NewsPhilanthropy
Amid pandemic, foundations marshal $156m to support minority arts organisations in the US
Funds are intended to counter the devastation that the coronavirus has wrought in the national arts landscape
NewsVideo, film & new media
New Jersey artist residency turns their campus into a free drive-in theatre
Gardenship in Kearny Point has been hosting video art exhibitions and film screenings during the pandemic, including the Jean Michel-Basquiat cult classic Downtown 81 this weekend
NewsPhotography
Photographers fear steep costs and little payment for covering protests
A lack of protections for—and an increase in domestic dangers to—photojournalists is becoming increasingly visible amid the pandemic and political rallies
NewsRoyal Academy of Arts
London’s Royal Academy of Arts plans to slash 40% of jobs
Cuts have been announced as the institution aims to make savings of £8m a year and awaits news on government grant
NewsArt market
Controversy erupts over Fiac cancellation
Paris's major contemporary art fair has been scrapped due to Covid-19 fears, but galleries are divided over whether the decision was wise or "lacking courage"
NewsConservation & Preservation
As the world contends with Covid, World Monuments Fund makes a bet on sustainable tourism
Taking a lesson from how the pandemic dispersed crowds, the organisation selects seven sites for preservation and promotion
NewsArt market
UK High Court ruling could be 'welcome news' for arts organisations denied Covid-19 insurance payout
Judgment this week ruled in favour of the Financial Conduct Authority's test case seeking clarification of policies as many insurers refuse to pay out during the pandemic
AnalysisArt market
The fairs are back in town: greater China reopens for business
Art021, West Bund Art & Design Fair and Art Taipei among fairs due to open in the region this autumn despite travel restrictions, shipping woes and Covid-19 fears
NewsArt fairs
Fiac cancelled as new travel restrictions are imposed across Europe
The Paris art fair had seemed defiant in the face of coronavirus but organisers say they could not “meet the legitimate expectations of its exhibitors”
NewsArt market
2021 art fair calendar already in flux after Taipei Dangdai moves from January to May
Delay and cancellation of events early next year prompts the question: will Frieze Los Angeles still take place in February?
NewsLabour
It is not just artists who are starving: how the US can rebuild its creative industry post-Covid
A proposal issued to both presidential campaigns by Americans for the Arts outlines a national strategy to put creative workers back to work
NewsArt market
Galleries cast doubt on the return of fairs in 2021 in latest Art Basel and UBS report
Covid-19 has forced galleries to cut staff by 33% on average as sales plummet 36% in the first half of 2020—and optimism is dwindling for next year
NewsExhibitions
Saatchi Gallery exhibits London’s graduate artists deprived of degree shows
The exhibition forms part of the education programme at the collector’s gallery which has now ‘transitioned into a charity’
NewsUnions
With unemployment at an historic high, America's art workers band together
Labour organising is building across the culture sphere. Could an industry-wide arts union be next?
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Bailout fail? Fewer than half of museums in England apply for government’s £1.57bn rescue package
Survey by The Art Newspaper also reveals that the Serpentine and Barbican have been left in limbo while the Southbank Centre is already £20m in debt
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Exhibitions during Covid-19: museums turn to 'virtual couriers' to protect unchaperoned art
To overcome travel restrictions, registrars are using Zoom and other technologies to monitor works on loan remotely
AnalysisBiennials & festivals
As crowds are banned, Riga’s art biennial transforms into a three-week live set for a feature film
Riboca2 shows “the fragility of our world, and our vulnerability within it”
NewsArt fairs
Art Basel cancels Miami Beach edition in December
The fair's organisers say they have "no other option" as Covid-19 cases in Florida stay stubbornly high and US travel restrictions remain in place
NewsBiennials & festivals
How to organise a biennial in the Covid era
Bangkok Art Biennale director on grappling with coronavirus constraints and displaying "sensitive" works
NewsBritish Museums
UK museums are back open—but visitors are staying away
Our data shows that most major London art museums had many available booking slots for next-day entry despite operating reduced capacity
CommentFunding
'Be commercially minded or lose future funding': UK government's threat puts museums in peril
In a letter leaked to The Art Newspaper, the culture minister Oliver Dowden tells directors they must raise their own funds during the pandemic—but how?
