Vasari Art Codex

article news schedule Oct 29, 2025 visibility 2 link 2 artists

lacma employees unionization effort 1234759404

Employees at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have formed a union called LACMA United in association with AFSCME Cultural Workers United District Council 36. In a letter dated October 29 addressed to museum leadership, a supermajority of eligible staff across departments requested voluntary recognition by November 5, citing wages that have not kept up with the rising cost of living and the need for fairer compensation, expanded benefits, and greater transparency. The effort comes ahead of the opening of LACMA's new Peter Zumthor–designed David Geffen Galleries, scheduled for next April.

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article news schedule Oct 24, 2025 visibility 2 link 1 artist

wexner center staff sent no confidence letter director 1234758813

Staff at the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University sent a letter of no confidence in executive director Gaëtane Verne to university officials on August 25, 2023, as reported by Columbus outlet Matter News. The letter, signed by 13 employees, alleges high turnover, organizational dysfunction, financial instability, and reputational harm under Verne's leadership. Specific complaints include a "red card" for financial turmoil, a $1 million capital project lacking transparency, and over $200,000 spent on exhibition catalogues without proper budgeting. Since Verne's appointment in November 2022, nearly 50% of staff have departed, and seven Foundation Board trustees have resigned. Ohio State is reviewing the letter, while Verne has defended her leadership as fostering a respectful workplace.

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gavel restitution schedule Sep 30, 2025 visibility 5 link 1 artist

nazi looted painting argentina attribution investigation 1234754595

A painting discovered in an Argentine home in August, initially attributed to 18th-century Italian painter Giuseppe Ghislandi and believed to be Nazi-looted art, has been called into question. Paolo Plebani, curator of the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, Italy, told the Argentine newspaper Clarín that the work is actually by Giacomo Ceruti, another Northern Italian painter. The painting was previously owned by Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, who fled the Nazis, and later by former Nazi Friedrich Kadgien, whose daughters Patricia and Alicia owned the Mar del Plata home where it was found. Argentine authorities recovered the painting after placing the daughters and Patricia's husband under house arrest.

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article news schedule Sep 26, 2025 visibility 6 link 5 artists

us museums under report wwii era provenance morning links 1234753811

A new report by the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) finds that most U.S. museums are not transparent enough about the provenance of artworks with World War II-era gaps, making it harder for families to track down Nazi-looted art. The American Alliance of Museums shut down an online portal that had listed nearly 30,000 such works, and the WJRO discovered that only 10,668 of those can now be located online through individual institutions. Separately, the Central State Museum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, abruptly canceled a planned exhibition of Taiwanese artists amid allegations of Chinese censorship, and Marina Abramović will be the subject of a historic solo exhibition at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Venice in May 2026.

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article news schedule Aug 29, 2025 visibility 6 link 5 artists

homeland security australian school ai art morning links 1234750478

The Department of Homeland Security under Donald Trump's second term has been using social media to post artworks like John Gast's 1872 painting 'American Progress,' which allegorizes Manifest Destiny by depicting Native Americans being forced out. The Thomas Kinkade Foundation is considering legal action over unauthorized use of Kinkade's work. Separately, a course titled 'Generative AI for Artists' at the University of New South Wales in Australia has sparked student protests, with over 7,000 signatures on a petition demanding its cancellation. Meanwhile, arts organizations in New South Wales received $15.4 million in state funding, and a dust storm at Burning Man destroyed Oleskiy Sai's inflatable sculpture 'Black Cloud (2025).'

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article news schedule Jul 31, 2025 visibility 3 link 2 artists

thomas kinkade foundation responds dhs morning pledge post 1234748544

The Thomas Kinkade Family Foundation has publicly condemned the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for using Kinkade's painting *Morning Pledge* in a July 1 social media post on X that included the phrase “Protect the Homeland.” The foundation stated it did not authorize the use of the artwork and that the post promotes division and xenophobia, which is antithetical to its mission. It has requested the post's removal and is consulting legal counsel. This follows similar complaints from artist Morgan Weistling, whose painting *New Life in A New Land* was used by DHS without permission, and criticism over DHS's use of John Gast's *American Progress* (1872), owned by the Autry Museum of the American West.

