paint drippings art industry news feb 2 spanish dealers

A series of significant developments occurred across the global art industry this week. Expo Chicago announced a scaled-back edition under new director Kate Sierzputowski, while the Outsider Art Fair revealed its exhibitor list. A long-lost Renaissance portrait by Sofonisba Anguissola resurfaced at the Winter Show. Christie's will sell the collection of the late MoMA trustee Barbara Jakobson, featuring works by Jeff Koons and others. Bonhams made a key hire, and Sotheby's priced a major art-backed securitization. In gallery news, Alissa Friedman returned to Salon 94, Mary Cork joined Lehmann Maupin London, and several artists gained new representation, while New York's Francis Irv gallery announced its closure.

paint drippings art industry news jan 26

This week's art industry roundup covers major developments across auctions, galleries, and institutions. Christie's will auction René Magritte's 'Les grâces naturelles' (ca. 1961) as the star lot of its Art of the Surreal evening sale in London on March 5, with an estimate of £6.5–9.5 million. Zona Maco in Mexico City has announced 241 exhibitors for its 22nd edition, including a new section called Forma. The London Art Fair reported strong sales for British women abstract painters, while Vienna's Spark Art fair canceled its 2025 edition for a strategic pause until 2027. In gallery news, Amy Sherald signed with Creative Artists Agency, and several other artist-gallery representation changes were announced. The U.K. government pledged £1.5 billion to support cultural organizations from 2025 to 2030, and Tarek Atoui was named the next Turbine Hall commission artist at Tate Modern.

art worlds lifestyle competition art detective

The article examines the seductive and often corrupting influence of extreme wealth in the art world, detailing how high-end dealers, advisors, and collectors indulge in lavish lifestyles involving private jets, couture, and exclusive parties. It highlights recent scandals, including the imprisonment of art dealer Inigo Philbrick and advisor Lisa Schiff for defrauding clients, and a new legal battle between prominent art advisors Barbara Guggenheim and Abigail Asher, who accuse each other of misappropriating millions to fund luxury expenses.

sam gilliam foundation sued over disputed drape painting and more art industry news

The Sam Gilliam Foundation has been sued over a disputed Drape painting, while the Art Dealers Association of America announced it will not hold its annual New York fair, The Art Show, in 2025, citing a strategic pause. Christie's reported $2.1 billion in auction sales for the first half of 2025, matching last year's figure but down 22% from 2023, and a juvenile Ceratosaurus fossil sold for $30.5 million at Sotheby's. Galleries are seeing movement: Nicole Wittenberg joins Acquavella Galleries, Harper Levine plans a Bangkok space, and Felix Rödder will open Rodder on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Yale University Art Gallery withdrew federal grant applications over anti-DEI language, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum named Mary Savig curator-in-charge of the Renwick Gallery.

paint drippings art industry news jun 9

Frieze has announced over 280 exhibitors for its October fairs in London, with around 160 galleries at Frieze London and 120 at Frieze Masters, running concurrently in Regent's Park from October 15 to 19. In auction news, the original Hermès Birkin bag prototype will be sold at Sotheby's Paris on July 10, and Bonhams has appointed Celine Assimon as chief commercial officer. Galleries saw significant moves: Christian Deydier in Paris is closing due to new EU regulations on imported cultural objects, while Carroll Dunham joined Matthew Brown, Cristina Iglesias signed with Hauser and Wirth, and several other artists changed representation. Meanwhile, Tate Liverpool received £12 million in UK government funding plus philanthropic support for its redevelopment, the Royal Academy of Arts named Simon Wallis as its new secretary and chief executive, and the Whitney Museum suspended its Independent Study Program for a year after controversy over censorship of a pro-Palestine performance. The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation made three new appointments, and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris faces eviction.

paint drippings art industry news jun 2

This week's art industry roundup covers major personnel shifts, fair announcements, and institutional news. Phillips named Robert Manley chairman for Modern and contemporary art and Miety Heiden chairman for private sales after the departures of Cheyenne Westphal and Jean-Paul Engelen. Art Basel Paris announced 203 galleries for its October fair at the Grand Palais, while Kiaf Seoul will host 176 exhibitors in September. Tony Karman is stepping down as director of Expo Chicago after 14 years. Pace Gallery added Friedrich Kunath, Galerie Nordenhake signed Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa, and Sylvia Kouvali now represents Luigi Zuccheri. Ariel Pittman is launching a new Los Angeles gallery, Official Welcome. The Louvre will return 258 works from Adèle de Rothschild's bequest to the Fondation des Artistes. President Trump dismissed Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet over DEI support, though his authority is questioned. The Centre Pompidou announced a new $240 million outpost in Brazil. The Art Institute of Chicago confirmed director James Rondeau will return after a flight incident. The Pérez Art Museum Miami appointed Karen H. Bechtel as board president. Frieze and Deutsche Bank detailed their 2025 Emerging Curators Fellowship. A rare Gustav Klimt portrait of an African prince was offered for €15 million.