NewsMuseums
Whitney Museum cancels show following artists' accusations of exploitation
Many black artists objected to an exhibition after they discovered their work had been acquired by the museum through discounted sales to benefit anti-racism causes
NewsArt market
London's £20m Cromwell Place gallery hub to open on 10 October
Complex, housed in five townhouses in South Kensington, was due to open in May but the launch was delayed due to the coronavirus lockdown
NewsArt market
Photo London abandons socially distanced fair to go online
Decision "feels like natural progression for the market”, exhibitor says
Newscoronavirus
CoroNation: Ai Weiwei releases lockdown documentary about Wuhan
Film aims to show “surveillance, ideological brainwashing, and brute determination used to control every aspect of society” by China’s leaders
NewsTate
Ten artists who won Turner bursaries from Tate 'fully support' museum's striking workers
Open letter says that redundancies contradict Tate’s commitment to "champion the richness of art for everyone"
NewsArt market
It’s official: galleries and art fairs at risk of collapse can apply for UK’s £1.57bn rescue package
Priority will be given to institutions of regional and national significance
Newsreopenings
New York clears the way for the city's museums to reopen
MoMA, the Whitney, the Morgan, the American Folk Art Museum, the New Museum, the Guggenheim and the Brooklyn Museum announce plans to welcome the public, joining the Met and the New-York Historical Society
Commentcoronavirus
Business can and should help the arts through this crisis
The pandemic has laid bare the betrayal of the cultural sector, but corporations and individuals can alleviate the hardship
NewsExhibitions
Berghain—Berlin’s exclusive nightclub—to transform into huge art venue during pandemic
“Studio Berlin” offers a way to circumvent the toughest door policy in the world and see works by Olafur Eliasson, Wolfgang Tillmans and Anne Imhof
NewsMuseums
Tate will axe more than 300 jobs from its commercial arm next month
Director Maria Balshaw says the organisation has been left with “no option” but to resize as visitor figures and revenues plunge due to the pandemic
NewsEconomics
Covid-19 impact on US creative economy 'disproportionately' affects fine and performing arts, report finds
A new study from the Brookings Institution estimates losses of $150bn in creative industry revenue while calling for more federal support for cultural workers
NewsChina
National Museum of China exhibition commemorates country's fight against Covid-19
Open-submission show of professional and amateur art celebrates medical workers with propaganda posters and Socialist Realist statues
BlogThe Buck stopped here
Artist to create giant collaborative work from discarded NHS rainbows
NewsBritish Museum
After 163 days closed, British Museum will reopen on 27 August
The London museum, which will mark its reopening by showing a work by Grayson Perry, will enforce social distancing measures and a daily visitors cap
Newslayoffs
Met lays off 79 more employees and furloughs 181, as it faces a ‘very different’ financial picture
Museum hoped to reopen on 29 August but the prospect remains uncertain amid coronavirus restrictions
Newslayoffs
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston lays off 57 employees and says 56 more will take early retirement
The museum notes that the coronavirus outbreak will continue to affect it “in the long term”
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
NewsSouthbank Centre
'Brutal' planned redundancies at London's Southbank Centre called out in open letter
Signatories claim cuts will disproportionately affect Bame staff and question chief executive’s salary
NewsArts funding
UK government finally announces details of its £1.5bn funding support package for the arts
Museum trusts in Birmingham and York warn job cuts are in the pipeline
Blogcoronavirus
A right royal (socially-distanced) outing to London's National Gallery for the Duchess of Cornwall
Newsprizes and contests
UK’s largest art award Artes Mundi postponed until 2021 due to coronavirus
Challenge of transporting works and artists means £40,000 prize now scheduled for spring next year
NewsMuseums
Tate Modern reopening overshadowed by protests over job cuts
Due to the pandemic, around 300 jobs are at risk at Tate Enterprises, which operates retail, catering and publishing services across all of the Tate sites
NewsMuseums
Pests run amok as UK museums struggle with lockdown
Limited capacity and undisturbed venues create ‘playground’ for vermin
Analysiscoronavirus
The trouble with video art in the age of Covid-19
Steve McQueen’s acclaimed survey at Tate Modern is the latest exhibition to fall victim to social distancing rules
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Robert Longo rallies artists to donate $1m worth of art for Guild Hall benefit show
Instead of its annual summer gala, the long-running East Hampton art space will host a selling exhibition to raise funds
NewsUK politics
UK may become 'cultural wasteland' after government's failure to provide funding quickly, says parliament report
MPs say £1.5bn government support package for the arts sector is “too little too late”
NewsExhibitions
Lithuania gives over billboards to help artists sell works during the pandemic
In the capital of Vilnius, outdoor displays of works by local artists aims to boost the arts sector and tourism
NewsPrizes
Five museums will share £200,000 as Art Fund reboots 2020 prize to battle coronavirus crisis
Museum of the Year prize has been changed from £140,000 awards and the shortlist will be announced in October
