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
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
NewsConservation & Preservation
As the world contends with Covid, World Monuments Fund makes a bet on sustainable tourism
Taking a lesson from how the pandemic dispersed crowds, the organisation selects seven sites for preservation and promotion
NewsMuseum trustees
Groups call for removal of Lacma trustee tied to ‘exploitative’ telecommunications company
Organisations target Tom Gores, whose firm invests in a corporation accused of charging prison inmates “egregious” rates for calls
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
PreviewContemporary art
Artist transforms Gilded Age pool house into an atmospheric soundscape
To evoke a watershed moment in society, Jorge Otero-Pailos has filled an abandoned natatorium with sounds recorded from bodies of water in New York State
ReviewThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in New York this weekend
From Betye Saar's travel sketchbooks at the Morgan Library and Museum to Rivane Neuenschwander's tapestries at Tanya Bonakdar gallery
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
Newsdiversity
After 2019 racial incident, MFA Boston hires a senior director of belonging and inclusion
Appointment follows an agreement with the Massachusetts attorney general to embrace diversity and adopt an anti-harassment policy
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
NewsDonors
Smithsonian confirms that its donor data was potentially breached in ransomware attack
Hacking of Blackbaud software systems exposed hundreds of clients, including other US and UK nonprofits
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
NewsExhibitions
Brisbane lands mammoth European loan exhibition from the Met
Gallery of Modern Art is sole venue for a show resulting partly from a skylight renovation project at the New York museum
NewsPublic art
Central Park gets its first monument honouring women’s rights advocates on 100th anniversary of suffrage
Hillary Clinton attended the unveiling of the statue depicting Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth
NewsExhibitions
After controversial cancellation in Cleveland, Mass MoCA will exhibit Shaun Leonardo’s images of Black victims
Drawings exploring systemic violence and injustice will also travel to Bronx Museum of the Arts
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
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
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
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
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
NewsAcquisitions
Oregon foundation acquires Judy Chicago print archive
Over 300 works chart the career of a feminist pioneer in revelatory detail
NewsUnions
Union accuses New Museum of ‘discriminatory’ layoffs and furloughs
Complaint to the National Labor Relations Board accuses institution of retaliating against bargaining unit members
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”
NewsRestitution
‘I had lost hope’: The story behind a Nazi-looted Madonna and long-delayed compensation to Jewish heirs
The 93-year-old heir Grete Unger Heinz recalls contemplating a Jacopo del Sellaio painting as a child in Vienna
NewsAntiquities
California man is charged with illegally importing an ancient mosaic, possibly from Syria
Indictment says the paperwork misrepresented the work’s quality and value
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
NewsArtists
With public programming derailed, Governors Island buildings will be opened to New York artists
Groups invite cultural practitioners to apply for residencies stretching over the next three months
NewsArt education
San Francisco Art Institute says it is reinstating degree programmes
Decision follows the resolution of contract disputes with tenured faculty and an infusion of funds
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
NewsExhibitions
‘I want people to know how it feels’: quilt exhibitions will explore police brutality and racism
Shows in Twin Cities to offer a historical snapshot of tumult in the US
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
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
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
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
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
Newsreopenings
Met plans to reopen flagship building on 29 August after five-month shutdown
Other New York museums are expected to follow its lead, but it all depends on the city entering Phase 4 of reopening
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
NewsProtests
Protest letter urges New York art institutions to rectify ‘egregious acts’ rooted in white supremacy
Signatories cite “unfair practices”, unequal pay and lack of diversity
NewsProtests
National Trust for Historic Preservation supports removal of Confederate statues that glorify white power
Trust says such monuments “do not reflect, and are in fact abhorrent to, our values”
NewsAcquisitions
Giuseppe Penone presents two big gifts of drawings to Philadelphia Museum of Art and Centre Pompidou
Arte Povera sculptor hopes that his donations of hundreds of works on paper will start a dialogue
NewsPhilanthropy
Citing devastating coronavirus impact, five US foundations plan to increase payouts to strapped nonprofits by $1.7bn
