NewsMuseums
Citing pandemic, V&A and Smithsonian drop plan to co-curate a gallery in London
After cancellation of project for V&A East, the institutions say they still plan to cooperate on an internship programme
NewsOpenings
Pack your goggles! France to open three underwater sculpture parks this autumn
Visitors will need to swim to see new exhibits submerged off the coast of Corsica, Marseille and Cannes
NewsMuseums
Indian museum celebrating Muslim dynasty renamed after Hindu king
The museum, located in Agra, will show art, jewellery and fashion of the Mughal Empire
NewsDeaccessioning
Cranach, Courbet and Corot: a closer look at what the Brooklyn Museum is selling off
The institution is deaccessioning its only Cranach and 11 other works to finance care of its collection
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Fotografiska complex in London—world’s ‘largest photography venue’—is dropped
Investment group behind the project blames Brexit and Covid-19
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Activist employee group demands resignations of three Guggenheim leaders
But support for the statement, alleging “oppressive behaviours” by director, chief operating officer and chief curator, is unclear
NewsAppointments & departures
Six women, one foreigner: Italy appoints 13 new museum and heritage directors
Culture minister Dario Franceschini reverses trend for appointing foreign leaders for its leading institutions
NewsPrussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
Meet the man overhauling Berlin's 'dysfunctional' museums in wake of bombshell report
Head of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Hermann Parzinger, responds to an expert panel’s call to dismantle Germany’s biggest arts body
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Museum of Memory dedicated to victims of state violence wins prize in Nicaragua
While its physical location was closed by the combined impact of government reprisals and the global pandemic, the museum lives on as a digital space
NewsBeirut
Hope for a new future: Beirut's art world tell us how the city might be rebuilt
As the city's arts community mourns the loss of colleagues and assesses the damage to its museums and galleries, some believe change will come from the disaster—others are less optimistic
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to open with Hayao Miyazaki retrospective in 2021
The new Los Angeles institution will honour the influential Japanese film-maker with an immersive show that draws visitors into his animated worlds
InterviewMuseums & Heritage
Director of Yale Center for British Art embraces a global framework
Courtney J. Martin explains why it is time to reposition the Paul Mellon collection
NewsMuseums & Heritage
‘Living museum’ of British-Somali heritage heads to east London
Crowdfunded space aims to preserve community archive and support emerging artists
NewsSmithsonian Institution
‘Estamos unidos’: proposal for a new Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino awaits Senate consideration
After passage in the House, planners try to line up support for an institution that would fill in an incomplete US narrative
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Bailout fail? Fewer than half of museums in England apply for government’s £1.57bn rescue package
Survey by The Art Newspaper also reveals that the Serpentine and Barbican have been left in limbo while the Southbank Centre is already £20m in debt
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Exhibitions during Covid-19: museums turn to 'virtual couriers' to protect unchaperoned art
To overcome travel restrictions, registrars are using Zoom and other technologies to monitor works on loan remotely
NewsAncient Egypt
'First of its kind' exhibition will show contemporary art among the Pyramids of Giza
An art trail around the 4,500-year-old heritage site will feature works that reflect on ancient Egypt’s enduring influence on artists
NewsRestitution
Berlin returns tattooed Maori heads to New Zealand
Human remains in museums have attracted widespread criticism
Newsdiversity
Getty announces internship programme to counter lack of diversity among art conservators
Noting barriers to students of colour, it establishes yearlong training stints with $30,000 grants
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Four weeks after blast, rehabilitation work begins at National Museum of Beirut
Louvre collaborates with Lebanon’s antiquities authority on repairs to doors, windows and security system
NewsOpenings
Sigmund Freud Museum reopens in Vienna after a €4m expansion
Family's private apartment, displays about psychoanalysis and collection of conceptual art go on view
CommentFunding
'Be commercially minded or lose future funding': UK government's threat puts museums in peril
In a letter leaked to The Art Newspaper, the culture minister Oliver Dowden tells directors they must raise their own funds during the pandemic—but how?
