Art News. Vasari Codex

article local schedule Nov 18, 2025 visibility 12

mutter museum expansion philadelphia

Philadelphia's Mütter Museum is expanding into the adjacent Swedenborgian Church and Parish House, which it purchased for $9.3 million in 2023. Construction is set to begin in phases in early 2026, funded by $27 million raised so far. The expansion will unify the campus, add new rotating galleries, a larger museum store, and more educational spaces, allowing the museum to display more of its nearly 500,000 objects currently not on view. The Gothic Revival church, designed by Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr., was built in 1881 and closed in the mid-1980s before being used as medical offices.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 12, 2025 visibility 5

vanderbilt sapphire phillips geneva jewels

Phillips’s “Geneva Jewels Auction” on Monday achieved CHF 13.7 million ($17 million) in total sales, with 96 of 113 lots sold (85% sell-through rate). Twelve lots from the Vanderbilt family sold out, contributing CHF 3.42 million ($4.25 million)—four times their low estimate. The top lot was “The Vanderbilt Sapphire,” a 42-karat sugarloaf Kashmir sapphire and diamond brooch by Tiffany & Co., which sold for CHF 2.88 million ($3.57 million), exceeding its $1–1.5 million estimate. Other highlights included a Cartier Magnificent diamond brooch ($560,582), a Bulgari “Serpenti” belt ($368,383), and multiple Cartier “Panthère” jewels. The auction drew over 1,600 visitors and bids from 44 countries.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 11, 2025 visibility 9

rare mellon blue diamond 2025 sale christies

A rare blue diamond pendant known as the Mellon Blue, owned by art collector Rachel Lambert “Bunny” Mellon, sold for $25.5 million at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva on Tuesday. The 9.51-carat fancy vivid blue, internally flawless pear-shaped diamond had a pre-sale estimate of $20–30 million. This price is 22 percent less than the $32.6 million it achieved at Sotheby’s in 2014 as part of Mellon’s collection sale, and nearly 60 percent less when adjusted for inflation. The buyer was not disclosed.

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article news schedule Aug 20, 2025 visibility 11

sicily roman villa flip flop mosaic

Archaeologists at the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily have uncovered a mosaic in the frigidarium (cold bath) of the southern baths featuring a pair of flip-flops and the inscription "Treptona bibas," likely referencing a woman involved in managing the complex. The discovery was made during the University of Bologna's Summer School ArchLABS program, which trains students from 11 countries in modern excavation techniques. The flip-flop motif, known from other Late Roman bath decorations across Spain, Cyprus, Jordan, and Asia Minor, signals the aristocratic and cosmopolitan character of the baths.

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trending_up market schedule Aug 15, 2025 visibility 10

new 2025 survey galleries art fair model first thursday

A new report from First Thursday, a London-based sales intelligence company, reveals widespread frustration among gallerists over the rising costs and high risks of participating in art fairs. Surveying 56 commercial galleries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, the inaugural Art Fair Report found that nearly half of galleries spent over £30,000 ($40,000) per fair, with 24% spending between £50,000 and £100,000. High participation costs were cited by 83% of respondents as the biggest challenge, followed by sales uncertainty (77%). As a result, 31% plan to attend fewer fairs, shifting investment to digital platforms and marketing.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 23, 2025 visibility 14

winston artory merger launches

Art appraiser Winston Art Group and art-tech firm Artory have merged to form the Winston Artory Group (WAG), a new company offering art appraisal, advisory, and digital collection management services. The merger is backed by a strategic investment led by Strobe Ventures, with support from CMT Digital, Galaxy Digital, and the family office of Eijk van Otterloo. WAG combines Winston's valuation expertise with Artory's blockchain-backed technology and a database of over 50 million art market transactions, aiming to provide secure, data-rich valuations to insurers, banks, family offices, and collectors. The firm expects to handle $15 billion in valuations this year.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 18, 2025 visibility 9

donald trump drawing auction

A drawing of the Manhattan skyline by President Donald Trump sold at auction for $29,184 on Thursday night. The work was created by Trump for a charity auction promoting worldwide literacy in 2005 and was consigned by the winner of that original event. The sketch, drawn on a large envelope, is one of only three known variants. The auction, held by Los Angeles-based Nate D. Sanders, attracted 11 bids starting at $9,000, with interest from both Trump followers and presidential memorabilia collectors.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jul 18, 2025 visibility 13

