BEST?
The Future of the Met Belongs to Max Hollein – The Metropolitan Museum of Art has named the former director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco as its new director, the first time in 60 years that the institution has hired a leader from outside its own curatorial ranks.
The Feds Have Solved an Old Art Theft – When not investigating their heaping docket of political crimes, the FBI’s agents have cracked the three-decade-old case of a Marc Chagall stolen from an octogenarian New York collector couple, which had been stashed in Maryland ever sincde.
Hong Kong Auctions by the Numbers – artnet New’s Tim Schneider breaks down the Asian art-auction market, conducting an (extensive) study of five years worth of auction data from Hong Kong to determine what the key trends in the burgeoning marketplace really are.
George Lucas’s Tractor Beams Snagged a Beloved Artwork – Confirming suspicions, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art confirmed it has purchased Norman Rockwell’s Shuffleton Barbershop from the controversy-plagued Berkshire Museum. The Star Wars auteur’s spaceship-shaped museum broke ground earlier this year, and is poised to be a major contender in the museum sector.
Spring’s Museum Exhibitions Are in Full Bloom – Art institutions around the country are teeming with sensational shows—here are the ones you can’t afford to miss.
Straight From the Studio… Into to Your Stomach – Eduardo Navarro’s new show at the Drawing Center is not just a feast for the eyes, featuring fully edible (and digestible) drawings that enable viewers to fully absorb his work and then deaccession it with a flush.
The ‘Art of Divorce’ Nets a Pretty Penny for Russell Crowe – The Gladiator actor auctioned off an unusual assortment of artworks and personal items to pay off his divorce settlement.
WORST?
Nixon Nixes His Own ICA Boston Show – The photographer Nicholas Nixon requested that the ICA Boston shut down a show featuring his photography 10 days early, following a spate of accusations of sexual misconduct against the artist.
A Former Pop Art Player Perished in Trump Tower – Todd Brassner, once a New York art dealer who was friendly with Andy Warhol, died when his apartment in Trump Tower caught on fire.
Steve Wynn Hopes the (Auction) House Wins Big – Recent allegations of sexual misconduct have prompted casino king Steve Wynn to host a fire sale fit for a billionaire, consigning more than $100 million worth of art to the upcoming contemporary art sale at Christie’s, as Julia Halperin reported in an artnet News scoop.
Art Fair Exposes Brazil’s Shaky Art Scene – The future of São Paulo’s art scene is unsure amid rampant political controversy in the country. artnet News reports from the SP-Arte fair—which opened just days after the country’s former president received a 12-year prison sentence.
Dercon Steps Down – Just one year into his tenure, Chris Dercon announced his resignation from Berlin’s Volksbühne Theater; the former Tate Modern director’s yearlong stint has been plagued by criticism.
A Russian Art Patron Enters Mueller’s Crosshairs – Ukrainian billionaire and art philanthropist Victor Pinchuk is facing scrutiny for his $150,000 gift to President Donald Trump in 2015 for a brief video-conference appearance.