NewsArtists
With public programming derailed, Governors Island buildings will be opened to New York artists
Groups invite cultural practitioners to apply for residencies stretching over the next three months
NewsMuseums & Heritage
One out of three US museums may shut down forever, a survey confirms
Institutions report decline in operating reserves and planned reductions in museum services like education
NewsMuseums & Heritage
New York's Frick Collection will open at Madison Avenue location in early 2021
After the Met vacates the Breuer building, the Frick will take over with a chronological presentation of masterworks
CommentMuseums & Heritage
'Museums need to press the reset button and become more radical'
Directors and curators should consider this challenging moment as an opportunity diversify the stories they tell and the staff that tell them
Newscoronavirus
Tefaf cancels postponed autumn edition in New York
Citing international travel restrictions and the city's strict reopening plan following coronavirus lockdown, the fair's organisers say too many uncertainties remain
NewsExhibitions
'Corona-proof plan': Dutch museum launches drive-by art show
Exhibition visitors must drive electric cars through an arena housing major works by artists including Bas Princen, Bruce Nauman and Anselm Kiefer
NewsMuseums
UK museums face far bigger revenue drop than reported
Creative Industries Federation originally estimated a coronavirus fall of only 9%, but now says it will be 45%
Newscoronavirus
London’s Southbank Centre will make up to two thirds of its staff redundant due to Covid-19
But Hayward Gallery is expected to reopen in August
NewsMuseums
The Metropolitan Museum of Art to reopen five days a week beginning in August
A bellwether for the New York's other museums, the 5th Avenue flagship location will operate at 25% capacity while the Met Cloisters will not open until September
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Museums in western Massachusetts reopen
Big campuses and outdoor displays at Mass Moca and the Clark allow for easier social distancing
BlogDiary
Have we entered the era of Cuomoceptualism? New York governor unveils surreal Covid-19 poster
NewsBanksy
Banksy paints London Underground train with sneezing rat not wearing face mask
British street artist, who likes to mask his own identity, has released a new video showing a tube train being graffitied in apparent support of face coverings
NewsArt market
Frieze directors ‘left with no choice’ but to cancel London fairs in October
Continued restrictions on large-scale events and travel due to coronavirus have made the show logistically impossible
NewsArt market
Sotheby's to sell Bridget Riley painting from Heathrow executive lounge as British Airways 'fights for survival'
Auction house appointed to sell £1.4m of art from the beleaguered airline's collection this month
NewsCathedral of Notre Dame
Notre Dame's spire to be rebuilt the way it was—but use of lead likely to spark new controversy
French President Macron makes u-turn after first suggesting the 19th-century spire, which was destroyed in the fire last year, should be replaced by a contemporary design
NewsExhibitions
Return of a blockbuster: delayed Artemisia Gentileschi show to open on 3 October at London's National Gallery
Exhibition will include the never previously exhibited transcript of the Rome trial when Artemisia accused a fellow artist of rape
NewsRoyal Academy of Arts
Picasso show sells out before it even reopens—but Royal Academy of Arts is still making a loss
The London institution has reopened after four months of coronavirus lockdown but under very different circumstances
NewsOnline sales
Online marketplaces proliferate as the coronavirus pandemic continues
Dallas Art Fair and Design Miami/ have launched their own year-round sales platforms as art fairs grapple with uncertain futures
NewsMuseums
UK museum leaders distance themselves from controversial Creative Industries Federation's report on coronavirus impact
The Art Newspaper questions the federation’s 9% fall in revenue this year, suggesting it is more likely to be around 50%
NewsEducation
International art students may be forced to leave the US under Trump's new ICE policy on remote learning
Harvard and MIT filed lawsuits against the US government while the president of CalArts calls the move an act of "political theatre" amid the pandemic
NewsArt fairs
Art Basel in Miami Beach waives August withdrawal fee for dealers amid surge in Florida coronavirus cases
Fair organisers say they remain “committed” to the show in December even as the lease for a temporary hospital and Covid-19 testing site at the Miami Beach Convention Center is extended
NewsMuseums
Musée Rodin in Paris casts new bronzes to offset losses from Covid-19 crisis
With an estimated shortfall of €4.4m in revenue, the museum is looking to "increase the offer and opportunities for sales to new markets"
NewsArt market
Blue chip artists and dealers benefit from coronavirus relief packages, a federal report reveals
Pace, David Zwirner and Jeff Koons named among the top recipients of US taxpayer-funded forgivable loans, as smaller galleries seek additional aid
NewsCanada
Art Gallery of Ontario reopens with other Canadian museums to follow this month
Institutions across the country are cautiously welcoming back visitors
NewsArt market
Fiac organisers determined to go ahead with Paris fair this October despite coronavirus turmoil
But dealers ponder crucial question of whether US collectors will venture overseas by the autumn
AnalysisArt market
Could Covid-19 kill off the market for the art world’s star names?