paint drippings art industry news may 12

This week's art industry roundup covers major auction activity, including Christie's $250 million sale of Barnes and Noble founder Len Riggio's collection, and Sotheby's postponement of an ancient Buddhist gemstone auction after criticism from academics and India's Ministry of Culture. Frieze New York, recently sold to Ari Emanuel, reported strong sales with a $3 million Jeff Koons sculpture at Gagosian, while Gagosian's TEFAF New York booth featuring Anna Weyant's jewelry-themed paintings sold out. Other news includes Céline Assimon's appointment as chief commercial officer at Bonhams, the Spring Break Art Show's return, and gallery representation changes.

paint drippings art industry news may 2

This week's art industry roundup covers major developments including the sale of Frieze to Hollywood powerbroker Ari Emanuel for $200 million, the opening of Frieze New York amid a cautious market, and the appointment of Alexander Rotter as global president of Christie's. Other highlights include the collapse of a record $32 million Gustav Klimt sale due to restitution issues, Phillips adding country-of-origin details to lot descriptions due to tariff confusion, and gallery moves such as Petzel now representing Tschabalala Self and Hauser & Wirth selling its Upper East Side townhouse for $10.5 million. The Mellon Foundation announced $15 million in emergency funds for state arts councils to offset cuts by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

art industry news october 9 2019

Sotheby’s Hong Kong concluded its fall auction series with a robust $426 million total, headlined by a record-breaking $25 million sale for Yoshitomo Nara. Amidst this market momentum, Nara’s upcoming LACMA retrospective was announced to travel to Shanghai’s Yuz Museum. Meanwhile, the New York art scene is bracing for major institutional milestones, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 150th-anniversary plans and the imminent public opening of MoMA’s $450 million expansion.

Paint Drippings: Art Industry News November 21

paint drippings art industry news nov 21

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has appointed Daniel H. Weiss, former head of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as its new director and CEO to provide stability following the controversial dismissal of Sasha Suda. The transition occurs amid a legal battle, with the museum filing court documents alleging Suda misappropriated funds and falsified records. Meanwhile, the auction market saw a historic moment at Sotheby’s, where Gustav Klimt’s 'Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer' sold for $236.4 million, setting a new record for the artist and becoming the most expensive Modern work ever sold at auction.

roberts projects esmaa mohamoud cristin tierney debbi kenote

The art world saw significant roster changes and leadership appointments this week, including Roberts Projects announcing representation of Esmaa Mohamoud and Cristin Tierney adding Debbi Kenote. Notable institutional moves include Charles Chemin being named Artistic Director of the Watermill Center and Julia Siemon stepping into a newly created Deputy Director role at the Bard Graduate Center. Additionally, the mid-season auction market showed unexpected strength, highlighted by Jeff Koons’s 'Winter Bears' selling for $7.6 million at Christie’s.

new trustees at seattle art museum industry moves

This week's art industry moves include François Ghebaly now representing Paris-based painter Xie Lei, a finalist for the 2025 Prix Marcel Duchamp, whose work is on view at the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. Gray gallery in Chicago and New York has taken on pioneering abstractionist Candida Alvarez, with a solo exhibition planned for Fall 2027, while she continues to be represented by Monique Meloche Gallery. The Seattle Art Museum elected five new trustees: Joanna Beitel, Martha Draves, Margaret Morris, Jordon Voss, and returning former trustee Lyn Grinstein. The Khadhok—Tibetan Artists' Collective won the 2025 Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize, a $30,000 unrestricted award. Additionally, Canadian collector François Odermatt paid $19 million for Peter Doig's 1994 painting *Ski Jacket* at Christie's London, far exceeding its presale estimate.

