prince andrew arrest photo louvre protest 1234774150

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.

belgian museum colonial records congo minerals company 1234773243

The Africa Museum in Tervuren, Belgium, a museum dedicated to the country's colonial history in Africa, is at the center of a dispute over access to its historical geological records from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congolese government and KoBold Metals, a mining company backed by billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, are seeking access to these documents, which detail rich mineral deposits, as part of a deal to digitize them and explore for critical minerals like lithium and cobalt.

minneapolis institute of art closes alex pretti killing ice 1234770894

The Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) announced it would remain closed on Sunday for safety reasons after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, during an ICE operation in Minneapolis on Saturday. The shooting occurred just blocks from the museum, and MIA had already closed early on Saturday following the news. The closure was part of a broader Day of Truth and Freedom protest against ICE operations in Minnesota, and the NBA also postponed a Timberwolves game in response to the incident.

Robert Mnuchin, the blue-chip gallerist who loved the drama of the auction saleroom, has died aged 92

Robert Mnuchin, the prominent New York gallerist who transitioned from a 33-year career on Wall Street to become a major force in the art world, has died at age 92. After heading the trading desk at Goldman Sachs, he co-founded C&M Arts in 1992 with James Corcoran, later establishing L&M Arts with Dominique Lévy in 2005, which was renamed Mnuchin Gallery in 2013. Known for his aggressive bidding at auction, Mnuchin made headlines with high-profile purchases including Roy Lichtenstein's *Sinking Sun* (1964) for $15.6 million in 2006 and Jeff Koons's *Rabbit* (1986) for $91.1 million in 2019, the latter a record for a living artist at the time.

‘Be really great. No alternative’: what Mary Boone has learned from a half-century in the art world

Mary Boone, the legendary New York art dealer, has co-curated the exhibition 'Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties' at Lévy Gorvy Dayan, running until December 13. The show features over 60 works by iconic artists of the 1980s, including Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, Richard Prince, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. This is Boone's first major project in over five years, following the closure of her namesake gallery and her 2019 tax-evasion conviction, for which she served 13 months in prison. The exhibition revisits the era that launched her career and includes archival ephemera such as vintage photos and press clippings.

‘Be really great. No alternative’: what Mary Boone has learned from a half-century in the art world

Mary Boone, the legendary New York art dealer, has returned to the gallery world with a new curatorial project titled 'Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties' at Lévy Gorvy Dayan on the Upper East Side. The exhibition, co-curated with Brett Gorvy, features over 60 works by iconic artists of the 1980s including Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, Richard Prince, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It marks Boone's first major project in more than five years, following the closure of her namesake gallery and her 2019 tax-evasion conviction, for which she served 13 months in prison.

Dartmouth Students Renew Calls to Remove Leon Black’s Name From Arts Center

Students at Dartmouth College have intensified their campaign to remove billionaire collector Leon Black’s name from the school’s visual arts center. The renewed push follows the release of Department of Justice files detailing Black’s extensive financial ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including $170 million in payments for tax and estate advice. While Black has denied all allegations of misconduct and his legal team maintains he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities, student leaders are citing the college's recent decision to strip César Chávez’s name from a fellowship as a precedent for moral accountability.

Epstein Emails and the Art Market

epstein emails art market 2742320

A massive release of over three million documents by the U.S. Department of Justice has exposed the deep ties between the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and prominent figures in the global art world. The files reveal how Epstein utilized sophisticated financial structures to manage and enhance the value of blue-chip art collections, most notably for billionaire Leon Black. The fallout from these disclosures has already led to high-profile resignations, including Jack Lang from the Arab World Institute and David A. Ross from the School of Visual Arts, while others like collector Steve Tisch face renewed scrutiny.

