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
NewsCentre Pompidou
Serge Lasvignes re-appointed as president of Centre Pompidou
French government endorses his strategy of establishing satellite branches overseas
NewsArt market
La Biennale Paris relies on government funding bailout to support dealers during coronavirus crisis
Exhibitors at the art and antiques fair in September will not have to pay the usual advance deposit and allowed to spread out payment over four months
NewsMiddle East
UAE government promotes existing Art in Embassies acquisition scheme as a coronavirus relief plan
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggested its AED 1.5m in purchases were part of a new initiative following the suspension of Art Dubai due to Covid-19
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
NewsYayoi Kusama
New York Botanical Garden forced to postpone blockbuster Kusama show due to coronavirus
The artist says the passion she and the garden put into the exhibition is "still burning"
Newscoronavirus
Magazzino Italian Art Foundation commissions eight Italian artists to produce new work in response to coronavirus
The New York-based foundation says there is an "absolute need to support artists" as the Covid-19 pandemic shutters exhibitions around the world
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
NewsArt's Most Popular 2020
The exceptional piece of calligraphy at the centre of one of 2019's most popular—and most controversial—exhibitions
Tokyo National Museum’s show on Chinese artist Yan Zhenqing ranks 15th in our latest visitor attendance survey despite contentious loan from Taipei museum
Newscoronavirus
More than 40 UK museums and conservators donate personal protective equipment to help NHS fight coronavirus
Conservation departments are sending gloves, masks and Tyvek suits to hospitals and ambulance services
NewsArt market
Redundancies, pay cuts and staff furloughs at Sotheby's as coronavirus impact bites
Christie's is also making salary cuts and furloughing staff as lockdown closes auction houses and forces sales online
Newscoronavirus
Irish Museum of Modern Art to be used as mortuary to cope with coronavirus pandemic
Museum will house a temporary structure in its grounds as the “country prepares Public Health facilities to deal with Covid-19”
NewsMuseums & Heritage
All eyes on Asia: normality is still a long way off as museums emerge from lockdown
Visitor numbers at some of the world’s most popular art venues have nosedived and uncertainty for the future remains
NewsVincent Van Gogh
How Van Gogh’s handwritten texts were tragically chopped up
The artist copied poems and hymns into an album that belonged to his London landlady; our investigations reveal that, around 100 years later, an unknown perpetrator cut the pages into pieces in order to make a quick buck
NewsDubai
Expo 2020 Dubai—the Arab world's biggest ever event—now likely to open in 2021 due to coronavirus
Major visual arts programme still planned for multidisciplinary culture and science showcase in the United Arab Emirates
NewsCoronavirus resources
Warhol Foundation offers $1.6m in emergency relief grants to artists affected by the coronavirus crisis
Grants will be allocated to artists in 16 US cities through the foundation's regional regranting partners and can be used to cover expenses like food and rent
Newscoronavirus
Private galleries give some profits to public health organisations battling coronavirus
Hauser & Wirth is donating 10% of profits from its online exhibitions to “both local and global causes” as part of its new #artforbetter initiative
Newscoronavirus
Coronavirus complicates US Census—and the arts funding tied to it
Art + Action has launched a multi-pronged initiative to reach Bay Area residents in hard-to-count communities, and galvanise the art world to get behind the national headcount
NewsArt market
Sotheby's postpones New York May 'gigaweek' sales due to coronavirus
Move is in line with Christie's and Phillips which postponed their sales to late June, but Sotheby's is yet to announce when its auctions will actually happen
NewsMuseums
Anish Kapoor fan gets stuck in virtual exhibition
The man was looking for the “blackest black” in Malevich painting but says he fell “into a glitch hole”
NewsArt market
London’s young galleries fight for survival during lockdown
But being smaller can mean lower overheads and more nimble business models, with some venues more upbeat than others as the shutdown hits
NewsArt fairs
Frieze offers full refunds to exhibitors after cancelling its New York fair due to coronavirus
The fair will also launch a new online viewing room feature at no cost to planned exhibitors and will apply reimbursements to future editions
NewsMuseums
Tasmanian museum live streams 'human canvas' whose artist-designed tattoos are worth €150,000
Tim Steiner, whose entire back is covered in an ink piece created by Wim Delvoye, will sit in the empty Mona museum until the end of April
Newscoronavirus
Brazilian galleries and museums to remain closed despite Bolsonaro's draconian stance on coronavirus
As the Brazilian president calls for businesses to re-open despite a growing number of Covid-19 cases, some refuse to follow "politically-influenced" advice
Newscoronavirus