birkin bag buyer revealed shinsuke sakimoto

Shinsuke Sakimoto, CEO of luxury reseller Valuence Holdings, revealed himself as the buyer of a Hermès Birkin bag that sold at Sotheby’s Paris for €8.6 million ($10 million). The handmade black leather bag, originally commissioned in 1984 for actress Jane Birkin by then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, had been in a private French collection since its last auction in 2000. Sakimoto, previously anonymous, told the Khaleej Times that winning the bag was a personal milestone and a defining moment for his company.

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article news schedule Jun 27, 2025 visibility 8

galerie thomas director custody investigation

Silke Thomas, co-manager of Munich-based Galerie Thomas, has been in custody since mid-December as part of a criminal investigation into the gallery's bankruptcy filing last summer. Munich prosecutors are investigating her and her father, founder Raimund Thomas, on suspicion of delaying insolvency, fraud, and breach of trust, with outstanding debts estimated at over $10 million. Raimund Thomas's whereabouts are unknown, and the gallery's absence from Art Basel in June 2024 hinted at financial trouble before the bankruptcy filing.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 12

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

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 local schedule May 29, 2025 visibility 10

1600 year old beer shema mosaic publicly accessible israel

A 1,600-year-old mosaic known as the Be'er Shema Mosaic has been opened to the public for the first time at the Merhavim Regional Council complex in northwestern Negev, Israel. Originally unearthed in 1990 near Kibbutz Urim, the mosaic features 55 medallions depicting hunting scenes, exotic animals, mythological figures, fruit, and daily life, and was created by a master craftsman using small stones, varied colors, glass, and pottery. It was rediscovered, conserved, and relocated from its original site to the council compound as part of the "Antiquities Near Home" project co-organized by the Ministry of Heritage and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

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trending_up market schedule May 27, 2025 visibility 9

art market minute may 26

Art Basel is launching a new fair in Doha in February 2026, marking its fifth global edition and a strategic expansion into the Gulf region. The move is backed by Qatar Sports Investments and QC+, a commercial arm of Qatar Museums, reinforcing Qatar’s cultural ambitions while placing the country in direct market competition with Dubai and a rising Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Sotheby’s has sold the most valuable trove of Old Master works ever offered in a single auction, and there have been more high-profile shifts from auction houses to private dealerships.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 10

art market minute may 19

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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museum exhibitions schedule May 22, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist

Artscape's Scout Art Fair spotlights Baltimore artists, galleries, affordable works

The Scout Art Fair returns for its second edition as part of Artscape in Baltimore, featuring 33 local artists and seven galleries. Curated by photographer Devin Allen, whose work has appeared on TIME magazine covers, the fair offers affordable art and includes photography, painting, and sculpture. The event runs Friday through Sunday, with the city acting as the gallerist, and artists do not pay to participate.

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article local schedule May 22, 2026 visibility 7 link 2 artists

Local art exhibition brings mental health into focus through collaboration

A new art exhibition called "TWOgether" has opened at Spare Room Gallery in Barrie, Ontario, running for a month during Mental Health Awareness Month. Curated by Sean William Dawson and Katie Green, the show pairs 12 emerging artists with 10 established artists from Simcoe County to create collaborative works exploring mental health. The project includes a limited-edition art catalogue of 200 signed copies, with 100% of sales proceeds going to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). A public reception and catalogue launch is scheduled for May 22, and the exhibition also features a panel discussion series titled Start Making Sense.

