NewsVisitor Figures 2020
British Museum hit hardest by 2020 lockdown among UK’s big museums
Major UK institutions lost 78% of their visitors due to the pandemic last year, our research reveals
NewsNational Trust
National Trust's report on colonial and slavery history did not breach charity law, regulator says
Research commissioned by the trust provoked complaints from Conservative politicians amid UK culture war around controversial monuments
NewsNational Gallery
National Gallery London: new details of development plans revealed
A 1960s office block behind the Sainsbury Wing will be demolished to make way for a new building to provide more exhibition space
NewsPolitics
Keep your distance, former culture ministers warn UK government
Independence of museums and heritage bodies is at risk, say Ed Vaizey and Chris Smith, as Johnson’s government pushes ‘anti-woke’ agenda
NewsArchaeology
The mullet wasn't just an 80s thing, as this newly unearthed Iron Age figure suggests
Celtic deity from Cambridgeshire sports impeccable hair that is slightly longer at the back
NewsBuilding projects
'Building on our strengths': National Gallery London unveils plans for £25m upgrade
Refurbishment, to be partly completed for the museum's 200th anniversary in 2024, will encompass the lobby of the Sainsbury Wing, a new research centre and improved outdoor space
NewsConservation
Thanks to a £3m gift, the National Trust could finally uncover a secret portrait of Mary Queen of Scots
Conservation boost from a US charity comes after the heritage organisation faced a £200m revenue collapse due to the pandemic
NewsArchaeology
Discoveries at Stonehenge highlight controversial new tunnel's threat to heritage
Recent excavation has uncovered late Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts and human remains
NewsFunding
Weston Culture Fund gives UK arts organisations £30m in relief from 'devastating impact' of Covid-19
Wallace Collection, Birmingham Museums and the MAC Belfast are among more than 100 charities receiving recovery grants from the Garfield Weston Foundation
NewsExhibitions
Executed Chinese prisoners likely used in UK exhibition
Cadavers on display in 'Real Bodies' show were provided by Dalian-based firm known to have acquired corpses from police
CommentMonuments
Tearing down troubling statues is not lying about our history—it is removing impediments to truth
The UK communities secretary Robert Jenrick's plans to prevent the removal of controversial monuments reveals his inability to view the past as shifting and complex
NewsChurches
Pew! Sussex church may scrap plans to remove historic seating
Moves by parishes to replace pews with chairs for “flexibility” anger traditionalists
NewsMuseums
Why us? European museums cry foul over second lockdown
Shops remain open in many countries even as museums are plunged once more into Covid-19 deep-freeze
NewsLiverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial director Fatos Üstek resigns after run-in with board of trustees
Two trustees, the artist Fiona Banner and the art lawyer Jon Sharples, also stepped down in support
Newscolonialism
Somerset House to dig into its colonial past
Move follows release of National Trust’s slavery report, which was accused of following a ‘woke agenda’
NewsArt market
London galleries to accommodate collectors ‘by appointment’ during second coronavirus lockdown
Some dealers say they will continue to hold private viewings for buyers, while opening hours are extended in the West End tonight
NewsHeritage
Brighton's Madeira Terrace, a unique Liverpool cemetery and a 17th-century public library among English heritage sites at risk
Entries on Historic England Heritage at Risk list, published today, have risen to 5,097
NewsPrizes
Museums of the year: Art Fund names five joint winners of UK’s biggest arts prize
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Gairloch Museum, the Science Museum, South London Gallery and Towner Eastbourne will share £200,000 award
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Nearly 450 heritage rescue grants announced from UK's £1.57bn cultural bailout fund
First funding round hailed as a "lifeline" for heritage sites and specialists reeling from the pandemic, but job losses continue
NewsArchaeology
Remains of 'tall and robust' Anglo Saxon warrior found by amateur detectorist in UK
The 'Marlow Warlord' was buried with his weapons and luxuries for 1,400 years
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Inside The Box: Plymouth’s £48m bid for cultural revival
Pandemic scuppers city’s celebrations of Mayflower anniversary and hopes for tourist crowds—but flagship museum project opens against the odds
NewsBanksy
Banksy loses trademark battle over his famous Flower Thrower image
The street artist opened a pop-up shop in Croydon last year in a bid to protect his image rights, but was found to have “acted in bad faith”
NewsMuseums
Oxford museum removes 'racist' shrunken heads from display after 80 years
Exhibiting Tsantsas "reinforced racist and stereotypical thinking that goes against the museum’s core values,” says the Pitt Rivers Museum's director
NewsMuseums & Heritage
‘Living museum’ of British-Somali heritage heads to east London
Crowdfunded space aims to preserve community archive and support emerging artists
AnalysisArts funding
Ten tips to get Arts Council funding, according to an expert
What cultural institutions in England need to know before applying for the government's £1.57bn rescue package
NewsUnited Kingdom
Bristol creatives fundraise for new boat venue championing black artists
“There has been a stigma around the harbour which needs to be decolonised,” says project co-founder
News
UK government approves banknote designs featuring ethnic minority pioneers
Founder of advocacy group championing BAME figures says she is “tackling statues, artwork and signage next”
AnalysisMonuments
So we’re bringing down statues—but what kind of monuments would we like to see instead?
