BEST?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude Make Coin – Sotheby’s sale of works by, and belonging to, the late artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude brought in $11 million.

The Beauty of Bridgerton – Netflix’s latest period drama is chock full of artworks that buttress the show’s lusty narratives.

Christie’s Goes for Crypto – The auction house is holding a sale of a digital blockchain artwork, and will be accepting cryptocurrency for the first time.

An Art Historian’s Reflections – Trailblazing art historian Richard J. Powell looks back on his influential career, and how the reception of art by Black artists has changed in academic circles.

A New New Deal? – On this week’s Art Angle podcast, Artnet News’s National Critic Ben Davis analyzes FDR’s historic New Deal arts programs, and muses about how a contemporary version could help artists in need today.

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Ale – The world’s oldest brewery was discovered by archaeologists excavating a royal graveyard in Egypt.

Guggenheim Strikes Union Agreement – Union organizers and the museum struck a deal for better pay and benefits following a protracted battle this summer.

Banksy Off the Wall – A British art dealer just snapped up one of the anonymous street artist’s works from its owners in Nottingham.

WORST?

Newfields Director Steps Down – After the museum sparked outrage with a job posting, Charles Venable has resigned from his post as Newfields’s president.

Artists Against Brexit Rules – UK artists want Boris Johnson to renegotiate terms of Brexit so they can travel to the EU without visas.

Storm Watch – Texas museums are struggling amid power outages after a raging snow storm. 

Very Crowded Vatican – Visitors and tour guides were distressed at a lack of crowd-control or social distancing at the Vatican museums, which have recently reopened.

French Court Closes Museums, Again – The court ruled that four museums opened by a mayor last week in defiance of the country’s laws must be shuttered for now.