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trending_up market schedule May 21, 2026 visibility 7 link 2 artists

Auctions of the week: ancient art, design and antiques

A busy week of auctions is scheduled for May 21-27, 2026, spanning Milan, New York, and other global hubs. Italian auction houses including FarsettiArte, Wannenes, Gonnelli, Finarte, Capitolium AuctionHouse, Pananti, Aste Bolaffi, Il Ponte, Maison Bibelot, Babuino Fine Art Auctions, and Pandolfini will offer paintings, drawings, sculptures, antiques, design, jewelry, and vintage fashion. International houses Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams - Cornette de Saint-Cyr, and Dorotheum also hold sales in New York, Zurich, Paris, and Vienna, covering post-war and contemporary art, handbags, fine wine, and antiques.

newspaper Finestre sull'Arte open_in_new Read original

article local schedule May 20, 2026 visibility 7 link 2 artists

Cliff Jewell receives award at Paint Ontario exhibition

Cliff Jewell, a retired artist from Little Current, Ontario, had three paintings accepted into the Paint Ontario juried exhibition in Grand Bend, with one receiving an award and another marked with a red dot indicating a sale. The exhibition, which drew entries from 279 artists across the province, offered a top prize of $3,000 and a total of $14,000 in awards, supported by local businesses and patrons.

newspaper manitoulin.com open_in_new Read original

article local schedule May 15, 2026 visibility 9 link 3 artists

In “El Arte de la Resistencia,” migrant children share their experiences through art

An art exhibition titled "El Arte de la Resistencia" opened in Tucson, featuring artwork created by migrant children who have participated in La Ristra's art therapy program. The show includes life-size paintings, such as a boy's self-portrait with an excavator in his belly symbolizing his deported father's work, and a colorful cactus painted by another child. The exhibition, held in a small gallery near Fourth Avenue and Seventh Street, runs until May 17, 2026, with original pieces for sale to benefit the young artists and prints sold to raise funds for La Ristra, a nonprofit providing emotional support to migrant families.

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trending_up market schedule May 14, 2026 visibility 8 link 1 artist

Frieze New York Opens Strong, But the Real Test Is Just Beginning

Frieze New York has opened with strong early sales, particularly in the Focus section, which is dedicated to emerging and underrepresented artists. This year's Focus prize was awarded to W Galería for its presentation of Seba Calfuqueo, a Mapuche artist whose work addresses colonialism, environmentalism, and gender identity through ceramic sculptures and hair-based materials. Her pieces are priced between $8,000 and $40,000, reflecting the market's growing interest in politically engaged contemporary art.

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article local schedule May 12, 2026 visibility 14 link 2 artists

AlUla Arts Showcases More than 20 Artists at 61st Venice Biennale

A contemporary art fair called "This is Normal" has been held in Kyiv, Ukraine, during wartime, organized by the Art Kyiv fair. The event features over 20 Ukrainian artists and galleries at the Lavra Gallery, deliberately avoiding any direct reference to the war in its booths or artworks. Organizers and participants describe the fair as a space for cultural continuity and psychological respite, where art helps people make sense of a reality shaped by missile strikes and loss.

newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat English open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 9, 2026 visibility 24 link 7 artists

Artists strike to protest Israeli participation ahead of Venice Biennale

A group of artists has announced a strike to protest Israel's participation in the upcoming Venice Biennale. The action is intended to draw attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to pressure the Biennale organizers to exclude Israel from the event, reflecting growing tensions around cultural boycotts in the art world.

newspaper The Times of Israel open_in_new Read original

article local schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 11 link 1 artist

New Loveland gallery celebrates motherhood with inaugural show

Sparrow Art Center, an art education company, has opened a new gallery and teaching facility in Loveland, Colorado, and is hosting its inaugural art show with a Mother's Day theme. The exhibition features work from over a dozen artists, including owner Cody Winiecki, who contributed a painting of a horse and foal. The show includes a free public reception on Saturday evening, as well as painting sessions for mothers and children. All proceeds from sales go directly to the artists, and the show will run until early June.

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article local schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 12 link 1 artist

A unique breast cancer charity raising money through art

Belinda Gray, founder of breast cancer charity Art For Cure, shares her story ahead of the charity's latest exhibition at Wyken Vineyards. After her own breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, Gray launched Art For Cure in 2014, initially hosting an exhibition in her home and garden that drew 2,000 visitors and raised £100,000. The charity has since sold over £3 million worth of art through exhibitions and online sales, with a percentage of each sale donated by artists to fund UK breast cancer research and support services. Gray, who had no prior art-world experience, now leads a voluntary team of 10 people staging annual public exhibitions at unique venues.