Perhaps the time has come to remove the plinth and stop celebrating individual heroes
NewsMuseums
Pests run amok as UK museums struggle with lockdown
Limited capacity and undisturbed venues create ‘playground’ for vermin
BlogThe Buck stopped here
Four billboards outside Hull, England: art project commemorates sex workers who have died
Collective of former sex workers and the artist duo Henry/Bragg are behind the installation
NewsPhotography
Martin Parr’s resignation from photo festival sparks ‘cancel culture’ debate
How industry elites are treated, and how historical photographs are viewed, now under the microscope in wake of anti-racism campaign
NewsMuseums
UK museums face far bigger revenue drop than reported
Creative Industries Federation originally estimated a coronavirus fall of only 9%, but now says it will be 45%
CommentMonuments
The problem with Marc Quinn's Black Lives Matter sculpture
Racism runs far deeper than representation, says the artist Thomas J. Price
NewsMonuments
Marc Quinn's Black Lives Matter sculpture removed by Bristol council
Statue that replaced toppled monument to slave trader Edward Colston has polarised opinion
NewsMonuments
Marc Quinn sculpture of Black Lives Matter activist replaces statue to slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol
Installed overnight, the work depicts local resident Jen Reid who was photographed on the site when the monument was toppled last month
NewsMuseums
UK museum leaders distance themselves from controversial Creative Industries Federation's report on coronavirus impact
The Art Newspaper questions the federation’s 9% fall in revenue this year, suggesting it is more likely to be around 50%
NewsExhibitions
'Tender, gentle and creative soul': outdoor exhibition in west London pays tribute to artist Khadija Saye who died in Grenfell fire
Unveiled by Tottenham MP David Lammy today, the show also marks the launch of an arts mentor scheme in Saye’s name
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
NewsControversies
Mary Rose Museum 'appalled' by David Starkey's racist remarks as British historian steps down as trustee
Tudor specialist has been widely condemned for remarks on slavery and Black Lives Matter in YouTube interview
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
NewsMuseums
UK museums can reopen from 4 July—but for some it's too soon
News of the government's latest easing of lockdown measures today has been welcomed by the art world but "huge problems still remain for the sector"
NewsArt education
Unemployment crisis looms over thousands of academics as casual contracts are axed or postponed by UK’s top arts universities
Black and minority ethnic staff at institutions including Goldsmiths and the Royal College of Art are at particular risk
NewsSculpture
Windrush sculptures honouring UK's Caribbean immigrants to be unveiled in London
Leading black artists Thomas J. Price and Veronica Ryan's works in Hackney are due to be completed in 2021
Commentcoronavirus
Oxford Economics report: an emergency fund for the UK creative sector 'needs to come soon'
It is time for a Creative New Deal amid the coronavirus crisis, says Caroline Norbury the chief executive officer of the Creative Industries Federation
Newscoronavirus
UK creative industries face 'a cultural catastrophe'—but museums may not be hit as hard
New report by Oxford Economics predicts that the culture sector will lose 30% of its revenue due to Covid-19
Newscoronavirus
Art Fund unblocks £2m in grants to reopen UK museums and 'prevent immediate insolvency'
Charity's Covid-19 crisis support package includes £150,000 to launch new network of touring exhibitions
NewsMonuments
Museum world rallies behind curator investigated for tweets on how to damage bronze statues
UK arts professionals express support for Madeline Odent whose comments prompted a backlash on Twitter
NewsMuseums & Heritage
In numbers: the visitors, ticket sales and fundraising revenue UK national museums can expect as they reopen
We do the sums as the culture sector plans to get back to business
CommentDiary of an art historian
Museums are about to reopen—but should they?
