who was andrew crispo 2720889

Artnet News reports that David Hockney's 1968 double portrait *Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy* sold for $44.3 million at Christie's on November 17, becoming the artist's third-most expensive work at auction. The painting had previously failed to sell at Sotheby's in 1985, bought in at $570,000. Artnet's reporting revealed that the Christie's catalogue omitted the name of Andrew Crispo, a once-prominent New York dealer, from the painting's provenance. The article details Crispo's meteoric rise from a troubled youth in Philadelphia to a savvy art dealer who championed American Modernism, his important clients including Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, and his dramatic fall due to tax fraud, a prison sentence, and the IRS seizure of his inventory.

british taxpayers to underwrite 1 billion loan to cover bayeux tapestry while its shown in the uk 1234768203

France’s Bayeux Tapestry will be loaned to the British Museum in 2026, with the UK Treasury providing an indemnity guarantee of approximately £800 million ($1 billion) to cover potential damage or loss during transport and display. The guarantee, part of the UK government’s indemnity scheme, is a contingent liability—no upfront payment is required unless something goes wrong. The tapestry will travel by truck via the Channel Tunnel in a specially designed crate, displayed behind protective screening, and remain in London until July 2027. The loan is part of a broader cultural agreement between Britain and France, announced by President Emmanuel Macron during his July state visit to London.

california revives nazi looted pissarro cassirer case 2717210

California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a motion on November 17 to intervene in the Cassirer family's two-decade-long restitution case for a Camille Pissarro painting stolen by the Nazis. The artwork, *Rue Saint Honore, Apres Midi, Effet De Pluie* (1897), is owned by Spain's Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had previously ruled that Spanish law applied, allowing the museum to keep the painting, but California's Assembly Bill 2867, signed into law in September, now seeks to apply California law to protect victims of art theft. The case has been sent back to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California for reconsideration.

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Argentinian artist Pilar Zeta has unveiled 'The Observer Effect', a monumental public sculpture installed on Miami Beach during Art Basel Miami Beach. The work, presented by the Shelborne by Proper, features a colonnade of columns and arches with a matte automotive paint finish that shifts appearance with light and weather. Zeta activated the piece with sunrise and sunset performances by musician Laraaji. The self-taught artist, who moved to Miami at 19 and previously created album art for Coldplay, has also announced a follow-up installation opening next month at Place du Louvre in Paris.

get up stand up artists jamaica los angeles auction 1234774218

CORE and TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary are launching "Get Up Stand Up: Artists for Jamaica and Los Angeles," a high-profile benefit auction scheduled for February 26 during L.A. Art Week. The event features over 20 works by major contemporary artists including Henry Taylor, Hank Willis Thomas, and Nari Ward, with a live sale led by auctioneer Simon de Pury. Proceeds will fund long-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and recent wildfires in Los Angeles, as well as CORE’s ongoing emergency response work.

california attorney general nazi looted picasso madrid 1234762075

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has re-entered a decades-long legal battle over a Camille Pissarro painting, *Rue Saint-Honoré in the Afternoon, Effect of Rain* (1897), which was sold under duress by Lilly Cassirer Neubauer to a Nazi appraiser in 1939 for 900 Reichsmarks. The painting is now held by the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. The case, originally filed in 2000 by Neubauer's son Claude Cassirer, has been continued by his heir David Cassirer, Ava's estate, and the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County. A new California law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September allows exceptions for property taken due to political persecution, and Bonta is now defending the state's authority to compel the return of stolen art to victims connected to California.

california attorney general nazi looted picasso madrid 1234762075

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has re-entered the long-running legal battle over a Camille Pissarro painting, *Rue Saint-Honoré in the Afternoon, Effect of Rain* (1897), which was sold under duress by Lilly Cassirer Neubauer to a Nazi appraiser in 1939 for 900 Reichsmarks. The painting is now held by the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, and the Cassirer family has sought its return for decades. A new California law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September allows exceptions for property taken as a result of political persecution, and Bonta is now defending the state's authority to compel the return of stolen art to victims connected to California.