Patrick Devedjian—French politician and driving force behind new museum dedicated to the Sun King—has died of coronavirus
Devedjian was leading plans for a museum project in Saint-Cloud, west of Paris, about the reign of Louis XIV
NewsArt's Most Popular 2020
Manga beats Rembrandt and Captain Cook to be named the British Museum’s most popular show last year
The exhibition on the global phenomenon was the largest ever to be staged outside Japan
Newscoronavirus
Ghost town: eerie images of London in lockdown
Our picture editor Katherine Hardy used her exercise allowance to capture the UK capital's empty streets
NewsSalvator Mundi
How the Louvre concealed its secret Salvator Mundi book
Publication with new scientific analysis of the picture was withdrawn after the Saudi authorities refused to loan Leonardo’s $450m painting to Paris
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 theft
Birthday heist: Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum on anniversary of artist's birth
The Singer Laren museum in the Netherlands is currently on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic
NewsTracey Emin
Tracey Emin shares her lockdown life on Instagram
British artist says we need “all kinds of art in these scary times”
NewsArt market
New York galleries seek rent relief from state government in the wake of coronavirus shutdowns
Some dealers are "prepared for a rent strike" if Governor Cuomo does not address a new bill offering rent suspensions to small businesses before 1 April
Newscoronavirus
Versailles goes virtual as French government launches digital programme to help history students on lockdown
The palace’s online platform will offer virtual reality experiences and a Game of Thrones-themed quiz
Newscoronavirus
Take a virtual tour of once-in-a-lifetime Raphael show in Rome that closed after four days due to coronavirus
Video is part of Italy's "Culture never stops!" initiative providing online access to cultural and heritage sites
Newscoronavirus
Arts organisations produce face masks and other medical equipment to help slow the spread of coronavirus
As museums donate protective supplies to medical centres during coronavirus crisis, grassroots efforts to make masks struggle to meet medical standards
Newscoronavirus
Goodman Gallery is selling artist-designed blankets to raise funds for a Johannesburg clinic
Artists participating in the project include Broomberg & Chanarin, Nolan Oswald Dennis and Reza Farkhondeh
NewsCopyright
US copyright law comes under scrutiny as new legislation makes its way before Congress
A planned new mediation system, which aims to streamline copyright breach claims in the US, has loopholes that could deny artists justice, critics say
NewsArt's Most Popular 2020
As coronavirus shuts down the capital, our survey shows 2019 was the busiest year for London museums this century
Last year also saw record attendances at both Tate Modern and Tate Britain
Newscoronavirus
Turkish government slammed for crowds at heritage sites as ticket collector reportedly dies from coronavirus
Worker at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace is believed to have contracted Covid-19, leading state to be criticised for not closing tourist attractions quick enough
Newscoronavirus
Majority of Berlin artists worried they can't pay rent due to coronavirus, survey finds
German government has introduced emergency measures to support the creative industry
NewsExhibitions
A dazzling web by Studio Drift serves as a metaphor for connection
While their set piece is stuck in New York, the Dutch artists upload their L’Orfeo opera to YouTube
NewsPhotography
Photographers are capturing the stark mood of major cities amid the coronavirus pandemic
As many self-employed photographers face work losses due to Covid-19, others document the "seriousness of what is happening on a personal and community level"
Newscoronavirus
Masterpiece London cancels 2020 June edition as UK cracks down on coronavirus spread
The move follows news that Art Basel will postpone its 50th anniversary edition until September and New York's major auctions pivot to June
Newscoronavirus
Institutions stand to lose millions as spring fundraisers are cancelled and postponed
Due to losses caused by the coronavirus epidemic, the American Alliance of Museum estimates that one-third of the now shut museums will not be able to reopen without financial assistance from the government
Newscoronavirus
After much speculation, Art Basel postponed to September due to coronavirus
Swiss art fair is the latest of numerous fairs to be moved to the autumn, as the pandemic decimates the art world calendar
Newscoronavirus
Tefaf Maastricht comes under fire as Covid-19 cases surge among the fair's attendees
Infected participants criticise fair’s decision to open in March as virus was spreading
NewsMuseums
Centre Pompidou was about to sign a deal for a satellite space in South Korea—before coronavirus struck
Curators at French museum plan to launch video game centred on contemporary art while its Shanghai satellite reopens to the public
Newscoronavirus
Artists and galleries help raise coronavirus relief funds through print edition sales
Eric Fischl is supplying a limited edition print to benefit the closed New York Academy of Art while other sales are being donated to emergency funds and community organisations