paint drippings art industry news mar 10

This week's art industry roundup covers NADA New York's 11th edition with 111 galleries at a new venue, the Starrett-Lehigh Building, and Photo London's 10th edition at Somerset House with 99 exhibitors. In auctions, Sotheby's London saw a Yoshitomo Nara work sell for £9.03 million, while Christie's achieved £10 million for René Magritte's 'La reconnaissance infinie' and over £3.3 million for a Nazi-looted Egon Schiele drawing, plus $728,784 in its first all-A.I. auction. Galleries saw moves including Charles Moffett's new Tribeca space, Lisson Gallery representing Tishan Hsu, and Mika Yoshitake joining Blum as senior curatorial director. Museums and institutions feature the opening of Khao Yai Art Forest in Thailand with works by Louise Bourgeois, and the J. Paul Getty Trust appointing Kelly S. Moody as vice president.

paint drippings art industry news feb 16

This week's art industry news covers significant developments across fairs, auctions, galleries, and museums. Frieze New York announces its 15th edition with a strong Latin American gallery presence, while the India Art Fair reports robust sales, including works by Atul Dodiya and N.S. Harsha fetching up to $600,000. Sotheby's will offer a major Francis Bacon self-portrait from the collection of Joe Lewis, and Christie's is set to sell three masterpieces from Agnes Gund's collection, estimated at over $123 million. Gallery news includes Federica Beretta's return to Opera Gallery and David Zwirner's new representation of painter Louis Fratino.

Yinka Shonibare Joins Mennour, a Fake Fake Monet, and More: Industry Moves for May 20, 2026

The article reports on several key moves in the art world as of May 20, 2026. Tina Kim Gallery will represent the estate of Singaporean British sculptor and printmaker Kim Lim, with a debut at Art Basel in June and a solo show in 2027. Yinka Shonibare has joined Paris gallery Mennour, which will host his first solo exhibition in October. Pace Gallery now represents the Brâncuși estate, planning a London exhibition this fall. Clarissa Morales has been named the first Chief Operating Officer of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, moving from the Carnegie Museum of Art. Additionally, Jackson Pollock's Number 7A, 1948 sold for $181.2 million at Christie's, setting a new artist record. A viral social media post featuring a fake Monet painting created by AI sparked debate online.

Jasper Johns Marks Time

The art world is currently reflecting on the enduring legacy of Jasper Johns, highlighted by a new Gagosian exhibition focusing on his 1970s output. Critic John Yau explores Johns's career-long fascination with materiality and the inevitable decay of art, noting how the artist uses newsprint and wax to acknowledge that nothing remains static in time.

Art Industry News: November 1, 2021

art industry news nov 1

The global art landscape is undergoing significant shifts, from the cultural erasure facing Afghan artists under Taliban rule to a surge in grassroots restitution efforts led by organizations like the Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign. Meanwhile, major institutional moves include the appointment of Julieta González as artistic director of Brazil’s Inhotim and the opening of the Nesr Art Foundation in Luanda, Angola, which aims to bolster the local contemporary art scene through residencies and private collection displays.

tilton gallery to close after over 40 years and more art industry news

Tilton Gallery, a fixture of New York’s Upper East Side for over 40 years, has announced it will close its physical space following an upcoming Ruth Vollmer exhibition to focus on private projects. The week also saw significant leadership shifts, including Lisa Phillips announcing her retirement as director of the New Museum after 26 years, and Ebony L. Haynes being promoted to the newly created role of global head of curatorial projects at David Zwirner. Meanwhile, legal tensions surfaced as a court dismissed Ronald Perelman’s $400 million insurance lawsuit regarding fire damage to his art collection.

art industry news january 23 2020

A high-profile fundraising campaign led by the Art Fund is underway to save Prospect Cottage, the former home of artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman. Supported by figures like Tilda Swinton and Jeremy Deller, the initiative seeks to raise £3.5 million to preserve the site and its archive for public tours and artist residencies. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Museum of Art's CEO, Timothy Rub, has issued an apology regarding the institution's handling of sexual harassment allegations against former manager Joshua Helmer.

Paint Drippings: Art Industry News February 23

paint drippings art industry news feb 23

This week’s art industry roundup highlights major shifts across the global market, including Art Basel’s announcement of 290 galleries for its flagship Swiss fair and Sotheby’s adjustment of its buyer’s premium rates. Significant personnel moves include Devyani Saltzman’s abrupt departure from the Barbican, which sparked an open letter from over 170 cultural figures, and Anne-Claire Legendre becoming the first woman to lead Paris’s Arab World Institute.

