BEST?

Christie’s Cashes In – The auction house had a banner evening, raking in a total of $831 million across two back-to-back sales, including the estate of Anne Bass.

A Dalí-ghtful Discovery – A museum in Maui is exhibiting a $10 million wax sculpture by surrealist Salvador Dalí that was rediscovered in a vault after it was feared lost forever.

Assyrian Carvings Unearthed – Police in Turkey discovered rare Assyrian carvings of gods adorning underground tunnels.

Guggenheim Finally Drops Sackler Name – Both the Guggenheim and the National Gallery in London quietly removed the Sackler name from their walls, after years of activists urging them to sever ties.

Michael Armitage to Design Coin – The Kenyan-born artist was tapped to design the U.K.’s new £1 coin.

Notorious RBG’s Auction Exceeds Estimate – Items belonging to the beloved late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fetched $800,000 at auction, more than 10 times its presale estimate.

Artists Win Pulitzers – This years Pulitzer Prize winners included the late artist Winfred Rembert and composer-and-artist Raven Chacon.

Warhol Sets World Record – Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Marilyn is now the most expensive work of the 20th century to sell at auction, and the second priciest work ever auctioned, period.

Art Once Swapped for Sandwich Poised to Sell – A painting by Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis, once traded for a grilled cheese, could fetch tens of thousands at auction.

WORST?

Ukrainian Cultural Sites Destroyed – Ukraine president Zelenskyy says that almost 200 cultural heritage sites have been destroyed since Russia invaded the country in February.

Beeple and Madonna Made an NFT – The material girl and NFT star teamed up for a bizarre, NSFW NFT triptych.

A Reckoning for a Disgraced Art Dealer – A judge ordered the art dealer Douglas Chrismas to repay $14 million to creditors.

International Council of Museums Criticizes Kim Kardashian – Conservators were so upset that the reality star donned Marilyn Monroe’s famous gown at the Met gala, ICOM issued a statement decrying celebrities wearing historic garments.

Under the Influence – Ahead of Art Basel in Hong Kong, the art fair has issued specific rules that influencers must follow.

Marianne Boesky Loses Legal Battle – Artist Diana Al-Hadid won her lawsuit against the gallery over an artwork that a judge ruled belonged to Al-Hadid based on the consignment agreement.

Centre Pompidou Halts Oligarch’s Gift – The French museum has halted a planned donation of $619,000 from Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin, though he had already gifted the institution $1.4 million.

Barbara Kruger Revisits Famous Work – The artist has revised her most famous work, Untitled (Your body is a battleground), with an updated message following the leaked Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Jake & Dinos Chapman Break Up – After three decades of working together, the artist brothers are going separate ways, with Jake debuting his own work at London’s Paradise Row.

Family Pleads for Intervention in Geologist’s Trial – The relatives of British geologist Jim Fitton, who pocketed stones he was told were not valuable, is pleading for UK intervention as he stands trial in Iraq.