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article policy schedule Jul 30, 2025 visibility 1 link 2 artists

trump big beautiful bill space shuttle discovery museum houston 1234748545

President Donald Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" on July 4, which includes a provision requiring the Smithsonian Institution to transfer a space vehicle—widely understood to be the space shuttle Discovery—to NASA. The shuttle has been displayed at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, since 2012. The move must be completed by January 4, 2027, and $85 million has been allocated for planning, transportation, and a new exhibition facility in Houston. The provision originated from the "Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act" introduced by Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, after their state lost the original competition to host Discovery.

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article news schedule Jul 29, 2025 visibility 2 link 2 artists

wesley lepatner met museum trustee dead 1234748482

Wesley M. LePatner, a newly elected trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, was among four people killed by a gunman in a Midtown office building on Monday. LePatner was a senior managing director at Blackstone, where she served as global head of its Core+ Real Estate division and CEO of the Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust. She had just been elected to the Met’s board in February and was previously a member of the Met’s Friends of European Paintings group.

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gavel restitution schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 17 link 5 artists

France’s new restitution law passes final vote

The French parliament has officially passed framework legislation establishing a legal pathway for the restitution of cultural artifacts looted from former colonies. This landmark law, inspired by a report from former Louvre director Jean-Luc Martinez, allows for the deaccession of items taken by force or under duress between 1815 and 1972. While the law fulfills a 2017 pledge by President Emmanuel Macron, it remains strictly supervised, requiring bilateral scientific committees to verify claims and excluding military archives and archaeological shares.

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gavel restitution schedule Apr 9, 2026 visibility 10 link 2 artists

London’s V&A launches webpage exploring provenance of its objects

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London has launched a dedicated digital hub to document the provenance of its collection, specifically addressing objects acquired through violence, coercion, or looting. The initiative includes detailed research on controversial items such as the Maqdala material from Ethiopia, Asante Regalia from Ghana, and imperial Chinese jade. This transparency effort coincides with International Provenance Research Day and aims to provide public accountability regarding the museum's colonial-era acquisitions.

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article news schedule Apr 7, 2026 visibility 9 link 5 artists

Gods, emperors and eagles restored in Blenheim Palace roof-rescue mission

Blenheim Palace is nearing the completion of a £12m conservation project, the most extensive in the 300-year history of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Led by Donald Insall Associates, the initiative involved a massive logistical effort, including the construction of 31 miles of scaffolding and a one-acre protective tent to repair rotting timbers, crumbling stonework, and leaking roofs. The restoration also addressed the palace's iconic Baroque skyline, featuring statues of gods, emperors, and a 30-tonne marble bust of Louis XIV.

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article news schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 4 link 6 artists

A.I. Identifies Holbein Drawing as Possible Portrait of Anne Boleyn

Researchers at the University of Bradford have used artificial intelligence to analyze preparatory drawings by Hans Holbein the Younger in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. The AI model, which previously identified a forgotten Raphael painting, suggests that a drawing long believed to depict Anne Boleyn actually shows her mother, Elizabeth Howard, while another drawing labeled "Unidentified Woman" likely portrays Anne Boleyn herself. The findings, published in Heritage Science, are based on biometric analysis of facial features, bone architecture, and proportional relationships, offering quantifiable evidence to resolve long-standing scholarly uncertainty about the sitters' identities.

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article policy schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 10 link 1 artist

IMLS Spared in Legal Battle—But Threat of Budget Cuts Looms

The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with the American Library Association and the AFSCME union, effectively halting President Donald Trump’s executive attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Following a series of legal defeats where courts ruled that only Congress has the authority to eliminate federal agencies, the administration withdrew its appeal and reinstated previously terminated grants. However, the threat remains as the proposed 2027 federal budget once again seeks to zero out funding for the IMLS, the NEA, and the NEH.

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article culture schedule Mar 11, 2026 visibility 2 link 3 artists

jfk posthumous presidential portrait love story 2751810

The FX series 'Love Story' has brought renewed attention to Aaron Shikler’s 1970 posthumous presidential portrait of John F. Kennedy. A dramatic scene in the show features Naomi Watts, portraying Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, dancing with the portrait, highlighting the painting's enduring place in the American cultural psyche. The artwork is notable for its departure from traditional presidential portraiture, depicting Kennedy in a somber, meditative pose with his head bowed and arms crossed.

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article news schedule Feb 8, 2026 visibility 4 link 3 artists

haiti winter olympics 2743597

Olympic officials blocked Haiti's plan to feature a painting of revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture on its team uniforms for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, citing a rule against political propaganda. Designer Stella Jean, with a team of artisans in Rome, hand-painted a redesigned version that removed Louverture and the snake but kept the horse and landscape, delivering the uniforms just two days before the opening ceremony.