Newscoronavirus
Yale MFA students demand tuition refund as classes move online
In a letter, students cite the shutdown of facilities due to coronavirus
Newscoronavirus
Museum layoffs begin in Los Angeles at MOCA and Hammer
The two institutions let go a combined 247 part-time employees whose jobs could not be performed remotely
NewsRestitution
'We want to be part of the solution': UK museum says it is open to discussing fate of Benin bronze after prince demands its return
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery wants to work in tandem with the Benin Dialogue Group, which is made up of institutions that hold the majority of the pieces
Newscoronavirus
Students slam Royal College of Art's decision to move degree show online because of coronavirus
Unlike other universities, the school has not postponed its courses during the crisis
NewsObituaries
Maurice Berger, critic and curator, has died of complications from Covid-19, aged 63
The author and historian penned 11 books, curated a stream of shows and authored his Race Stories column in The New York Times beginning in 2012
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
NewsCathedral of Notre Dame
Thieves arrested for stealing stones from Notre Dame in Paris
Drunk perpetrators may have wanted to sell the items on the black market
NewsObituaries
Albert Uderzo, the artist behind French cartoon icon Asterix, dies aged 92
"Asterix really showed me that history could be fun and daft,” says the Irish archaeologist Neil Jackman as tributes are paid to the artist
NewsArt market
Smaller galleries frustrated by digital sales platforms as dealers move business online due to coronavirus lockdowns
Existing online marketplaces like Artsy attempted to raise membership rates as galleries were forced to indefinitely close due to Covid-19
NewsObituaries
New York gallerist Paul Kasmin, who helped build the Chelsea gallery scene, has died, aged 60
The London-born dealer first visited the US with his father as a child, and went on to develop the careers of many artists
NewsLaw
Supreme Court rules film-maker cannot sue North Carolina for copyright infringement
Opinion finds Congress overstepped its authority with 1990 federal statute, but allowed for a new law to "stop states from behaving as copyright pirates"
NewsDisasters & destruction
Zagreb Cathedral’s spire damaged in major earthquake
City is "fighting two enemies" as it continues to deal with the spread of coronavirus
Newscoronavirus
UK government 'failing' to support its freelancers, leading arts body says
Finance minister Rishi Sunak has attracted criticism for his emergency bailout plan over claims that it discriminates against gig workers
Newscoronavirus
There are more than 200 works for you to explore in this online Frida Kahlo exhibition
Google Arts & Culture is working with 33 museums to host this epic show of the Mexican artist
Newscoronavirus
Coronavirus: Manifesta 13 in Marseille on hold and Sydney Biennale goes virtual with Google Arts & Culture
Riga International Biennial of Contemporary Art has also been postponed
NewsFourth Plinth
Latest Fourth Plinth sculpture—a giant swirl of whipped cream topped with a drone and fly—delayed by coronavirus
Heather Phillipson’s subversive work was to replace Michael Rakowitz’s recreation of a protective deity destroyed by Islamic State
NewsArt market
From hot new thing to 'cryptowinter' chill: sizing up fractional ownership of art
Companies are offering shares in works by artists from Monet to Warhol through crypto tokens, but the jury is out as to the benefits for investors
Newscoronavirus
'I'm gearing up for a conversation with my landlord': Small US galleries prepare for the first wave of coronavirus losses
Considering staff furloughs and calling for state and city governments to expand small business grants, dealers are bracing themselves for significant financial downturn amid Covid-19
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
NewsRestitution
New guidelines for UK museums will kickstart nation's long-overdue restitution debate
Arts Council England will release a document that addresses the ethical and practical issues around restituting cultural objects, planned for autumn 2020
NewsArt market
Latest art fair to succumb to coronavirus: Tefaf New York Spring postponed to autumn, swallowing up sister fair
Event has now moved to the dates normally occupied by Tefaf New York Fall, which has been scrapped as a result but will return in 2021, organisers say
NewsArt schools
‘Social Distance Gallery’ gives MFA and BFA candidates a chance to exhibit their work
Instagram offers an outlet for students whose hopes were dashed by cancelled thesis exhibitions
NewsArt market
Christie's and Phillips move May 'giga-week' New York sales to end of June due to coronavirus
Expanded 20th century art week in US will swallow up London auctions. Sotheby's has yet to make a decision about its New York Spring sales
NewsAppointments & departures
Ex-presidential press director who led billionaire François Pinault’s art empire quits after six months
Sylvain Fort steps down ahead of Paris gallery launch at the historic Bourse de Commerce, which has been delayed due to coronavirus
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