NewsAcquisitions
American Folk Art Museum acquires 40 significant works by self-taught artists
Gift includes examples by Horace Pippin, Sister Gertrude Morgan and Bill Traylor
NewsAcquisitions
Acquisitions round-up: 90 new works by 45 artists purchased for the UK Government Art Collection
Our pick of the latest gifts and purchases to enter institutional collections worldwide
NewsNancy Holt
Nancy Holt’s archives head to Smithsonian, opening the door for more land art works
From astronomical observations to personal photographs, the 50,000-piece collection includes documentation of unrealised works that the artist's foundation hopes to one day complete
NewsAcquisitions
National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC announces gift of exceptional photographs dating from the 19th to 21st centuries
Stephen G. Stein’s donation includes notable examples of images by Gustave Le Gray, William Eggleston, Brassaï, Robert Frank, Sally Mann and others
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Original 1978 rainbow flag designed by Gilbert Baker acquired by San Francisco’s GLBT Historical Society
The banner, thought lost for more than 40 years, was recently authenticated by a vexillographer who had worked with the artist
NewsAcquisitions
Anti-racism posters, Nike trainers and Kim Kardashian's selfies go on show in Victoria and Albert Museum's new gallery of contemporary design
London institution unveils refurbished Design 1900-Now space for its Rapid Response collection of objects that reveal "truths about how we live"
NewsAcquisitions
Acquisitions round-up: parts of cut up 16th-century panel reunited after Washington, DC's National Gallery of Art buys missing half
Our pick of the latest gifts and purchases to enter international museum collections
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
A Degas bought by the Van Gogh Museum sparks off an ethical debate: are female nudes OK?
The controversial pastel stars in a show of new acquisitions at the Amsterdam institution
NewsDeaccessioning
After disputed sale at Sotheby’s, Thomas Cole’s The Arch of Nero will go on view at Philadelphia Museum of Art
Institution says the work is being lent by the foundation that swooped in to rescue it when it was deaccessioned by the Newark Museum of Art
NewsAcquisitions
Acquisitions round-up: George Lucas's LA museum acquires monumental mural archive, and Getty purchases Artemisia Gentileschi's Lucretia
Our pick of the latest gifts and purchases to enter international museum collections
NewsAcquisitions
Acquisitions round-up: two US museums co-purchase portrait of Breonna Taylor—and artist Amy Sherald gives proceeds of sale to charity
Our pick of the latest gifts and purchases to enter international museum collections
NewsAcquisitions
Adding to a robust trove, High Museum in Atlanta fields a gift of works by self-taught artists
Local couple donates 47 paintings, drawings and sculptures by Southerners and African Americans
NewsAcquisitions
Mass Moca breathes new life into Taryn Simon's mourning sculptures
The Pipes were originally made for performances dealing with death and mourning but will now serve less specific purposes
NewsAcquisitions
Getty acquires a striking painting by Artemisia Gentileschi of the Roman heroine Lucretia
The museum, which did not disclose the price, says the work reflects a shift to a more idealised style
NewsAcquisitions
Acquisitions round-up: trio of paintings by Italian artist nun Orsola Maddalena Caccia bequeathed to the Met
Our pick of the latest gifts and purchases to enter international museum collections
NewsAcquisitions
Rose Art Museum, once on the brink of closure, celebrates 60th anniversary with gift of 86 works
After a proposed shutdown and sell-off in 2009, Brandeis University has repaired trust with donors, its director says
NewsScience
Dr Fauci’s 3-D printed coronavirus model given to Smithsonian
The educational aide will be part of a forthcoming exhibition at the National Museum of American History
NewsMuseums & Heritage
A gift of blue-chip Modern art comes to the Seattle Art Museum
The Friday Foundation, run by the heirs of collectors Jane Lang Davis and Richard E. Lang, has donated 19 works by artists including Bacon, Rothko, Krasner, Pollock, Frankenthaler, Kline and de Kooning
NewsMuseum acquisitions
Aga Khan Museum acquires massive Lego sculpture of an ancient African metropolis
The conceptual work by the Ghanian-Canadian artist Ekow Nimako addresses the cultural impact of Kumbi Saleh, the centre of the trans-Saharan trade route
NewsAcquisitions
Uffizi acquires first 'street art' work—a mash-up of Gilbert & George and a crotch-grabbing Mark Wahlberg
Mixed-media montage by UK artist Endless was donated to the Florence museum
NewsMuseum acquisitions
Pérez Art Museum Miami renames endowment fund for Black art to reflect the wider diaspora
The announcement coincides with acquisitions of works by Gordon Parks, Kwame Brathwaite and Tunji Adeniyi-Jones
