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valparaiso university brauer museum can sell paintings 2531663

The Porter County Superior Court has approved Valparaiso University's plan to sell three valuable paintings from the Brauer Museum of Art—works by Frederic Edwin Church, Childe Hassam, and Georgia O'Keeffe valued at around $20 million—to fund renovations to freshman dormitories. The decision follows a year and a half of controversy, including a lawsuit from the museum's founding director Richard Brauer and condemnation from major museum professional organizations, who argue that deaccessioning art for non-collection purposes violates ethical standards.

mfa boston to rescind promised gift of benin bronzes close dedicated gallery 1234739559

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will return a promised gift of Benin Bronzes and close its dedicated Benin gallery on April 28, 2025. The gallery will be repurposed for Nubian art. The collection, pledged by Robert Owen Lehman, includes objects traceable to the 1897 British looting of the Kingdom of Benin. Lehman has donated five objects outright, which will be displayed in the Art of Africa Gallery. The MFA stated it could not reach a mutually agreeable resolution for the gallery's long-term sustainability.

ukraine demands extradition russian archaeologist crimea 1234768170

Ukraine has requested the extradition from Poland of Russian archaeologist Oleksandr Butyagin, who was detained in Warsaw on December 4 on suspicion of conducting illegal excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea. Butyagin, an employee of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, faces charges from Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office for unauthorized digs at the ancient Greek colony of Myrmekion between 2014 and 2019, allegedly causing significant damage. A Polish court has ordered his custody until January 13 while the extradition process proceeds; if convicted in Ukraine, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

scholars and mps slam uk museums as unethical and sacrilegious for holding vast collections of human remains 1234777195

A major investigation has revealed that UK museums and universities hold more than 263,000 human remains, including at least 37,000 sourced from overseas and former British colonies. The findings indicate that many institutions lack proper documentation, with thousands of items stored anonymously in cardboard boxes or mixed together, often in violation of government guidelines regarding respectful handling and transparency.

Mummies and other human remains held in UK museums raise serious ethical questions, warn scholars

A major investigation has revealed that UK museums, universities, and local authorities hold more than 263,000 human remains, including mummies, skeletons, and skulls. Of these, approximately 37,000 originate from overseas, largely from former British colonies, often acquired without consent. The findings have sparked intense criticism from scholars and curators who argue that the sheer scale of these collections reflects a distressing colonial legacy and necessitates a systemic shift toward repatriation and more ethical storage practices.

MFA Boston to return Benin Bronzes to wealthy donor, close gallery

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston will close its Benin Kingdom Gallery on April 28, and most of the Benin Bronzes displayed there will not be repatriated to Nigeria. Instead, all but five of the 34 objects will be returned to their donor, filmmaker and banking heir Robert Owen Lehman, who rescinded his 2008 gift after stalled negotiations with the museum. The MFA had sought to acquire full ownership of the works to ensure their display, but Lehman asked for them back. The five bronzes the museum does own will remain in its collection and be shown in its Art of Africa Gallery starting in June.