From the ‘Green New Deal’ Hitting New York Museums to Anna Delvey’s Guilty Verdict: The Best and Worst of the Art World This Week

Catch up on this week's news—fast.

Anna Delvey in the New York courthouse, Friday April 5. Photo: Courtesy Eileen Kinsella.

BEST?

Museums Go Green – A new piece of New York City legislation akin to the Green New Deal is aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions generated by cultural institutions including the Guggenheim, the Whitney Museum, and even the forthcoming new home for Pace Gallery in Chelsea.

Returning to the Spotlight – The brain-shaking video artists Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch are finally back, and they told artnet News all about their latest show at the Fondazione Prada—and their surprising new digs in Middle America.

Bear-y Cute Art – Artist Paola Pivi has unleashed a bevy of tiny bears on Perrotin Gallery, complete with their trademark highlighter-hued feathers.

Rising From the Ashes – The two Dutch designers behind the super-tech design company Conc3rde have a plan to rebuild Notre Dame using its own remains—like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

A Monumental Occasion – The winners of the competition to design a monument to Shirley Chisholm were announced this week: artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous won the commission to design the work, which is part of a city-wide effort to add more tributes to pioneering women.

A (Very) Decent Docent – A dedicated volunteer tour guide at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts promised to leave a gift to the museum in her will—and it ended up being one of the largest donations in the institution’s history.

Stolen Signac Is Returned – A painting by the Impressionist Paul Signac stolen from a French museum was discovered by authorities in the Ukraine, and it will now return it to its home in Nancy, France.

Casting Call – The geniuses behind Gilmore Girls and Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are setting their sights on the art world, and plan to transform the best-selling account of a cohort of female artists, Ninth Street Women, into a movie… and we’ve got a few ideas for the casting directors.

WORST?

Remembering a Defiant Artist – The Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian passed away at the age of 97, but left behind a legacy of boundary-breaking art and fearless innovation in her mirrored mosaics and sculptures.

The Verdict Is In – After weeks of dramatic testimony and court room antics, the “socialite scammer” Anna Delvey was found guilty for her years-long financial and social ploys. Her fate will be announced at sentencing next month.

Murakami’s Merry-Go-Round – Takashi Murakami has left his longtime gallery, Blum & Poe, for powerhouse Gagosian in a shocking shake-up within the gallery system—though it’s just the latest step in Gagosian’s quest for market dominance.

LACMA’s Lackluster Plans – The future of LACMA has been at the center of heated discussions about both the museum’s physical footprint, and how it engages with the public.

Beware the Arts Business – A new study analyzing hiring trends has found that the arts industry is ground zero for the most radical decrease in hiring over the last year—so take that into consideration before declaring studio art as your major.