no ice protest art new york 2736915

Activists took to the streets across the U.S. over the weekend of January 11, 2026, for "No War, No Kings, No ICE" protests, sparked by the killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent and the U.S. invasion of Venezuela. In New York City, a coalition of 11 activist groups led by the NYC Democratic Socialists of America organized a march starting at Grand Army Plaza, featuring protest art including giant grayscale posters of Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Representative Jeffries, as well as signs designed by Brooklyn artist Julie Peppito. An estimated tens of thousands attended the New York rally, part of some 1,000 protests nationwide.

jeff bezos lauren sanchez bezos met gala 2715793

Billionaire couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are sponsoring the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2026 Met Gala, the annual benefit for the Costume Institute. The news has revived speculation that Bezos may buy Condé Nast, Vogue’s parent company, which organizes the gala. Sánchez Bezos, a former TV reporter and recent Vogue cover subject, has been increasingly active in fashion circles, attending Paris Fashion Week and sitting front row at Chanel and Balenciaga shows. The 2026 gala will be the first since Anna Wintour’s retirement, with Chloe Malle taking over Vogue, and will feature a new dedicated Costume Institute gallery and the theme “Costume Art.”

artist epstein clinton painting 1628953

Australian-born artist Petrina Ryan-Kleid's 2012 student painting *Parsing Bill*, depicting Bill Clinton in a blue dress, went viral after the Daily Mail revealed it had been owned and prominently displayed by convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The work, created as a satirical thesis piece at the New York Academy of Art, was intended to critique how opposition parties caricature presidents, referencing Monica Lewinsky's blue dress. Ryan-Kleid, who sold the painting for about $1,300 at the 2012 Tribeca Ball fundraiser, has since distanced herself from the political narrative, expressing discomfort and clarifying the piece's original intent.

artist epstein clinton painting 1628953

Australian-born artist Petrina Ryan-Kleid's 2012 student painting *Parsing Bill*, depicting Bill Clinton in a blue dress, went viral after it was revealed to have been owned and displayed by convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Created as a satirical thesis piece at the New York Academy of Art, the work was intended to critique how presidents are caricatured, referencing Monica Lewinsky's blue dress. Ryan-Kleid, who sold the painting for about $1,300 at the 2012 Tribeca Ball without knowing the buyer, has since distanced herself from the political narrative, expressing discomfort and clarifying the work's original intent.

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.

michaels lawsuit pose jordan nickel 1234772883

Chicago street artist Jordan Nickel, known as Pose, is embroiled in a legal dispute with the arts and crafts retail giant Michaels. The artist, through his attorney Jeff Gluck, alleges that Michaels used his artwork in advertisements for Ironlak spray paint without his permission. Michaels has responded by filing a preemptive lawsuit in Texas, seeking a court declaration that it did not infringe on any rights and asking for attorneys' fees, while also arguing that it believed it had permission through its supplier, AVT Paints.

washington post art critic sebastian smee laid off 1234772489

The Washington Post laid off approximately 30% of its newsroom staff, including Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee, as part of broader cuts to sports, local news, and international coverage. Smee, who joined the Post in 2018 after working at the Boston Globe and The Australian, confirmed his departure in a statement to ARTnews, expressing gratitude to former editor Marty Baron and solidarity with affected colleagues. Another Pulitzer-winning critic, Philip Kennicott, reportedly remains on staff. The layoffs come shortly after the release of a documentary produced by Amazon MGM Studios, owned by Post owner Jeff Bezos.

Dartmouth Students Renew Efforts to Rename Leon Black–Funded Arts Center

Dartmouth College students have reignited a campaign to rename the Black Family Visual Arts Center, a campus facility funded by billionaire investor Leon Black. The movement, led by freshman Oscar Rempe-Hiam and supported by student government, criticizes the administration's lack of urgency in distancing the institution from Black, whose long-standing ties to Jeffrey Epstein and personal allegations of sexual misconduct have sparked years of controversy.

epstein files andres serrano 2713719

Newly released Epstein files, shared on the House Oversight Committee website, reveal direct email exchanges between artist Andres Serrano and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In an October 2016 email, Serrano discussed voting for Donald Trump as a sympathy vote due to disgust over the outrage at Trump's sexist comments. Epstein responded briefly, and Serrano mentioned his exhibition "Torture" in Ireland. The pair had a prior acquaintance in the 1990s, and in 2018 they agreed to a trade: Serrano would photograph Epstein in exchange for a statue.