british museum fundraising gala interrupted by protestor 1234757948

The British Museum's inaugural fundraising gala on October 18 was interrupted by a protester from the group Energy Embargo for Palestine. The woman, who gained access to the Great Court by working as a waitress, took the stage next to board chair George Osborne holding a sign reading 'DROP BP NOW.' She criticized the museum for accepting a £50 million sponsorship from BP, an oil and gas company she accused of causing climate collapse and enabling genocide in Gaza. The gala, co-chaired by Isha Ambani of Reliance Industries, raised over $2 million from ticket sales and featured a silent auction, including a pet portrait by Tracey Emin and a private tour of Coco Chanel's Paris apartment.

british museum fundraising gala interrupted by protestor 1234757948

The British Museum’s inaugural fundraising gala on October 18 was disrupted by a protester from the group Energy Embargo for Palestine. The woman, who gained access to the Great Court by working as a waitress, took the stage next to board chair George Osborne holding a sign reading “DROP BP NOW,” criticizing the museum’s £50 million sponsorship from BP and calling out the Ambani family, whose Reliance Industries also sponsored the gala and an associated exhibition. The event raised over $2 million from ticket sales, with a silent auction including lots like a pet portrait by Tracey Emin.

Picasso Exhibition at Burgos Cathedral Explores Artist's Biblical Roots

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The Catedral de Santa María in Burgos is hosting "Picasso: Biblical Roots," an exhibition exploring the enduring influence of Christian iconography on Pablo Picasso. Featuring 44 works loaned from major institutions like the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, the show traces the artist's journey from his early academic religious paintings in Spain to the subtle theological motifs found in his later Cubist and post-war works.

simon de pury photos art 2725895

The author recounts a visit to the Prado in Madrid, where his attempt to photograph a portrait by Alonso Sánchez Coello was blocked by a guard enforcing a strict no-photography policy. This experience leads him to reflect on the evolution of museum mementos, from postcards—which he used to buy and even had his children select as a curatorial exercise—to the role of social media in sharing art. He recalls his time as curator of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, where postcard sales were a key revenue and popularity gauge, and notes that Instagram now serves as a virtual window into exhibitions and art fairs like Art Basel Miami.

Exhibition coming this month will showcase work of Hampshire artist

An exhibition featuring the work of Basingstoke-based artist Sam Sopwith will open on October 8 at the Osborne Studio Gallery in Belgravia, London. The show will present 45 new pieces by the painter and sculptor, who specializes in depicting wild and domesticated animals. It marks her first solo exhibition in six years and her debut at this gallery. Sopwith, whose clients include HRH Princess Alexandra and perfumer Jo Malone, works in oils, pastels, charcoal, and bronze. The exhibition runs through November 1, 2025, and includes subjects from African wildlife to farm animals, inspired by her travels to Kenya, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.

dorset museum sherborne almshouse triptych 1234763609

The Dorset Museum & Art Gallery in England has launched a fundraising campaign to acquire a rare 15th-century Netherlandish altarpiece, known as *The Master of the Sherborne Almshouse Triptych*, valued at up to £3.5 million ($4.6 million). The work is set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in an Old Master evening sale next month, and the museum aims to prevent it from entering a private collection or being exported. The triptych, which depicts five healings of Jesus Christ, was hidden during periods of iconoclastic destruction and rediscovered in St. John’s Almshouse in Sherborne in the 19th century; it has only left the site twice, for exhibitions at the Royal Academy in 1923 and the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2003.

DRIFT celebrates LACMA's gallery opening with a glowing swarm of dancing drones

The artist duo DRIFT launched their 'Franchise Freedom' performance, a swarm of over 1,000 illuminated drones, above the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The event celebrated the public opening of the museum's new Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries, creating a dialogue between the dynamic, airborne artwork and the building's horizontal, sand-toned concrete architecture.

London National Gallery’s deficit bombshell, Simon Schama on birds and art, Vilhelm Hammershøi—podcast

The National Gallery in London has announced unexpected and significant budget cuts, including potential staff reductions, due to a projected deficit of £8.2 million for the upcoming year. This financial crisis comes as a surprise following the recent completion of a major building project and the announcement of another ambitious expansion planned for the 2030s.

Straight-line storytelling: how will the British Museum display the Bayeux Tapestry?