paint drippings art industry news jan 19

This week's art industry roundup covers a flurry of developments across art fairs, auction houses, galleries, and museums. A new boutique fair called Enzo will launch alongside Frieze Los Angeles in an Echo Park warehouse with 10 New York galleries, while Felix Los Angeles returns to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with 50 exhibitors. Art Cologne's revived Palma Mallorca fair announces 88 exhibitors for its April debut. At auction, Christie's London will offer the Vanthournout collection of modernist and Surrealist works, including a Magritte painting estimated at $4.7 million, while Bonhams sells rare Oscar Wilde materials and three Bob Ross paintings. In gallery news, Roland Augustine steps down at Luhring Augustine, Lehmann Maupin opens a London space, and several galleries announce new artist representations. Museums see leadership changes at the Park Avenue Armory and Wrightwood 659, and the Rijksmuseum plans a new sculpture garden.

paint drippings art industry news jan 9

This week's art industry roundup covers a postponement, financial losses, legal disputes, and leadership changes. New Jersey's Art Fair 14C has been postponed to May 2027, with organizers citing capacity issues unrelated to market conditions. Bonhams reported a 90% pre-tax loss jump to £213 million in 2024 due to impairment charges. A rediscovered Watteau drawing will be auctioned at Christie's Paris, and personal items of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are featured in Christie's 'American Collector' sales. In galleries, Amy Sillman left Gladstone for David Zwirner, Trevor Paglen joined Jessica Silverman, and Maya Hewitt joined Theta. The Louvre partially closed after a staff strike demanding director Laurence des Cars' resignation and reassessment of a renovation plan. Belgium's plan to dismantle Antwerp's M HKA museum has sparked resignations and backlash. New appointments include Will Cary as COO of the Barnes Foundation and Patton Hindle as director of arts at the Knight Foundation. MATHAF museum in Doha announced a campus expansion by architect Lina Ghotmeh. Legal disputes emerged between Gian Enzo Sperone and Angela Westwater over the shuttered Sperone Westwater gallery.

paint drippings art industry news dec 15

This week's art industry roundup covers major auction results, gallery representation changes, museum leadership shifts, and a high-profile art theft. François-Xavier Lalanne's *Hippopotame Bar* sold for $31.4 million at Sotheby's Breuer headquarters, setting a record for both the artist and design works. A Tiffany Magnolia floor lamp also set a new auction record at Sotheby's, fetching $4.4 million. Meanwhile, a New Jersey auction house quietly sold over $100,000 of Jeffrey Epstein's belongings, including artworks, without disclosing his ownership. In the gallery world, several artists changed representation, and former Clearing director John Utterson joined Thaddaeus Ropac. Museum news includes the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art repatriating three Khmer-era sculptures to Cambodia, Maria Balshaw stepping down as Tate director, MoMA PS1 offering free admission starting January 1, and the Rijksmuseum planning a new branch in Eindhoven. Additionally, eight rare Matisse prints and five works by Candido Portinari were stolen from São Paulo's Mário de Andrade Library.

paint drippings art industry news jul 14

This week's art industry news includes Art Basel appointing Egyptian artist Wael Shawky as artistic director of its first Middle East fair, Art Basel Qatar, running February 5–7, 2026. A new fair called Loading… debuts in Hudson, N.Y., during Upstate Art Weekend, while Vienna Contemporary names Abaseh Mirvali as artistic director. Bonhams offers material from Roy Lichtenstein's Hamptons home, and a legendary Le Birkin handbag sells for €8.5 million at Sotheby's Paris. Galleries see Hollis Taggart adding two artists, Adam Lindemann closing Venus Over Manhattan, and Berlin's Meyer Riegger and Paris's Galerie Jocelyn Wolff opening a joint Seoul gallery. Museums include the Zayed National Museum opening in Abu Dhabi, Shamim M. Momin named director of the Bronx Museum, and the Baltimore Museum of Art acquiring 150 new works. The Art Bridges Foundation and Crystal Bridges acquire 90 Indigenous artworks, and the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt opens a temporary location. In legal news, DHS officials visited the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago.

paint drippings art industry news nov 14

This week's art industry roundup covers major developments across auctions, galleries, and art fairs. Highlights include $1.6 billion in art heading to auction at Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips in New York; the sale of the 'Mellon Blue' diamond for $25 million at Christie's Geneva; and the Vanderbilt jewels achieving $4.2 million at Phillips Geneva. In galleries, Sperone Westwater faces possible closure or transformation after 50 years, while Upsilon Gallery opens a new space in Milan. The IFPDA Print Fair expands to include drawings and rebrands, and Abu Dhabi Art will relaunch as Frieze Abu Dhabi next year. The Gallery Climate Coalition reports significant emissions reductions among its members.

