Art News. Vasari Codex

article culture schedule May 4, 2026 source 4 sources visibility 25 link 16 artists, 1 gallery

The best looks from the 2026 Met Gala

The 2026 Met Gala, themed 'Costume Art,' took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, honoring the Costume Institute's spring exhibition on the role of the dressed body in art history. Co-chaired by Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Anna Wintour, and Beyoncé, the event featured A-list celebrities, pop stars, and tech titans on the museum's grand staircase, with a dress code of 'Fashion Is Art' encouraging guests to treat the body as a canvas. Notable attendees included Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Rosé, Gigi Hadid, Katy Perry, and Charli XCX, with many wearing custom designs from houses like Marc Jacobs, Saint Laurent, Thom Browne, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

newspaper Los Angeles Times Museums & Art Also: Cultured, Google News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 19, 2026 visibility 4 link 2 artists

After Whistleblower Complaint, Palm Springs Art Museum Declines to Release Report on Allegations of Fraud and Theft, Claims They Are ‘Not Substantiated’

The Palm Springs Art Museum in California has released a three-page statement claiming that an investigation into a whistleblower complaint alleging mismanagement, fraud, and theft found no wrongdoing. The complaint included allegations of improper reclassification of endowment funds, a $3 million discrepancy in investment accounts, and the forced departure of a former director. The museum hired law firm Barnes & Thornburg and forensic accounting firm RSM US to conduct a six-month review, but declined to release the resulting report to ARTnews or the public. The museum acknowledged that proceeds from deaccessioned artworks were used for operating expenses, calling it a long-standing board-approved practice with an internal loan being repaid by 2030.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 15 link 4 artists

Lotus Kang channels desire into Bvlgari's Venice Biennale pavilion

Artist Lotus Kang has created a site-specific installation for the Bvlgari pavilion at the Venice Biennale, working across three studios including a temporary Brooklyn warehouse. Her work, which includes unfixed 35mm film on the façade of Spazio Esedra and new sculptures of plaster baby birds and rubber-wrapped tatami mats, explores themes of multiplicity, permeability, and the unfixing of meaning. Kang, known for her installations at the 2023 Whitney Biennial and Chisenhale Gallery, describes herself as a maker of objects and spaces who resists single interpretations.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Apr 26, 2026 visibility 33 link 1 artist

Arts funding gap in the north must be closed | Letters

Two letter writers to The Guardian criticize the UK government's arts funding imbalance, highlighting that London receives disproportionate investment compared to northern England. Christine Baranski points out that £135m was spent on the V&A East in London while the Tate in Liverpool has been closed for over two years and the Albert Docks cultural area appears neglected. Sharon Maher notes that Arts Council spending is roughly £57 per Londoner versus £28 per person in the north, and argues that future national museum outposts should be located in the north.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Apr 22, 2026 visibility 18 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Sustainability charity Gallery Climate Coalition launches new consultancy to support climate action

The Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC), a sustainability charity founded in London in 2020, has launched a new consultancy called Climate Action Services International (Casi) to help galleries, museums, and cultural organizations turn climate commitments into measurable action. Casi offers services such as carbon auditing, decarbonisation strategies, governance advice, and staff training, and follows a pilot phase working with institutions including English Heritage, Hauser & Wirth, and Art Fund. The consultancy is structured as a mission-driven social enterprise that will reinvest 51% of its profits into GCC.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 41 link 2 artists

Turkey Notches Another Successful Restitution After Denver Art Museum Returns 1500-Year-Old Marble Head

The Denver Art Museum has repatriated a 1,500-year-old marble head of a bearded man to Turkey, following a successful restitution claim. The sculpture, which dates back to the fifth century BCE, was originally unearthed in the agora of the ancient city of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir) and was likely trafficked illicitly before entering the museum's collection. The artifact is now on public display at the İzmir Archaeology Museum.

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article news schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 16 link 3 artists

Former High Museum COO Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Theft Charges

Brady Lum, the former Chief Operating Officer of Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges involving the theft of approximately $600,000. Prosecutors allege that between 2019 and 2024, Lum manipulated financial records and altered invoices to fund personal luxuries, including high-end musical instruments and private lessons. The discrepancies were discovered during an internal investigation by the Woodruff Arts Center, leading to Lum's resignation in December and a subsequent referral to federal authorities.

