Despite months of controversy, the United States managed to get Alma Allen‘s enormous sculptures to Venice for this year’s Biennale. Getting them home, however, is proving more difficult. - ARTnews
“The Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency is concerned that the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) does not properly review proposed exhibits in its museums,” says a letter to outgoing Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch III, penned by subcommittee chairman Tim Burchett of Tennessee along with Georgia’s Brian Jack. - ARTnews
“At the heart of the alliance is an agreement that the institutions will treat their holdings as a shared collection. … This alliance differs from past models such as traveling exhibitions, co-organized shows, and collaborations on specific projects … in that it is a long-term commitment to building programs together from the ground up.” - ARTnews
“The 1.3-acre space was designed by artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto to better integrate with the National Mall, and it includes new works and spaces for education and programming. … It's the biggest update to the museum since it opened in 1974, almost doubling the number of sculptures on display.” - Axios
Italy‘s National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities and the École du Patrimoine Africain in Porto-Novo, Benin, are collaborating on a specialized training course, the first of its kind, with faculty from the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, popularly known as the Carabinieri Art Squad. - ARTnews
We might never have known about Van Gogh without Theo's wife. "Jo didn’t seek to put herself at the center of this story, but she is there, nonetheless." - Time
The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, the nonprofit established by the family of design and art pioneers Ray and Charles Eames, is set to file a master plan with the city of Novato that will transform the 85.5-acre site into a global design museum, attracting some 200,000 visitors a year. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
“California architecture studio Johnston Marklee has unveiled designs to expand the Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach, including elevated galleries and courtyard spaces.” - Dezeen
The Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial, honoring servicemembers who died during the 1990-91 war to end Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait, consists of two dune-shaped walls made of sand-colored granite, one with a 125-foot bas-relief by sculptor Emily Bedard and the other with inscriptions. - Smithsonian Magazine
“Depending on where a light source is positioned, the Lycurgus Cup changes colour, from jade green under normal lighting to ruby red when lit from behind – a feat of optical engineering that has confounded historians and glassmakers for centuries. Now scientists from the University of Sheffield have replicated its optical behaviour.” - The Guardian
In the first hour that the second round of tickets to view the tapestry were available last Wednesday, payments from Monzo cardholders to the British Museum reached £14,100 and were 48 times that of a normal Wednesday morning. More than half (55%) of those buyers were aged under 35. - The Guardian
“The strike was suspended on Monday pending last-minute talks with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, after the V&A management made an improved offer.” - The Guardian
Want to sell tickets? Get a K-pop star's art collection up. "The show has been a blockbuster success, with over 66,000 tickets sold and advance sales that were six times higher than any previous exhibition at the museum." - The Guardian (UK)
Multiple dealers told ARTnews they’d received an email announcing the decision at around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. By then, many had already suspected Saturday’s opening might be canceled. The loss of Sunday came as more of a surprise. - ARTnews
