“Ordinarily, paintings and sculptures are exempt from customs duties,” says Nicholas M. O’Donnell, a partner in the Boston law firm Sullivan & Worcester, but “under the recently announced tariff it gets a little more complicated”. - The Art Newspaper
On March 6, representative David Lowe filed House Bill 3958, which outlines a proposed civil penalty against any museum showing “certain obscene or harmful material.” The Texas Penal Code defines “obscene” as any kind of performance or material that depicts sexual acts without literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. - ARTnews
For the first time in its history, the National Gallery in London is offering an overnight stay to the lucky person who wins its new prize draw, which has been launched before its public reopening next month. - The Guardian
Sarah Boardman: “President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are, but the additional allegations that I 'purposefully distorted' the portrait, and that I 'must have lost my talent as I got older' are now directly and negatively impacting my business.” - BBC
At least, that’s what Philip Kennicott thinks: “What will become of the one-man Kinkade business model if there is no Thomas Kinkade, or people lose interest in him? A stash of originals and secret works of tormented genius is a hedge against that.” - Washington Post (MSN)
Perhaps that’s not a long list, but still - its design is inspired by the Sydney Opera House, and the plant “stands like a pair of minty green pagodas on the edge of the Irish Sea.” - The Guardian (UK)
“His departure comes as President Trump has targeted the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in an executive order,” though the museum’s official statement was that he wanted to focus more on his writing. - The New York Times
The Temple Anthropology Lab and Museum (TALM) officially opened this week. “The space was languishing and something needed to happen — either it was going to be shut down or someone was going to be having to take care of them.” - Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
From the banana on the wall to the butt-plug-shaped balloon to the (alleged) vulva in Versailles, here’s a chance to revisit some of the biggest brouhahas of the past quarter-century. - ARTnews
“The gold leaf had washed off the 350-year-old statues, leaving a behind dull, ruddy scene. Algae had spread across the 13 statues, leaving marks down Apollo’s dashing face that appeared like a trail of green tears. Things were not much better internally.” - Artnet
The Getty maintains earthquake and fire insurance but, as expressed in the filing, there are concerns “such insurance could become unavailable at rates considered reasonable by the Getty Trust.” - ARTnews
Kevin Young’s leave came two weeks before Trump issued an executive order calling for the elimination of what he described as “improper, divisive or anti-American ideology” within the Smithsonian. - The Guardian
Following the attempted prosecution of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth for child pornography over an exhibition of Sally Mann’s photography, a state representative has proposed a law that would fine a museum $500,000 per item per day for displaying anything deemed “obscene or harmful material.” - Fort Worth Report
