Art Industry News: More Museums Distance Themselves From David Adjaye After Allegations + Other Stories

NEED-TO-READ

SF Gallerist Avoids Jail Time After Assaulting Homeless Woman – Collier Gwin, who was arrested earlier this year after a viral video caught him spraying a homeless woman with a hose outside his gallery, has struck a deal with San Francisco’s District Attorney. Instead of going to prison, he will do 53 hours of volunteer work at Third Baptist Church. () 

MCA Chicago Launches New Art School Program with Professor – The museum has partnered with art historian Romi Crawford to initiate the New Art School Modality this September. The semester-long course will pair apprentice students with artists of color as their instructors and also offer free classes on Black art history. (New York Times)  

More Museums Distance Themselves From David Adjaye – As the museum world slowly comes to terms with serious allegations made against the starchitect in a report by the last week, which include sexual harassment and a toxic workplace, more institutions are rushing to cut ties. The forthcoming African Institute in Sharjah, UAE is the latest to do so, canceling a major building project by his firm, Adjaye Associates. () (ARTnews)

What Books Does a ‘Rolling Stone’ Read? – This September, Christie’s will sell the literature and jazz memorabilia owned by Charlie Watts. It turns out the late drumming legend was a fan of George Orwell, James Joyce, Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, but the biggest prize in his collection is a unique copy of with a personal dedication to “the original Gatsby,” screenwriter Harold Goldman. It could fetch £200,000 ($260,000). (Union Leader)  

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Names Indigenous Arts Curator – Léuli Eshrāghi has been named to hold the position at the MMFA, where they will develop shows featuring the works of Indigenous artists and helping the museum to acquire works. A member of the Sāmoan clans Seumanutafa and Tautua, Eshrāghi also speaks Sāmoan, Spanish, and the creole languages of Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. (ARTnews)  

Galerie Christophe Gaillard Debuts Outside France – The Paris-based gallery is venturing beyond the country to open an outpost in Brussels, Belgium. The inaugural show, titled “Signatures” features 15 of the 35 gallery artists including Mariana Gadonneix, Hélène Delprat, Tetsumi Kudo, Richard Nonas and Franz West. (Press release) 

Phillips Announces Inaugural Jewelry Auctions in Geneva – The auction house has reported record annual sales of jewelry in 2021 and 2022, with the category growing in value by a whopping 185 percent last year alone. Capitalizing on the moment, Phillips will launch its new special sales this November. () 

FOR ART’S SAKE

V&A’s Korean Wave Show Goes To the U.S. – After a successful run in London, is hopping across the pond to open at the MFA Boston from March 24 until July 28, 2024. The next stop on its U.S. tour will be the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. (Press release)

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The $202 Million Sale of Heidi Horten’s Jewels Was a Massive Success. Its Aftermath Continues to Haunt Christie’s 

A Gnarly Old Tooth Found in a Museum Cabinet Could Provide the Key to Understanding an Ancient Relative of the Hippo 

An Israeli First-Grader Stumbled on a 3,500-Year-Old Egyptian Amulet on a School Trip 

Why Hasn’t Atlanta’s Art Scene Flourished Like Other Cities in the South? A Tragic Tale May Hold the Answer 

Henry VIII Left Markings in the Margins of His Prayer Book That Betray His ‘Anxiety and Uncertainty,’ New Research Reveals