Plus, an anonymous donor bankrolls free admission to San Francisco museums for one weekend, and Evelyn de Rothschild has died at 91.
Art Industry News is a daily digest of the most consequential developments coming out of the art world and art market. Here’s what you need to know on this Tuesday, November 8.
Critic Pans the Orange County Museum of Art – After a long stretch without any pans, we have gotten two! ARTnews did not like the Alex Katz retrospective at the Guggenheim last week, and now, a WSJ critic says the Orange County Museum of Art’s opening exhibitions were “confusing and mildly disappointing.” The cramped retrospective of sculptor Fred Eversley, he writes, had a “gift-shop ambience.” (WSJ)
New York’s Salary Transparency Law Is Now in Effect – The law requires employers with four or more staff members to make “good faith” salary ranges public in job listings. Live postings range from a Whitney Museum director for people and culture earning $150,000 per year to security officers at the Met who make $16.50 an hour. (The Art Newspaper)
Brooklyn Installation Chronicles Election Lies – Artist Phil Buehler’s 50-foot banner, the Wall of Liars and Deniers, contains tens of thousands of lies told by former president Donald Trump since he was elected, including the so-called “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen. The second edition of the work, unveiled ahead of the midterm elections, includes lies tied to the “Big Lie” from those running for office. (Guardian)
Evelyn de Rothschild Has Died – The art collector, scion of the Rothschild financial dynasty, and ex-chief executive of the bank NM Rothschild and Sons Ltd died “peacefully at home” at the age of 91. (Evening Standard)
Royal Ontario Museum Taps New Curator – Vicki Sung-yeon Kwon has been named the inaugural curator of Korean art and culture. The Canadian museum holds the most extensive collection of Korean art in North America. (Press release)
Snøhetta to Restore Natural History Museum in Lille – The architecture firm announced its plan to modernize the Natural History Museum in Northern France, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. A blend of historic preservation and contemporary exhibition design are in store for the institution, which is due to reopen in 2025. (designboom)
Anonymous Donor Bankrolls San Francisco Museum Weekend – Mark your calendars for December 3–4, when 21 museums across San Francisco celebrate Free Museum Weekend. Institutions will waive admission fees and free institutions will open special exhibitions to the public. Reservations are available online. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Gavin Turk Snuffs Out Richter’s Flames – Former YBA Gavin Turk has unveiled a new series of candle still lifes—variations on Gerhard Richter’s famous 1980s works—at Ben Brown Fine Arts in London. Turk first encountered the series on the cover of a Sonic Youth album in 1988. “It got lodged in my subconscious,” he said. “Now more than 30 years later, this feeling of pathos has started to reappear in my work.” (Press release)