NewsFrans Hals
Frans Hals painting stolen from Dutch museum for the third time
Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer was taken in previous heists with a work by Jacob van Ruisdael
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Debate flares as British Museum moves bust of slave-owning founder Hans Sloane
As part of the museum's efforts to address Britain’s colonial past, officials acknowledge that the collector "exploited slaves"
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Joseph Thompson to step down after 32 years as director of Mass MoCA
Having led the contemporary art institution since its founding, he will serve as a special counsel to the board of trustees
NewsMuseums & Heritage
First Hagia Sophia, now Turkey's 'Sistine Chapel of Byzantium' will be turned back into mosque
The 14th-century mosaics at Chora Church—which was converted to a museum in 1945—risk being covered up and remaining part-restored
NewsMuseums
The next Tate Modern? Helsinki power plant to become vast new arts hub under city masterplan
Hanasaari plant will be at the heart of burgeoning Suvilahti culture district
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Four years after closing museum, National Academy of Design envisages a New York exhibition space
Newly appointed executive director sees potential for a wealth of new initiatives
NewsPrivate Museums
Vacuum cleaner billionaire James Dyson plans to build art gallery in his garden
Planning permission has been submitted for a building in the grounds of Dodington Park
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Chinese Canadian Museum opens in Vancouver with pop-up show centred on food
The institution is looking for a permanent home in the city’s historic Chinatown
Newsdiversity
Guggenheim adopts a plan to become more inclusive and racially diverse
Initiative follows accusations by employees of entrenched racism at the New York museum
NewsBeirut
Unesco, Icom and Louvre rally to help Beirut as museums tackle extensive explosion damage
A coalition of international museums and heritage organisations are working to provide expertise to Lebanese institutions
Newsreopenings
New York clears the way for the city's museums to reopen
MoMA, the Whitney, the Morgan, the American Folk Art Museum, the New Museum, the Guggenheim and the Brooklyn Museum announce plans to welcome the public, joining the Met and the New-York Historical Society
NewsAcquisitions
Hirshhorn to unveil two acquisitions as it reopens its sculpture garden
Museum welcomes monumental 2018 works by Huma Bhabha and Sterling Ruby
AnalysisLooting
How recent anti-racism protests have pushed a longstanding debate about colonial looting in Europe
As the Black Lives Matter movement goes global, museums face renewed demands to restitute artefacts plundered from Africa
NewsInternational Council of Museums
Icom in turmoil after row over new definition of museums
Wrangling over "ideological" text prompts resignations from International Council of Museums
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Staff at Milwaukee Art Museum move to create ‘wall-to-wall’ union
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which already represents security guards, could cover all the institution’s departments
NewsMuseum directors
Employees at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts argue that director’s ouster was justified
In a letter, over 100 current and former staff members say she presided over chaos, harassment and intimidation
NewsMuseums
Tate will axe more than 300 jobs from its commercial arm next month
Director Maria Balshaw says the organisation has been left with “no option” but to resize as visitor figures and revenues plunge due to the pandemic
NewsMaXXI
MaXXI to open new museum in earthquake-ravaged L'Aquila in October
Contemporary art outpost of Rome museum will be housed in an 18th-century palace rebuilt with Russian government funds
FeatureGrand Egyptian Museum
'Grand Egyptian Museum will be finished this year': behind the scenes of the giant $1bn project
We take a tour of Egypt’s vast antiquities museum—the future home of Tutankhamun’s treasures—before its long-awaited opening in 2021
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Philadelphia Museum of Art vote to unionise in 89% supermajority
The victory for the organising staff comes two days after the museum announced a round of layoffs
NewsBritish Museum
After 163 days closed, British Museum will reopen on 27 August
The London museum, which will mark its reopening by showing a work by Grayson Perry, will enforce social distancing measures and a daily visitors cap
NewsMuseums & Heritage
San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum unveils trio of new commissions, including mural by Chanel Miller
The artist, who survived a sexual assault, has created a 1,000 sq ft triptych that explores the healing process
NewsHagia Sophia
Russia to fund small-scale replica Hagia Sophia in Syria that will be used as a church
Tactical move comes after Turkish president ordered historic Istanbul site to be turned into a mosque
Newslayoffs
Met lays off 79 more employees and furloughs 181, as it faces a ‘very different’ financial picture
Museum hoped to reopen on 29 August but the prospect remains uncertain amid coronavirus restrictions
NewsPhilanthropy
Metropolitan Museum of Art commits to paying all interns after $5m gift
Adrienne Arsht's donation will fund the museum’s internship programme and the MetLiveArts performance series
Newslayoffs
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston lays off 57 employees and says 56 more will take early retirement
