Trump’s aggressive moves to accumulate political power — deploying National Guard troops, invoking massive tariffs —have prompted protests and lawsuits as well as plaudits. But he is also asserting his power through what might be called an imperial aesthetic: surrounding his presidency with visual cues designed to project personal command and grandeur. - Washington Post
“The 25,000-square-foot facility, to be known as the Grainger Center for Conservation and Science, will contain conservation laboratories, offices and a study center as well as a gallery offering conservation-related exhibitions and opportunities to watch conservators at work.” Construction will begin early next year. - WBEZ (Chicago)
“A divided San Francisco Arts Commission on Monday approved a plan to at least temporarily remove the Vaillancourt Fountain from Embarcadero Plaza, a final sign-off that means the massive artwork could be dismantled as soon as early next year.” - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
During renovations on the 13th-century Torre dei Conti, the structure started to collapse, trapping two workers. During the 11-hour rescue operations, passersby watched as more of the tower crumbled. Both of the trapped men were rescued alive, though one died of his injuries shortly afterward. - AP
“Critics say the new logo and its angular griffin look severe — more like a soccer team, a clothing brand, or a beer label than an art museum.” What’s more, some board members say they weren't shown the final design for approval and only learned about the rollout from the press. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Suda, who has been leading a change campaign at the museum since she arrived in 2022, reportedly has both supporters and detractors on the board. - Philadelphia Magazine
“A federal judge in Washington, D.C., sentenced Timothy Martin after a jury found him guilty in April on two counts of conspiracy and injuring government property. He and fellow activist Joanna Smith smeared washable paint on the case containing an Edgar Degas sculpture” at the National Gallery. - The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)
“Niamh Lynch and Rajan Naidu sprayed orange cornstarch-based powder over three of the megaliths at Stonehenge; … Luke Watson helped plan the protest and drove Lynch and Naidu to the site. … After a two-week trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty for all three defendants on October 31.” - Artnet
Despite its upgraded size, the redesigned museum never felt daunting. There’s something intimate about how the installation of its collection—one of the oldest in the country and now numbering around 2,000 objects—has been realized. - ARTnews
If you want to be yelled at for your art historical ignorance by an “aggressive” guide, get your kink on in Düsseldorf. "Asked to explain the tour’s popularity, Brandi said people ‘enjoy the emotional ride.’” - The Guardian (UK)
Renato Casaro and Drew Struzan, both of whom died this autumn, "somehow combined realistic, often borderline photographic, representation of marquee movie stars with outsize, awe-inspiring iconography” and left us with iconic pop culture memories. - The New York Times
Cemetery artist Arthur “Deatly works with slow-drying acrylic paints, whose extended drying time gives flexibility outdoors. This allows him to take his time to lay out his paintings.” - Glasstire
Conceptualised by Calatrava as a "monumental bridge", its volume traverses a series of 350-metre-long platforms and bus stops that extend outwards from the gallery's underside. - Dezeen
Gaëtane Verna inherited a Wexner facing financial turmoil worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. The center’s fiscal health and workplace culture appeared to deteriorate further after her arrival. - ARTnews
