South Carolina’s International African American Museum Officially Acquires Earliest Known Daguerreotypes of Enslaved Americans

South Carolina’s International African American Museum Officially Acquires Earliest Known Daguerreotypes of Enslaved Americans

The International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, has officially acquired the "1850 Daguerreotypes," the earliest known photographs of enslaved Americans. The set of 15 images, taken by J.T. Zealy, depicts seven enslaved individuals—Alfred, Delia, Drana, Fassena, Jack, Jem, and Renty—and had been held by Harvard University until a recent legal settlement. Harvard had owned the daguerreotypes since they were commissioned in 1850 by natural historian Louis Agassiz.

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Julian Cox, the deputy director and chief curator of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), will step down from his position this April after an eight-year tenure. While the museum's official statement praised Cox for expanding the collection and establishing the Department of Global Africa & the Diaspora, it offered no specific reason for his departure, and Cox himself was not quoted in the announcement.

brazilian authorities search bank ceo art assets 1234774000

Brazilian authorities are targeting the art collection and luxury assets of Daniel Vorcaro, the CEO of the recently liquidated Banco Master SA, as part of a massive fraud investigation. Following the bank's collapse due to insolvency and regulatory violations, liquidators filed subpoenas in a Miami federal court to probe Vorcaro’s dealings with blue-chip galleries and auction houses. Officials believe the financier may have funneled bank funds into high-value artworks and real estate to shield his wealth.

Eugenio Viola, Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá

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The Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá (MAMBO) terminated the contract of its artistic director, Eugenio Viola, earlier this month. Viola claims his dismissal came after he raised concerns with the board in September 2025 about deteriorating working conditions at the museum, concerns he says were shared by other staff. The museum stated the decision resulted from a comprehensive review and that it has begun searching for a new artistic director.

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High Line Art has announced its 2026 season of public art commissions for New York's elevated park. The program includes a billboard work by Katherine Bernhardt and three major installations by Patricia Ayres, Ximena Garrido-Lecca, and Derek Fordjour, alongside video works for the High Line Channel by Saba Khan and a film grouping by Marianna Simnett, Filip Kostic, and Ana Hušman.

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A major retrospective of Chilean artist Lotty Rosenfeld's work is on view at Columbia University's Wallach Art Gallery through March 15. The exhibition, curated by Julia Bryan-Wilson and Natalia Brizuela, focuses on Rosenfeld's clandestine, antifascist art created during the Pinochet dictatorship, highlighting her use of coded public gestures—like altering street lane dividers into crosses and Xes—to build solidarity and protest political and economic oppression.

icelandic artist bjorn roth dead at 64 morning links 1234771727

Icelandic artist Björn Roth, known for his collaborative installations and as a member of the artist collective The Roth Family, has died at the age of 64. His death was reported alongside other significant arts news, including the planned closure of the Kennedy Center for renovations and the permanent shuttering of Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts due to financial difficulties.

collectors steve tisch jean pigozzi jeffrey epstein files 1234771700

Newly released documents from the Department of Justice, part of the Jeffrey Epstein case, contain email exchanges from 2013 that reference prominent art collectors Steve Tisch and Jean Pigozzi. The emails show Epstein facilitating introductions between Tisch and multiple women, with discussions about their backgrounds and travel arrangements. Tisch has stated the association was brief and expressed regret.

alison weaver grey art museum nyu director 1234771136

New York University has appointed Alison Weaver as the next director of its Grey Art Museum, effective May 26. Weaver, who has served as founding executive director of the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University since 2015, succeeds Lynn Gumpert, who retired last year after leading the museum since 1997. At Rice, Weaver oversaw the completion of a new building for the Moody Center, launched an artist-in-residence program, curated over 25 exhibitions, and expanded the university's art holdings. She previously taught art history at the City University of New York and served as director of affiliate museums at the Guggenheim Museum, overseeing its outposts in Bilbao, Venice, Berlin, and Las Vegas.

british water mill sale turner painting inspiration 1234771073

Brendan and Celia Wilson are selling Rossett Mill, a Grade II-listed 16th-century water mill in Wrexham, Wales, for £1.5 million ($2 million). The couple purchased the derelict property 17 years ago for £660,000 and spent two years and roughly £250,000 restoring it into a four-bedroom home, sourcing reclaimed oak beams from France and preserving its historic character. The mill, which dates to 1588, once inspired an early painting by J.M.W. Turner titled *Marford Mill* (1795), created during one of his tours of Wales. The Wilsons are selling to move closer to their children.