The museum notes that the coronavirus outbreak will continue to affect it “in the long term”
NewsDisasters & destruction
Snap! Tourist takes a selfie on a 19th-century Canova sculpture—and breaks off two toes
Concerns raised about how the visitor gained access to the Paolina Bonaparte cast
NewsHeritage
Origins of Stonehenge's giant slabs revealed in new research
Sample taken in 1958 was key in discovering ancient site’s "geochemical fingerprint"
NewsDisasters & destruction
Rescue and assessment efforts underway for gutted Brazilian museum
Maintenance was under par at Museum of Natural History and Botanical Gardens of the University of Minas Gerais
NewsDirectors
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit director dismissed amid accusations of a toxic work atmosphere
Museum says inquiry showed that Elysia Borowy-Reeder fell short on diversity and on promoting a healthy environment
NewsMuseums & Heritage
US House votes to establish a National Museum of the American Latino
Bill calls for an institution honouring the contributions of a population that numbers nearly 60 million
NewsMuseums & Heritage
ICA Miami expands online programming and scholarship with $2m grant
The institution’s Art + Research Center will be renamed after the Knight Foundation in light of gift, which funds two new positions and educational initiatives
NewsDisasters & destruction
The unluckiest museums in the world? Croatia faces string of natural disasters
Zagreb was hit by an earthquake in March at the height of Covid-19, and now by a severe storm
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Robert Longo rallies artists to donate $1m worth of art for Guild Hall benefit show
Instead of its annual summer gala, the long-running East Hampton art space will host a selling exhibition to raise funds
NewsPrizes
Five museums will share £200,000 as Art Fund reboots 2020 prize to battle coronavirus crisis
Museum of the Year prize has been changed from £140,000 awards and the shortlist will be announced in October
NewsMuseums & Heritage
One out of three US museums may shut down forever, a survey confirms
Institutions report decline in operating reserves and planned reductions in museum services like education
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Coalition calls for removal of director of Detroit Institute of Arts
Anonymous current and former staff members describe “hostile and chaotic work culture” under Salvador Salort-Pons
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Some of Hagia Sophia’s mosaics will be covered during Muslim prayers
A spokesman for Turkish President Ergodan said curtains would hide depictions of the Virgin Mary and the archangel Gabriel when the site opens for worshippers on Friday
NewsMuseums & Heritage
New York's Frick Collection will open at Madison Avenue location in early 2021
After the Met vacates the Breuer building, the Frick will take over with a chronological presentation of masterworks
CommentMuseums & Heritage
'Museums need to press the reset button and become more radical'
Directors and curators should consider this challenging moment as an opportunity diversify the stories they tell and the staff that tell them
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Cultural love-in between Italy and Russia sets ‘soft power’ alarm bells ringing
Growing unease as the special relationship between the two countries gains momentum during the Covid-19 crisis
NewsAustralia
Sydney's Powerhouse Museum saved from sell-off, but debate rages on
NSW government scraps controversial billion-dollar relocation plan but faces questions from community groups and parliament
NewsRussia
State Russian Museum staff decry damage to antique picture frames
Petition to museum management raises alarm over frames in "critical condition" from improper storage
NewsMuseums & Heritage
SFMoMA releases a plan for diversity reforms
Following weeks of upheaval among current and former staff, the museum has issued a list of actions to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion
NewsControversies
Musée d'Orsay cuts ties with Montreal Museum of Fine Arts over sacking of director Nathalie Bondil
International museum leaders speak out against the treatment of "the best, most dynamic, and most innovative art museum director in North America"
NewsMuseums & Heritage
San Francisco university in talks with US government about preserving New Deal-era murals slated for destruction
The General Services Administration considers paintings by Bernard Zakheim federal property on loan to the school, it says
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Museums in western Massachusetts reopen
Big campuses and outdoor displays at Mass Moca and the Clark allow for easier social distancing
NewsPhotography
An adventure with photography: MoMA receives 300-work Gayle Greenhill Collection
The gift from the late patron’s husband will also help create a photography endowment fund through the sale of some works
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts axes director Nathalie Bondil after public spat over museum management
Ouster came after the long-serving leader was "sidelined" as a successor took over her duties
NewsMuseums & Heritage
‘Racist’ gallery in Liverpool museum to be overhauled in light of Black Lives Matter
World Cultures Gallery at the World Museum ‘privileges the actions of white colonial collectors’, says curator
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Germany's Holocaust memorial sites fight against surge in far-right threats
