BEST?

Lessons from Austin – The head of Austin’s Blanton Museum talked about how she managed to avoid layoffs of staff, despite being hit by the same lockdown realities as every other US institution.

Holy Mosaic! – Researchers in a town outside Verona, Italy, discovered an almost perfectly preserved mosaic from a Roman villa, thought to date to the third century AD.

Grimes Gets Arty – The new mother is selling her soul…and some artwork at a show hosted by Maccarone gallery.

Cooking Up some Color – Artists are making banana bread in lockdown, too! Creatives shared their favorite recipes from their quarantine kitchens.

Honoring Front Line Workers – An artist is creating a massive mural in the Queens Museum parking lot to honor the dedicated health workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

Artist for Equality – Artist Carrie Mae Weems is working to alert the public just about the huge disparity in infection and treatment available to communities of color during the health pandemic by working with Syracuse University on public art initiatives.

Oh Baby – Once the reigning queen of baby photography, Anne Geddes is now in dire financial straits; on this week’s Art Angle podcast, we unpack what happened.

Art From a Distance – Street art is flourishing in neighborhoods around the world, and reporter Katie White breaks down the best places to sneak a peek, while maintaining social distance.

WORST?

Remembering Richard Anuszkiewicz – A pioneering force in the field of Op-Art, the artist died just shy of his 90th birthday.

EU Criticizes New Budget – Officials are up in arms over the proposed budget in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, warning of the detrimental affects of proposed cuts to the culture sector.

A Paint Roller Protrusion – Steve Wynn’s Picasso painting was damaged in a paint-roller accident back in 2018. Now the insurance company is suing the company they claim is responsible.

Artists Target Trump En Masse – Artists around the world created scathing works juxtaposing the Trump’s golfing jaunt over Memorial Day weekend with the names of those lost to coronavirus.

Creatives Protest in Hong Kong – More than 1,500 creatives signed a petition against China’s proposed laws to strip Hong Kong of its autonomy, which would drastically impact the arts.

No Turner Prize for 2020 – Tate Britain’s famous Turner Prize exhibition has been axed for 2020, though the museum will divvy up the $123,000 prize fund to disperse among jury-selected finalists.

Seoul Survivors – After a new wave of infections due to COVID-19, museums and other institutions in South Korea are shuttering once again.

A Thief Targets Banksy – A hazmat suit-wearing thief tried to steal Banksy’s heartfelt artwork from the UK-based hospital where it was hung, just days after it was donated.

Death of the Museum? – New reports are predicting bad news for the future of museums: a study from the International Council of Museums says one in eight institutions won’t reopen, and UNESCO has similarly upsetting statistics.