NewsAcquisitions
Acquisitions round-up: flag and sledge from British polar expedition saved from leaving UK
Our pick of the latest gifts and purchases to enter international museum collections
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Photo collector and ophthalmologist William Tsiaras gives 500 works to Colby College Museum of Art in Maine
The Greek-American started acquiring photography for museums through his personal friendships with artists such as Lucas Samaras, Aaron Siskind and Harry Callahan
NewsAcquisitions
When everything turned upside down: Georg Baselitz donates six pathbreaking paintings to the Met
Portraits date from 1969, a pivotal point for an artist departing from conventional motifs
NewsGiuseppe Penone
Arte Povera sculptor Giuseppe Penone donates more than 200 works on paper to Castello di Rivoli
Archival materials relate to significant sculptures and installations around Piedmontese region in Italy
NewsAcquisitions
Trove of Surrealist publications and paintings donated to Dutch museum
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen's gift from collectors Laurens Vancrevel and Frida de Jong “opens up new horizons on surrealist activities”, says expert
NewsAcquisitions
'Consigned to history': Trump Baby blimp donated to Museum of London collection
Creators of inflatable effigy hope work serves as a "reminder of the fight against the politics of hate" that took place during Trump's presidency
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
Treats for Van Gogh fans in 2021: exhibitions, museum openings and books
We look ahead at the events to enjoy this year—assuming coronavirus doesn't scupper them
NewsAcquisitions
A 'milestone' moment—US National Gallery of Art acquires 40 works by Black Southern artists
Works were purchased from Souls Grown Deep Foundation in a move that could ‘alter the canon of American art'
NewsMuseums
Acquisitions round-up—Fondation Beyeler gets a frosty Fischli/Weiss snowman
Our pick of the latest gifts and purchases to enter international museum collections
NewsMuseums
Why US museums are quietly buying art—and downplaying their acquisitions—in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic
Though many institutions are suffering from serious reductions in revenue, collections expanded via restricted acquisition funds
NewsAcquisitions
Acquisitions round-up: European museums co-purchase El Anatsui sculpture from collector Uli Sigg
Woodland scene by Jan Brueghel the Elder heads to Washington DC; London’s National Portrait Gallery gets a Gainsborough via acceptance in lieu
NewsTax
UK government receives record £65m art gifts in lieu of inheritance tax
National scheme gains significance in the pandemic as "a shift away from blockbuster touring shows" will place greater importance on public collections
NewsAcquisitions
Startup consultant and collector George Wells gives Morehouse College a million-dollar art collection
The historically Black men’s college in Atlanta, Georgia will receive works by Mickalene Thomas, Rashid Johnson, Amy Sherald, McArthur Binion, and Ivy Haldeman
NewsAcquisitions
Ronald Lauder presents major gift of European arms and armour to the Met
Describing the donation as the most significant to the department in nearly 80 years, museum will rename galleries after Lauder
NewsAcquisitions
Miami Beach public votes to acquire Sanford Biggers quilt for public art collection
The city bought the piece from the local dealer David Castillo’s virtual Art Basel in Miami Beach display as part of its Legacy Purchase Program
NewsAcquisitions
Yuichiro Ukai’s manga monster drawing acquired by American Folk Art Museum
The 25-year-old Japanese self-taught artist’s densely layered Yokai is his first piece to enter a museum’s collection
NewsAcquisitions
Jaws shark installed in the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles
The museum, due to open in April 2021, has acquired the 25-foot prop model for its permanent collection
NewsAcquisitions
Stedelijk expands collection of socially critical art by acquiring works by Russian activists Yulia Tsvetkova and Anna Tereshkina
Both artists have been detained by Russian authorities
NewsAcquisitions
John Waters, the ‘Pope of Trash’, gives his treasures to Baltimore Museum of Art
The director and film-maker has donated around 375 works to his hometown institution—and will have a pair of restrooms named after him
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Never before seen Emily Carr works go from family fireplace to Canadian museum
British Columbia brothers donate paintings their grandmothers acquired to Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
NewsAcquisitions
A print series of Jacob Lawrence’s earliest narrative cycle has been acquired by the Colby College Museum of Art
The screenprints are an abridged version of the artist’s 41-panel tempera series devoted to the Haitian revolutionary Toussaint L’Ouverture
