NewsControversies
Racism on walls of UK government? British Empire murals spark controversy
Politician raises concerns over Sigismund Goetze painting in the Foreign Office depicting Africa as a naked boy
NewsAppointments
'As reassuring as Mr Bean'? London's National Portrait Gallery appointment attracts criticism
Conservative MP Chris Grayling has been named a trustee of the museum
NewsUK politics
UK government appoints commissioner to get culture sector 'back up and running'
Neil Mendoza is heading up a taskforce to help revive the arts after the coronavirus pandemic
Newscoronavirus
UK galleries and auction houses can reopen from 1 June, government says
Art trade associations have been lobbying to be recognised as “non-essential retail” in phase two of the lockdown exit roadmap; museums will have to wait until phase three in July
Newscoronavirus
UK government 'failing' to support its freelancers, leading arts body says
Finance minister Rishi Sunak has attracted criticism for his emergency bailout plan over claims that it discriminates against gig workers
NewsArts Council England
Arts Council England announces coronavirus crisis plan to compensate out-of-pocket artists and institutions
The national arts-funding body will refocus some grant programmes to help individual artists and freelancers withstand lost earnings
NewsUK politics
UK budget: freeports, money for patching up national museums and new £250m culture fund confirmed
Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivers first post-Brexit spending pledges
NewsBrexit
Hundreds of art organisations outraged as UK withdraws from €1.46bn Creative Europe fund
More than 680 cultural figures and institutions sign open letter over decision they believe "threatens an impoverished future for British creativity"
NewsAppointments
Cabinet reshuffle: Oliver Dowden appointed new UK culture secretary
The Conservative MP for Hertsmere in Hertfordshire replaces Nicky Morgan
NewsColdWar Steve
From Bristol to Bermuda: satirical artist Cold War Steve asks public to download and exhibit his work
Exhibition project You, Me & Cold War Steve: the International Exhibition of the People has already been downloaded 3,000 times with scheduled venues across the globe
NewsArt education
'Taking us back to the dark ages': UK-Europe exchange programme Erasmus hangs in the balance
Art history academics speak out as impending Brexit deadline threatens European partnership
NewsUK politics
Nicky Morgan—who stood down in UK election to spend more time with her family—is reappointed as culture secretary
Boris Johnson gives former MP a peerage in order to keep her in the cabinet, but survival of culture department in the longer term is not assured
NewsUK politics
Artists react angrily to Tory landslide result in UK general election
Issues raised include environmental crisis and future of the Labour party
NewsUK politics
The UK's culture secretary conveyor belt: who will be next?
As the election looms this month and Nicky Morgan announces she is standing down, the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport prepares for its latest secretary of state
NewsUK politics
Arts commentators question Conservative Party's controversial £120m ‘festival of Brexit’
Will artists and institutions participate in “national celebration” planned for 2022?
NewsCultural policy
‘Listen to children, tax big auction sales’: Bob and Roberta Smith’s constitution of the arts
As UK political parties launch their manifestos, the artist sets out his own guidelines for art world equality
NewsUK politics
Boris Johnson’s Conservative manifesto promises £250m funding for culture
Although Tory announcement calls it the “largest cultural capital programme in a century”, pledge is only quarter of Labour’s £1bn culture fund
NewsUK politics
Jeremy Corbyn promises £1bn culture fund in Labour Party election manifesto
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats commit to stopping Brexit and protecting arts funding through the National Lottery
BlogThe Buck stopped here
'Welcome to the shitshow': Jeremy Deller's new film delves into the dark underbelly of Brexit
NewsBrexit
New deadline creates problems for National Gallery's 'Brexit-ready' exhibition schedule
Museum has avoided transporting loans to and from Europe around 31 October “deadline”, but the last-minute extension to next January may cause shipping issues
BlogDiary of an art historian
When Britain divides, custody of its art must be shared fairly
If Scottish independence follows Brexit, what will happen to the national collection?
