Vasari Art Codex

article news schedule Jul 23, 2025 visibility 10 link 24 artists, 17 galleries

sam gilliam foundation sued over disputed drape painting and more art industry news 2669000

The Sam Gilliam Foundation has been sued over a disputed Drape painting, while the Art Dealers Association of America announced it will not hold its annual New York fair, The Art Show, in 2025, citing a strategic pause. Christie's reported $2.1 billion in auction sales for the first half of 2025, matching last year's figure but down 22% from 2023, and a juvenile Ceratosaurus fossil sold for $30.5 million at Sotheby's. Galleries are seeing movement: Nicole Wittenberg joins Acquavella Galleries, Harper Levine plans a Bangkok space, and Felix Rödder will open Rodder on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Yale University Art Gallery withdrew federal grant applications over anti-DEI language, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum named Mary Savig curator-in-charge of the Renwick Gallery.

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article news schedule May 5, 2025 visibility 2 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

michael werner to open second gallery in new york us government finally invites artist proposals for venice biennale sothebys to sell bhudda jewels morning links for may 5 2025 1234740589

The US State Department has finally posted a grant for artists to submit proposals for the 2026 Venice Biennale pavilion, after an unusual delay that sparked speculation the Trump administration might skip the event. The posting includes new "MAGA-fied criteria" that remove previous language about diversity and equity, instead requiring compliance with Federal anti-discrimination laws and prohibiting programs promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Meanwhile, the National Endowment for the Arts canceled grants and the Trump administration proposed eliminating the agency entirely. Other news includes a trove of Buddha relics heading to auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong, Michael Werner opening a second New York gallery, and the Art Institute of Chicago's president taking leave amid an investigation.

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person people schedule Jan 13, 2026 visibility 5 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

kim sajet milwaukee art museum 2683680

Kim Sajet, former director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery (NPG), has been appointed as the new director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, starting September 22. She left the NPG in June after a high-profile clash with President Donald Trump over diversity initiatives and funding. Sajet brings extensive experience from museums in the Netherlands and Australia, and during her 12-year tenure at the NPG, she doubled attendance and raised $85 million. She replaces Marcelle Polednik, who departed in May after nine years.

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person people schedule Sep 27, 2025 visibility 13 link 15 artists, 4 galleries

ebony l haynes zwirner global head of curatorial projects 1234753820

Ebony L. Haynes, a director at David Zwirner since 2020 and founder of the gallery's affiliated space 52 Walker in 2021, has been promoted to the newly created position of global head of curatorial projects. In this role, she will oversee special exhibitions, projects, and collaborations with Zwirner's artists globally, while continuing to direct 52 Walker in New York's Tribeca neighborhood. The space has hosted 16 shows since opening in October 2021, featuring artists such as Kandis Williams, Nikita Gale, Nora Turato, and Raymond Pettibon, whose wrestling-themed drawings and live matches open tonight.

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article news schedule Jun 11, 2025 visibility 4 link 19 artists, 1 gallery

US National Gallery of Art receives trove of Modern and contemporary drawings

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, has received a gift of more than 60 Modern and contemporary works on paper from longtime benefactors Lenore and Bernard Greenberg. The donation includes the first Bruce Nauman drawing to enter the collection, along with works by Susan Rothenberg, Philip Guston, Ed Ruscha, Vija Celmins, Alberto Giacometti, Franz Kline, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Willem de Kooning, Shahzia Sikander, Cy Twombly, and others. Photographs by Roni Horn, John Baldessari, Uta Barth, and Hiroshi Sugimoto, as well as a wire sculpture by Alexander Calder, are also included.

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article news schedule Dec 11, 2025 visibility 10 link 19 artists, 4 galleries

From hard borders to soft power: how did the art world fare in 2025?

