Smithsonian Closes as Government Shutdown Enters Third Week

Less than a week after the National Gallery of Art announced its temporary closure due to the ongoing United States government shutdown, the rest of the Smithsonian Institution’s museums, centers, and the National Zoo followed suit, officially closing to the...

Two Arrested for Splashing Paint on Columbus Artwork in Spain 

Two activists affiliated with the Spanish climate emergency group Futuro Vegetal were arrested at the Museo Naval in Madrid last Sunday, October 12, after throwing biodegradable red paint over a historic painting depicting Christopher Columbus. The group scheduled its...

A New Powerhouse in the Art World

When Powerhouse Arts finished renovating its Gowanus warehouse in 2023, it was heralded as a world-class hub for fabricators, printmakers, and ceramicists to make large-scale artworks without needing to leave the city. Now the nonprofit arts organization has made even...

Artists Are Helping Revive Jane Fonda-Led Free Speech Group 

Hundreds of cultural workers, including visual artists, have signed on to a newly reignited McCarthy-era free speech group led by actress Jane Fonda.  Fonda announced on October 1 that she would revive the Committee for the First Amendment, an anti-censorship...

Artists Are Helping Revive Jane Fonda-Led Free Speech Group 

Hundreds of cultural workers, including visual artists, have signed on to a newly reignited McCarthy-era free speech group led by actress Jane Fonda.  Fonda announced on October 1 that she would revive the Committee for the First Amendment, an anti-censorship...

Hispanic Society to Sell Dozens of Artworks From Its Collection

“Saint Dominic in Prayer,” painted in the workshop of El Greco, is expected to sell for over $150,000 (all images courtesy Christie’s) The Hispanic Society Museum and Library in Upper Manhattan is deaccessioning dozens of European Old Master works, including a...

People Really Hate the Philadelphia Art Museum Rebrand

Say goodbye to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and hello to … hold onto your hats … the Philadelphia Art Museum! *crickets* On Wednesday, October 8, the historic arts institution announced a major overhaul of its brand, including a new logo with a serif typeface and a...

Independent Art Fair Partners With Henry Street Settlement

The Henry Street Settlement, the Lower Manhattan social services nonprofit, will partner with Independent Art Fair to host its annual fundraising benefit, according to an announcement yesterday, October 9. The news comes after the unforeseen discontinuation of Henry...

California School Shutters Exhibition After Altering “Political” Art

Los Angeles — A private Christian university in Malibu has closed an exhibition six months ahead of schedule, following requests from at least a dozen artists to withdraw from the show after the school removed or altered art it considered “political.” The news comes...

30 Bob Ross Paintings Head to Auction to Support Public Media 

“That’s what I like about painting: It gives you freedom,” mused the famed artist Bob Ross in a 1994 episode of his instructional television show The Joy of Painting. “You can create any illusion that you want.” Using his signature wet-on-wet oil technique, Ross...

Smithsonian Institution Postpones Prestigious Portrait Exhibition

The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) has postponed the opening of an exhibition for its triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition as the Smithsonian Institution prepares to run out of federal funding in the case of a prolonged government shutdown. The Outwin...