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article culture schedule Apr 10, 2026 visibility 23 link 2 artists

Louvre Museum Jewel Heist Inspires Latest ‘Law & Order’ Episode

The long-running television series Law & Order has adapted the recent high-profile Louvre Museum jewel heist into a new episode titled "Beyond Measure." Filmed at the Brooklyn Museum—serving as the fictional Atlas Museum of Art—the plot follows detectives investigating the theft of the bejeweled Crown of Popoyan, a fictionalized version of the real-world $102 million heist involving a cherry picker escape. The episode weaves in a complex subplot regarding the repatriation of Indigenous Colombian artifacts held by the Vatican.

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article news schedule Apr 8, 2026 visibility 18 link 3 artists

Trustees of Renowned West Coast Artist Residency Visited Epstein’s Island

Two trustees of the prestigious Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Alexander Maxwell Djerassi and Michael Molesky, were identified in recently released Department of Justice files as visitors to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in 2011. The pair attended the "Mindshift Conference," a gathering of academics and professionals held two years after Epstein’s first conviction. The residency program, located in California's Santa Cruz Mountains, clarified that the visit occurred years before either individual joined the board and emphasized that neither Epstein nor Ghislaine Maxwell ever had any formal ties or donor history with the institution.

newspaper Hyperallergic open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Mar 17, 2026 visibility 20 link 1 artist

In the Whitney Biennial, Artists Explore the Horrifying Boundary Between Human and Machine

The 2026 Whitney Biennial features artists using technology to explore themes of surveillance, data extraction, and the unsettling blur between human and machine. Works like Cooper Jacoby's AI-generated piece, which scrapes data from deceased individuals' social media, and Isabelle Frances McGuire's 3D-scanned witch figures, confront the ethical and existential implications of biometrics and digital quantification.

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person people schedule Mar 13, 2026 visibility 22 link 2 artists

brooklyn museum pasternak leadership fired making their mark forum

Brooklyn Museum director Anne Pasternak sparked a critical conversation at the Making Their Mark Forum in Washington, D.C., highlighting a gendered disparity in museum leadership exits. Pasternak observed that while male directors are typically permitted to retire with dignity, female leaders are increasingly being fired or forced out, calling on the press to investigate the lack of formal data on this trend.

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article news schedule Feb 28, 2026 visibility 16 link 2 artists

prince andrew arrest photo louvre protest

Activists from the group Everyone Hates Elon staged a protest at the Louvre by surreptitiously installing a framed photograph of Prince Andrew following his recent arrest. The image, captured by Reuters photographer Phil Noble, depicts the royal in the back of a car after being taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Museum staff removed the unauthorized addition, which featured a gilded frame and a caption mocking the Prince's previous claims regarding his inability to sweat, within fifteen minutes.

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article news schedule Feb 25, 2026 visibility 14 link 2 artists

high museum coo resigns 600k misappropriation probe

Brady Lum, the chief operating officer of Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, has resigned following an internal investigation into the alleged misappropriation of approximately $600,000. The Woodruff Arts Center, which oversees the museum, discovered financial irregularities in early December and subsequently referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for potential criminal prosecution. The organization believes Lum acted alone over a period of three to four years.

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article news schedule Feb 19, 2026 visibility 15 link 1 artist

louvre counterfeit ticket scheme fraud inevitable

French authorities have dismantled a massive decade-long ticket fraud scheme involving the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles, resulting in the arrest of nine individuals, including two museum employees. The scam, which allegedly involved Chinese tour guides bribing staff to reuse tickets for multiple groups, is estimated to have cost the institutions millions of euros. Investigators have already seized nearly €1.5 million in various currencies and bank accounts as part of an ongoing judicial probe into organized fraud and money laundering.

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gavel restitution schedule Feb 17, 2026 visibility 9 link 2 artists

australian police arrest thief egyptian artifacts heist

Police in Queensland, Australia, arrested a 52-year-old man suspected of stealing ancient Egyptian artifacts from the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology in Caboolture. The suspect was apprehended on Russell Island after police found part of the stolen haul, including a 2,600-year-old wooden cat figure, a 3,300-year-old necklace, and a mummy mask, in a camper van at a ferry terminal. The items were recovered and returned to the museum within two days of the brazen break-in.