New Mysterious Art Fair “The Island” Seeks the Opposite of Buzz

A mysterious new art fair called "The Island" is generating intrigue with plans for a super-secretive inaugural edition in the US Virgin Islands this May. Promotional materials suggest an exclusive event for mega-collectors, featuring special water sports activities and rumors of commissions from artists like Andres Serrano and Jeff Koons, with the unusual claim that all sales will be "redacted after the fact."

epstein files leon black indicted dealer douglas latchford 1234774047

A newly released document from the Department of Justice’s Jeffrey Epstein files has linked billionaire collector Leon Black to a $27.7 million inventory of Southeast Asian antiquities, some of which may be looted. The records indicate that Black acquired high-value Cambodian, Thai, and Vietnamese artifacts, including a $7 million bronze Shiva sculpture that matches the description of a piece handled by the late, indicted antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford. While Black’s representatives state he never dealt with Latchford directly and acquired the works through a reputable dealer, correspondence suggests Latchford was involved in facilitating sales to Black through intermediaries.

trump eyes park near jefferson memorial garden of heroes 1234769973

The Trump administration is considering West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., as the site for its proposed “National Garden of American Heroes,” a sculpture garden featuring statues of American historical figures. According to anonymous sources cited by the Washington Post, the park—located near the Jefferson Memorial and memorials to Martin Luther King Jr. and Franklin D. Roosevelt—may require an exemption under the Commemorative Works Act if the southern tip is used. The project, first announced in January 2021, received $40 million in congressional funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, and the National Endowment for the Humanities launched a new grant program for statue design after canceling most of its existing grants.

An Early Winter Gallery Guide

A guide lists galleries in Wellfleet and Provincetown, Massachusetts, that plan to remain open during December, some through New Year's, with winter hours and by-appointment visits. Featured galleries include AMZehnder Gallery, Farm Projects, Jeff Soderbergh Gallery, Left Bank Gallery, Wellfleet Preservation Hall, Alden Gallery, Bakker Gallery, Berta Walker Gallery, Four Eleven Gallery, and Gary Marotta Fine Art, each offering exhibitions of contemporary paintings, ceramics, photography, and works on paper. The Provincetown Art Gallery Association and Provincetown Business Guild are hosting gallery strolls every Saturday in December from 1 to 4 p.m.

Five can’t-miss fall art shows in Whatcom and Skagit counties

This article highlights five must-see fall art exhibitions in Whatcom and Skagit counties in Washington state. Featured shows include Mary Ann Peters' solo exhibition "myself inside your story" at the Whatcom Museum, Barbara Sternberger's abstract painting show "At the Core" at Western Gallery, Joy Olney's "Pure Joy" at Cordata Gallery, and Voxel Gallery's first anniversary celebration with its "World Famous" exhibition. The article also notes a photo exhibition on broadcasting pioneer Elaine Horn curated by archivist Jeff Jewell at the Whatcom Museum's Old City Hall.

Five can’t-miss fall art shows in Whatcom and Skagit counties

The article highlights five must-see fall art exhibitions in Whatcom and Skagit counties in Washington state. Featured shows include Mary Ann Peters' solo exhibition "myself inside your story" at the Whatcom Museum, Barbara Sternberger's abstract painting survey "At the Core" at Western Gallery, Joy Olney's "Pure Joy" at Cordata Gallery, and Voxel Gallery's first anniversary celebration with its "World Famous" exhibition. The piece also notes a photo exhibition on broadcasting pioneer Elaine Horn curated by archivist Jeff Jewell at the Whatcom Museum's Old City Hall.

