The Baltimore Museum of Art won't reopen until Wednesday, Dec. 29 (although its gift shop and restaurant will keep running), and the Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture is closed until Jan. 5. - The Baltimore Sun
Hamza Walker conceived a fiendish idea: Why not stage an exhibition in which, removed from their places of pride, these statues could be evaluated not only as propaganda for genocide but also as art objects? And why not invite contemporary artists to create works in response to them? - Artnet
The story of the Banksy neatly encompasses all three elements of the year: the impact of Asian buying power; the increasing influence of cryptos and those who have made fortunes in the alternative currencies; and a realignment of art scholarship. - The Art Newspaper
The Guggenheim’s 990 IRS Filings, a form the US Federal government uses to gather information about tax-exempt organisations, shows Armstrong’s total compensation increased from $1,073,991 in 2019 to $1,504,081 in 2020. - The Art Newspaper
Yes, Prime Minister Johnson argued back in 1986 that they should return to Greece, but as recently as last month, he reiterated to Greece's leader that the marbles are strictly a matter for the British Museum's trustees (who are appointed by the prime minister). - The New York Times
You must resist the siren call of logoed knickknacks. These items transmit either “I was there” (which, as the gift giver, you are already telegraphing implicitly) or “I support this place” (which, great, but you want your gifts to signal joy, not virtue). - The New Yorker
“The Elgin marbles should leave this northern whisky-drinking guilt-culture, and be displayed where they belong: in a country of bright sunshine and the landscape of Achilles, ‘the shadowy mountains and the echoing sea,’” he wrote in the article. - The Guardian
Redevelop it, of course. Not everyone's a fan: "A plan to redevelop New York’s Pennsylvania Station (or Penn Station) and its surrounding blocks is facing fierce opposition from community members and conservationists." - Hyperallergic
But it's not for winter warmth - the giant purple and green tipis are meant to draw attention to the disproportionate affects of the pandemic waves on Native peoples. - WBUR
You can thank the FBI - and also the people of Nepal, who restored the temple and convinced others that the deity had not left the broken sculpture. - Hyperallergic
The resulting glare is sure to have a dampening effect on future donations from individuals or families whose wealth derives from practices today considered unethical or otherwise problematic. Museums and boards with ties to fossil-fuel companies, for instance, have long been targets of criticism. - Apollo
"They are the ultimate kitsch, and in this era of hipster aesthetic, they lend themselves well to some ironic display. But does dark velvet truly hold the power of rendering the most masterful stroke into scoffworthy scribblings?" - Quartz
The basic trajectory of hospital design has, so far, been toward buildings that are ever bigger, more complex and more sealed off from the world. The trajectory of dignity is less linear, and more improvisatory, with a lot of circling back to old ideas. - Washington Post
Why should it matter that the people who gave us modern architecture in the 20th century had traumatic brain damage and disorders? For one, the information reframes our understanding of how modern architecture came to be. - ArchDaily
