BEST?

A Herd of Bison Uncovered Ancient Rock Art Trove – A herd of Plains bison recently introduced to the Wanuskewin Heritage Park uncovered a trove of ancient petroglyphs while taking a dust bath.

NYC Gifts Big Bucks to the Brooklyn Museum – The Brooklyn Museum received the largest windfall in its entire history when the City of New York gifted it a staggering $50 million.

The Art World Can Clean Up Its Carbon Footprint – The Gallery Climate Coalition held its first-ever conference this week, where it revealed a major new document that helps artist studios, museums, and galleries chart a clear path to cutting carbon.

France Is Opening 18 Exhibitions to Push Back on Islamophobia – Shows focused on Islamic art, which include major museum loans, opened in 18 cities in France this week, hoping to dismantle growing fears and presumptions about Islamic culture. The government-backed initiative, called “Islamic Arts: A Past for a Present” seeks educate the public on the diversity of Islamic culture.

Meet the Movers and Shakers of Emirati Collector Scene – We profiled five of the most influential collectors in the United Arab Emirates, who are driving the growing cultural scene in the Gulf.

Italy Pilots Netflix for Culture – Italy has launched a streaming service for performances from opera houses and museums in an effort to raise funding for its financially struggling cultural institutions and promote Italian culture on the world stage.

Metal Detectorist Finds Teensy Golden Book – An English nurse and amateur metal detectorist uncovered a miniature golden book possibly worth £100,000 ($134,500) while out metal detecting on vacation in York.

WORST?

Turkey Extends Imprisonment of Osman Kavala – A Turkish court has extended the sentence of philanthropist and art patron Osman Kavala, who has been imprisoned without conviction for more than four years.

Remembering Dave Hickey – The down-to-earth art scribe who authored Air Guitar and Invisible Dragon died at age 82.

There Is a Worrying Lack of Museum Directors in the U.S. – There are nearly two dozen open posts at the top of cultural institutions. Why? “People really don’t want to be directors right now because the jobs are emotionally unsustainable and it’s a challenge to navigate the wealth gap between low-paid staff and wealthy trustees,” according to Laura Raicovich.

Lockdowns for European Museums – Cultural institutions in Austria and certain parts of Germany have been ordered to shut their doors amid soaring infection rates. The director of the Kunsthistorisches Museum says it could cost the museum “millions.”

A Curator’s NFTs May Have Scammed Artists – A dozen artists are considering legal action against Ben Moore, a London-based curator who has a project consisting of having life-size Star Wars stormtrooper helmets getting custom-painted by artists. According to some of them, he forgot to ask to permission.

New York Dealer Drops Partner After Artists Complain – Gallerist Nicole Calderón has ditched her business partner Michael Ruiz and changed the name of their joint gallery Calderón Ruiz to Calderón after artists working with Ruiz at his Future Gallery in Berlin accused him of withholding their work and payments for sales.