Louisville’s Speed Art Museum will be closed for about three years while the facility undergoes a $50 million renovation. The work will begin in October of 2012. Director Charles Venable says the decision to shut down the museum for that long was a difficult one but made in the interest of public safety. “We’re going […]
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Stolen Altarpiece Handed Over to US Government
After spending 40 years at Louisville’s Speed Art Museum, a stolen 14th century work is going home. The Speed Art Museum bought the piece from a New York Gallery in 1973 for 38 thousand dollars, not realizing the Italian art was stolen from a home in Italy two years earlier. The work is a three […]
Venable Discusses Stolen Art, Speed Fundraising
A stolen Italian painting that’s been in the Speed Museum’s collection for nearly 40 years is now on display in Louisville for the last time. The Speed purchased the piece in 1973 for $38,000, and museum officials didn’t know it was stolen until a few months ago. The Speed worked with the U.S. and Italian […]
Speed to Display Stolen Art
A stolen work of art will be on display at the Speed Art Museum this month before the U.S. government returns it to Italy. The Speed purchased the three-panel painting, or triptych, of the Virgin Mary and child in 1973 for $38,000. Recently, however, it was discovered that the art had been stolen from an […]
Venable Confident About Speed Fundraising Campaign
The director of the Speed Art Museum is confident his organization can complete its capital campaign by the end of this year. The Speed has quietly been raising money toward a $57 million goal for two years. On Friday, the public phase of the campaign began with $31 million already raised. Director Charles Venable says […]
Speed Museum Director Discusses Renovations, Fundraising
Speed Art Museum director Charles Venable discussed the museum’s impending $79 million makeover Saturday. Venable told the crowd the capital campaign for the expansion and renovation is the largest ever attempted by a Kentucky arts organization.
Thornton’s Inc. Gives One Million Dollars To Speed Art Museum
The money will go toward the Speed’s 50 million dollar capital campaign. Museum Director Charles Venable says the funds will be used to renovate and expand the museum.