NewsAcquisitions
The Met acquires Kent Monkman's grand diptych Mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People)
The Cree artist says the work, on view in the museum's Great Hall, reflects on the “colonial version of history” in museum collections
NewsDeaccessioning
Baltimore Museum of Art will sell important paintings by Warhol, Still and Marden
Acting on relaxed rules, it will use the funds for collection care and salary increases as well as diverse acquisitions
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
Gauguin claims credit for Van Gogh’s Sunflowers: the revelations of a rediscovered manuscript
In Avant et Après—just acquired by London's Courtauld Gallery—Gauguin details his tumultuous time with Van Gogh
NewsAcquisitions
American Folk Art Museum announces gift of over 500 works by self-taught artists
Trove donated by collector Audrey B. Heckler includes examples of European Art Brut and works by African-American artists
NewsAcquisitions
What Beatrix Ruf did next: former Stedelijk director oversees new fund that will donate works to the Netherlands
Dutch entrepreneur Rob Defares has donated €10m to the new initiative
NewsPaul Gauguin
Rediscovered Paul Gauguin manuscript written in his Polynesian hut reveals artist's hidden secrets
Original book with nearly 30 images has been acquired by London's Courtauld Gallery and will go on display next year
NewsBritish Museum
Trove of 'lost' Hokusai drawings acquired by British Museum
103 forgotten works by the renowned Japanese artist resurfaced at a Paris auction after slipping out of sight for more than 70 years
Newsdiversity
Guggenheim adopts a plan to become more inclusive and racially diverse
Initiative follows accusations by employees of entrenched racism at the New York museum
NewsAcquisitions
Hirshhorn to unveil two acquisitions as it reopens its sculpture garden
Museum welcomes monumental 2018 works by Huma Bhabha and Sterling Ruby
NewsAcquisitions
Oregon foundation acquires Judy Chicago print archive
Over 300 works chart the career of a feminist pioneer in revelatory detail
NewsAcquisitions
Germany boosts art acquisition budget to €3m from €500,000 to support artists and galleries
Government plans to buy 150 works to help overcome the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic
NewsPhotography
An adventure with photography: MoMA receives 300-work Gayle Greenhill Collection
The gift from the late patron’s husband will also help create a photography endowment fund through the sale of some works
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
Courtauld Gallery acquires watercolour by A.S. Hartrick—friend and portraitist of Van Gogh and Gauguin
“Tall, dark, rather handsome”, his description of Gauguin in Breton garb
NewsAcquisitions
Giuseppe Penone presents two big gifts of drawings to Philadelphia Museum of Art and Centre Pompidou
Arte Povera sculptor hopes that his donations of hundreds of works on paper will start a dialogue
NewsAcquisitions
A valentine to New York City, in a gift of 130 urban scenes by Chagall, O'Keeffe, Hockney and other artists
Philanthropic couple’s promised donation to New-York Historical Society boosts collection’s 20th-century holdings
NewsMuseum acquisitions
While in lockdown, UK's Sainsbury Centre acquires major works by sculptor Elisabeth Frink
Acquisition from the artist's estate heralds a wave of works being dispersed across UK public collections
NewsAcquisitions
UK Science Museum group is building a coronavirus collection in response to pandemic
Other institutions reflect on ethical concerns linked to Covid-19 material
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Seeking answers from Lacma, Ahmanson Foundation threatens to take its largesse elsewhere
Long-time patron wants ‘a clear understanding’ of how a new building can accommodate the permanent collection highlights it has funded
NewsAcquisitions
Met adds Clara Peeters still-life to its petit bouquet of works by early women painters
The Flemish painter was at the top of the museum’s wish list and helps fill a large gender gap in the collection
NewsAcquisitions
Cleveland Museum of Art receives art gifts valued at more than $100m
Works donated by a collecting couple include paintings by Bonnard, Vuilliard, Matisse, Braque, Caillebotte and many others
NewsExhibitions
From Modernist nudes to present-day politics: British Museum to reveal its contemporary Middle Eastern art collection
Free exhibition at the London museum in October will show around 150 works that have been collected since the early 1990s
NewsMuseums
MoMA acquires historic Gordon Parks series The Atmosphere of Crime
The photographs will go on view in the New York museum's permanent collection galleries in May, along with a selection of works by other artists and a clip from the classic 1971 film Shaft
NewsAcquisitions