Some big artists may be toppled from their pre-pandemic pedestals and new ones promoted to the art-as-investment pantheon
NewsMuseums & Heritage
UK's historic houses fight for survival post-lockdown after financial crash
Heritage organisations such as the National Trust rely on visitors for most of their income—but they have been staying away
NewsUnited Kingdom
Museums still under financial pressure despite UK’s £1.57bn rescue package for the arts
National cultural institutions and English Heritage will receive £100m, making up half the losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic
InterviewAppointments & departures
'The show must go on': new Rencontres d’Arles director promises 'less is more' approach after pandemic scuppers this year's edition
Head-hunted from Paris Photo, Christoph Wiesner will begin role as Luma Foundation officially opens its headquarters in the French city
NewsPersonal stories of coronavirus
‘It's the end of civilisation’: Alexis Rockman on his new watercolour series created during lockdown
The paintings depict animals shipwrecked by the networks of capitalism grinding ecosystems to a nub, the artist says
NewsMuseums
Half of British public not comfortable visiting museums or exhibitions post-lockdown
As museums begin to reopen across the UK this month, a new poll by Ipsos Mori suggests many are simply not ready for visiting exhibitions
NewsMonuments
Signed, sealed, delivered: new monument honours couriers on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic
Unveiled in a business centre in Moscow, the statue by contemporary artist Alexey Garikovich was commissioned by top Russian e-commerce and foodtech companies
PreviewExhibitions
Spring into summer: see the major shows almost scuppered by lockdown
From Titian's masterpieces and a major Raphael survey, to the final stop of the Soul of a Nation tour
NewsIndigenous art
As Navajo Nation battles worst coronavirus outbreak in US, artists hope for an Indigenous renaissance
The cancellation of regional markets and fairs have taken a huge economic toll but have also ushered in a "new era of responsibility" to promote Native work
NewsMuseums
National Gallery will be first major London museum to reopen after coronavirus closure
Visitors will be requested to wear masks and stay two-metres apart from 8 July
NewsJob losses
Art Institute of Chicago lays off 51 employees
Cuts come as US museums slash costs in response to loss of revenue
Newscoronavirus
See what a bustling Canaletto scene would look like emptied of people
José Manuel Ballester, the Spanish artist behind a series of reimagined Old Master paintings shared widely online during the coronavirus pandemic, has created a new work to help raise funds for Italy’s Pinacoteca de Brera
NewsPerformance art
Batshit crazy? Russian performance artist eats live bat in protest against Big Pharma
Petr Davydtchenko's performance video, which will go on show in Italy, was inspired by the response of pharmaceutical companies to the coronavirus pandemic
InterviewMusée du Louvre
'I am not too worried by crowd problems': Louvre director predicts visitor numbers will drop by 80%
Jean-Luc Martinez believes that capitalising on the museum's permanent collection will be key to recovery
NewsJob losses
Philadelphia Museum of Art to eliminate more than 20% of its staff
Loss of jobs comes amid plunge in revenue from coronavirus shutdown
Newsreopenings
Met plans to reopen flagship building on 29 August after five-month shutdown
Other New York museums are expected to follow its lead, but it all depends on the city entering Phase 4 of reopening
NewsInterview
Kaywin Feldman on how America's National Gallery of Art will 'attract the nation and reflect it, too'
The Washington museum's first female director is breaking down old silos and diversifying the staff, collection and exhibitions
NewsMuseums
UK museums can reopen from 4 July—but for some it's too soon
News of the government's latest easing of lockdown measures today has been welcomed by the art world but "huge problems still remain for the sector"
NewsArt market
To encourage galleries, Art Basel in Hong Kong relaxes application criteria for 2021 fair
Galleries no longer required to have a physical space, down payments cut from 100% to 25% of stand fees and automatic re-admittance for 2020 ABHK exhibitors
NewsArt education
Unemployment crisis looms over thousands of academics as casual contracts are axed or postponed by UK’s top arts universities
Black and minority ethnic staff at institutions including Goldsmiths and the Royal College of Art are at particular risk
CommentDeaccessioning
Done right, selling museum pieces can work—but probably not with Michelangelos
UK museums may deaccession collection objects with curatorial justification and transparency, but it cannot be treated as a quick financial fix
Alexander Herman