A South African artist is suing the arts minister after he blocked her from representing the country at the Venice Biennale, having called her work addressing Israel’s killing of Palestinians in Gaza “highly divisive”. - The Guardian
Trump has grown attached to the idea of a 250-foot-tall structure overlooking the Potomac River, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe his comments, a scale that has alarmed some architectural experts who initially supported the idea of an arch but expected a far smaller one. - Washington Post
It was the unlikely, but ultimately successful, host of the 2022 soccer World Cup. Its Grand Prix has become a Formula One fixture. And this week it will premiere a new event from Art Basel, the world’s biggest, most prestigious art fair franchise. - The New York Times
The “report,” encouraged in an email after a meeting among many galleries, would be to New York’s 311 system. Then the mostly immigrant vendors would be entered into a system that shares info with many different law enforcement operations. - Hyperallergic
The story of this plan “has gone from urban legend to proven fact in a series of chapters that have been unfolding over almost a decade,” with this episode coming to light from a letter found at a Madrid flea market. - El País English
“Italy’s culture minister and the diocese of Rome have launched investigations after claims were made that an angel in a landmark church in Rome was restored in the likeness of the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.” - The Guardian (UK)
To fulfill its mission as a museum for the nation, “the Hirshhorn has decided to loan scores of artworks from its large collection to smaller museums in all 50 states.” - The New York Times
“Against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s targeting of DEI policy at universities and cultural institutions and expanding ICE raids, the layoffs are causing a community-wide crisis of confidence that good faith is guiding leadership at one of Boston’s leading art institutions.” - Boston Art Review
“The second-level promenade of the Embarcadero Center is one of the more scenic, beautifully landscaped, well-maintained spaces in San Francisco. … Yet despite its charms, the Embarcadero Center is also one of San Francisco's most-underutilized spaces. … (It) can and should be our High Line — only better.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
“It feels more important than ever to invite multiple voices into the museum space. There isn’t one perfect solution for all visitors, but we strive to offer a variety of access points—whether it’s traditional labels, guided gallery conversations or prompts to spark reflection and dialogue.” - The Art Newspaper
As some other American museums struggle, the Institute is doing very well under Rondeau’s leadership (notwithstanding the medication-and-alcohol-fueled disrobing during a commercial flight last April). He’s now pushing for an expansion, saying the museum needs more display space. - WBEZ (Chicago)
“The MFA faces ‘an unsustainable deficit that we have committed to resolve,’ (an) email to employees stated. … The institution said in a statement to WBUR it plans to reduce 6.3% of its workforce. More than 30 museum positions will be affected.” - WBUR (Boston)
“Free First Thursday, which waives the general admission fee for all Bay Area residents from 4-8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month, has been temporarily halted starting in February. … No return date has been set, but SFMOMA plans to announce a new program series in the summer.” - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
Last Saturday, as museum staff were preparing the building for the winter storm, a sprinkler malfunction caused water to pour from a ceiling near the gift shop. The building was evacuated and closed for this week, but full repairs will require one additional week. - ARTnews
Over 50% of the AAM survey’s respondents reported fewer visitors than in 2019 and 29% reported “declines tied to weakened travel and tourism and/or economic uncertainty”. This, of course, varies hugely from state to state. - The Art Newspaper
