BEST?

“Contemporary Curated” Rakes in Major Cash – An online auction at Sotheby’s organized by Margherita Missoni raked in an impressive $6.4 million, setting a company record for a digital sale.

Galleries Giving Back – With no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic, galleries big and small are stepping up to support front-line workers and those hardest hit by the fallout from COVID-19.

Ai Weiwei Speaks Out – The artist and outspoken activist joined us on The Art Angle podcast this week, sharing his thoughts on how global leaders have handled the coronavirus outbreak.

Auction Houses Are Cautiously Optimistic – Thanks to the worldwide lockdown, collectors are turning to digital sales en masse. But data shows that big online sales still may not be enough to sustain traditional auction houses in the long run.

History in the Making – Some artists are confronting the COVID-19 pandemic in their work head-on.

Frozen No More – Melting ice due to climate change revealed some 800 Viking artifacts and the existence of an unknown ancient trade route in Norway.

Creep-tastic Collections – An internet challenge prompted museums to post the weirdest, creepiest, most nightmare-inducing objects from their collections on social media. 

Primed for Success – Albania’s prime minister is an artist and a world leader, and he spoke to Artnet News about balancing his two professions.

Let’s Get Social – Art-world social media strategists are handing out their tips for how to reach a wide online audience.

WORST?

Peter Beard Found Dead – The beloved wildlife photographer, inventive artist, and all-around raconteur has died at age 82, after he went missing for weeks on Long Island in New York.

The Met Revises Its Loss Estimates – The stalwart New York institution now expects to lose up to $150 million as the museum remains closed. To reduce its financial burden, it laid off 81 employees this week.

Meanwhile, in Other Museum News… – The Broad museum in Los Angeles and MoMA PS1 also made drastic cuts to staff as the economic fallout for cultural institutions worsens.

Remembering Those We Lost – Among the tens of thousands of people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic are many in the art world. Here are some of their stories.

Caught on Camera – The brazen thief who stole a Van Gogh from a museum in the Netherlands was filmed using a sledgehammer to break in.

Culture Takes a Hit – As part of a new, pared-down budget for next year, the mayor of New York is proposing big cuts to cultural funding.