Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Mar 12, 2026 visibility 9

smithsonian slavery exhibit slave ship artifact return 1234777204

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will remove a significant timber fragment from the São José-Paquete de Africa slave ship on March 22. The artifact, which has been a centerpiece of the "Slavery and Freedom" exhibition since the museum's 2016 opening, is being returned to the Iziko Museums of South Africa following the expiration of a long-term loan agreement. It will be replaced by a cargo manifest documenting the enslaved individuals forced onto the vessel.

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article policy schedule Feb 28, 2026 visibility 11

bard college to launch independent review of presidents ties to jeffrey epstein 1234774074

Bard College has initiated an independent review of President Leon Botstein’s relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following the release of Department of Justice emails. While Botstein previously characterized the connection as purely philanthropic, the new correspondence suggests a more personal friendship, including frequent visits to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse and a 2012 trip to Epstein’s private island. The college's board of trustees has hired the law firm WilmerHale to investigate the extent of these communications and any financial contributions.

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gavel restitution schedule Feb 18, 2026 visibility 12

portugal returns looted mexican antiquities 1234773823

Portugal has repatriated three pre-Columbian artifacts to Mexico, marking the first time the country has returned unlawfully acquired antiquities to the Mexican government. The returned items include a Shaft Tomb Culture female figure, a Maya painted vessel, and a Zapotec funerary urn representing the deity Cocijo. The objects were recovered through the cooperation of Portuguese judicial authorities and the Mexican embassy after being flagged at auctions and in various cities including Lisbon, Guimarães, and Évora.

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person people schedule Feb 18, 2026 visibility 7

devyani saltzman abruptly leaves her role as director of the barbican in london 1234773690

Devyani Saltzman has abruptly left her position as Director of Arts and Participation at the Barbican Centre in London. Her departure, which comes just weeks after the arrival of a new CEO and shortly after she unveiled a five-year creative vision for the institution, marks another sudden leadership change at the major UK arts center.

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article policy schedule Feb 12, 2026 visibility 10

world monuments fund 2026 commitment heritage sites 1234773184

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has pledged $7 million for 2026 to fund 21 new heritage preservation projects globally. These projects, selected from its 2025 Watch List and other sites, range from restoring mural paintings at the Church of Saint-Eustache in Paris and gardens at Safdar Jang’s Tomb in New Delhi, to repairing earthquake damage in Japan and supporting community-led stewardship at Bear’s Ears National Monument in Utah.

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person people schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 14

french culture minister jack lang caroline epstein files 1234771959

Former French culture minister Jack Lang and his daughter, film producer Caroline Lang, have been named in newly released U.S. Department of Justice documents as having had ties with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The correspondence reveals Caroline Lang co-founded a company, Prytanee LLC, with Epstein in 2016, and that Jack Lang requested personal favors like the use of Epstein's car or plane.

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gavel restitution schedule Jan 28, 2026 visibility 13

smithsonians national museum of asian art returns three looted sculptures to india 1234771247

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art announced it will return three looted bronze sculptures to India: "Shiva Nataraja" (ca. 990), "Somaskanda" (12th century), and "Saint Sundarar with Paravai." Provenance research linked the works to art dealers known for trafficking looted antiquities. The museum partnered with the Photo Archives of the French Institute of Pondicherry in 2023, finding the bronzes had been photographed in Tamil Nadu temples between 1956 and 1959 and removed in violation of Indian laws. This follows the museum's December return of three Khmer-period sculptures to Cambodia, also determined to be looted.

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article news schedule Jan 2, 2026 visibility 9

audit irregularities baltimore lewis museum 1234768649

An August 15 audit by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services uncovered serious financial irregularities at Baltimore’s Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. The audit found corporate credit card charges without a clear business purpose, payments made to an employee’s PayPal account, a former employee pocketing parking fees, and a practice of pre-signing blank checks stored in an unsecured office. Though only $10,115 was unaccounted for between April 2021 and January 2025, the museum’s annual budget is $6.3 million, and it receives up to half its funding from taxpayers. The museum’s president Terri L. Freeman and board chairman Drew Hawkins have since destroyed all pre-signed checks and implemented 12 of 18 audit recommendations, with four more in progress. The employees involved are no longer at the museum, and findings were referred to the Maryland Attorney General.

