NEED-TO-READ
Gallery Cleared of Bribery – A French court has dismissed charges that Marlborough Gallery and the family of late artist Chu Teh-Chen bribed a French curator to show his work at the Musée Guimet. (The Art Newspaper)
Was Nancy Spector Wronged? – In 2021, top Guggenheim curator Nancy Spector left the museum amid allegations of racism and bullying, although an investigation found no evidence of racial discrimination. The ‘s Helen Lewis claims Spector was a scapegoat for a wider reckoning within American corporate life that opted for individual ousters instead of structural change. (The Atlantic)
King Charles Makes His First Loan – The King has loaned a portrait of his mother to the National Gallery’s exhibition “Lucian Freud: New Perspectives” (through January 22, 2023). The artist gifted (2000–1) to the late monarch, and the label at the museum reads, “Lent by His Majesty The King.” ()
London Mayor Targeted After False Statue Report – Sadiq Khan was subject to racist abuse after the Telegraph incorrectly claimed that he had rejected the proposal to place a memorial of the late Queen Elizabeth II on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth. (Guardian)
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Orange County Museum of Art Gets a Makeover – The museum has unveiled a 53,000-square-foot building designed by architect Thom Mayne, complete with a wide staircase leading up to its facade. The project, nearly 14 years in the making, cost $94 million. (TAN)
State Hermitage Museum Curator Quits – Dimitri Ozerkov has resigned after the Moscow museum’s director, Mikhail Piotrovsky, confirmed his support for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. (TAN)
Mellon Foundation Awards $1 Million to the MCA Chicago – The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, will use its hefty grant to launch a new initiative focused on Latinx and Caribbean art and to help it transition to a bilingual Spanish and English museum. (Press release)
Jeffrey Dahmer’s Possessions Hit the Auction Block – Bibles, cutlery, and a pair of eyeglasses belonging to the convicted serial killer are up for sale. In light of a hit new Netflix show, prices for Dahmer memorabilia have gone through the roof. (Evening Standard)
FOR ART’S SAKE
Anderson Cooper Visits Himself – The CNN anchor visited David Zwirner’s new Diane Arbus exhibition to catch a glimpse of his own baby photo, titled simply,()
Diane Arbus, A very young baby, N.Y.C. [Anderson Hays Cooper] (1968). © The Estate of Diane Arbus.