Social distancing measures mean a lot of money will be spent on a small number of visitors, institutions should be focusing on their online presence instead
NewsContemporary art
Investigative artists Forensic Architecture uncover new evidence in 2011 police killing of Mark Duggan
Independent Office for Police Conduct says it is now assessing whether to reopen the official investigation into the shooting that triggered the London riots
NewsProtest
Oxford council says controversial Cecil Rhodes statue should go to museum after long-running stalemate
Thousands of protestors are demanding removal of statue of the Victorian imperialist from Oriel college
NewsBanksy
Banksy proposes new Bristol memorial of protesters toppling slave trader statue
Street artist says the idea would cater both to critics and defenders of the monument of Edward Colston
NewsMonuments
Statues of slavers around London could be pulled down under mayor’s new diversity plan
Sadiq Khan wants to review and improve "the diversity of public landmarks" after protestors toppled the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol
Commentcolonialism
Edward Colston monument: 'UK must face the truth of what helped it become a mighty power'
Once it is fished out of the water in Bristol, the statue of slave trader Edward Colston should go in a museum. But what kind of a museum?, asks writer Bonnie Greer
NewsMonuments
Protesters topple monument to slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol—mayor wants to place it in a museum
Controversial statue was dismantled and thrown into the harbour during a Black Lives Matter rally
NewsLawsuits
Insurers hit by art-world class action lawsuit as coronavirus crisis bites
Claimants including major museums and art galleries accuse companies of failing to pay out on Covid-19 pandemic
NewsMuseums
London’s Southbank Centre may stay closed until April next year due to massive financial pressure
Arts centre, which includes the Hayward Gallery, has already used up its reserves amid the coronavirus crisis
NewsArtists
Masses of artists rejected by UK government’s self-employment support scheme
Many are turning to benefits and emergency grants to plug some of the deficit
NewsFunding
England's museums look to Arts Council to secure £250m government bailout
Cultural institutions bracing for a fall in visitors and shrinking revenue will need huge increase in public funding to recover after reopening
Commentcoronavirus
Britain's young artists had a hard time before the pandemic. What will happen to them now?
Inequality is rife in British society, not least in the arts, where decades of ‘class-cleansing’ policies have made it harder than ever to be an artist and designer
NewsAntiquities
Two trunkloads of fake Iraqi antiquities seized by UK customs
The international market is now “absolutely awash” with forgeries, says British Museum curator who examined the hoard
Commentcoronavirus
When this is all over we must reimagine the infrastructure of the arts
Our enforced isolation during the coronavirus crisis gives us time to think about the role of culture in the public realm
Newscoronavirus
Royal Academy of Arts cancels Angelica Kauffman and Paul Cézanne exhibitions amid coronavirus crisis
As the London institution announces its revised exhibition schedule, we reveal the international knock-on effect triggered by the changes
Newscoronavirus
UK could lose half of its creative businesses, say key cultural figures in open letter
The Art Newspaper has compiled a list of UK and international financial aid for arts businesses
NewsWilliam Shakespeare
Oldest Shakespeare library in the world releases glamorous images from its archive for the Bard's birthday
Shakespeare Memorial Library in Birmingham has dug out stills from A Midsummer Night’s Dream starring Olivia de Havilland and Mickey Rooney
Newscoronavirus
V&A chair had 'Bruegel-like' delirium after contracting Covid-19
Nicholas Coleridge describes “icy legs” symptoms and how doctors undoubtedly saved his life
Analysiscoronavirus
Can’t pay your rent? Here’s what you can do if you're a UK gallery
Coronavirus has left many art businesses struggling to pay their bills, but there are resources available to help
NewsStolen art
Coronavirus might be limiting our travels but one painting is still on the move (somewhere)
Terry Frost's work, which was last seen on a train between London Euston and Crewe, joins a long list of disappearances associated with public transport
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
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
Commentcoronavirus
With the coronavirus shutdown, smaller heritage sites such as the Mary Rose face a fight for survival
The charity that runs the historic battleship needs help from the government and the public, says its chief executive Helen Bonser-Wilton
Featurecoronavirus
Personal stories of coronavirus: the widow who opened her husband's exhibition for a day
Diana Cohen, the 90-year-old wife of the late painter Alfred Cohen, travelled to London for the opening of the first show of his work in 20 years. Years in the making, it opened and closed within a few hours
Newscoronavirus
Tate to close all four locations until 1 May due to coronavirus
Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate St Ives and Tate Liverpool will shut their doors from 18 March
NewsUK politics
UK budget: freeports, money for patching up national museums and new £250m culture fund confirmed
Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivers first post-Brexit spending pledges
NewsAntiquities & Archaeology
Relics in Kent church are remains of 1,400-year old Anglo Saxon princess, carbon dating suggests
If confirmed, Eanswythe's bones are the earliest identified remains of an English saint
NewsNational Portrait Gallery
Not bigger, but better: behind the scenes of the £35.5m revamp at London's National Portrait Gallery
Director Nicholas Cullinan and architect Jamie Fobert reveal how the gallery’s controversial three-year closure will transform its 600-year collection of portraits
NewsUnited Kingdom
UK art schools begin 14-day strike action
Dispute centres on zero-hours contracts, pay devaluation, rising workloads and the gender and ethnicity pay gap
NewsParthenon marbles
Leaked draft of EU paper stirs Parthenon Marbles dispute
But the clause is unlikely to refer to the ancient Greek sculptures in the British Museum, expert says
NewsAppointments
Cabinet reshuffle: Oliver Dowden appointed new UK culture secretary
The Conservative MP for Hertsmere in Hertfordshire replaces Nicky Morgan
NewsUnited Kingdom
Teenager who threw boy from Tate Modern viewing platform told carers about his plan to kill
Jonty Bravery said he wanted to “push somebody off” more than a year ago
NewsArtists
‘Who put a price on my head?’ Mayfair gallery’s show of coal miners’ bronze busts sparks controversy
Sculptures are a ‘preview’ of a public commission by Laurence Edwards due to be unveiled in Doncaster in May
NewsLeaders
Hans Ulrich Obrist: 'Ecology will be at the heart of everything we do'
The Serpentine Galleries' artistic director will reduce his flying 'very significantly' as the London institution goes green to mark its 50th anniversary
NewsMuseums
'Don’t panic': Glasgow City Council calms fears over proposal to close city's Modern art museum
Popular gallery was on the chopping block in latest budget option review
NewsBrexit
Crying over EU: how the arts should mark Brexit day
From Richard Artschwager's huge exclamation point, to David Shrigley's thumb, here are some of the most appropriate artistic responses to this historic moment
CommentBrexit
Brexit: what's next for the UK art market?
Leaving the EU will make business with its member states more difficult but is likely to offer opportunities further afield
CommentMuseums
Letter to the editor | Necessity, not secrecy, will close NPG’s doors
Nicholas Cullinan, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, responds to criticism about the museum's three-year closure
NewsArt market
Tough UK anti-money laundering law comes into force tomorrow—here's what you need to know
The lawyer Kenneth Mullen offers advice to art dealers, agents and galleries who could be unprepared for the hastily enforced new regulations
NewsBanksy
Banksy transforms bench into Santa's sleigh in new mural highlighting UK homelessness
Street artist posts video of the work praising passersby in Birmingham for stopping and offering food and drink to a man sleeping rough
NewsConservation & Preservation
Derelict iron flaxmill is brought back to life in Shrewsbury
Building was considered an audacious architectural experiment when it was built in 1797
NewsConservation & Preservation
Castle opening crowns £150m revival of Bishop Auckland
Millionaire Jonathan Ruffer’s ambitious regeneration of a small former mining town in northern England reveals 1,000 years of history and art
ReviewExhibitions
Twin shows finally give Victor Willing the recognition he deserves
Concurrent exhibitions at Hastings Contemporary and Turps track the influences of the Slade and Bacon to the playfulness of his later works
NewsTacita Dean
'Passionate European’ Tacita Dean unveils stormy new work for UK Government Art Collection
Artist’s Californian cloudscape, drawn in chalk, hangs in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
BlogIn the frame
Revealed! UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s arts policy ...from 2004
NewsMuseums
London mayor Sadiq Khan supports proposal for new slavery museum in the capital
Liverpool slavery museum keen to collaborate on project highlighting UK’s involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade
NewsMuseums
UK national museums lent almost half a million objects around the world last year
Most were scientific materials, but 69,000 went to cultural venues
NewsJ.M.W. Turner
Export bar placed on Turner's masterpiece The Dark Rigi
The watercolour painting, considered one of the artist's finest works, was sold to a private collector in 2006
ReviewThree to see
Three to see: Edinburgh Art Festival
Trisha Brown, Samson Young and James Richards are among the highlights of this year's cultural offering in the Scottish capital
CommentUnited Kingdom
'Where is the champion within UK government for a vigorous, independent visual arts sector?'
The culture sector is being relegated to the ranks of "indoor entertainment"
Alison Cole