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In "Sensation," Arnold Lehman recalls the costs of artistic freedom

Arnold Lehman, now a senior advisor at the Phillips auction house, was director of the Baltimore Museum of Art from 1979-1997, and headed the Brooklyn Museum from 1997-2015 (Lehman)
Arnold Lehman, now a senior advisor at the Phillips auction house, was director of the Baltimore Museum of Art from 1979-1997, and headed the Brooklyn Museum from 1997-2015. (Lehman)

Tom's guest today is Arnold Lehman. For 18 years, he was the director of the Baltimore Museum of Art. He followed his tenure here with 18 years at the helm of the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

During his tenure there, in 1999, he presented a very controversial exhibition which attracted the ire of Rudolph Giuliani, who was then the mayor of New York City and who was contemplating a run against First Lady Hilary Clinton for the US Senate. The argument about public funding of art, and even the very nature of what art is, was the talk of the art world, and for about 6 months, the world at large.

Published by Merrell Publishers (London/New York)
Published by Merrell Publishers (London/New York)

Arnold Lehman has written a book about the controversy, called Sensation: The Madonna, the Mayor, the Media, and the First Amendment. 

Arnold will be at the Enoch Pratt Central Library tonight at 7pm to talk about the book.

Tom Hall will join him for that Writers LIVE! event, and Arnold Lehman joins us today, on our digital line, from Baltimore.

For more information and to register for this live and streaming event, click here.

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Host, Midday (M-F 12:00-1:00)
Rob is a contributing producer for Midday.