What would happen to the murals is an open question, as removing them may prove difficult. Advocates for the building fear that without protections put in place ahead of a sale, the buyer would have no incentive to maintain the historical features inside. - Washington Post
Americans argue about the Smithsonian far more than we would if only its possessions mattered. When our museums of record tell us a story, that story matters enormously. - The Atlantic
For just over five weeks, from February 7 to March 14, visitors will be allowed to climb the towering 20-foot scaffold inside the Sforza Castle’s Sala delle Asse to view conservators at work on a vast, unfinished wall and ceiling painting by Leonardo hidden for centuries. - Artnet
The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Napa has listed its 217-acre estate for $10.9 million, less than a year after announcing a plan to boost revenue through event rentals. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
New York’s Metropolitan Opera is facing a serious financial crunch, and may sell two beloved Marc Chagall murals to help fill the gap—but if it does, it will leave them in place. Sotheby’s valued the artworks at a total of $55 million. - ARTnews
“One hand stencil was dated to at least 67,800 years ago, making it the oldest securely dated cave art found anywhere. This is at least 15,000 years older than the rock art we had previously dated in this region, and more than 30,000 years older than the oldest cave art found in France.” - The Conversation
“The two perpetrators can be seen wearing balaclavas and using disc cutters to slice open display cases. The theft takes place under the watch of staff members who were not able to intervene.” - Artnet
Nothing says "we nailed it" quite like forming a task force to fix your fresh new identity while quietly showing your chief marketing officer the door. Sometimes the most authentic brand move is admitting you got it spectacularly wrong. — Hyperallergic
Because nothing says 'making America great again' like erasing the last time we actually invested in artists. Depression-era public art programs apparently too woke for 2025. Grandma Moses weeps. — Hyperallergic
The "starchitect" was a figment of media attention, drummed up to answer our interest in celebrity, and our exaggerated expectations of what might be achieved without the help of other people. It belongs to a deluded, more decadent age. - Dezeen
Daniel H. Weiss talks about leading the museum (“I believe very strongly in shared governance”) and sorting out the pressing priorities: re-examining the rebrand, erasing the budget deficit, looking at the museum’s physical facilities, and getting everyone’s focus back on the art. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Paul Dien, the chief marketing officer who oversaw that rebrand, has resigned. New director/CEO Daniel Weiss has set up a task force of staffers and board members to evaluate the rebranding and examine “what works, what doesn’t work, to do some analytical work around that.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Ten years in, Condo's cooperative model has emerging dealers singing Kumbaya while actually making money. Who knew that playing nice could be the art world's best-kept business secret? — Artnet News
When your culture minister cancels a Palestinian grief exhibition for Venice, you've officially entered the realm where politics trumps artistic integrity. Two scholars aren't having it, calling out the betrayal. — Hyperallergic
Another year, another promise to "redefine" art institutions. But this conversation with curator eunice bélidor and administrator Dejha Carrington might actually cut through the usual reform rhetoric to examine what museums are really for. — Hyperallergic