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gavel restitution schedule Dec 17, 2025 visibility 8

pompeii hercules fresco location 2730508

Archaeologists have identified the original location of a looted fresco fragment from Pompeii that was repatriated from the U.S. to Italy in 2023. The fragment, depicting baby Hercules wrestling a snake, was found to have once decorated the upper lunette of a private chapel (sacellum) at the ancient villa of Civita Giuliana. The discovery was made during excavations in 2023 and 2024, and the fragment will be exhibited at the Antiquarium of Boscoreale from mid-January.

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article news schedule Dec 5, 2025 visibility 8

1000 artifacts stolen oakland museum of california 1234759457

More than 1,000 artifacts were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California's off-site storage facility on October 15, 2023. The thieves broke in around 3:30 a.m., stealing jewelry, precious metals, pearls, Native American baskets and tools, antique daguerreotypes, political pins, laptops, and cameras. No security staff were on duty, and the entry was not through a door. The Oakland Police Department and the FBI's Art Crime Team are investigating, and no arrests have been made. The museum delayed announcing the theft to protect the investigation.

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article policy schedule Nov 11, 2025 visibility 13

heritage experts call for international task force to oversee palmyra restoration 1234760263

Heritage experts, international officials, and Syrian residents gathered in Switzerland for the first comprehensive conference on restoring the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra since the end of Bashar Al Assad's regime. Organized by UNESCO and the Aliph Foundation, the group recommended establishing an international expert task force to remove Palmyra from UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger. Rehabilitation efforts will focus on the Palmyra museum, restoration of artifacts at the Damascus Museum, and repair of the footbridge, with work expected to begin in January 2026.

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article news schedule Nov 10, 2025 visibility 11

protesters storm campus nigeria museum of west african art 1234760895

Protesters stormed the campus of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, on Sunday, just hours before its first preview events were set to begin. Demonstrators entered through a gate after being denied access, hurling insults at foreign guests and journalists. All preview events have been canceled and the public opening postponed. The museum attributed the unrest to disputes between previous and current state administrations, while local residents claimed anger over the perceived hijacking of a local initiative, with the Oba of Benin reportedly unhappy about the project.

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article news schedule Oct 31, 2025 visibility 7

oakland museum of california talks stolen artifacts 1234759735

A thief or group of thieves broke into the Oakland Museum of California's off-site storage facility on October 15, stealing more than 1,000 objects including six Native American baskets, 19th-century scrimshaw, daguerreotypes, modernist metalwork jewelry, and historic memorabilia. The museum initially withheld details to aid the Oakland Police Department and FBI Art Crime Team investigation, but later released a statement calling it a crime of opportunity rather than a targeted theft.

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article policy schedule Oct 15, 2025 visibility 13

austin black artists matter rainbow crosswalk to be removed 1234757239

The city of Austin, Texas, is set to remove a 'Black Artists Matter' street mural and a rainbow crosswalk after Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Transportation to comply with a federal order from President Donald Trump. The July 1 directive from Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy requires states to eliminate political messages and artwork from roadways, citing driver and pedestrian safety. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has identified about 16 locations that may be affected and warned that non-compliance could jeopardize $175 million in state and federal grant funding. The mural, painted in June 2020 in Austin's historically Black East side neighborhood by local artists with the Austin Justice Coalition and Capitol View Arts, was created in response to the police killing of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

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article policy schedule Sep 8, 2025 visibility 13

woodmere art museum drops lawsuit against trump administration 1234751135

Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration after the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) reinstated a $750,000 grant that had been unlawfully terminated. The museum had been preparing to go to court on September 12 when it received a Letter of Reinstatement on September 4, stating the termination review process was complete. The grant, awarded in 2024 through the IMLS’s “Save America’s Treasures” program, was intended to revamp the museum’s catalog system and digitize works for an exhibition honoring the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding. Woodmere had already received about $195,000 of the grant and entered into several contracts before the termination.