Hitler in Hell: German Historical Museum acquires George Grosz painting
Painted while Grosz was living in exile, the work has remained in the family since 1944
NewsAcquisitions
Highlighting a shift, Art Gallery of Ontario acquires works by prominent women artists
With works by Judy Chicago, Tacita Dean, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster and Silke Otto-Knapp, the museum is one of many prioritizing acquisitions of art by women
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Princeton artist-fellow Mario Moore celebrates African American workers
The university has acquired five portraits of men and women who hold blue-collar jobs on campus
NewsAcquisitions
UK fails to save painting of 'paramount importance' as Getty export licence is granted
Recently rediscovered 18th-century work by artist Joseph Wright of Derby was bought by the Los Angeles museum in March last year
NewsAcquisitions
National Portrait Gallery acquires 20 works from collecting couple
Ian and Annette Cumming set out to commission likenesses of people who would remain renowned
NewsAppointments
Nazi loot expert joins Louvre to investigate its wartime acquisitions
Hire of French art historian Emmanuelle Polack suggests a more proactive stance on Nazi-era provenance research at Paris museum
NewsGerman art
How a vast Käthe Kollwitz collection ended up at the Getty
Richard Simms, the 93-year-old donor, built up the enviable collection on a dentist’s salary starting in the 1960s
NewsArt market
French government has 30 months to find funding for Cimabue kitchen painting
Culture ministry blocked export of medieval work but will the French state proceed with purchase?
NewsAcquisitions
Christmas comes early: London's National Gallery raises enough money to buy Gentileschi masterpiece
The Finding of Moses is on display, but it will soon be moved to the newly refurbished Baroque room
NewsAcquisitions
Permanent a-peel: $120,000 banana will enter museum collection
Miami collectors William and Beatrice Cox will donate the fruit piece to an unnamed institution
NewsMuseums & Heritage
The Huntington Library acquires two collections of US slavery and abolition records
The historic documents highlight the complexities of documenting America’s "peculiar institution"
NewsAcquisitions
Whitney Museum acquires 88 works by biennial artists
The works, by 40 artists, are among 250 that have entered the collection since the spring
NewsAcquisitions
Jayne Wrightsman leaves over 375 works of art and $80m to the Met
From European paintings to the decorative arts, the patron and her oil tycoon husband, who both served as trustees for decades, gave the New York museum more than 1,275 works in all
NewsOrazio Gentileschi
London's National Gallery launches public campaign to fund last £2m to buy Orazio Gentileschi masterpiece
The 17th-century painting The Finding of Moses was painted in London for Charles I and represented the birth of Charles II
NewsAcquisitions
New York's Morgan Library receives ‘transformational’ trove of manuscripts and bindings
Bequest comes from New York collector Jayne Wrightsman, who amassed an 18th-century library to complement her celebrated French furnishings
NewsAcquisitions
Getty acquires Bronzino’s Madonna and Child with Saints, a twin of National Gallery in London’s
The brightly coloured painting, depicting the same family scene, has been in private hands for decades, most recently the Chilean Alana Collection
NewsArt fairs
Bada sells majority stake in Chelsea fair to Masterpiece founders
The event will be renamed The Open Art Fair and will launch in March next year
NewsMuseums & Heritage
The William Blakes that got away—and why
As the Tate Britain show opens, we reveal the inside story of the Tate’s failure to acquire 19 watercolours from a portfolio that turned up in a Glasgow bookshop
NewsMuseums & Heritage
UK's most valuable museum acquisition in a decade? National Gallery set to buy Gentileschi masterpiece
The Finding of Moses, currently on loan at the London museum, is owned by sofa-billionaire Graham Kirkham
NewsIvory
UK museums lose opportunity to buy rare renaissance casket
Cabinet of curiosities cannot go to US because of tough ivory regulations
NewsAcquisitions
From Venice to California: Lisa Reihana’s post-colonial ‘digital scroll’ is acquired by FAMSF and Lacma
The massive work, shown at the 2017 Venice Biennale, re-interprets 19th-century wallpaper depicting native Pacific peoples
NewsRembrandt
Louvre bids to buy Rembrandt masterpiece from Rothschild collection in France
The state has deferred the painting's export licence giving the museum 30 months to find the funds
CommentMuseums & Heritage
Our mission is to be Miami’s art museum—that’s why we spent $145,000 to buy works from local galleries
Franklin Sirmans, the director of the Perez Art Museum Miami, explains the impetus behind the Collectors Council’s largest group acquisition ever
Franklin Sirmans