In a novel strategy, at least three of the foundations will borrow money to finance giving
NewsUnions
Labour organising committee assails Philadelphia museum’s use of a ‘union avoidance’ law firm
Employees call on the museum to take a position of neutrality in any union vote
NewsProtests
MCA Chicago renounces future contracts with police until changes are made
Museums calls for policies that “respect black communities”
NewsProtests
Former Whitney vice chairman divests businesses marketing aggressive crowd-control technology
Corporation owned by Warren B. Kanders, whose links to tear gas led to his museum ouster, is selling off divisions associated with aggressive tactics
NewsRacial injustice
MOCA Cleveland apologises to black artist whose show it cancelled
Shaun Leonardo, who depicted victims of police violence, has accused the museum of censorship
NewsThree to see
Three initiatives that explore racial inequality and the long fight for justice in the US
From Google Arts & Culture's digital platform exploring the culture of black experience to the Smithsonian's new Talking About Race portal
NewsWalker Art Center
Citing killing, Walker Art Center says it will suspend use of police services for special events
Museum calls for holding Minneapolis officers accountable for excessive force and treating people of colour with respect
NewsProtests
Nelson-Atkins Museum director pledges to re-establish trust after police use campus to stage response to protests
After asking that squad cars leave the grounds, he says police presence caused deep “hurt”
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Amid turbulent US protests, Smithsonian's African American museum opens a conversation about race
Goal of online portal is to spur dialogue about racism and its “corrosive impact”
Interviewcoronavirus
Putting our heads together: the three Guggenheim directors size up post-Covid challenges
With museums in Bilbao and Venice poised to reopen, while New York remains in lockdown, Richard Armstrong, Juan Ignacio Vidarte and Karole Vail talk about weathering the financial crisis
NewsLandscape architecture
Board will revisit vote that would allow demolition of site-specific work at National Geographic Society’s home in Washington, DC
Board members say they were unaware that renovation plan would sacrifice Elyn Zimmerman’s installation
NewsAcquisitions
A valentine to New York City, in a gift of 130 urban scenes by Chagall, O'Keeffe, Hockney and other artists
Philanthropic couple’s promised donation to New-York Historical Society boosts collection’s 20th-century holdings
NewsUnions
Workers at Philadelphia Museum of Art seek to unionise
Entreating management to recognise the union voluntarily, employees emphasise goals of equity, diversity and inclusion
NewsLandscape architecture
National Geographic Society defends disputed plan to remove sculptural installation
Organisation argues that Elyn Zimmerman’s site-specific 1984 work does not deserve protection
NewsConservation & Preservation
‘A resting time for the art’: with museums shut, US conservators seize on strategies to safeguard their collections
Experts embrace a blend of remote monitoring and on-site tours, while marvelling at diminished levels of dust
NewsMuseums
Here are the US and European museums that have announced when they are reopening
As governments loosen lockdown restrictions, institutions map out ways of seeking to limit the spread of coronavirus
NewsConservation & Preservation
Flooding threatens Mies van der Rohe’s minimalist Farnsworth House in Illinois
Site braces for another onslaught of heavy rain starting this weekend
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Director of Akron Art Museum resigns after negative reports on management
Staff members had leveled allegations of racism, sexism and bullying by managers
Newscoronavirus
The Met will not reopen until mid-August at the earliest
The museum also cancels tours, talks, concerts and events through the end of the year
Newscoronavirus
After two-month shutdown, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is reopening this weekend
Institution adopts new policies to foster “the safest possible conditions”
NewsArt & Technology
With a haunting sculpture, the Met expands its push into augmented reality
Curator provides audio narration for 3D experience of a Taíno religious figure
NewsConservation & Preservation
The master's hand: a treasured Vermeer gives up its secrets
Extensive testing of the Frick’s Mistress and Maid proves that it was not finished by someone else
NewsAntiquities trafficking
International crackdown on art trafficking leads to 101 arrested and 19,000 artefacts recovered
Interpol says the operation spanned 103 countries and that objects ranged from coins to paintings to fossils
Newsdiversity
After racial incident involving a student field trip, MFA Boston reaches accord on diversity
Agreement with state attorney general calls for museum to set up a $500,000 fund promoting inclusion
NewsMet Gala
With its May gala derailed, the Met offers entertainment for online visitors
Museum provides a preview of its delayed Costume Institute exhibition, posts video of gala highlights and invites audiences to photograph themselves in red-carpet attire
NewsArt schools
San Francisco Art Institute plans to stay open but suspend degree programmes