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gavel restitution schedule Feb 5, 2026 visibility 4 link 3 artists

national gallery artemisia gentileschi provenance 1417675

The National Gallery in London is preparing to unveil Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria,' a major 2018 acquisition. However, the museum has quietly added the painting to its list of works that could have been looted during the Nazi era due to a gap in its provenance from 1615 to the 1940s, specifically concerning its ownership by the French Boudeville family during the war.

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article policy schedule Jan 29, 2026 visibility 6 link 3 artists

walker museum cuts ties minneapolis police 1878357

The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Art have announced they will cease contracting with the Minneapolis Police Department for security at events. The Walker's decision demands the MPD implement reforms, including demilitarizing training and holding officers accountable, stating 'George Floyd should still be alive.'

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gavel restitution schedule Dec 12, 2025 visibility 4 link 1 artist

us turkey sculptures repatriated aaron mendelsohn 2726367

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has successfully repatriated eight life-sized Roman sculptures that were illegally removed from Bubon, Turkey, 60 years ago. The sculptures, part of a shrine honoring Roman emperors, were sold to Americans by Turkish villagers in the 1960s without required permits. After a two-year legal battle involving two lawsuits and an arrest warrant, the final sculpture—a headless bronze piece—was surrendered by collector Aaron Mendelsohn, who had acquired it for $1.33 million. The sculpture was returned to Turkish officials at a ceremony hosted by Bragg's office, alongside dozens of other looted Turkish antiquities, including a marble head of Demosthenes seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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article news schedule May 14, 2025 visibility 2 link 14 artists

trump assassination monument statue oval office 2643906

A small statue depicting President Donald Trump raising his fist after a failed assassination attempt during a 2024 campaign rally has appeared on his Oval Office desk, drawing renewed attention. The sculpture, based on a photograph by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci, was created by artist Stan Watts, who is fundraising for a nine-foot-tall version. Separately, documentary filmmaker Steven C. Barber installed a life-sized bronze monument of the same scene at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, created by George and Mark Lundeen of Lundeen Sculpture.

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article news schedule May 2, 2025 visibility 1 link 10 artists

just what happens to the sistine chapel during a papal conclave 2637340

The Sistine Chapel has closed to the public in preparation for the papal conclave beginning May 7, where cardinals will elect a successor to Pope Francis. The chapel, adorned with Michelangelo's frescoes including the ceiling (1508–1512) and *The Last Judgement* (1536–1541), has been the permanent seat of the conclave since 1878. Preparations include installing a chimney and stove for the smoke signals that announce voting results, as well as modern facilities like chemical toilets added after the 2013 conclave.

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article policy schedule Apr 30, 2025 visibility 1 link 1 artist

mellon foundation state arts councils emergency grants 2638071

The Mellon Foundation is providing $15 million in emergency grants to the Federation of State Humanities Councils, which will distribute the funds to all 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils across the U.S. This comes after the Trump administration revoked $65 million in grants promised by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), redirected to the National Garden of American Heroes. The administration also terminated over 1,000 NEH grants and placed about 80 percent of NEH staff on paid administrative leave following a visit from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Many state councils now face potential closure or severe program cuts.

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rate_review review schedule Mar 30, 2026 visibility 14 link 8 artists, 2 galleries

These Ghosts. Clémentine Bruno by Michela Ceruti

Clémentine Bruno’s artistic practice explores the tension between presence and absence, treating the canvas as a site of temporal layers rather than a flat surface for representation. Her work emphasizes the preparatory stages of painting—the laying of gesso and the construction of supports—allowing images to emerge reluctantly through processes of sanding, veiling, and partial erasure. Recent exhibitions, such as "Educational Complex" at Tonus and "Vision of Fading" at Mendes Wood DM, highlight her interest in how institutional structures and memory maps dictate what is retained and what is forgotten.

