Newscoronavirus
Siberian surgeon’s drawings show devastating rise in domestic violence in Russia due to Covid-19 pandemic
Ruslan Mellin turned to art as a refuge from the brutal reality of lockdown and the effects of the virus
Newslayoffs
After avoiding layoffs, Oakland Museum of California now plans job cuts of 15%
Staff will shrink from 126 to 106 as institution pursues an organisational makeover
NewsAttendance
While US museum attendance nosedived in 2020 amid pandemic, disparities in reopenings yielded a few surprises
Huntington Library in California and Crystal Bridges in Arkansas ascended to the top of the visitor figures list
NewsArt market
Pared down and profit sharing: here are the sales from Art Dubai, this year’s first physical fair
Meanwhile, a crypto-art cruise during the fair indicates which way the wind may be blowing for future editions
NewsBritish Museums
The cost of the cuts: what now for UK museums as the Covid-19 crisis bites?
Museum directors in London and the regions are cutting jobs and slashing budgets, raising concerns for the post-pandemic future of the sector
Newscoronavirus
Grayson Perry is casting a bell to ring at the end of the Covid-19 pandemic
As future of London's historic Whitechapel foundry hangs in the balance, artist’s bell will be made elsewhere
NewsGhent altarpiece
Restored Ghent Altarpiece returns to Saint Bavo's Cathedral with a temperature-controlled case and AR headsets
Medieval masterpiece by Jan and Hubert Van Eyck is being unveiled today after a three-year treatment
Newscoronavirus
French culture minister hospitalised after contracting Covid-19
Roselyne Bachelot's condition is "stable and not worrying"
AnalysisCovid-19
Covid-19: which countries are closest to getting back to art business?
After a year in which the coronavirus wreaked havoc, vaccines offer hope. We look at the the state of play, and the outlook, for countries around the world
NewsPark Avenue Armory
Park Avenue Armory postpones socially distanced programme after performers test positive for Covid-19
The recently announced season aimed to provide a safe space for live arts performances as Covid-19 cases begin to decline in New York
NewsMuseums
Museums in Poland and Germany forced to close—again—as third pandemic wave hits Europe
Some countries are operating a system based on regional coronavirus case numbers while others have gone into full lockdown
NewsWorld Health Organization
‘Mirror pandemic’: art’s vital role in tackling the mental health crisis
A multi-agency $15m initiative backed by the WHO and funded through a series of charity auctions at Christie’s will support artist-led projects to improve mental, social and environmental health
NewsExhibitions
You can now buy a piece of a New Orleans Mardi Gras ‘house float’ to support local artists
Elements of the impromptu and extravagant holiday decorations will fund the hiring of builders, artists and musicians, as well as local Covid-19 relief
NewsBiennials & festivals
New York's Performa festival to be held entirely outdoors this year
Taking pandemic indoor occupancy limits into account, the biennial moves outside of performance spaces this autumn
NewsArt and health
World Health Organization joins art world to launch global campaign confronting mental health toll of pandemic
Year-long series of Healing Arts auctions and events aims to support mental health treatment and recovery in the wake of Covid-19
NewsDeaccessioning
Members of US museums association narrowly reject proposal to contemplate a change in guidelines on art sales
Amid debate, AAMD votes 91-88 against exploring a controversial revision of rules to allow proceeds to finance collections care
Newsreopenings
Los Angeles museums are revving up to reopen
Amid decline in Covid-19 cases, governor lifts a closure mandate that had stirred some dissent
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Virtual museum law conference shows how the pandemic has affected institutional administration
From dealing with cyberattacks on newly implemented digital offerings, to figuring out how to renegotiate a postponed loan, the coronavirus has raised a whole new crop of issues for museums
NewsPainting
Artist Yan Pei-Ming makes vast pandemic painting inspired by plague scenes of the Isenheim altarpiece
“The viewer might be shocked. It is life today,” says the artist who created the Covid-19 works in isolation in his studio in Dijon
NewsBrazil
Brazilian government suspends federal cultural funding in areas with Covid restrictions
As the country's coronavirus cases spike, a new ordinance temporarily stops support for projects in places that have not yet lifted lockdown measures
NewsCharity
Lorna Simpson, Rirkrit Tiravanija and other artists donate works to benefit New York charities
The Artists Support initiative will donate 100% of proceeds to local organisations
NewsMusée du Louvre
Louvre launches flurry of brand partnerships and ‘e-boutique’ in bid to make up Covid deficit
Deprived of visitors, the world’s most popular museum is striking deals with brands such as Uniqlo to reach international audiences online
Comment
Freelance workers are the backbone of the art world—but how are they expected to survive on a pittance?