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article policy schedule Aug 22, 2025 visibility 11

mutter museum philadelphia new policy human remains 1234749793

The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, a medical history institution that has faced controversy over its handling of human remains, announced a new policy on August 19 for exhibiting its collection. The policy shifts focus toward the lives of patients and changes in medical history, developed through the two-year Postmortem Project involving focus groups and public meetings. The announcement follows backlash after former executive director Kate Quinn removed online exhibits in June 2023 as part of an ethical review, and subsequent staff departures.

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gavel restitution schedule Jul 17, 2025 visibility 10

erotic mosaic pompeii nazi officer 1234747699

An ancient mosaic looted during World War II by a Nazi officer has been repatriated to Italy and is now on public display in Pompeii. The mosaic, which depicts an erotic bedroom scene, likely originated near Mount Vesuvius and was taken by a Wehrmacht captain who donated it to a German citizen. It was returned with the help of the Italian consulate in Stuttgart on September 16, 2023, and is now housed at the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

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article news schedule Jul 11, 2025 visibility 10

national museum of puerto rican arts and culture homeland security 1234747283

Agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrived at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture in Chicago on Tuesday, with at least 15 DHS vehicles occupying the museum's parking lot for nearly two hours. Museum staff reported that an agent entered the building under the pretense of using the bathroom but instead looked around and refused to leave when asked. Museum president Billy Ocasio described the incident as intimidating, comparing it to "Gestapo-style" tactics, and staff expressed fear. DHS later denied targeting the museum, stating the vehicles were staging for a narcotics investigation, but museum officials and local Representative Delia Ramirez criticized the lack of identification and the intimidating show of force.

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article news schedule Jun 20, 2025 visibility 6

france deepest shipwreck camarat 4 2659029

French archaeologists have discovered the wreck of a 16th-century merchant vessel, named Camarat 4, 1.6 miles below the Mediterranean Sea—the deepest shipwreck ever found in French waters. The French Navy first detected the site via sonar during a routine mission off the coast near Saint Tropez, then deployed an underwater drone that captured images of hundreds of ceramic pots. The Department of Underwater and Submarine Archaeological Research (DRASSM) confirmed the 98-foot-long ship sank nearly 500 years ago, carrying cargo including polychrome earthenware pitchers and plates traced to Liguria, Italy, along with cannons and iron bars.

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article policy schedule Jun 18, 2025 visibility 9

institute of museum and library services staff leave doge 1234737446

The entire staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in Washington, D.C., was placed on administrative leave by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), effective immediately. Between 55 and 70 employees received a letter informing them of the leave with full pay and benefits for 90 days, requiring them to turn in government property and disabling their email accounts. This follows President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for the elimination of the IMLS within seven days as part of a broader reduction of federal bureaucracy. The agency, established in 1996, awarded approximately $266.7 million in grants last year to museums and libraries across all 50 states.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 11

frances most famous antiques collector hoping elon musk buys his napoleon collection at sothebys 1234744515

Pierre-Jean Chalençon, described as France's most famous antiques collector, is selling around 100 lots of Napoleonic memorabilia at Sotheby's Paris on June 25. The collection includes Napoleon's bicorne hat, coronation sword, stockings, and camp bed. Chalençon has publicly expressed hope that Elon Musk will buy the entire collection to keep it together, calling Musk "the new Napoleon." The sale comes as Chalençon reportedly faces pressure to repay a €10 million loan from Swiss Life Banque Privée, which he used to finance his purchases and the acquisition of Palais Vivienne, his Parisian mansion turned Napoleon shrine.

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article policy schedule Jun 3, 2025 visibility 11

institute of museum and library services faces defunding 2026 1234744123

The proposed 2026 federal budget plans to defund the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), allocating only $6 million—down from its current $313 million—to close the agency. The cuts are part of a broader restructuring led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has already placed IMLS employees on administrative leave. Congress must approve the budget by October 1 and reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act by September 30 for the agency to survive, despite a temporary restraining order and a lawsuit by 20 state attorneys general.

