Staffers are feeling cautiously hopeful about new CEO Daniel Weiss. The “cautiously” part would seem to be because of what staffers have been through over the previous three years. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
As some political leaders double down on the old memorial language, they ask: What if we thought of our memorials as works in progress, to be improved, edited, reconfigured and even deleted? - Washington Post
“Funds apportioned for the Smithsonian Institution are only available for use in a manner consistent with Executive Order 14253 ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." - Washington Post
This year’s highlights include the remodeling of a Richard Seifert brutalist ‘corncob’ tower, a celebration of Japanese carpentry and a wearable hot-water bottle. - The Guardian
The Trump administration threatened “to withhold federal funds if it does not submit extensive documentation for a sweeping content review. … It was not immediately clear how much money the White House might try to withhold, from which parts of the Smithsonian or on what authority.” - Washington Post (MSN)
“The museum holds more than 40,000 items from across Africa, many of which were traded, collected, looted or preserved during the era of the British empire. … The names of makers, the cultural significance of objects and the people to which they once belonged are largely unknown.” - The Guardian (UK)
“Along with projecting portraits of Angelenos, Am I Next? highlights brief stories of people, including US citizens, accosted and snatched out of homes, cars, workplaces and the streets by federal agents, under the word ‘Taken.’” - The Guardian (UK)
The Frick’s new chief curator loves nothing more than researching the women on the walls. "What captured Ng’s attention, though, was Lady Skipwith’s forlorn expression. Was she as miserable as she appeared in the painting?” - The New York Times
After years of “fast-casual architecture” — blocky, drab grey hulks clad in relentless grid façades which look all the worse next to the city’s fine old brick rowhouses — architects in Philadelphia are getting back in touch with the craft of bricklaying and getting away from straight lines. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Behind the walkout are not only frayed labor relations, but a building itself under strain, with crumbling parts of the aging former palace now deemed unsafe. At the heart of the crisis lies a deeper rupture: a $102 million jewel heist that exposed security failures. - APNews
“Dr. Nicholas Cullinan, the British Museum director, told The Telegraph that the project would be a ‘new model’ for working with countries seeking redress for colonialism, with former nations of the empire welcome to strike long-term deals for artefacts held in Britain.” - The Telegraph (UK)
“The decision was taken during a general assembly of museum workers, who voted unanimously to pause the strike to allow the museum to welcome visitors. … The suspension followed five meetings with Culture Ministry officials but said progress remains insufficient, particularly on staffing levels, pay and long-term security plans.” - AP
As trends go, one can only hope the style spreading through US museum design today will eventually fall out of fashion. All forms of creativity could use moments of self-reflection; perhaps it is time some museum architecture has its own. - The Art Newspaper
The newly updated renderings follow news announced last year that the studio led by Pritzker-prize-winning architect Diébédo Francis Kéré is designing the building, which will be located in a former parking lot in the Symphony Park area of Downtown Las Vegas. SOM is the architect of record. - Dezeen
