Milton Esterow, the award-winning journalist who owned and edited ARTnews for 42 years, died on Friday at age 97. His death was confirmed by his daughter Judith Esterow, a former associate publisher of the magazine. Esterow purchased ARTnews in 1972 from Newsweek and transformed it into a news-focused publication, leading it to win a National Magazine Award and two George Polk Awards. He also introduced the influential annual ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list in 1990. Under his ownership, the magazine gained recognition for investigative journalism, particularly on Holocaust restitution, and he mentored generations of editors and writers.
Esterow's passing marks the end of an era for art journalism. His leadership reshaped ARTnews from a critical voice of postwar movements into a hard-hitting news organization that set standards for art-world reporting. The Top 200 Collectors list remains a cornerstone of the magazine's coverage, and his legacy of rigorous journalism continues to guide the publication as it moves into the digital age. His death closes a chapter in the history of art media, underscoring the impact of independent, investigative art publishing.