune.)

Wrapping Up: Asking Students to Reflect and Evaluate

We’re nearly at the end of the semester, and I’m currently writing the latest iteration of my students’ final (nontest) assignment for the semester, the portfolio and self-evaluation. The instructions for the assignment are fairly straightforward: to create their portfolio, students are asked to gather all of their work completed during the semester and then, based on provided questions or prompts, write two to three pages reflecting on their work for the semester. (Read more from Art History Teaching Resources.)

The Art of Art Dealing

Do you want to know how to sell art? Do you have one foot in the past? Do you have your other foot in the future? Do you consider yourself someone with a point of view and something to say? If you answered yes to these questions, then this article is for you. (Read more from the Gallerist.)

Employed, but…

A new study looking at large cohorts of PhD recipients in history is quick to point out that the doctorate in the field almost always seems to result in employment—and not of the barista variety. Further, the study finds that many new doctorates are finding their way to the tenure track—and that such positions still exist for those starting their careers. (Read more from Inside Higher Ed.)

California Using $2 Million Arts Grant Windfall for New Programs

The California Arts Council, the agency behind state government’s arts grants, is putting down most of its chips from a one-time, $2 million funding windfall on several new bets involving arts education and community improvement through the arts. Arts council leaders are hoping that quick payoffs in the form of early success stories from the new programs will improve the long-neglected agency’s chances of replenishing its depleted funding. (Read more from the Los Angeles Times.)