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person people schedule Feb 17, 2026 visibility 15 link 2 artists

jack lang resigns institut de monde arabe jeffrey epstein

Jack Lang, the former French culture minister and president of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, resigned from his position. His resignation came after his name, and that of his daughter Caroline Lang, appeared in newly released court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. French prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into the pair for alleged tax fraud and money laundering, leading to intense political pressure and Lang's decision to step down.

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article news schedule Feb 5, 2026 visibility 10 link 1 artist

vatican orders removal meloni fresco

The Vatican ordered the removal of an angel's face resembling Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni from a fresco at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome. The fresco, painted by artist Bruno Valentinetti in 2000 and restored in 2023, features two angels praying over Italy's last king, Umberto II. After Italian media noted the likeness, Valentinetti initially denied it but later admitted the angel bore Meloni's features. On Tuesday, he painted over the face, citing Vatican orders. The Diocese of Rome confirmed the original face will be restored, and an investigation has been launched.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 10 link 3 artists

jeffrey epstein frick collection

Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case reveal the financier's intense personal interest in the Frick Collection, the museum located across from his Manhattan mansion. Epstein drafted letters opposing the museum's proposed expansion, criticizing plans as "brutish" and a "travesty," and claimed to have insider knowledge about the institution and its founder, Henry Clay Frick. He was joined in his opposition by other powerful neighbors, including billionaire Howard Lutnick.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 13 link 2 artists

judge rules philadelphia museum director suit arbitration

A judge has ruled that the legal dispute between the Philadelphia Art Museum and its former director and CEO, Sasha Suda, must be resolved through private arbitration, not a public jury trial. Suda was dismissed in November, with the museum citing "for cause" but not providing specifics, and she subsequently sued, alleging the museum conducted a sham investigation and falsely accused her of misusing funds and theft.

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article policy schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 18 link 2 artists

uk announces 1 5 b arts funding package to expand access beyond london

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced a £1.5 billion arts funding package on Wednesday, urging London-based national institutions like the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery to extend their reach across the country. The package includes £600 million for national institutions, £425 million for a Creative Foundations Fund supporting capital projects at arts venues nationwide, £160 million for local and regional museums, £230 million for the heritage sector, £27.5 million for public libraries, and an additional £80 million for national portfolio organizations. Nandy praised the Royal Shakespeare Company’s outreach as a model and framed the investment as the largest reset in the arts for a generation, comparable to post-World War Two cultural rebuilding.

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article news schedule Jan 20, 2026 visibility 13 link 1 artist

louvre robbery footage french television

French broadcaster France Télévisions aired previously unseen footage of the October 2025 robbery at the Louvre Museum, in which thieves stole crown jewels worth approximately €88 million ($102 million). The four-minute video, shown on the investigative program Complément d'enquête, captures the thieves smashing display cases with their fists and an angle grinder while security guards remain largely motionless nearby. One guard briefly confronts the thieves with a rope stanchion before backing down, and another makes a phone call. The footage corroborates findings from a security audit that deemed the museum's system "outdated and inadequate," with a severe lack of functioning cameras. Louvre director Laurence des Cars had previously stated that the sole camera covering the gallery was facing the wrong direction, and it took guards eight minutes to access the correct feed during the break-in.

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article news schedule Jan 15, 2026 visibility 14 link 3 artists

stolen louvre robbery jewels investigation update parking lot

Paris investigators have traced the last known location of $102 million in jewels stolen from the Louvre in October 2025 to an underground parking lot in Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris. The Anti-Gang Brigade (BRB) used CCTV footage to follow two scooters used in the escape to the garage, where suspects Abdoulaye N., Slimane K., and Rachid H. are believed to have hidden the loot and getaway vehicles. Despite eight arrests, the jewels remain missing, and the vehicles have not been recovered.