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article policy schedule Apr 16, 2026 visibility 12 link 4 artists

V&A faces calls to become living wage employer on eve of Stratford opening

The Victoria and Albert Museum is facing intense pressure to become an accredited living wage employer just as it prepares to open its high-profile V&A East site in Stratford. A petition coordinated by Organise and Citizens UK has garnered over 21,000 signatures, calling on Director Tristram Hunt to ensure all staff and contractors receive the London living wage of £14.80 per hour. While the museum meets legal minimum wage requirements, campaigners argue that as a publicly funded institution, it must provide a wage that reflects the actual cost of living in the capital.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 16, 2026 visibility 7 link 2 artists

Pooh in pencil: sketches for original Winnie-the-Pooh book shared for first time

Two previously unseen preliminary pencil sketches of Winnie-the-Pooh by illustrator E.H. Shepard have been revealed to the public for the first time. Shared by the artist’s family to mark the centenary of A.A. Milne’s classic stories, the drawings depict scenes from the "expotition" to the North Pole and the hunt for a "Woozle" that were never included in the final 1926 publication. These rare works are set to go on display at Peter Harrington Rare Books in London starting April 17.

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gavel restitution schedule Mar 18, 2026 visibility 9 link 2 artists

Open Letter on the Imminent Departure of the Gelman Collection from Mexico

An open letter signed by hundreds of Mexican artists and cultural figures warns that the core of the renowned Gelman Collection, including eleven Frida Kahlo paintings declared national monuments, is at risk of permanent export from Mexico. The letter alleges that Banco Santander's new Faro Santander museum, through an agreement with collector Marcelo Zambrano, is misinterpreting Mexico's strict heritage laws to justify a "dynamic" but effectively permanent display abroad, which would violate the legal prohibition on the permanent export of Kahlo's work.

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person people schedule Apr 22, 2026 visibility 9 link 2 artists

Lisbon’s Culturgest appoints Raphael Fonseca as visual arts programmer

Raphael Fonseca has been appointed as the new visual arts programmer at Culturgest in Lisbon, the cultural foundation of the Portuguese bank Caixa Geral de Depósitos. He will relocate to Lisbon in June while transitioning to a curator-at-large role at the Denver Art Museum, where he currently serves as curator and head of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art.

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person people schedule Mar 23, 2026 visibility 18 link 11 artists

Art Collector and ‘Galerie’ Magazine Founder Lisa Fayne Cohen Fawned Over Jeffrey Epstein in Emails: ‘There Is No One Else Like You’

Newly released documents from the Justice Department's Epstein files reveal that New York art collector and Galerie magazine founder Lisa Fayne Cohen and her husband, real estate developer Jimmy Cohen, were in close contact with financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2015 and 2016. The emails show Cohen seeking Epstein's advice and arranging to photograph his Paris apartment for her magazine, which later featured the residence anonymously in its second issue.

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candle obituary schedule Jan 20, 2026 visibility 9 link 6 artists

philip leider artforum founding editor dead 1234770198

Philip Leider, the founding editor of Artforum, died at his home in Berkeley, California, on January 11 at age 96. Leider helped transform Artforum into a leading source for rigorous art criticism after becoming its editor in 1962, but he left the publication in 1971 and largely disengaged from the mainstream art world, later teaching at the University of California, Irvine and the Bezalel Academy of Fine Arts in Israel.

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person people schedule Sep 23, 2025 visibility 3 link 3 artists

hong kong adrian cheng web3 blockchain immersive experiences 1234753119

Adrian Cheng, the mega-collector and regular on ARTnews' Top 200 Collectors list, has announced his new venture ALMAD Group after resigning as CEO of his family's Hong Kong property firm New World Development Co. (NWD) last year. The company will focus on digital assets, blockchain technologies, and immersive digital experiences across entertainment, sports, and media in mainland China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. ALMAD has absorbed Cheng's art-meets-commerce platform K11 by AC, which includes the K11 Craft and Guild Foundation, the K11 Art Foundation, and the K11 Art Malls that pair luxury retail with exhibitions by artists like Damien Hirst and Takashi Murakami.

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article news schedule May 5, 2025 visibility 1 link 2 artists

amid fraud case collector justin sun reportedly spent 75 m on trump backed crypto firm 1234740625

Justin Sun, the crypto billionaire known for buying and eating Maurizio Cattelan's banana sculpture, is under scrutiny after reportedly spending $75 million on World Liberty Financial (WL), a cryptocurrency firm promoted by President Donald Trump. The investment, revealed by a New York Times investigation on April 28, comes while Sun faces a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fraud lawsuit and a separate legal battle with collector David Geffen over an Alberto Giacometti sculpture allegedly stolen from Sun's collection.

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