The British Museum (BM) is planning to display the Bayeux Tapestry from September 2026 to July 2027, following a loan agreement with the French government. The tapestry, owned by the French state, will return to England for the first time in nearly a thousand years after its dedicated museum in Bayeux closed for renovations. The BM's Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery is long enough to display the 70-metre embroidered strip in a single straight line, a key factor in securing the loan over other contenders like the Victoria and Albert Museum. Conservators will display the tapestry at a 60-degree angle to minimize strain, with low lighting to prevent fading, and visitors will likely follow an audio-guided tour in an orderly line, similar to the Bayeux experience.

Straight-line storytelling: how will the British Museum display the Bayeux Tapestry?

The British Museum (BM) is planning to display the Bayeux Tapestry from September 2026 to July 2027, following a loan agreement with the French government. The tapestry, owned by the French state, will return to England for the first time in nearly a thousand years after its dedicated museum in Bayeux closed for renovations. The BM's Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery is long enough to accommodate the 70-meter embroidered strip in a single straight line, a key factor in securing the loan over other contenders like the Victoria and Albert Museum. Conservators will display the tapestry at a 60-degree angle with low lighting to minimize fading, and visitors will likely follow an audio-guided tour with 25 minutes to view the 58 scenes.

Medieval triptych ventures out of Dorset to sell for £5.7m in London Old Master auctions

A late 15th-century Netherlandish triptych, *The Five Miracles of Christ*, sold for £5.7 million at Sotheby’s London Old Master auction. The work, kept for centuries at St. John’s Almshouse in Sherborne, Dorset, had never before appeared on the market. The charity sold it to fund affordable housing, and the buyer—an unnamed Christian charitable foundation—plans to keep the painting publicly viewable in the town. Other highlights included a Rembrandt reattribution, *Saint John on Patmos*, which sold for £6.8 million, and a record £3.2 million for a Hans Eworth portrait of the 4th Duke of Norfolk.

Exhibition coming this month will showcase work of Hampshire artist

Basingstoke-based artist Sam Sopwith will present her first solo exhibition in six years at the Osborne Studio Gallery in Belgravia, opening October 8, 2025. The show features 45 new works—paintings, pastels, charcoal drawings, and bronze sculptures—focused on wild and domesticated animals, from African wildlife to farm animals. Sopwith, who trained in Vancouver, England, and Florence, counts HRH Princess Alexandra and perfumer Jo Malone among her clients. The exhibition runs through November 1, 2025.

Exhibition coming this month will showcase work of Hampshire artist

An exhibition showcasing the work of Basingstoke-based artist Sam Sopwith will open on October 8 at the Osborne Studio Gallery in Belgravia, London. The show features 45 new pieces by the painter and sculptor, who specializes in portraying wild and domesticated animals. It marks Sopwith's first solo exhibition in six years and her debut at the gallery. Her clients include HRH Princess Alexandra and perfumer Jo Malone. Sopwith works in oils, pastels, charcoal, and bronze, drawing inspiration from her travels to Africa, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. She studied in Vancouver, trained under animal portraitist Neil Forster in England, and completed her education in Florence.

‘A passion project’ – Local artist gives voice to Vietnam veterans with powerful exhibit

Somerset artist Brian Fox has created a powerful exhibit titled “In the Valley of the Shadow,” now on display at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Massachusetts, through December 27th. The paintings depict the harrowing experiences of Vietnam War veterans, with Fox spending hours consulting veterans like Wayne Smith, a former combat medic, and David Jennings of the 1st Marine Division to ensure historical and emotional accuracy. The project began with a single war-themed painting and has grown into a full exhibition that Fox plans to expand by one or two paintings each year.

Tide of Returns: Reclaiming Memory Through Oceanic Ritual

Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (TBA21) Academy has opened its 2026 program at Ocean Space in Venice with the exhibition 'Tide of Returns'. Developed by the Repatriates Collective, the show features artists, filmmakers, and Indigenous communities from across the globe, transforming the former Church of San Lorenzo into an immersive environment. It moves beyond conventional restitution debates by presenting repatriation as a living, tidal process expressed through ritual, memory, and community care, using materials like sand from Anindilyakwa Country and returned shell dolls.