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article news schedule Jan 15, 2026 visibility 13 link 3 artists

stolen louvre jewels parking garage

Police have identified a parking garage in Aubervilliers, a Paris suburb, as the last known location of the jewels stolen from the Louvre in a $102 million heist on October 19. Surveillance footage shows two suspects handling some of the stolen pieces less than an hour after the robbery. Four men have been arrested—including a former YouTube stunt rider known as “Doudou Cross Bitume”—and a fifth suspect, a woman, remains at large. The jewels themselves have not been recovered.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jan 15, 2026 visibility 11 link 3 artists

london bomb factory show vandalized

An exhibition titled “Window Wonderland 2025,” mounted by the Bomb Factory Art Foundation in London, was shut down early after three consecutive nights of vandal attacks at its Marylebone and Holborn locations. Vandals used hammers and an ice axe to smash windows, defaced displays with stickers of the Union Jack and St. George’s cross, and scrawled “Free U.K.” in lipstick, causing an estimated £15,000 ($20,000) in damage. The show, which explored themes of anti-war activism, immigration, and queer and trans identity, closed on January 9, 2025, instead of its scheduled January 18 closing date. Police are investigating the attacks, which organizers say were intended to silence the exhibition’s message of inclusivity.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jan 14, 2026 visibility 17 link 9 artists

trump epstein drawing

The House Oversight Committee has released a crude drawing that President Donald Trump reportedly gave to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. The sketch, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, features a marker outline of a naked woman with Trump's apparent signature placed where her pubic hair would be. Trump has denied creating the drawing, claiming he has never drawn, and has filed a $10 billion libel lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch. The New York Times compared Trump's signature on the drawing with his correspondence from 1987 to 2001 and found they "closely matched."

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jan 13, 2026 visibility 11 link 4 artists

art history teacher charlie kirk investigation florida

Hope McMath, an artist and art history teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida, was removed from the classroom in September 2024 after posting about the assassination of Charlie Kirk on her private social media. An investigation by Duval County Public Schools found only a minor violation for profanity, but the district refused to reinstate her due to a concurrent state education board investigation. McMath is suing the school district, state officials, and Moms for Liberty, alleging her removal was politically motivated and violated her free speech rights.

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person people schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 13 link 5 artists

katya kazakina front page award

Artnet News senior reporter and columnist Katya Kazakina has won the Newswomen’s Club of New York’s 2025 Front Page Award for specialized reporting in arts and entertainment for the second consecutive year. The award recognizes her July story “Keeping Up With the Clients: The Art World Lifestyle Can Be Dangerously Alluring,” which investigated how dealers and advisors overextend themselves financially and legally to maintain social ties with wealthy patrons. The piece grew out of her earlier scoop on dueling lawsuits between ultra-high-end art advisors Barbara Guggenheim and Abigail Asher.

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article news schedule Jan 5, 2026 visibility 13 link 2 artists

british museum treasure hunter stolen antiquities recovery

The British Museum is hiring a dedicated treasure hunter to recover hundreds of stolen antiquities, including gold jewelry and semi-precious stones allegedly taken by former curator Peter Higgs. Since the theft of some 1,500 objects was revealed in 2023, over a third have been recovered, but the museum is racing to find the remaining pieces before they are destroyed or melted down. The new role will focus on liaising with an international network of dealers, auction houses, and collectors, while also using open-source investigation and AI tools to track down items scattered globally.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jan 5, 2026 visibility 14 link 3 artists

british museum specialist find missing gold

The British Museum is hiring a specialist to track down hundreds of stolen artifacts, primarily from its Greek and Roman collections, after thousands of items went missing in 2023. Tom Harrison, recently promoted to lead the department, is spearheading the recovery of treasures including gold jewelry, semiprecious stones, and glass dating back to the 15th century BCE. The museum has so far recovered 654 of an estimated 1,500 missing items, with efforts focused on private sales, catalogs, and historical archives, aided by open-source investigations and AI-assisted image matching. The scandal erupted when former curator Peter Higgs was sacked amid allegations of stealing, selling, and melting down artifacts over more than a decade; he denies the charges in an ongoing civil case.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jan 1, 2026 visibility 12 link 3 artists

sothebys abu dhabi luxury auctions collectors week

Sotheby's will launch its first luxury marquee auction series in Abu Dhabi this December, called Abu Dhabi Collectors' Week. Running from December 3 to 5 at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, the sales will feature cars, watches, jewelry, and real estate, alongside a museum-quality art exhibition spanning Old Masters to contemporary works. The auctions are organized in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and coincide with major regional events like the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Finance Week. Headline lots include The Desert Rose diamond (estimated $5–7 million), a rare Rolex Daytona watch ($500,000–$1 million), and a 2017 Pagani Zonda 760 Riviera ($9.5–10.5 million).

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