NewsArt crime
Money laundering, trafficking, ivory: crackdown on art crime intensifies
Wave of sentencing and changes in legislation puts pressure on art world
CommentMuseums & Heritage
'We are in a time of crisis: now is the time to assert our moral and ethical principles'
Cultural institutions need to decide what they stand for, says London's ICA director Stefan Kalmár
NewsPolitics
'We want the Babylonian Palace of Tiglath-Pileser!': new book reveals Boris Johnson's thwarted vision for new V&A East
Nicholas Coleridge, the chairman of the Victoria and Albert Museum, tells how Boris laid down the law on his plans for the project
InterviewUK politics
'A democratic vote swayed by lies is not democracy'—Mary Beard on what antiquity can teach us about political spin
The recipient of the 2019 J. Paul Getty Medal discusses how understanding Cicero can help decipher the rise of populism
NewsPolitics
Tom Watson, deputy Labour leader, wants to put 'creativity back at the heart of our classrooms'
Politician also says Brexit will have 'disastrous' consequences for creative industries
NewsFunding
Funding for culture to rise by 4.1% according to UK government's spending review
Treasury says there will be “over £300m to support the UK’s world-class national museums and galleries” in 2020-21
BlogIn the frame
Lounging UK politician Jacob Rees-Mogg sends Twitter collagists into a spin
CommentUK politics
Politics requires a science degree? Why Boris Johnson's chief strategist is wrong about arts education
“If you are interested in politics you will be far better off if you study maths or physics,” writes aide Dominic Cummings in his blog
NewsUK politics
Too much politics? UK Green party MP and anti-Brexit campaigner Caroline Lucas turns curator
High-profile UK politician will organise a show of works at Towner Art Gallery that focus on the environment
NewsArt market
'Outrageous coup': art world shocked as Boris Johnson suspends parliament
Trade condemns the move and prepares for mayhem of no-deal Brexit
BlogIn the frame
Revealed! UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s arts policy ...from 2004
NewsUK politics
Boris Johnson’s Olympic mega-sculpture is £13m in debt
Visitors decline steeply at ArcelorMittal Orbit by Anish Kapoor in east London
NewsMuseums
London mayor Sadiq Khan supports proposal for new slavery museum in the capital
Liverpool slavery museum keen to collaborate on project highlighting UK’s involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade
NewsFreeports
Freeport debate rages on after UK government commits to establishing ten vast storage facilities
Labour MP Owen Smith calls the tax-free zones “self-storage for art thieves”
NewsUK politics
Boris Johnson wants to create six freeports and tax-free zones around the UK
Vast storage facilities for high-value items such as art and cars have stoked controversy
CommentPolitics
'Marmite' Boris Johnson or 'deep cuts' Jeremy Hunt—which would be good for the arts?
The former UK minister for culture, Ed Vaizey, weighs in on which of the two candidates for prime minister would best serve the arts
NewsPolitics
What can the arts expect from next UK prime minister?
While Boris Johnson describes himself as a keen painter and Jeremy Hunt spent time as culture minister, the sector is likely to remain far down the agenda
ArchiveExhibitions
Grayson Perry draws inspiration from Brexit—and The Art Newspaper—for Serpentine show
Will it be the Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever?
ArchiveEnglish Heritage
English Heritage to be split up
Reforms mean a charity, moving towards self-funding, will run historic buildings, with state-funded agency to manage built environment
ArchiveTate Modern
National Portrait gallery plays host to Blair as Tate Modern passes on Labour Party's party
Due to a policy not to allow political events, the Tate declined to host Tony Blair's shindig
ArchiveAntiquities & Archaeology
UK forwards new law to fight the illicit trade of antiquities
It is now an offence to handle an object if you know that it was illegally removed from a site anywhere in the world after 2003
ArchiveKen Livingstone
Ken Livingstone has revealed his 10-year “Culture strategy” for the city
The key to the mayor’s plan is “diversity”
ArchiveTate
Government policy: The new people in charge
What changes the election have wrought
ArchiveEnglish Heritage
Environment, as well as buildings, needs protection
A major report stresses the power of place
CommentUK politics
'London’s resilience, creativity and innovation will help us to keep open for the world'
As the art world turns out in the capital during Frieze, Justine Simons, London's deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, wonders what the rest of the world must be thinking
Justine Simons