Jennifer Gilbert, the Detroit-based entrepreneur and philanthropist, is auctioning a selection of Modernist masterpieces from her private collection to fund Lumana, a new nonprofit arts organization. The sales, scheduled for May and June at Sotheby’s New York, include high-profile works by Joan Mitchell and Kenneth Noland, with an overall fundraising goal exceeding $10 million.
A rare, typewritten lyric sheet for Bob Dylan’s song “I’m Not There” has resurfaced after being hidden for nearly 60 years inside a first-edition book of poetry by Allen Ginsberg. The document, which was discovered by a book dealer handling the estate of Sally Grossman, is set to be auctioned by Omega Auctions with an estimate of £20,000–£40,000. Other high-profile collectibles hitting the block include Stephen Curry’s game-worn sneakers at Sotheby’s and a signed Albert Einstein etching.
Major layoffs have hit Artnet and Artsy following their consolidation under the UK-based investment firm Beowolff Capital. The staff reductions occurred just one day after the merger announcement and include the departure of veteran Artnet News reporters Sarah Cascone and Eileen Kinsella, who both served the publication for over a decade. As part of the restructuring, Artnet will also shutter its German entity, while Andrew Russeth has been tapped to serve as interim editor.
Two previously unseen preliminary drawings of Winnie-the-Pooh by illustrator E.H. Shepard have surfaced for the first time on the centenary of the children's classic. Brought forward by Shepard’s family, the pencil sketches depict scenes from A.A. Milne’s original 1926 book that were never fully realized or published. These rare works, along with several other preliminary sketches that did make it into print, are currently on display and for sale at Peter Harrington Rare Books in London before traveling to the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.
Artnet and Artsy have officially merged under private equity firm Beowolff Capital, founded by former Goldman Sachs trader Andrew Wolff. The deal, which took Artnet private, has already led to layoffs at both companies—including at least seven staff members from Artnet News—and the closure of Artnet's Berlin office. Jeffrey Yin, CEO of Artsy, will lead the combined entity. The merger aims to combine Artnet's vast database of 18 million auction results with Artsy's primary market gallery network to create a seamless user experience for discovering, researching, and buying art.
A previously unknown sculpture by Alexander Calder, titled 'Stabile-mobile' (1974), will be auctioned by Oger – Blanchet at Hôtel Drouot in Paris on May 22. The small, kinetic work, estimated to sell for €80,000–€120,000, was a gift from the artist to an archivist at the French National Museum of Modern Art and has remained with her family for 50 years.
Christie's led the global fine-art auction market in 2025 with $3.5 billion in sales, a 10.1% increase from 2024. Its top lot was Mark Rothko's 'No. 31 (Yellow Stripe), 1958,' which sold for $62.1 million. Sotheby's followed closely with $3.3 billion in sales, a 31% annual increase, highlighted by the record-breaking $54.7 million sale of Frida Kahlo's 'El sueño (La cama).' Phillips placed a distant third with $390.9 million in sales, a 14.2% decline.
Bonhams auction house, in collaboration with the Fine Art Group, is organizing a four-part, 550-lot sale of Diane Keaton's personal belongings. The sales, taking place online and in New York from late May to mid-June, will include her iconic wardrobe, Hollywood memorabilia, home furnishings, and a significant portion of her art collection, featuring works by artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Ed Ruscha, as well as her own mixed-media collages.
A late 19th-century Tiffany stained-glass window, known as the Boyd Family Memorial Window (The Falls), is set to be auctioned at Christie's in June with an estimated price of $2 million. The window, depicting a waterfall and sunset landscape, has been installed in the Second Congregational Church in Winsted, Connecticut, for 125 years and was commissioned by Ellen Wright Boyd in memory of her parents.
Sotheby's is under financial scrutiny due to two key developments. A New York real estate broker has filed a $10.2 million lawsuit against the auction house over commissions from the sale of its former Manhattan headquarters, a claim Sotheby's disputes. Concurrently, the company has launched a new delayed-payment program for clients, raising questions about its liquidity.
Le rapprochement entre Artnet et Artsy prend corps
Artnet and Artsy, two major online art market platforms, have announced a strategic merger under the common ownership of British investment fund Beowolff Capital. The companies will retain their distinct brands and websites but will be led by a unified management team, with Artsy's CEO Jeffrey Yin taking the helm. The consolidation has already resulted in dozens of job cuts, particularly at Artnet News, and follows a period of economic strain for Artnet, which reported a 12% revenue drop in the first half of 2025.
Sotheby’s is navigating a complex financial landscape marked by a major debt refinancing effort and the introduction of a controversial delayed-payment program. The auction house is seeking to raise $825 million through five-year bonds to address existing debt due in 2027, while simultaneously facing a $10.2 million lawsuit over real estate commissions. To manage liquidity, the firm has codified a scheme offering sellers a 7 percent interest rate if they agree to wait six months for their payout, a significant departure from the industry standard of 35 to 45 days.