Former concentration camps are being increasingly drawn into culture wars by “normal-looking” people challenging guides and disrupting tours
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Tate and National Gallery commercial units to cut hundreds of employees
While the museums’ staff have avoided layoffs, their colleagues in retail and catering have not been as lucky
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Hagia Sophia will be mosque again, Turkish president Erdogan says
The controversial decision is likely to set off a storm among cultural heritage officials
NewsRoyal Academy of Arts
Picasso show sells out before it even reopens—but Royal Academy of Arts is still making a loss
The London institution has reopened after four months of coronavirus lockdown but under very different circumstances
AnalysisMuseums & Heritage
A crisis in community reach: MoMA's arts educators on the consequences of their contract cuts
Poorly paid and with few employment benefits, freelance museum educators are more likely to be people of colour compared with full-time staff
CommentMuseums & Heritage
'If a person of African descent wants a career in the arts—well, good luck'
Only by looking backwards can we start to tackle inequality in the arts sector, says Gus Casely-Hayford, the director of V&A East
NewsCanada
Art Gallery of Ontario reopens with other Canadian museums to follow this month
Institutions across the country are cautiously welcoming back visitors
NewsMuseums & Heritage
UK's historic houses fight for survival post-lockdown after financial crash
Heritage organisations such as the National Trust rely on visitors for most of their income—but they have been staying away
NewsUnited Kingdom
Museums still under financial pressure despite UK’s £1.57bn rescue package for the arts
National cultural institutions and English Heritage will receive £100m, making up half the losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Decolonising museums: the new network opening up the diversity debate in the Netherlands
Cultural institutions from Amsterdam to Utrecht will work together to advance diversity and inclusion in programming, audiences and staff
CommentMuseums & Heritage
US needs monuments celebrating African American history, not Confederate statues
Telling America’s overlooked stories is fundamental to building a true national identity, says preservationist Brent Leggs
NewsMuseums
Half of British public not comfortable visiting museums or exhibitions post-lockdown
As museums begin to reopen across the UK this month, a new poll by Ipsos Mori suggests many are simply not ready for visiting exhibitions
NewsAustralia
‘Broken’ heritage laws: Australia launches investigation after 46,000-year-old Aboriginal rock art is obliterated
Parliamentary enquiry will examine how mining giant Rio Tinto obtained legal right to destroy ancient Juukan Gorge site
NewsUnions
In a virtual rally, Carnegie Museums employees launch union organising drive
Goals include a greater role in decision-making at the four Pittsburgh institutions, which reopened Monday
NewsJob losses
Art Institute of Chicago lays off 51 employees
Cuts come as US museums slash costs in response to loss of revenue
NewsPublic sculpture
Essex’s unlikely sculpture town is set for a renaissance
Built in the wake of the Second World War, Harlow maintains a remarkable collection with pieces by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Rodin
NewsKeith Haring
Once hidden, Keith Haring’s Amsterdam mural is ready for restoration
Conservators will repair paint losses and weatherproof a work that the artist executed “in a sort of frenzy” in 1986
InterviewMusée du Louvre
'I am not too worried by crowd problems': Louvre director predicts visitor numbers will drop by 80%
Jean-Luc Martinez believes that capitalising on the museum's permanent collection will be key to recovery
CommentMuseums & Heritage
Institutions need to follow artists’ lead to make a material impact on the world
Museums can learn a lot from artists like Mark Bradford, Shan Wallace and Rick Lowe about how to more effectively engage with their communities
NewsJob losses
Philadelphia Museum of Art to eliminate more than 20% of its staff
Loss of jobs comes amid plunge in revenue from coronavirus shutdown
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Facebook and Instagram ban trading of historical artefacts
Heritage group Athar were part of a campaign highlighting the social media giants' “black market in antiquities”
NewsInterview
Kaywin Feldman on how America's National Gallery of Art will 'attract the nation and reflect it, too'
The Washington museum's first female director is breaking down old silos and diversifying the staff, collection and exhibitions
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Seattle Art Museum responds gamely to fake news release saying it is dissolving
Institution says announcement that it will be run by organisations led by black and indigenous Americans was “a well-done piece of satire”
Newsdiversity
Curators at Guggenheim demand ‘urgent’ reforms of racial inequities at museum
In a letter to management, they call for minority hiring efforts and an inquiry into the treatment of guest curator
NewsConservation & Preservation
Menokin preservation project offers a literal window onto layers of Virginia history
Structural glass replaces missing walls and floors of a 1769 house, exposing indelible links to slavery
CommentLabour
Art unions need to agitate beyond worker contracts
The only way to change the exploitative culture and entrenched racism of art institutions is collectively, from the bottom up
Dana Kopel