If culture is to recover from the pandemic, the sector must value the self-employed more so that the next generation—of all backgrounds—can afford to live a creative life
NewsMuseums
'It feels slightly surreal!' German museums can open from Monday—but with complicated caveats
In a surprise ruling, the government prioritises museum openings ahead of restaurants and sports facilities
NewsArts funding
UK Budget 2021: further £408m boost for struggling culture sector
Chancellor Rishi Sunak digs deep, adding £300m to the £1.57bn Cultural Recovery Fund, £90m more for museums, and £18m for cultural community projects
NewsCensorship
Governments are ‘weaponising’ Covid-19 to silence dissident artist voices, report says
Seventeen artists were killed, 82 imprisoned and 133 detained over the past year in 26 countries, according to new Freemuse study
Newscoronavirus
Economic reports reveal drastic loss of arts jobs in the US
In New York, two-thirds of posts in the creative sector are gone, while nearly a quarter of the workforce in Los Angeles has been cut
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Swiss museums can reopen from 1 March as country eases lockdown restrictions
Fondation Beyeler will shows Arp and Rodin while Kunstmuseum Bern has a show on Latin American political art
NewsArts funding
‘Many museums will be lost’: US association appeals to Congress to support funding for institutions
Invoking the pandemic, advocates seek federal money for agencies that support museum programmes as well as operations grants and charitable tax deductions
Newslayoffs
Whitney lays off 15 more staff members, citing ‘extremely low’ attendance
Museum’s director notes that it may take until 2025 for tourists to return in force to New York
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Officials confirm: museums in England can reopen from 17 May under Boris Johnson’s lockdown roadmap
Commercial galleries will be permitted to open from 12 April under the new plan to gradually lift Covid-19 safety measures
NewsDeaccessioning
Met director defends move to consider deaccessioning for collections care rather than art purchases
Max Hollein argues that more art will not necessarily be sold, although proceeds can now go to other purposes amid the pandemic financial crisis
NewsMuseums
Visitor crush at Vatican museums
Tourists left “shocked and afraid” by their experiences at the museum say Covid-19 security measures were not followed
NewsConservation
Thanks to a £3m gift, the National Trust could finally uncover a secret portrait of Mary Queen of Scots
Conservation boost from a US charity comes after the heritage organisation faced a £200m revenue collapse due to the pandemic
NewsMuseums
Far-right mayor reopens four museums in southern France—without government’s permission
Although national museums are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Perpignan's Musée Rigaud, Casa Pairal, Musée Puig and the museum of natural history are open to the public again
AnalysisArt market
Pandemic prompts New York artists to leave the city in search of more affordable space
Tara Donovan, GaHee Park and artist-owners of Brooklyn's Elijah Wheat Showroom are among those who are leaving in pursuit of nature
NewsWallace Collection
Art library and archives at London's Wallace Collection could close to public as part of cost-cutting plans
Petition claims management want to ‘orientate the museum to income generation’
NewsGermany
Germany doubles pandemic aid for arts with an extra €1 billion funding
Some galleries received funding in the first package for exhibitions they can’t open in lockdown
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Museum revolution: 100 French directors call for 'essential' reopening
Petition urges culture minister to lift coronavirus restrictions on museums and galleries so they can "take care of visitors now"
NewsFunding
Weston Culture Fund gives UK arts organisations £30m in relief from 'devastating impact' of Covid-19
Wallace Collection, Birmingham Museums and the MAC Belfast are among more than 100 charities receiving recovery grants from the Garfield Weston Foundation
CommentArts funding
Arts researchers can help America overcome its toughest challenges
As the Biden-Harris administration begins to fill its leadership roles, it is vital that our federal government includes creative thinkers
NewsArt market
Tefaf Maastricht 2021 postponed again—this time to September
Dutch art fair will now run immediately before the delayed Art Basel, while Tefaf New York Spring has been cancelled altogether this year
NewsArt market
Déjà vu: Art Basel postponed from June to September—again
Swiss fair was also delayed from June to September in 2020, before being cancelled altogether due to coronavirus
NewsArt market
UK Supreme Court judgment on pandemic insurance payouts 'not a blank cheque' for art organisations
Some insurers using "aggressive tactics" to reduce barrage of claims following rejection of appeal on clarification of business interruption cover
Newscoronavirus
Museums around the world step up to be transformed into vaccination centres
London's Science Museum and a West Midlands museum where Peaky Blinders was filmed are just some of the venues doubling up as Covid-19 vaccine hubs
Newscoronavirus
Culture injection: Coronavirus vaccination centres in Germany are giving patients a dose of art
As exhibitions are cancelled due to the pandemic, local artists are finding creative ways to show their art—and distract patients
NewsDocumenta
Documenta 15 postponement increasingly likely, general director says
Travel restrictions could derail preparations, making 2022 date impossible, Sabine Schormann says
NewsDesert X
Desert X postpones opening amid Covid-19 surge in California