andrew cuomo zohran mamdani mayoral campaign donations

Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo relaunched his New York mayoral campaign as a third-party candidate on July 14, after losing the Democratic primary to Zohran Mamdani by 12 points on June 24. A recent ARTnews data analysis reveals that prominent art world figures have donated to both campaigns, with Cuomo receiving contributions from Christie's executives, Phillips and Sotheby's staff, Gagosian directors, art dealers, and museum leaders, while Mamdani drew support from foundation directors, museum curators, gallery directors, and numerous artists. The pro-Cuomo super PAC Fix the City received $5 million from billionaire Michael Bloomberg and $250,000 from Top 200 collector Daniel Loeb, while the pro-Mamdani super PAC raised about $1.4 million.

paint drippings art industry news jul 7

This week's art industry news covers major auction results, gallery changes, and restitution developments. At Christie's Old Masters evening sale in London, Canaletto's "The Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day" set a new auction record for the artist at £31.9 million ($43.9 million), leading the sale to a total of £60.8 million. Sotheby's Old Masters evening sale brought in £14.5 million, with three new records including Diana de Rosa's "Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist" selling for £317,500. A rare early watercolor by Man Ray, "Nude Playing Musical Instrument" (1913), resurfaced after decades and will be auctioned at Dreweatts. In gallery news, Blum gallery laid off most of its staff and plans to cease brick-and-mortar operations, while Waddington Custot announced a new Paris space, and Company Gallery hired Subhas Kim Kandasamy as executive director. White Cube now represents Firenze Lai, and JD Malat Gallery launched a new initiative for UAE artists. In restitution, the Netherlands returned 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, transferred two Benin works to the Oba of Benin.

wet paints summer guide 2025

Artnet News' Wet Paint gossip column presents a selective summer guide for the art world, highlighting key exhibitions and social hotspots. In Manhattan, the Upper East Side offers the Park Avenue Armory's Diane Arbus photo exhibition, the Met's John Singer Sargent show, and the newly opened Frick with its Westmoreland café. Downtown, Bar Oliver in Two Bridges has become an art world haunt, co-created by Olmo and Cy Schnabel. The column also previews themed group shows: "Hope is a dangerous thing" at P.P.O.W. and "CAKE" at Olympia Gallery, featuring edible artworks. Exclusive news reveals the engagement of Lucas Zwirner to Charlotte Lindemann, merging two powerful art-dealing families. Additionally, Sky High Farm in Germantown, New York, is launching a new biennial with works by Anne Imhof, Rudolf Stingel, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres.

Anna Zemánková Estate Joins Gladstone Gallery, Sándra Vasquez de la Horra Joins Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, and More: Industry Moves for April 29, 2026

The article reports a series of industry moves in the art world as of April 29, 2026. Key developments include Gladstone Gallery taking on the estate of Anna Zemánková, Sándra Vasquez de la Horra joining Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, Elijah Wheat Showroom opening a new location in Beacon, New York, and Mariane Ibrahim now representing Leasho Johnson. Additionally, Denniston Hill launches its 2026 residency season with 30 artists, the Minneapolis Institute of Art receives restoration funding from TEFAF, Charlie White is appointed dean of the Sam Fox School, and Jesús Hilario-Reyes and Tichacoco are named inaugural recipients of the Clemente Center’s Van Lier Fellowship. The article also notes a whistleblower claim of $3 million missing from the Palm Springs Art Museum’s investment account, and a New York Times essay by Robin Givhan on Derrick Adams.

Art Basel Curbs Pre-Fair Sales—and More Art Industry News

Art Basel has launched a "Basel Exclusive" initiative to curb pre-fair PDF sales, encouraging galleries to withhold works from previews to drive in-person discovery at its flagship Swiss event (June 16–21). Around 170 of 232 exhibitors have opted in. Meanwhile, Volta returns to Basel with a new "5,000 Edit" section for works under CHF 5,000 to attract younger collectors, and the alternative fair Esther will hold its third edition in New York during Frieze Week. In other news, Sotheby's set a U.S. record for design auctions with the Jean and Terry de Gunzburg collection totaling $96 million, and billionaire collector Mitchell P. Rales pledged $116 million to the National Gallery of Art to fund loans to smaller museums. The Smithsonian American Art Museum named Lynda Roscoe Hartigan as its new director, and Gladstone Gallery plans a new Seoul space for 2026.