Politics An Israeli Mayor Is Facing Backlash for Forcing a Museum to Remove an Artwork He Said Used ‘Gutter Language’ At the heart of the controversy is a 1997 painting by David Reeb. By Taylor Dafoe, Jan 4, 2022
Law & Politics Virginia Has Finally Identified a New Home for Its Confederate Statues: the Local Black History Museum Nine statues, including one of General Robert E. Lee, are part of the proposal. By Taylor Dafoe, Jan 3, 2022
Pop Culture 10 Times Art Infiltrated Pop Culture in 2021, From Beeple’s ‘Tonight Show’ Appearance to Damien Hirst’s Drake Cover Art Plus, Christopher Walken destroyed a Banksy and every celebrity got into NFTs. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 31, 2021
Politics A Hong Kong University Has Swiftly Moved to Dismantle a Beloved Political Monument, Sparking Outrage The artist behind the artwork said he’s tried to contact the school’s administrators about relocating it to Europe but they did not respond. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 22, 2021
Law & Politics The E.U. Has Beefed Up Its Anti-Ivory Regulations, Banning Outright the Trade of Raw Animal Tusks The resolution, set to go into effect in January, will task each EU member state with policing the regulation in its own way. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 21, 2021
Auctions A Welsh Woman Picked Up a Globe for $199 at an Antique Fair Last Year. She Just Sold It for Almost 800 Times That at Auction The globe, it turns out, was likely made around 1550-60, predating the discovery of Australia. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 17, 2021
On View A New Survey of Contemporary Midwestern Artists Doesn’t Try to Pinpoint What Makes the Region Special—But It Does So All the Same On view now at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, “The Regional” features 23 artists from 10 states. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 16, 2021
Art World ‘Fearless Girl’ Clears Another Hurdle in Her Ongoing Quest to Remain Outside the New York Stock Exchange Now the final decision about her fate goes to the city's Public Design Commission. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 15, 2021
Law & Politics Two Washington Artists Have Been Charged With Faking Native American Identities to Sell Their Wares in Galleries Claiming to be tribal members, the two men separately sold masks, totem poles, and pendants at art galleries in downtown Seattle. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 14, 2021
People Eight Years Ago, Genieve Figgis Was Painting in Her Kitchen for an Audience of One. Now, Collectors Clamor for Her Six-Figure Works The Irish artist has enjoyed a rapid ascent in the art world since she was championed on Twitter by a famous artist. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 14, 2021
Law & Politics Mondrian’s Heirs Are Suing the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a $100 Million Painting They Claim Was Stolen by the Nazis “We will vigorously defend against this meritless claim,” a spokesperson for the museum said. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 13, 2021
Politics The 14th Havana Biennial Has Opened to the Public—But the Show Has Taken a Backseat to the Protests Around It Ahead of the biennial's opening, more than a dozen invited artists declined to participate in protest of the state's actions. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 9, 2021
Art World Benin Will Show 26 Recently Restituted Treasures Alongside Contemporary Works of Art at the Country’s Presidential Palace The three-month show is set to open in February at the Palais de la Marina in the city of Cotonou. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 9, 2021
Museums & Institutions Finance Titan Peter Lynch Has Donated $20 Million Worth of Art to Boston College’s McMullen Museum of Art Pieces by Picasso, Sargent, Cassatt, and more are bound for Lynch’s alma mater, along with a $5 million grant. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 7, 2021
Crime Billionaire Investor Michael Steinhardt Is Forced to Surrender $70 Million in Art and Agree Never to Collect Antiquities Again After a grand jury investigation, the collector surrendered 180 stolen objects worth a combined $70 million. No criminal charges were filed. By Taylor Dafoe, Dec 6, 2021