The outdoor festival, due to take over Coachella Valley in February, will now wait until lockdown restrictions are lifted
NewsCollectors
Moderna vaccine billionaire Timothy Springer explains his love for Chinese scholar rocks
Gongshi—whose unusual forms are created by years of river erosion—have long been highly prized in Asia. Now they are garnering admirers in the West
NewsMuseums
Opening of Pinault's Bourse de Commerce postponed as French museums told to remain closed
Scheduled to reopen this week, cultural institutions must keep their doors shut after an increase in Covid-19 cases
NewsConservation & Preservation
From lockdowns to looting: how Covid-19 has taken a toll on world's threatened heritage sites
Sites of major importance—many in regions already ravaged by conflict—are contending with security problems and funding shortfalls
NewsVenice
Culture war erupts over Venice mayor's closure of Doge's Palace and other civic museums until April
Luigi Brugnaro's "entrepreneurial" decision violates Venice's historic agreement with Italian state to keep the landmark open to the public
NewsMuseums
Closure of London's Florence Nightingale Museum fuels fears that the pandemic will force smaller UK institutions to shut
Williamson Art Gallery & Museum in Birkenhead is also under threat of closure as part of cost-cutting measures by local council
CommentArt market
A Covid-19 silver lining? Let’s not return to family-unfriendly art business as usual
The industry could work better for mothers and fathers if it doesn’t go back to the out-of-hours, out-of-town way things were
CommentCovid-19
As 2021 beckons.... I crave new art in the new year more than ever
With talk of vaccines dominating the airwaves, a return to regular contact with the latest works and upcoming artists may be on the horizon
CommentCovid-19
'Museums had better not be planning for a return to the status quo'
If institutions keep admission limits in place, they’ll come out of the coronavirus crisis in better health, says art critic Blake Gopnik
FeatureLost art
Lost art: will virtual exhibitions replace in-person museum-going?
A lasting change of the coronavirus pandemic might be how shows are viewed
InterviewArt market
A crisis hits the art market once a decade. What is different this time? Christie's president Dirk Boll assesses the impact of the pandemic
As his new book is published, the auction house chief compares coronavirus fallout to previous economic disasters
NewsArt market
Gallery asks collectors to give their discounts back to the artists
Los Angeles-based Commonwealth & Council has launched the Council Fund to help support artists' financial needs with the help of its clients
CommentThe Year in Review 2020
Art could have dwindled into insignificance in the upheaval of this year—instead it endured
Through the major shifts and moments of victory, art has proved itself to be cathartic, resistant and powerful
NewsFunding
No additional funds: UK's £1.57bn emergency arts bailout must last organisations until March 2022
Arts Council England launches second round of loans worth £100m with £300m grant applications to follow
CommentMuseums & Heritage
California needs a plan to restart the arts
There is not a person in the arts who wants to open until it is safe to do so, but we cannot even prepare to start without state guidelines
NewsEmergency grants
Grants multiply as government agencies and foundations seek to rescue US cultural organisations amid pandemic
Latest allocations include $32.8m from the National Endowment for the Humanities and $47.1m from New York’s Department of Cultural Affairs
NewsArt market
Organisers confident physical Art Dubai fair will go ahead in March 2021
It will be the first major international art fair to return to the art world calendar since the pandemic upended business around the world
CommentMuseums
Gabrielie Finaldi: 'What is the National Gallery if you can’t visit and you can’t see the pictures?'
Museums have a responsibility to the people to protect and share the collection, says the London museum's director
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Museum of Fine Arts Boston and other US institutions announce a second wave of pandemic closures
Some say they hope to reopen in January, while many others have remained shut for nearly a full year
NewsRedundancies
London's Southbank Centre rehires 40 workers who lost their jobs in the wake of Covid-19
Staff who have been made redundant are being recruited again following extension of furlough job retention scheme by UK government
NewsIndia
'New Hindu India': Narendra Modi begins £2bn overhaul of Delhi's colonial parliament buildings
Politicians and cultural leaders have questioned the use of state funds for prime minister's "vanity project" during Covid-19 crisis
NewsMuseums
French museums dismayed as reopening pushed to 7 January
Three-week delay caused by rising cases of coronavirus in the country
NewsMuseums
Leeds museum makes history by hosting Covid-19 vaccination hub
High-risk patients get Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at Thackray Museum of Medicine
NewsFunding
Historic Royal Palaces gets £40m lifeline loan and Southbank Centre gets £11m in latest round of UK Covid-19 funding
Rem Koolhaas’ Factory arts hub in Manchester—scheduled for completion in 2022—gets £21m grant
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Victoria and Albert museum to close for two days a week due to coronavirus financial crunch
Visitor numbers will take years to recover with a drastic impact on income, the London institution reports
AnalysisArt fairs
The art world's Miami vice: bored with OVRs, galleries return with some physical events in lieu of Art Basel—but should they?