Family Tours of the Jeff Koons: Venus Lespugue Exhibition at Museum of Cycladic Art

The Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens is organizing special family tours for its ongoing 'Jeff Koons: Venus Lespugue' exhibition. The tours, scheduled for three Sundays in April, May, and June, are designed for parents and children aged 8-12 and will explore both the Koons exhibition and the museum's permanent collection of Cycladic art.

New Exhibition at Mexico City’s Jumex Museum Draws Parallels Between Soccer and Art

The Jumex Museum in Mexico City has launched a major exhibition titled "Football & Art: A Shared Emotion," timed to coincide with the city's role as a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Curated by Guillermo Santamarina, the show features a diverse array of media including sculpture, photography, and commissioned installations from renowned artists such as Jeff Koons, Graciela Iturbide, and Marta Minujín. Notable works include a sculptural installation by the collective Tercerunquinto using salvaged seats from the Azteca Stadium and an embroidered piece by Sofía Echeverri honoring the 1971 Mexico Women’s National Team.

In with the bold: the new players igniting Hong Kong art week

Hong Kong’s art week is shifting from a post-pandemic recovery phase to a more exploratory period defined by innovative fringe events. A standout newcomer is the Central Yards Edible Art Fair, a 20,000-square-foot immersive experience at the Central Harbourfront that blends art history with culinary treats. The fair features ten zones themed after major movements like Impressionism and Surrealism, including a neo-pop installation where visitors can win jelly balloon dogs inspired by Jeff Koons.

High-Profile Montreal-Based Art Gallery Opening in Wynwood This Summer

Montreal-based Galerie de Bellefeuille, a commercial gallery founded in 1980 that represents over 100 artists including Damien Hirst, Robert Indiana, Jeff Koons, and Alexander Calder, has announced it will open a 4,000-square-foot location at 136 NW 25th St. in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood this summer. The expansion comes shortly after the gallery's planned U.S. flagship in Midtown New York, and marks the latest in a wave of international galleries establishing a presence in Miami.

Your Guide To Art Week Singapore 2026’s Must-See Events

Singapore Art Week 2026 transforms the Lion City into a stage for contemporary creativity, featuring a packed programme of exhibitions, auctions, and symposia from January through March. Key events include Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Art auction (21–24 January) spotlighting works by Walter Spies, Raden Saleh, David Hockney, and Takashi Murakami; the Tanoto Art Foundation’s first exhibition 'Rituals of Perception' at New Bahru School Hall (21 January–1 March); the inaugural Print Show & Symposium at STPI (22–31 January) with artists like Yayoi Kusama and Jeff Koons; and Loy Contemporary Art Gallery’s 'Mosaic SG' showcasing contemporary Italian artists under the patronage of the Embassy of Italy in Singapore.

At Art Basel Miami Beach, a new space reimagines art in the digital age

Art Basel Miami Beach will debut a new curated space called Zero 10, dedicated to digital and new media art, at its upcoming fair in the Miami Beach Convention Center. The centerpiece is an interactive installation by American artist Beeple featuring robot dogs with human heads modeled after public figures like Andy Warhol, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk, which will photograph fairgoers and offer NFTs. The space, curated by Eli Scheinman, includes works by pioneers such as Manfred Mohr and Larva Labs, alongside galleries like Pace Gallery and platforms like Art Blocks, exploring themes of AI, robotics, and generative systems. The name references Kazimir Malevich's 1915 exhibition '0,10', signaling a push into new artistic terrain.

Win pre-launch tickets to Paradigm Shift at 180 Studios

180 Studios in London will debut 'Paradigm Shift: New Dimensions in Moving Image' on October 14, 2025, during Frieze Week. Curated by Jefferson Hack and Mark Wadhwa, the exhibition features over a dozen artists including Andy Warhol, Nan Goldin, Arthur Jafa, Pipilotti Rist, and Telfar TV, tracing the evolution of moving image culture from Super 8 film to AI-powered glasses. The show is hosted in partnership with Ray-Ban Meta, and a private view on October 13 offers exclusive early access via a ticket lottery run by Dazed and AnOther.