painter amy sherald signs with talent agency caa 1234770444

Amy Sherald, the painter known for her tender portraits of Black American life, has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a major talent agency. Sherald, who has been represented globally by Hauser & Wirth since 2018, rose to fame after painting Michelle Obama's official portrait for the National Portrait Gallery. She was set to become the first Black contemporary artist to have a solo exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in 2025, but canceled the show after a censorship controversy involving her painting 'Trans Forming Liberty.'

andy warhol pollock paintings theif sentenced 1234770132

Joseph Atsus, a 51-year-old Pennsylvania man, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, supervised release, and $1 million in restitution for his role in a multi-state museum theft ring that operated from 1999 to 2019. The ring stole millions in art and memorabilia from 20 institutions, including Andy Warhol's silkscreen *Le Grande Passion* (1984) and Jackson Pollock's oil painting *Springs Winter* (1949) from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 2005. Atsus is the sixth member of the eight-person ring to be sentenced; co-conspirator Nicholas Dombek received 108 months, while others received sentences ranging from six to 96 months. Many stolen works remain missing, and some, including a painting valued at $125,000, were destroyed to avoid evidence recovery.

new museum reopening march 21 2026 1234769578

The New Museum in New York will reopen on March 21, 2026, after a two-year closure for a major expansion. Designed by OMA / Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, the project adds 60,000 square feet to the existing SANAA-designed building, bringing the total footprint to nearly 120,000 square feet. New features include expanded exhibition space, a 74-seat Forum, an enlarged Sky Room, artist commissions by Tschabalala Self, Klára Hosnedlová, and Sarah Lucas, a larger bookstore, and a restaurant by Henry Rich with executive chef Julia Sherman. The reopening weekend will offer free admission funded by trustee Charlotte Feng Ford, and the museum will debut the exhibition “New Humans: Memories of the Future,” featuring over 200 artists including Francis Bacon, Salvador Dalí, and contemporary figures like Meriem Bennani and Hito Steyerl.

south africa cancels gabrielle goliath gaza venice biennale 1234769311

South Africa selected a work by artist Gabrielle Goliath for its Venice Biennale pavilion, then rescinded the decision on January 2, just eight days before the finalization deadline. The culture ministry, led by Minister Gayton McKenzie, objected to a section of Goliath's "Elegy" series that included words by Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023. The pavilion's selection committee publicly disagreed with the cancellation, calling it censorship and highlighting a history of mismanagement.

louvre walkout targets new mona lisa gallery 1234768892

Staff at the Louvre in Paris staged another walkout, closing the museum on Monday morning before a partial reopening at noon. The strike, backed by three unions with 350 staff members voting unanimously, protests the Louvre–Nouvelle Renaissance redevelopment plan launched by President Emmanuel Macron. The plan includes a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa, a new entrance, and a $778 million budget, which unions call unrealistic. The museum reopened with limited access to iconic works like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory of Samothrace, while other galleries remained closed.

art fairs luxury collaborations 2025 market 1234768449

In 2025, art fairs and auction houses have deepened their integration with luxury brands, with Sotheby's and Christie's reporting that luxury items like handbags, jewels, and watches now account for a significant share of revenue—roughly a third at Sotheby's, with private luxury sales surging 350% year-on-year. Art fairs such as Frieze London and Art Basel's global editions have moved beyond traditional sponsorship, embedding luxury partners like Tiffany & Co., Ray-Ban, Stone Island, and De Beers into curated sections, mentorship programs, and immersive installations. Industry figures like Marc Spiegler and Emily Glazebrook emphasize that the most successful collaborations prioritize artists over brands, with initiatives like UBS's Unlimited sector and the Chanel Culture Fund serving as models.