School seeks a new business model as well as a partner that can shore up its finances
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Competition spawns alternative designs for controversial Lacma building project
A protest group champions six ideas that remedy what it views as shortcomings in Peter Zumthor's design
AnalysisMuseums & Heritage
'There is no fast track back to normal': museums confront economic fallout of the pandemic
Closed museums are losing millions in income, ushering in job cuts, appeals for emergency relief and lasting changes in strategy
NewsCoronavirus resources
US Congress renews payroll loan programme for small businesses and non-profits reeling from coronavirus, extending hopes for museums
Money ran out in the first round, although some museums scored loans
Newscoronavirus
Met lays off 81 staff members in response to projected budget shortfall
Cuts affect employees in visitor services and retail departments, and more job losses are expected
NewsPublic art
Art world figures protest plan to dismantle sculptural installation in Washington, DC
Arrangement of boulders around reflecting pool on National Geographic Society campus is cited as a landscape art masterpiece
Newscoronavirus
AAMD loosens rules for museums seeking to divert income amid coronavirus crisis
While legal hurdles remain, the museum directors’ association will not penalise members who redirect restricted funds to cover operating expenses
Newscoronavirus
Portland Art Museum joins wave of institutions to cut back on staff costs
Nearly 75% of staff will be placed on unpaid leave and senior leadership at the Oregon museum will take salary cuts
Newscoronavirus
Guggenheim furloughs 92 employees in New York
Museum will also reduce salaries for those making over $80,000
Newscoronavirus
Whitney and New Museum lay off staff members as coronavirus economic fallout continues
Employee cuts come three weeks after institutions shut down
NewsAppointments
Laura Raicovich is named interim director of Leslie-Lohman Museum
Politically minded figure left helm of Queens Museum amid tensions with its board
Newscoronavirus
Getty sets up $10m fund for small and mid-size Los Angeles-area arts organisations reeling from virus
The trust anticipates that grants will range from $25,000 to $200,000
Newscoronavirus
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation plans $5m coronavirus relief effort
Multi-year effort will start with $1.25m in grants to a contemporary art foundation, an Artist Relief Fund and New York arts groups
NewsExhibitions
‘On the Edge’: de Young plans juried show for artists this summer in San Francisco
No firm date is set amid quarantine, but museum is inviting Bay Area artists to take part and sell their work
NewsArt schools
San Francisco Art Institute considers suspending classes after May graduation
Citing coronavirus tumult, the 149-year-old school says it has failed to find a partner to ensure its financial survival
Featurecoronavirus
Here's how to apply for financial aid during the coronavirus pandemic if you're self-employed or a small business in the arts
We have gathered information about grants and loans around the world to help you get through the Covid-19 crisis
Newscoronavirus
Donors set up $75m fund to help cultural groups and other non-profits in New York City
Fund will disburse grants and loans to small and midsize organisations impacted by coronavirus
Featurecoronavirus
‘It’s almost like science fiction’: artists share their experiences with the coronavirus
We spoke with artists in the US and Europe about how Covid-19 has so far affected them and their work, from cancelled exhibitions to concerns about the future
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Seeking answers from Lacma, Ahmanson Foundation threatens to take its largesse elsewhere
Long-time patron wants ‘a clear understanding’ of how a new building can accommodate the permanent collection highlights it has funded
Newscoronavirus
Met anticipates a $100m shortfall and remaining closed until July—and smaller museums in the US could be hurt even more by pandemic
“Everyone is really whipsawed,” says the New York institution’s president Daniel Weiss, who expects staff reductions
NewsClosures
Here are the museums that have closed (so far) due to coronavirus
Updates on which cultural institutions are temporarily closing to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic
NewsConservation & Preservation
Crowdfunding campaign launched to revive travel-worn Rockwells
Two works—the artist's famous Thanksgiving dinner scene, and a depiction of an African American girl being escorted by US Marshalls to school—have been on a national tour
Newscoronavirus
Led by Metropolitan Museum of Art, a flurry of US museums say they are shutting down because of coronavirus
Institutions in New York, Boston and Washington underline the need to control the spread of Covid-19
NewsMuseums & Heritage
New arts space finds its muse in the atmospheric Oklahoma sky
Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center is reopening with an inaugural exhibition on illumination
NewsAcquisitions
Cleveland Museum of Art receives art gifts valued at more than $100m
Works donated by a collecting couple include paintings by Bonnard, Vuilliard, Matisse, Braque, Caillebotte and many others