Coronavirus

Scottish museum of religion is finally coming out of lockdown—more than two years after the pandemic hit

Faith leaders and community groups campaigned to save Glasgow's St Mungo Museum of Religious Art and Life from the risk of permanent closure

Italynews

After years of emergencies, Italy launches 'unprecedented' plan to protect churches against earthquake damage

Culture ministry earmarks EU pandemic recovery funds to mitigate the impact of future disasters on religious buildings around the country

Back to normal: London's Victoria and Albert Museum resumes pre-Covid opening hours

From next month, the institution will be open for seven days a week again and timed tickets for general admission will also be dropped

Museums and heritage in 2021: pandemic woes and African treasures

We look back on a year of museums commandeered as Covid-19 vaccine centres, masterpieces sold as NFTs and much talk over the Benin bronzes

Blockbuster Vermeer exhibition forced to close as Germany faces fourth coronavirus wave

German health minister warns that by the end of the winter, everyone will be “vaccinated, recovered or dead”

Running at 7%: Tate Modern's visitors slumped from 5.7 million at its peak to just 361,000 in 2020/21

Annual financial accounts show extent of fall in visitor numbers at national museums

How British Museum's maintenance woes have kept Parthenon Marbles off view for a full year

The poor condition of the London museum’s Greek and Assyrian galleries—with roofs in disrepair causing long closures—is adding to calls for the restitution of the contested works

Chinese heritage sites see boost from local tourists as pandemic closes borders

The travel restrictions—and political encouragement—have driven increasing domestic demand for cultural travel experiences in China, prompting concerns over preservation

'The Europeans are back and buying': sales flow steadily at first Art Basel since the pandemic

Though Covid-19 travel complications have kept many US and Asian collectors away, dealers report brisk business from the VIP opening

Catherine Hickley and Tom Seymour. with additional reporting by Gareth Harris

Art Basel gets complicated: Swiss authorities will not accept Astra Zeneca vaccine while US issues ‘do not travel’ advisory

Non-EU visitors will have to apply for Swiss Covid-19 certificate before attending and, with certain vaccines not recognised, some will have to take tests onsite

Unionsnews

Workers at the Brooklyn Museum vote overwhelmingly to form a union

Represented by a UAW local, curators, conservators, educators and others at the New York institution will now seek to negotiate a contract with management

New York City museums will require employees and visitors to provide proof of vaccination

Mayor’s order will be enforced starting on 13 September after a public education campaign

Regrouping after pandemic shut down its new home, International Center of Photography in New York names its next director

David E. Little, who heads Amherst College’s museum, has experience in fund-raising, educating and curating at multiple US institutions

UK art fairs breathe sigh of relief as government waives quarantine for vaccinated overseas exhibitors

Some US and European galleries at events such as Photo London in September had threatened to drop out due to added cost of isolating in hotels

American Museum of Natural History sues insurer over Covid-19 coverage

New York institution says it lost over $37m when it was forced to shut down, but insurance company caps potential coverage at $200,000

France enforces vaccine passports for over-18s visiting museums and cultural venues

Controversial “health pass” introduced to fight a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections driven by the Delta variant

Prizesnews

From village life to vaccine centre: Museum of the Year 2021 shortlist announced

Centre for Contemporary Art Derry-Londonderry, Experience Barnsley, Firstsite, Thackray Museum of Medicine and Timespan chosen as five finalists for Art Fund's coveted £100,000 prize

US galleries survive: despite a stark decline in revenue in 2020, many galleries have a positive post-pandemic outlook, report says

The Art Dealers Association of America 2021 survey shows many galleries intend to increase their artist roster in 2021 and slowly hire back employees

England's Freedom Day has arrived—and museums are fighting to keep crowds at bay

Despite lockdown restrictions lifting today, most institutions will maintain capacity limits and distancing rules until at least end of August

Documenta 15 to go ahead as planned in 2022 despite pandemic hurdles

After weighing postponement, the Kassel exhibition’s shareholders say decision to stick to timetable was “not easy”

Royal College of Art students launch virtual gallery of works that were 'lost or damaged' during lockdown

More than 150 students have complained but only two students have so far made a claim, college officials say

Visitor figures: how many people are actually returning to London museums post-lockdown?

We asked English institutions to provide figures for the four-week period from 17 May to gauge current demand

Museum curators battle rise in bug numbers during pandemic with new card game

Staff continue fight against vermin with innovative entertainment

Paris's indebted Fan Museum at risk of folding

Income losses during the pandemic have pushed the private museum and fan-making workshop to the brink

Home truths: east London's museum of domestic life emerges from lockdown after £18.8m makeover

Museum of the Home reopens on 12 June with double the public space in its 18th-century almshouse buildings

Minneapolis Institute of Art announces over $19m in gifts, including funds for a diversity officer, Latin American curator and deputy director

Museum, under pressure to embrace equity while facing revenue losses, says the money will shore up its endowment and operating budget

After warnings that a third of US museums could close, a survey indicates that just 15% are at significant risk

Poll conducted in April yields optimism that financial fallout from the pandemic will be less severe than feared

India’s 'vaccine prince' has a Van Gogh landscape in his living room

Adar Poonawalla, who runs the world’s largest Covid-19 vaccine producer, claims to have the finest collection of European art in the sub-continent

a blog by Martin Bailey