Frida Escobedo "is a surprising choice for such a major assignment, given that she is relatively young, has mostly designed temporary structures and is not a household name. But she said she felt undaunted and excited by the task." - The New York Times
Phillips donated £5.8m to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, and its CEO condemned the Russian invasion. But "those calling for the company to be shunned argue that only a boycott will force its Russian business figures ... to put pressure on the Kremlin." - The Guardian (UK)
Museums may say they're change agents, "but in doubling down on sheer acquisition at the same time, they risk committing themselves to a future that never comes to pass." - The Nation
There's a group at work even during heavy Russian bombardments - “a group of cultural heritage professionals – librarians, archivists, researchers, programmers – working together to identify and archive at-risk sites, digital content, and data in Ukrainian cultural heritage institutions." - Open Culture
The art world rarely wades so publicly into political upheaval, but the war in Ukraine is striking a nerve, particularly among museums in Europe that are located geographically nearest to the fighting. - The Wall Street Journal
The Equal Rights Amendment, again? Yep. A new campaign "brings together a who’s who of creatives. ... The ultimate hope? To use the power of art to tell stories and rally people so that women can, at long last, get equal billing in the U.S. Constitution." - Fast Company
Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta is the director of the Mystetskyi Arsenal National Art and Culture Museum Complex in Kyiv. "It doesn't feel very safe, as you can imagine," she says. - CBC
The suspect had had his membership revoked because of recent unruly incidents. He jumped over the counter and stabbed the employees, who at press time were in stable condition at Bellevue. - The New York Times
"International law enforcement authorities in 28 countries executing the latest phase of Operation Pandora, an international crackdown on illegal cultural goods trafficking, seized 9,408 cultural artifacts between June and September last year." - Artnet
Scientists tested 11 strains of bacteria on marble before it was decided that three non-toxic varieties would be the most effective for Michelangelo’s masterpiece. Serratia ficaria, a bacterium that causes urinary tract infections, managed to remove dirt from the tomb in two days. - The Guardian
The open-source online project — started by Bangalore's Museum of Art and Photography, with entries written by Indian experts — will include textiles and craft arts as well as painting, sculpture, and photography and will range from ancient work to the 2010s. - The New York Times
Volo Bevza and several others have set themselves up in a metal workshop to build steel tank obstacles called "hedgehogs," which look like small Mark di Suvero sculptures. - Hyperallergic
“There’s a lot of structural change underway and nobody knows where this is going. I think there’s a strong desire from all the actors to rethink how these institutions should run.” - Artnet
"Akron police have arrested a man accused of breaking into the Akron Art Museum and starting a small trash fire Sunday. ... Executive Director Jon Fiume says there was no harm to the museum's collection, and the only real damage was to a small window." - WKSU (Akron/Kent, OH)
The Sacklers would also lose their naming rights at museums and other entities that have received their financial contributions a win for activists who have long accused the Sacklers of using philanthropy to “artwash” their complicity in the opioid crisis. - Hyperallergic
