A massive replica of a birthday note and crude drawing signed with the typed name Donald J. Trump and a “Donald” signature that was part of a 2003 book of birthday wishes for the deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was placed on the National Mall early Monday morning. - Washington Post
“In a complaint issued on Friday, a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board accused Snøhetta of illegally dismissing eight employees because they supported the union and ‘engaged in concerted activities’ — that is, collective action — ‘and to discourage employees from engaging in these activities.’” - The New York Times
Meyer Schapiro "was one of the most important figures in the evolution of art history as an academic field. He combined close formal analyses of artworks with an understanding of how style related to social conditions. … He introduced a lot of complexity.” - Washington Post (MSN)
In November, the mayor of Houston said, “Quite frankly I like art, but I like parking at the airport and access and picking up the baggage more than I do art.” - Glasstire
"The exact size of the bargaining unit is still being determined because museum officials challenged the eligibility of more than 100 employees; the union said it could ultimately represent nearly 900 people, about half of the museum’s entire work force.” - The New York Times
A textile specialist “is assumed to have stolen the fragments, each only a few centimetres long, when he was sent to Bayeux as part of a research team to study Germany's ‘ancestral heritage’ - a racist and antisemitic project run by Adolf Hitler's Nazi SS.” - BBC
"The Centre Pompidou gave up one of its two spaces at the Grand Palais due to what the Paris museum described as ‘financial constraints faced by both institutions,’ according to Le Monde.” - Art News
The massive earthquake on New Year’s Day 2024 washed away the homes and studios of “hundreds of Wajima artisans in this Holy Land of Lacquerware at the tip of the Noto Peninsula, about two hours north of Kanazawa.” - The New York Times
Designed by Snøhetta in collaboration with Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD), the project broke ground on 31 December above a metro line in Beijing's Tongzhou district. - Dezeen
“The Prado does not need a single visitor more. We are comfortable with 3.5 million,” (Miguel Falomir) said. ... “A museum can collapse due to success, like the Louvre, with some rooms becoming over-saturated. The important thing is not to collapse.” - The Times (UK)
“Investigators say they have traced the thieves to an underground parking garage where they temporarily stashed the imperial jewels. The surveillance footage of the location marks the last confirmed sighting of the trove, which has now been missing for nearly three months.” - Artnet
Describing the state of the economy as “in its worst condition”, the gallerist says many people can no longer afford basic necessities such as meat, bread, eggs or oil. Instability makes even simple purchases impossible. - The Art Newspaper
The city’s famed Rocky statue has been cleared for installation atop the Philadelphia Art Museum’s iconic steps later this year following an Art Commission vote Wednesday. - Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