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Walton Ford's new series of paintings, on view at Gagosian in New York through April 19, centers on the Marchesa Luisa Casati and her two cheetahs. The works depict the Milanese heiress and Futurist muse in early 20th-century Venice, but the animals—not the glamorous woman—command the focal point. Ford, known for subverting natural history illustration, uses watercolor to balance trompe-l'oeil realism with painterly abandon, developing the characters across multiple canvases with Italian titles referencing literature by Casati's lover, poet Gabriele D'Annunzio.

london national gallery to raise 1 billion project domani 1234765319

London's National Gallery has announced Project Domani, a nearly $1 billion initiative to collect 20th- and 21st-century art and build a new wing to house it. The institution has shortlisted six architectural firms—including Foster + Partners, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and Kengo Kuma and Associates—from 65 entrants in an international competition, with a winner to be announced in April. About half the funds have been raised, with major pledges from Crankstart, the Julia Rausing Trust, and the National Gallery Trust. The wing will be built on the last undeveloped portion of the campus at 30 Orange Street and is projected to open in the early 2030s.

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Rosalía's fourth studio album, *LUX*, features a recording of Patti Smith from a 1976 interview on the closing track "La Yugular." The article describes Rosalía's admiration for Smith, recounting a meeting where Smith complimented her dress and discussed the song. Smith's influence is highlighted through her music, memoir *Just Kids*, and her artistic practice in photography and mixed media, including her first solo exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in 2011. Smith also recently released a new memoir, *Bread of Angels*.

perez art museum miami billboard lawsuit 1234759024

Miami's Frost Museum of Science has filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Transportation seeking the removal of a giant digital billboard on the grounds of the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). The 1,800-square-foot sign, which advertises luxury brands like Tiffany and Yves Saint Laurent alongside PAMM programming, was built under a 2023 city commission exception that allowed billboards nearly twice the legal size limit. That exception was later overturned amid controversy over campaign contributions from the billboard's operator, Orange Barrel Media, to the commissioner who introduced it. PAMM argues the sign was approved by all relevant authorities, while Frost Science claims it violates state law, degrades the museum environment, and jeopardizes federal highway funding.

louvre admits stolen jewels are not insured art basel ubs collecting report shows growing influence of women and gen z and more morning links for october 23 2025 1234758550

The Louvre has admitted that jewels stolen from its collection in a daylight smash-and-grab robbery on Sunday are not privately insured, leaving the French state liable for the full $102 million loss if the items are not recovered. The heist targeted jewels once owned by Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, and a leaked audit revealed the museum's security systems were "outdated and inadequate." French officials have struggled to track the thieves, and the culture ministry confirmed that the state acts as its own insurer for works in their usual place of conservation, meaning no reimbursement will be made if the jewels remain missing.

british museums controversy hit ball raises 3 3 m securing vital funding for its international partnerships 1234758530

The British Museum held its inaugural fundraising ball, modeled after the Met Gala, raising over £2.5 million ($3.3 million) through ticket sales and a silent auction. The event, attended by celebrities including Mick Jagger, Janet Jackson, Tracey Emin, James Norton, and Naomi Campbell, also secured a £10.3 million pledge from the Garfield Weston Foundation for the museum's Visitor Welcome Program. However, the evening was marred by controversy: a protester from Energy Embargo for Palestine gained access and demonstrated against the museum's £50 million sponsorship from BP, and Greece's culture minister Lina Mendoni criticized the museum for hosting the event near the Elgin Marbles, accusing it of disrespecting the ancient sculptures.

50 million picasso in paris industry moves october 22 2025 1234758473

The ARTnews article reports on several major art market moves as of October 22, 2025. Highlights include Nahmad Contemporary offering a $50 million Picasso at Art Basel Paris, likely the 1941 work 'Femme au corsage bleu (Dora Maar)'; Gagosian Gallery now representing the estate of Richard Diebenkorn with a November exhibition; Alison Jacques Gallery joining Tina Kim and Silverlens to represent the Pacita Abad Estate; Gladstone Gallery taking on Celia Paul in New York; and Freeman's | Hindman expanding its trusts and estates team across the US. The piece also notes Rodder's inaugural show for Wyatt Kahn and Kaufmann Repetto adding Bice Lazzari to its roster.

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The British Museum's inaugural fundraising gala on October 18 was interrupted by a protester from the group Energy Embargo for Palestine. The woman, who gained access to the Great Court by working as a waitress, took the stage next to board chair George Osborne holding a sign reading 'DROP BP NOW.' She criticized the museum for accepting a £50 million sponsorship from BP, an oil and gas company she accused of causing climate collapse and enabling genocide in Gaza. The gala, co-chaired by Isha Ambani of Reliance Industries, raised over $2 million from ticket sales and featured a silent auction, including a pet portrait by Tracey Emin and a private tour of Coco Chanel's Paris apartment.