While the city’s flagship art fair was cancelled this year, other in-person events and pop-up projects abound despite rising coronavirus cases
NewsTate Modern
Tate will cut 120 jobs to 'survive crisis'
The institution has launched a voluntary redundancy scheme but could ‘move to compulsory redundancy in 2021’
NewsExhibitions
Strict rules and new tech: Qatar's young artists respond to life during coronavirus
New exhibition Outbreak—organised by Doha Film Institute—has been able to go ahead in real life because the country's Covid-19 cases are low
NewsMuseums
Masp announces abridged 2021 programming as museums seek solutions to budget shortfalls
After drastic financial losses due to Covid-19, the Brazilian museum says it will hold a smaller number of shows for longer periods of time and boost its digital offerings
NewsHumboldt Forum
Opening of Humboldt Forum delayed again as coronavirus lockdown extended—but you can view it online
New Berlin arts complex suffers renewed setback in its problem-beset opening plans
NewsMuseums
Why us? European museums cry foul over second lockdown
Shops remain open in many countries even as museums are plunged once more into Covid-19 deep-freeze
CommentMuseums
A new kind of museum is emerging—here's what the future holds
International museum leaders are confronting manifold challenges in the wake of Covid-19 and innovating in six principal ways, writes András Szántó
AnalysisThe Year in Review 2020
Museums 2020: the year of crashing revenues and anti-racism disputes
Turbulent year draws to a close with sector wracked by pandemic lockdowns and Black Lives Matter challenges
NewsMuseums
A date with Mona Lisa? A painting by Soulages? Louvre's fundraising auction offers all to the highest bidder
Online sale seeks to support a new space for art education and outreach that will open in the autumn of 2021
NewsUK politics
Spending Review: UK museums to receive £320m during ‘biggest economic decline in 300 years’
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces slight boost to culture department's budget, but some institutions face extended closure under new tiered system
NewsPrizes
London teenagers in cancelled prom outfits win Taylor Wessing Prize
Alys Tomlinson spent three months during lockdown taking the portrait of teenagers in the midst of their “lost summer”
AnalysisArt market
'One of the most shocking, tumultuous years on record': art market figures reflect on 2020—and guess at what 2021 might hold
The pandemic has ripped apart the industry as we know it this year but it has sparked innovation and conversation like never before
Newscoronavirus
Colourist painter and Royal Academician Philip Sutton opens new gallery—at the age of 92
Artist—who is now blind in one eye and lives in a sheltered care home—is launching a space in Bridport, England, to sell his own works
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art will shut down again amid spike in coronavirus cases
Move by Washington, DC museums comes amid a wave of new US closures
NewsArt Fund
Art Fund launches £1m crowdfunding appeal to help UK museums fighting for survival
After months without income due to coronavirus closures, new survey shows that museums are operating with just 25% of previous visitor numbers
CommentArt market
Pastures new: why some top gallery staff are moving on from longtime jobs
Without art fairs and hectic travel, the pandemic has transformed the way most of us work—and some are branching out rather than returning to their old lifestyle
NewsMuseums & Heritage
‘From bad to worse’: over half of US museums have laid off or furloughed staff, survey shows
Museums expect to lose an average of 35% of budgeted income this year, plus an additional 28% in 2021
NewsArt market
Frieze Los Angeles bids goodbye to Paramount Studios as art fair is postponed to July
Social distancing rules have limited the number of people on film sets creating a movie production backlog
Newscoronavirus
Russia sends Moscow’s museums into second lockdown until mid-January
Cultural workers voice frustration at mixed closure orders, as theatres, concert halls and restaurants are allowed to stay open
NewsArt market
Art Basel in Hong Kong postponed to May as coronavirus throws 2021 art fairs into disarray
Summer crush expected with Art Basel’s flagship show in Switzerland still scheduled for June and Taipei Dangdai moved back to July
NewsOpenings
Challenges overcome as Houston's Museum of Fine Arts completes $450m campus expansion
Delayed by just three weeks amid the pandemic, new Kinder Building will dramatically increase space for Modern and contemporary art
CommentMuseums & Heritage
Pandemic anniversary: the things museums should learn from our plague year
Although “thumbstoppable” social media content is essential, the online world has dark consequences too, says Tristram Hunt, the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Tristram Hunt