BEST?

The Fair Goes On – This fall 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will go on as planned in London, despite Frieze London and Masters cancellation.

New Museum Coming to DC – A bill has passed in the House of Representatives approving the plans for a National Museum of the American Latino, which would be part of the Smithsonian.

Trafalgar Square Gets a Cherry on Top – Heather Phillipson’s whipped-cream-with-fly sculpture for London’s Fourth Plinth debuted this week after a two month delay.

Survey Says – A survey conducted by Artnet News revealed that more than half of respondents will resume their art-viewing activities post-pandemic.

Jerry Saltz on the Art Angle – The Pulitzer Prize-winning critic joins the Art Angle Podcast this week for a lively conversation about the future of the art world.

Keeping Up With Kendall Jenner –  The supermodel and reality TV star showed off her art-filled Beverly Hills abode in Architectural Digest, including a James Turrell light work.

Penn to Repatriate Skulls – Following student-led protests, the University of Pennsylvania’s museum is planning to return skulls of enslaved people that had been collected by a discredited doctor.

Steele Goes Solo – Graham Steele is leaving Hauser & Wirth to strike out on his own, after serving as a sales director with the mega-gallery.

Banksy Makes Bank at Auction – The anonymous street artist sold three works at Sotheby’s auction to raise money for a hospital in Bethlehem.

Sotheby’s Sweeps – The auction house’s final sale of the season netted $192 million, with records set for three works including a Joan Miró consigned by billionaire Ronald Perelman.

Old Masters, New Fair – Six art dealers specializing in Old Masters are launching a new fair in Amsterdam to help fill the dearth of organized events in the coronavirus era.

WORST?

Remembering Rebeccah Blum – The curator and art advisor was murdered in her adopted country of Berlin, and colleagues are remembering her wit and intelligence in the wake of her brutal death.

Jon Rafman Shows Cancelled – The Canadian artist was accused of sexual misconduct on an Instagram account, leading to three institutions, including the Hirshhorn in DC, to cancel planned exhibitions.

Caretaker Admits to Arson – A Rwandan refugee confessed to setting fires at a 15th century cathedral in France, where he had been denied permanent residency last November.

MOCA Detroit Ousts Director – The embattled museum fired director Elysia Browy-Reeder following accusations of abusive behavior by members of staff.

From Russia With Love – Despite imposing sanctions on Russia, a new Senate report reveals that Russian oligarchs were still able to buy millions of dollars worth of art in the US. 

An Uncomfortable Diplomatic Issue – Japan’s government is criticizing a South Korean botanical garden for erecting a sculpture that appears to depict Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kneeling in apology before a “comfort woman.”

Site Specific Murals to Move – Two murals by Picasso that were installed at Oslo’s Y Building will be removed while the building is torn down following its damage in the 2011 terrorist attack.

De-Coding a Donald Trump Fantasy – Artnet News critic Ben Davis parses the latest pro-Trump painting by Jon McNaughton, filled with a truly odd collection of historical figures.