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The Trump Effect On Museums

The Trump effect is being felt through executive orders and federal cuts: 34% of museums suffered the cancellation of government grants or contracts; 29% saw a decrease in attendance due to changes in travel/tourism and/or economic uncertainty... - The Guardian

Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum To Open Sculpture Garden

The site, just across a canal from the museum, will be designed by landscape architect Piet Blanckaert, with Foster + Partners overseeing the renovation of three “Amsterdam School” pavilions. Among the sculptors with works to be included there are Alberto Giacometti, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, and Henry Moore. - ARTnews

Truth Social Ads For Nazi-Owned Art Spark Debate

A gallery specialising in art once owned by members of the Third Reich’s leadership, including works personally owned by Adolf Hitler, has prompted conversations about how Nazi-era art circulates, how it should be contextualised and who engages with it. - The Art Newspaper

How It Came To This: Inside Sasha Suda’s Firing From The Philadelphia Art Museum

Nobody currently with the museum who was interviewed for this article would agree to be named, but some former members went on the record, as did Suda herself — extensively. Perforce the story is told largely (though not entirely) from her side, but it is quite a tale. - Philadelphia Magazine

Smithsonian Replaces Trump Portrait, Removes Impeachment Text

It now contrasts with portraits of other former presidents, including Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, which all hang alongside wall text highlighting events during their time in office. Clinton’s notes his impeachment. - Washington Post

Savannah’s Telfair Museums Lay Off 15% Of Staff

“While the museums offered severance, the layoffs were announced without warning on a (Friday) afternoon Zoom call, according to former employees. Museum representatives (said) that the staff cuts stemmed from reduced funding and were approved by the museum’s executive committee of the board.” - ARTnews

Again, Louvre Completely Closes Due To Strikes

Last week the museum was partially closed due to the ongoing walkouts over inadequate pay, staffing and building maintenance, but public access to the biggest attractions, such as Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, was maintained. Work stoppages on Monday shuttered the entire building. - ARTnews

The Scam Artist And The Masterpiece

Thomas Doyle already had 11 convictions to his name for various swindles. His latest alleged fraud involves a London gallery owner and Bruce Springsteen’s manager. - The Wall Street Journal

South African’s Right-Wing Culture Minister Axes The Country’s Venice Biennale Proposal

The proposal by artist Gabrielle Goliath was a performance to mourn Gaza’s dead after Israel’s actions against the area. A spokesperson said that it wasn’t focused enough on South Africa: “We need to use our platforms to sell our country to the world.” - Hyperallergic

National Portrait Gallery Swaps Trump Portraits And Removes Reference To His Two Impeachments

The caption for the previous photo read in part, “Impeached twice, on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials.” - Washington Post (Yahoo)

First Designs Released For 2032 Olympic Stadium In Brisbane

The design, by the Australian firms Cox Architecture and Hassell in collaboration with the Japanese practice Azusa Sekkei, is inspired by the wraparound verandas of traditional “Queenslander” houses. (Brisbane is the Queensland state capital.) - CNN

More And More Artists Being Asked To Help Finance Museum Shows Of Their Work

Across the US, artists report being called on to subsidise budgets for museum exhibitions, public commissions and even acquisitions. In some cases, opportunities evaporate entirely when the artist and organisation are unable to raise the money needed for production. - The Art Newspaper

San Diego Museum Of Art At 100

“After starting out with ... mostly borrowed and donated items a century ago, the museum today boasts a collection of more than 39,000 items, including many Spanish Old Masters and significant numbers of French, Indian, Asian and American works. Annual attendance now tops 550,000, about five times (that of) 2010.” - The San Diego Union-Tribune (MSN)

Elite Universities Are Cutting Their Art History Admissions

Amid widespread budget deficits, several top universities have suspended admissions to their art history graduate programs or cut the size of the cohorts they will admit, along with modifications to other humanities concentrations. - ARTnews

At Florence’s Uffizi Galleries, Temp Workers Protest: “No More Precarious Lives”

“Some temporary workers at the museum — assigned to roles in security, reception, ticketing, the bookshop, and the coatroom — lost their jobs following a change in service providers at the institution last fall. That raised the ire of the trade union Sudd Cobas, which organized the protest.” - ARTnews

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