BEST?

The Class of 2020 – Looking for the next wave of new talent? We heard from nine art-world insiders about which emerging artists will dominate the next year.

Exit White Cube – Art-world veteran Eric Shiner is leaving the London-based gallery to take over Pioneer Works, the inventive nonprofit art space in Red Hook, Brooklyn. 

Hello, Dolly! – Lawmakers in Tennessee are considering replacing a controversial Confederate statue with the likeness of a true American hero, Dolly Parton.

Julie Curtiss in Bloom – The red-hot market darling Julie Curtiss spoke to Nate Freeman about her of-the-moment work, her burgeoning market, and the danger of predatory speculators.

A Living Legend – Artnet News’s editor-in-chief Andrew Goldstein sat down with the inimitable New Yorker scribe Calvin Tomkins to discuss everything from his friendship with Marcel Duchamp to how he secured a coveted interview with the elusive David Hammons.

An Olympic Record – The 14-page manuscript outlining what we know as the modern Olympics sold for $8.8 million, almost nine times its estimate, at Sotheby’s.

A Very Kusama Khristmas – Archivists were stunned to find an envelope containing four small works by none other than Yayoi Kusama at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

No Bones About It – An amateur archaeologist walking his dog stumbled upon a multi-million-year-old “fish lizard” skeleton on England’s Jurassic Coast. 

Show-Ho-Ho’s for the Holidays – Take advantage of New York’s yuletide season with these eight museum shows on view through the New Year.

WORST?

Pier 24 to Shutter – San Francisco’s non-profit photography space Pier 24 is set to shutter after a gigantic rent hike, which left the institution unable to pay. 

Holy Trouble – Spanish nuns are being investigated by national police for purportedly selling off a 17th-century sculpture at TEFAF that belonged to the Franciscan priory.

Bannon Moves Forward – Political strategist Steve Bannon will move forward with his misguided quest to set up an Institute of learning at a 13th-century Italian monastery, where he hopes to spread his doctrine against so-called “secularist intolerance.”

Dealer In Deep – The diamond dealer Nazem Said Ahmad has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for allegedly using his art collection to launder money to Hezbollah.

Benton Kin Sues a Missouri Bank – Family members of beloved American artist Thomas Hart Benton are filing suit against UMB Bank for allegedly mismanaging the artist’s estate and losing track of 100 of his artworks.