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Taylor Swift's music video for her song 'The Fate of Ophelia' has been found to closely reference Friedrich Heyser's painting 'Ophelia' (ca. 1900), held at the Wiesbaden State Museum in Hamburg. Swifties have flocked to the museum by the hundreds to see the Art Nouveau work, surprising and delighting museum director Andreas Henning. Separately, a street mural reading 'Black Artists Matter' and a rainbow crosswalk in Austin, Texas, face removal under President Trump's directive against DEI initiatives, as ordered by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In other news, Art Basel has renamed its VIP section to 'collector and institutional relations,' five stolen 18th-century snuffboxes have been recovered from the Cognacq-Jay Museum in Paris, and Chiara Camoni will represent Italy at the upcoming Venice Biennale.

frick collection chief curator aimee ng 1234755500

The Frick Collection in New York has promoted Aimee Ng to chief curator, effective November. She succeeds Xavier F. Salomon, who is leaving to become director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon. Ng, a curator at the Frick since 2015, has organized exhibitions on Italian Renaissance artists and co-curated the landmark 2023 show "Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at the Frick." Her appointment is the second senior leadership choice under director Axel Rüger, who joined in March ahead of the museum's long-awaited reopening.

mika rottenberg says trumps smithsonian situation is fucked up 1234754705

Artist Mika Rottenberg, whose work is included in an upcoming show at the Smithsonian-run Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, called the Trump administration's interference with the Smithsonian "fucked up" in a Vanity Fair article. She praised Amy Sherald for canceling a Smithsonian show, calling it "amazing." British artist Richard Long also expressed concern about the administration "strangling everything" at the institution. The article notes that many other artists with works slated for Smithsonian presentations—including Nick Cave, Paul Chan, Olafur Eliasson, Spencer Finch, and Rashid Johnson—declined to speak to Vanity Fair, reflecting a cautious environment. Dread Scott, however, has been vocal, calling for the regime to be driven from power and urging art institutions to support dissenting artists.

ebony l haynes zwirner global head of curatorial projects 1234753820

Ebony L. Haynes, a director at David Zwirner since 2020 and founder of the gallery's affiliated space 52 Walker in 2021, has been promoted to the newly created position of global head of curatorial projects. In this role, she will oversee special exhibitions, projects, and collaborations with Zwirner's artists globally, while continuing to direct 52 Walker in New York's Tribeca neighborhood. The space has hosted 16 shows since opening in October 2021, featuring artists such as Kandis Williams, Nikita Gale, Nora Turato, and Raymond Pettibon, whose wrestling-themed drawings and live matches open tonight.

john giorno dial a poem online 1234753334

John Giorno's 1969 conceptual artwork "Dial-A-Poem," originally a phone-based poetry service featured in MoMA's landmark 1970 exhibition "Information," has been relaunched as an online platform. The new version, created by Giorno Poetry Systems, presents randomized readings of both historic and contemporary poems, including contributions from Laurie Anderson, William S. Burroughs, and Gary Snyder. International editions have been added for France, Mexico, Thailand, Italy, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Brazil, with poems recited in their native languages.

frieze london frieze masters 2025 highlights 1234752466

Frieze London and Frieze Masters have announced highlights for their 2025 editions, running concurrently October 15–19 in Regent’s Park. Frieze London will feature ceramics and textiles, including a presentation titled “Three Generations of Female California Ceramics” at The Pit, stoneware sculptures by Sanya Kantarovsky at Modern Art, and textile works by Antonio Pichillá Quiacaín at Portas Vilaseca. Major galleries like Gagosian, Pace, Lehmann Maupin, White Cube, and Lisson will present new works by artists such as Lauren Halsey, William Monk, Do Ho Suh, and Marguerite Humeau. The fair’s curated section “Echoes in the Present” by Jareh Das includes artists like Diambe and Tadáskía, while the Focus section emphasizes installation-based works. Frieze Masters highlights include a booth of 19th- and 20th-century paintings curated by Nicolas Party at Hauser & Wirth, a solo of Peter Hujar’s drag portraits at Pace, and a new Reflections section organized by Abby Bangser focusing on decorative art.