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article policy schedule Jun 2, 2025 visibility 10

us art schools international students 1234743928

The Trump administration threatened to block Harvard University from enrolling international students and revoked its SEVIS certification, a move frozen within 24 hours by a judge. The administration also announced plans to aggressively revoke visas of Chinese students, raising concerns for US art schools, which are heavily dependent on international enrollees—many with higher percentages of international students than Harvard, such as the School of Visual Arts (50%), Parsons School of Design (35%), and CalArts (30%).

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trending_up market schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 10

art market minute may 19 2646475 2646475

New York’s spring marquee auctions, traditionally a bellwether for the global art market, concluded with thin margins and soft demand despite an increased number of high-value "masterpiece" lots priced at $30 million and above. The results indicate that strong supply alone cannot overcome deeper market challenges. Separately, Yuga Labs, the company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club, has sold its landmark CryptoPunks NFT collection to the NODE Foundation.

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article news schedule May 16, 2025 visibility 7

ancient archeology site chan chan peru vandalized graffiti 1234742398

Authorities in Peru are searching for a vandal who spray-painted a penis image on a wall of Chan Chan, a 600-year-old pre-Columbian archaeological city and UNESCO World Heritage Site located 300 miles north of Lima. The act was filmed and posted on Facebook on May 12, prompting the Ministry of Culture to launch an investigation and file a criminal complaint. The suspect could face up to six years in prison under Peru’s Penal Code. A restoration team has been sent to clean and repair the damaged mud plaster wall.

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article news schedule May 16, 2025 visibility 8

ancient buddhist artifacts found in thailand 2644247

Workers installing a drainage system beneath Wat Dhammachak Semaram, a Buddhist temple in northeastern Thailand, discovered a cache of ancient relics buried just over a meter deep. The find includes 33 bronze, silver, and gold items such as rings, earrings, and two repoussé plaques—one gold depicting a seated Buddha in the teaching gesture, and one tin showing a standing Buddha with attendants. Archaeologists from Thailand’s fine arts department conducted a second phase of excavation, uncovering the plaques and a soil deposit embedded with metal sheets behind the temple’s famous 40-foot reclining Buddha.

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article policy schedule May 8, 2025 visibility 13

arts directors exit the national endowment for the arts 1234741434

All ten directors overseeing grants across artistic disciplines at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) have departed this week, along with other senior leaders and employees. The mass exodus follows the Trump administration's effective shuttering of the agency, including a proposed budget cancellation for fiscal year 2026 and redistribution of funding. Among those leaving are Michael Orlove, director of state, regional and local partnerships, and Ayanna Hudson, chief strategy, programs and engagement officer. Officials overseeing Native arts and Challenge America grants—the latter canceled in February—are also departing, alongside many grant-review specialists who have retired or resigned. The American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403 reported that over 50% of open NEA awards are being terminated.

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article policy schedule May 7, 2025 visibility 10

legal injunction pauses imls funding cuts 1234741066

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday blocking President Trump's executive order to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr., appointed by President Obama, ruled that the dismantling violated the Administrative Procedure Act and Congress's constitutional power over appropriations. The injunction follows a lawsuit by the American Library Association and AFSCME, and a temporary restraining order last week. Trump's March 14 executive order had declared IMLS "unnecessary," placing staff on leave, terminating grants, and dismissing board members.

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article culture schedule Apr 5, 2026 visibility 13

Preparations for the Miyako Odori, Kyoto’s spring dance festival – in pictures

Geisha and maiko (apprentices) in Kyoto are rehearsing for the annual Miyako Odori, or 'Capital City Dances.' This spring dance festival, held throughout April at the Gion Kōbu Kaburenjo theatre, features eight scenes depicting Japanese history and literature, accompanied by live shamisen music and performed against cherry blossom backdrops.

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article culture schedule Mar 30, 2026 visibility 17

Why your moon photos look so bad (and how to fix it): the best Australian photos of March - video

Guardian Australia's picture editor Carly Earl selected the publication's top three photographs for March, highlighting a total lunar eclipse, the Iranian women's football team's tense departure, and a portrait of a man displaced by Cyclone Narelle. The monthly series provides insight into the craft of photojournalism, showcasing the technical skill and narrative power behind compelling images while elevating the work of Australian photographers and the stories they capture.

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