The article surveys the art world's turbulent 2025, beginning with devastating Los Angeles wildfires that destroyed artworks and the political shockwaves of Donald Trump's re-election. Trump's administration targeted the National Portrait Gallery, whose director Kim Sajet resigned after threats of firing, while immigration crackdowns, tariffs on art imports, and attacks on diversity initiatives chilled the art community. The year also saw Venice residents protest Jeff Bezos's lavish wedding, Trump's gilded Oval Office renovations, and a major Veronese exhibition at the Prado that drew parallels between historical extravagance and decline.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Feb 28, 2026 visibility 6 link 4 artists

diya vij new york city commissioner of cultural affairs 1234775079

Diya Vij has been appointed as the next commissioner of New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Vij, who most recently served as vice president of curatorial and arts programmes at Powerhouse Arts, is the first person of South Asian descent to lead the agency. She brings extensive experience from previous roles at Creative Time, the High Line, and a prior five-year tenure within the DCA itself, where she managed public artist residencies and diversity initiatives.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jul 23, 2025 visibility 4 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

Seattle mural festival, shows that make you think and more visual arts

Seattle's visual arts scene remains vibrant after the Seattle Art Fair, with a packed schedule of exhibitions and events. Highlights include the politically charged "Latin American Land/Escapes" at SOIL Gallery, featuring 14 Mexican artists whose names were withheld due to immigration concerns; "Hugh Hayden: American Vernacular" at the Frye Art Museum, the artist's first solo museum show on the West Coast; a new mural by Charlene Liu at the Henry Art Gallery; and the ongoing "Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei" at the Seattle Art Museum. The Belltown Mural Festival also returns for a second year, with live painting performances starting Aug. 4.

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article policy schedule Aug 12, 2025 visibility 4 link 1 artist

smithsonian american history museum trump impeachment display 1234749215

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History has restored a placard for President Donald Trump to its impeachment display, updating it with new information. The change follows controversy after a temporary placard mentioning Trump was removed, which drew criticism from Democratic leaders and concerns about political interference at the Smithsonian. The museum stated the removal was due to the placard not meeting standards in appearance and presentation, and that no administration requested the change.

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article policy schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 5 link 2 artists

congress funding bill nea neh 2735600

Congress has unveiled a bipartisan partial funding package that would keep the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) budgets steady at $207 million each, despite President Donald Trump's proposal to eliminate both agencies. The three-bill "minibus" package faces a House vote and then Senate consideration, as the government seeks to avoid another shutdown after last year's record 43-day closure.

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article policy schedule Feb 9, 2026 visibility 3

mfa boston denies racial layoffs 2743776

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) has laid off 33 employees, approximately 6.3% of its staff, to address a projected $13 million structural deficit. Among those let go were the museum's only Black, Muslim, and Indigenous curators, leading to accusations that the cuts disproportionately targeted staff of color and undermined diversity initiatives.

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article policy schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 5 link 2 artists

trump cultural offensive or offensive culture 2631792

This episode of the Art Angle podcast, co-hosted by Ben Davis, features art critic and journalist Brian Boucher discussing the impact of Donald Trump's return to office on American culture. Since January, Trump has launched a cultural offensive through executive orders and policies, including canceling humanities grants to fund a 'heroes' sculpture garden, targeting the Institute of Museum and Library Services, taking personal control of the Kennedy Center, and shuttering DEI offices nationwide. Boucher, who has extensively covered these developments for Artnet, joins the podcast to analyze the administration's first 100 days and the risks posed to the arts.

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museum exhibitions schedule Sep 29, 2025 visibility 6 link 3 artists

Lots to play for: Serpentine exhibition explores censorship and connection through video games

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley's exhibition *The Delusion* opens today at Serpentine North in London, running until 18 January 2026. The Berlin-based artist and video game designer presents a series of multiplayer video games that challenge players to confront ethical, political, and moral choices. Games like *The Unifier* require collaborative problem-solving while prompting reflection on censorship, and *The Validators* transforms an arcade shooter into a contemplative experience addressing censorship, dehumanisation, and hope. The exhibition was developed with a team of artists, researchers, technologists, and members of Brathwaite-Shirley's Black trans and queer community, and builds on the artist's ongoing work archiving Black trans histories.

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