Dr Dahesh Article in the New Yorker Magazine

[Loup Solitaire]

This may not be news to anyone else but me. But the article that appeared in the New Yorker in the August 28th, 2006 issue does validate much of what Mario has been saying all along.

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/28/060828craw_artworld?currentPage=1

My question is, if the art collection mentioned in the article was sold, where did the money go? Was it donated to some worthy charity? Was it invested in extending the cause of Daheshism? And by the way who is Amira Zahid?

Since this is the family that bought the collection, they seem to control the museum and its' management. And when the really big stuff happens they are there as the following article shows. They seem to be driving what is known of Dr Dahesh.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/696/profile.htm

How can it be that The Dahesh Museum is so widely known and Salim Moussa Achi, a.k.a. Dr Dahesh is all but forgotten?

Articles about the museum are all over the US. The name The Dahesh Museum is as well known as General Motors, but nobody knows who Dr Dahesh is!

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE4DC133CF933A15752C0A963958260

[Mario]

And by the way who is Amira Zahid?

The Amira Zahid I once knew, used to declare that she and I grew up together. In fact, we were just like brother and sister. She was probably 5 or 6 years older than I. We were so much like brother and sister, we quarrelled all the time. But, as the Doctor used to often say to me "Even the intestines quarrel."

The Amira Zahid I once knew was so much like an older sister to me, she trusted me to the point where she would sleep over at my apartment, she on the couch, me on the floor, within feet from her, while she and I held vigil while the Doctor was recovering from his heart attack... (I could have taken the other side of the large L shaped sofa... but I snored... and I didn't want to sleep where the Doctor could trip... so, you see, we were "family.")

The Amira Zahid I once knew is dead... I honor her memory and I shed a tear...

[Sandrine]

The Amira Zahid I once knew was so much like an older sister to me, she trusted me to the point where she would sleep over at my apartment, she on the couch, me on the floor, within feet from her

Oh yes Amira was one of our older sisters whom I loved when I was a teenager ... I remember her very well, she was always nice and patient with me and even helped me do my math homework ...

I also used to sleep in the same bedroom when she was traveling with The Doctor who stayed in our house for about one month ... those were "wonderful days" !!!

[Loup Solitaire]

............. And by the way who is Amira Zahid?

Since this is the family that bought the collection, they seem to control the museum and its' management. And when the really big stuff happens they are there as the following article shows. They seem to be driving what is known of Dr Dahesh.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/696/profile.htm

How can it be that The Dahesh Museum is so widely known and Salim Moussa Achi, a.k.a. Dr Dahesh is all but forgotten?...........

I must appologize for my ignorance for not reading more closely the article to which this link takes us. The history of the Dahesh museum is so new to me, these revelations were somewhat overwhelming for me. I missed some very key and interesting information. From the link I would like to quote Amira Zahid .....

"You don't have to study art to love art," she says. "The enjoyment of art is an acquired taste that comes with continuous exposure to works of art. As a young woman I went on extensive travels with my family, visiting museums, art houses and galleries in Europe, the Middle East and the US, but the credit in all this should go to my mother, Mervat, who instilled in all her children a love of art and music. She was an artist herself, since the early age of 13, as well as diligent pianist since the age of six. She encouraged us to visit museums and reflect on what we saw. It was really my mother who had the initial vision to save the core collection of Dr Dahesh from Lebanon's civil war and who set out to offer the world a new look at an old century by asking me to found a new museum in New York City, the art capital of the US."

........ God does work in mysterious ways providing those things that are necessary. In this case a patron for the art work collected by Dr Dahesh.

[Mario]

My question is, if the art collection mentioned in the article was sold, where did the money go

Even if Doctor Dahesh did sell the collection to the Zahids (a notion I have a hard time believing) he did give them everything he posessed as per his last will and testament. So, the answer to the above question is "To the Zahids."

Even so, and here I would like to speak on behalf of the Daheshville board of directors: They can burn the money, museum and books for all we care—this is America, and people are free to do whatever they wish with their money.

What is our business—however— is the image and good name of the DOCTOR DAHESH, the founder of DAHESHISM and this business of furthering the cause of Daheshism.

Personally, I have stopped pledging money to the Museum ( my last check was circa 1998...not sure) until it officially retracts its idiotic statement to Art News Magazine and others.. I appreciate how trustworthy,kind, generous, and wonderful the Zahids are. Still, until their organization corrects the damage, I will not acknowledge them as a Daheshist organization nor advance one red cent until they say "we made a mistake."

The last think I want to be is an enabler, and I feel that my fellow board members agree with me.

And should they do apologize and retract the statements—and speaking only on my own behalf — I will continue to give whatever I can to the Museum and book publishing endeavours, as I had in the past and I wouldn't even want to know where the money is going, and I would encourage everyone to do the same.