Textile art anchors new exhibition running at Tairāwhiti Museum

Gisborne-based artist Melanie Tangaere Baldwin has unveiled her latest solo exhibition, Ā Mua, at the Tairāwhiti Museum. The showcase features a departure from her previous multi-disciplinary work, focusing heavily on sculptural hand-stitched textile art that depicts powerful female forms, alongside light boxes exploring the symbolism of fire.

‘Armor,’ Art Exhibition Focused on Meanings of the Word, Opens in Downtown Haverhill

An exhibition titled 'Armor,' curated by Brianna Osborne, has opened at Creative Haverhill’s downtown gallery in Haverhill, Massachusetts. The show features fifteen artists and students from across New England, including participants from Waltham High School’s ceramics program, who explore the concept of armor in its physical, emotional, inherited, and self-made forms. The gallery will host special hours during Haverhill’s inaugural Hill-o-Ween event on October 31 and an artist reception on November 1.

DBKU proposes major art exhibition for next year’s Kuching City Day celebration

Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) has proposed organizing a large-scale art exhibition for next year’s Kuching City Day celebration, aiming to strengthen the city’s reputation as a cultural and creative hub. The proposal was announced by Kuching North Datuk Bandar Dato Hilmy Othman at the opening of the Sarawak Artists Society (SAS) 40th Annual Art Show, themed 'Heritage Reloaded', at Westbury Galleria. The exhibition features 44 local, native, and international artists, runs until November 16, and is free to the public with works available for purchase. DBKU is also preparing for the Borneo International Islamic Arts and Digital Technology Expo 2026.

DBKU proposes major art exhibition for next year’s Kuching City Day celebration

Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) has proposed organizing a large-scale art exhibition for next year’s Kuching City Day celebration, aiming to strengthen the city’s status as a cultural and creative hub. The proposal was announced by Kuching North Datuk Bandar Dato Hilmy Othman at the opening of the Sarawak Artists Society (SAS) 40th Annual Art Show, themed 'Heritage Reloaded', at Westbury Galleria. The exhibition features 44 local, native, and international artists, runs until November 16, and is free to the public with works available for purchase.

UW Biodiversity Institute Seeking Art to Exhibit in New Gallery

The University of Wyoming's Biodiversity Institute is seeking artwork to display in the gallery located in the atrium of the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center. Submissions are open to UW students, faculty, professionals, children, and groups, with a focus on biodiversity-related media such as photography, paintings, sculptures, and collaborative scientist-artist projects. The next exhibition, titled "Adventures on the Kinabatangan: UW Field Course 2025," featuring student work from a field course in Borneo, opens this month.

UW Biodiversity Institute Seeking Art to Exhibit in New Gallery

The University of Wyoming's Biodiversity Institute is seeking artwork to display in its gallery located in the atrium of the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center. Submissions are open to UW students, faculty, professionals, children, and groups, with exhibitions rotating every six to eight weeks and featuring biodiversity-related media such as photography, paintings, sculptures, and collaborative scientist-artist projects. The next exhibition, "Adventures on the Kinabatangan: UW Field Course 2025," featuring student work from a field course in Borneo, opens this month.

UW Biodiversity Institute Seeking Art to Exhibit in New Gallery

The University of Wyoming's Biodiversity Institute is seeking artwork to display in the gallery located in the atrium/lobby of the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center. Submissions are open to UW students, faculty, professionals, children, and groups, with exhibitions featuring biodiversity-related media such as photography, paintings, sculptures, and collaborative scientist-artist projects. The next exhibition, titled "Adventures on the Kinabatangan: UW Field Course 2025," will showcase work from UW students who traveled to Borneo.

Gisborne art show highlights weather impact on well-being

Gisborne artist and community researcher Dayna Raroa is organizing an art exhibition titled "Mōwai: The Weight of Water" based on her co-authored study on how severe weather impacts health and wellbeing. The exhibition, funded by a $100,000 grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, will take place on September 27 at the former Marina Restaurant building in Gisborne, featuring over 30 local creatives who translate community-led research into artworks. Contributors include painters, photographers, sculptors, a tattoo artist, a builder using timber from a washed-out bridge, and a doctor highlighting medical prescription disruptions.