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Production Mold for Ancient Female Figurine Discovered in Jerusalem

A mold used to create a clay figurine during the First Temple Period was discovered earlier this summer on the grounds of the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum. The excavation, at Kishle, a former prison and military base that is now part of the museum, was overseen by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). “Although many figurines from this period have been uncovered in Jerusalem, this is the first time that a mold used to manufacture them has ever been found in the city,” said IAA researchers in a statement. Archaeologists have long wondered if these ubiquitous figures, dating from the 8th to the 6th centuries BCE, were manufactured locally or imported; they now know that at least some were created within Jerusalem. The mold in question depicts a woman’s face with defined features and an elaborate hairstyle. Sviatoslav Klindukhov, a conservation and restoration specialist working with the IAA, was able to cast a new figurine from the ancient mold. ...
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Five Standouts at Portland’s Converge 45 Triennial, From a Gourd Frieze to a Performance That Played with Fire

The US art world has in recent years worked hard to bring a focus to cities outside the market capitals, mounting recurring exhibitions like Counterpublic in St. Louis, the Medina Triennial in upstate New York, and the lamentably discontinued Front Triennial in Cleveland (adding to long-running shows like the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh). One that has remained a little under the radar is Converge 45, established in 2016 by Portland dealer Elizabeth Leach in hopes of getting the art world to converge on the 45th parallel, halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. Courtesy of the organizers, I traveled recently to the City of Roses for the opening festivities of the latest edition, “Here, To you, Now,” overseen by New York–based independent curator Lumi Tan (shows at multiple venues remain open to various dates, some into 2027). The title draws on the 1985 novel Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin, a daughter of the city, in which a narrat...
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Geles Cabrera, Trailblazing Mexican Sculptor, Dies at 100

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Mexican artist Geles Cabrera, who was celebrated as her country’s first professional female sculptor and associated with the Generación de la Ruptura (Breakaway Generation), died on September 1 at age 100, as first reported by the Spanish magazine Bonart . Over seven decades, she built a sculptural practice that explored the human figure through abstracted, voluptuous forms, often ones made of rough volcanic stone. Over the years, she effectively led the way for younger generations of modern and contemporary Mexican artists, for whom she was a “tireless promoter,” as the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL), Mexico City, put it in a past tribute . The institution also announced her death earlier this month. “It is with deep sadness that we pay tribute to Geles Cabrera… a pioneer of modern sculpture in Mexico and an artist whose work transformed the way we think about the body, movement, and space,” stated OMR gallery in Mexico City, wh...
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Matchday Scoring Highlights: Centurions U18s (53) v Wellington Māori U18s (21)

The two teams met in fine, windy conditions in their opening Hurricanes Youth Council 2026 Division 1 match at Kilbirnie Park this past Saturday. A feature of the encounter was the well-acquainted match-ups of many of the players, having been First XV teammates in their school sides all year and now opposing each other. There...
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Fair Warning to Auction Rare Yves Saint Laurent Mondrian Dress and Several Pieces by John Galliano Despite Controversy over Met Museum Exhibition’s Cancellation

An Yves Saint Laurent Piet Mondrian dress from the 1960s that’s been photographed by the likes of David Bailey, Irving Penn, and Richard Avedon is going under the hammer at the online auction house Fair Warning, in collaboration with Kerry Taylor Auctions. Titled “The Impossible Couture Collection,” the sale also features pieces by Azzedine Alaïa, Elsa Schiaparelli, Paco Rabanne, and John Galliano. The sale will take place on the evening of September 17, the first day of London Fashion Week. The auction has been curated by art collector Peter Brant Jr., who is the son of art collector and publisher Peter M. Brant and supermodel Stephanie Seymour. Jussi Pylkkänen, formerly the global president of Christie’s, will auctioneer the sale. With a presale estimate between $200,000–$500,000, the YSL Mondrian dress is expected to be the top lot of the evening. “It has been decades since a Mondrian Dress of this significance has appeared at auction, making this an e...
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Sideline Conversions 7 September (some rugby news and information to start the week)

Monday morning edition – updates expected, as is the case this time of the year with fresh news rolling in: Another whirlwind weekend of rugby has concluded, and there is more to come over the next several weeks. Representative matches are scattered far and wide this coming weekend. The second round of the Hurricanes Youth...
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Prolific Mexican Curator Cuauhtémoc Medina Will Organize 2027 Bienal de Arte Paiz in Guatemala

Cuauhtémoc Medina, a Mexico City–based curator and art historian who has organized exhibitions around the world, has been appointed curator of the Bienal de Arte Paiz. The biennial takes place in Guatemala City and Antigua, about 25 miles west of the capital. It is organized by the Fundación Paiz para la Educación y la Cultura, a family foundation that initially awarded education scholarships and supported soup kitchens. The foundation launched the biennial in 1978; Medina’s show, opening in 2027, will be the exhibition’s 25th edition. In a statement about his appointment, Medina called attention to the Bienal’s history of serving “Guatemalan audiences as a vehicle for contemporary thinking and sensibility.” “It is,” he said, “a great honor, but also a challenge, to be in charge of curating the Paiz Biennial for this special occasion. I hope that, with the help of the Biennial staff and the artists, we will be able to produce something wo...
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