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article culture schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 19 link 2 artists

Healing through art : Stories of First Nations people who have experienced incarceration

The Torch, a First Peoples-led arts organization in Victoria, Australia, runs a program supporting Indigenous artists who have experienced incarceration. Its annual exhibition, Confined 17, features nearly 500 artworks by 424 First Nations artists at the Glen Eira City Council gallery in Naarm. The organization provides art materials, cultural connection, and economic support, with artists receiving 100% of their income from sales. Participants like Tegan, a Palawa woman, describe improvising with food dye in prison to create watercolor-style works, while CEO Susannah Day and founder Kent Morris emphasize the program's role in reducing reincarceration rates.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 24 link 11 artists

Inside the UAE Pavilion at Venice Biennale, a whisper becomes a portrait of a nation

The UAE Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale presents 'Washwasha,' an exhibition curated by Bana Kattan with assistant curator Tala Nassar. The show features six artists—Mays Albaik, Jawad Al Malhi, Farah Al Qasimi, Alaa Edris, Lamya Gargash, and Taus Makhacheva—whose works explore the concept of whispering in Arabic, encompassing oral history, language, rumor, and daily noise. Installations include glass sculptures, sound-based pieces from barbershops and farms, and a reconstructed hammam installation by Al Malhi that plays recordings of wedding rituals. The exhibition runs until November 22.

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article local schedule May 2, 2026 visibility 11 link 2 artists

New exhibit at Philomath Museum explores themes of shelter, survival

The Philomath Museum's Moreland Gallery will open a new exhibition titled "Refuge: Where Life Endures" on May 2, running through July 25. The show features works from the Corvallis Art Guild, a community art group founded 80 years ago after World War II, and explores themes of shelter, safety, and survival. A public reception will be held on May 8.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 13 link 5 artists

Coalition’ art exhibition draws massive turnout in Ibadan, eyes Guinness World Records

Over 900 art enthusiasts attended 'The Coalition' art exhibition in Ibadan, Nigeria, held from April 24 to 26, 2026, at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The three-day event featured more than 600 artworks by 60 Nigerian artists, showcasing abstract works, portraits, and contemporary pieces exploring identity and culture. Organizers, including Constance and Sons Art Gallery founder Dunmade Ayegbayo, reported strong visitor engagement and sales, highlighting the commercial potential of Nigerian art.

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article local schedule Apr 23, 2026 visibility 12 link 5 artists

McRae Art Studios kicks off 40th anniversary with open house this weekend

McRae Art Studios, Orlando's oldest and largest professional artist collective, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a spring open house on April 25 at its 10,000-square-foot converted garage space in urban Orlando. Founded in 1986 by George and Marty Whipple, the studio has hosted over 100 award-winning artists across five locations. The event features studio visits, original artwork sales, live music, and a cash bar, along with a new exhibition of self-portraits titled "The Faces of McRae" created by the current 22 member artists. The collective is also reorganizing as a nonprofit to strengthen the local arts community.

newspaper Orlando Sentinel open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 17 link 16 artists

A Legacy of Fun & Focus: “Mini Art Museum” at the Contemporary at Blue Star, San Antonio

The Contemporary at Blue Star in San Antonio is hosting a retrospective of the "Mini Art Museum," a unique institution founded in 2013 by Mary Cantú and Gabriela Santiago. The exhibition features nearly 100 business-card-sized artworks by prominent local artists, presented within an immersive, miniature neighborhood installation. This showcase serves as a tribute to Cantú, a significant figure in the San Antonio art community who passed away in 2025.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 17 link 9 artists

Briscoe Western Art Museum's annual event hits record $2.3M in art sales, marks 25th anniversary success

The Briscoe Western Art Museum’s 25th anniversary Night of Artists (NOA) Exhibition and Sale achieved a record-breaking $2.345 million in sales during its opening weekend. The event, held in San Antonio, saw 72% of the featured contemporary Western artworks sold immediately, including high-value pieces by Gladys Roldán-de-Moras and Todd Connor. Several prestigious honors were awarded, including the "Cowboy Bob" Museum Purchase Award, which secured Morgan Weistling’s portrait of Buffalo Bill Cody for the museum’s permanent collection.

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