Pigskins and Paintings

(images #1 and #2 courtesy of artinfo.com)

(image courtesy of NFL.com)

Packers vs. Steelers. Renoir vs. Caillebotte.

Tomorrow night in Dallas, as Super Bowl XLV kicks off, the Super Bowl ring wont be the only thing on the line. For the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Milwaukee Art Museum, temporary ownership of two Impressionist paintings by famed artists will be up for grabs. One a Renoir, and one a Caillebotte. Should the Packers emerge with a W, the Milwaukee Art Museum will receive Renoir's "Bathers With Crab," (image #1 above), on loan. However, should the outcome be the reverse, Caillebotte's "Boating on the Yerres" will be loaned to the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. Per CNN, the art director at the Milwaukee Museum is from Green Bay, so... "this is personal." A year ago, Tyler Green of the blog Modern Art Notes, dared museums from the participating cities to do the same thing. The New Orleans Museum of Art ended up with a Turner on loan. A thus, a new tradition was born.

We think this is a great way for art lovers and museum staffers to get involved and show their team spirit on the big day. And, as Lynn Zelevansky, director of the Carnegie Museum put it, "We let the excellence of our football team, and our collection, speak for itself." Clearly, the stakes are high, and pride is on the line.

May the best team win!