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They’re Moving An Entire 113-Year-Old Church Three Miles Across Town — In One Piece

The Kiruna Kyrka, weighing 672 tons and made mostly of red-stained timber, has been elevated onto rolling platforms and is lumbering its way across its hometown in the Swedish Arctic. Kiruna is the site of a major iron mine which has weakened the ground under downtown, which is being relocated. - BBC (MSN)

The Bayeux Tapestry: A Quick Refresher Course

As the 230-foot-long, 950-year-old embroidered cloth is returned to England for the first time since it was completed, here’s an explainer with all the basic facts — when and where it’s from, what it depicts, why it’s important — that you once learned in history class and perhaps have forgotten. - Artnet

The Contemporary Art Gallery Model Is Dying

In cities like New York and Los Angeles, dedicated spaces that once buzzed with foot traffic and formal openings are now struggling with rising rents and changing expectations. The old model, where a gallery does everything for its artists, feels like it’s falling apart. - Hyperallergic

Republicans To Ban Rainbow Painted Crosswalks

Across the state and the country, this and thousands of other brightly painted street crossings would be paved over under guidance recently issued by the administrations of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and President Donald Trump. The dual directives call for the erasure of “asphalt art.” - Washington Post

Skipping The Little Guys: Big Galleries Are Signing Emerging Artists

With high-end sales softening and galleries shuttering, mega-galleries are looking downmarket, encroaching on price points once dominated by younger dealers. The result? A reshuffling of the traditional artist career arc, as big players chase younger talent and collectors prioritize long-term gallery relationships over buzzy names and six-figure price tags. - Artnet

After Decades At MoMA, Director Glenn Lowry Is Preparing To Step Down

“Having survived 9-11, the Covid pandemic, the 2008 financial crash and the 2021 protests that led to the resignation of chairman Leon Black over his connections with Jeffrey Epstein, it’s difficult to imagine another person who could have successfully weathered so many storms.” - El País English

Manhattan’s School Of Visual Arts Quietly Lays Off Staff

Two months after faculty unionized, "the faculty union told Hyperallergic that they believe reductions took place across the school, including undergraduate and graduate programs, the library, support staff, and other areas.” - Hyperallergic

Greenpeace Hangs Huge Anish Kapoor Artwork From A Gas Extraction Rig

“‘I call it Butchered,’” the British sculptor told the Guardian. ‘I’m referring to the butchering of our environment. It is at the simplest level blood on a canvas. A reference to the destruction – the bleeding – of our globe of our state, of being.’” - The Guardian (UK)

The Devastation, And Slow Recovery, Of Asheville’s Arts District

“About 350 of the displaced artists are working again in the district. Some are actively involved in the continuing recovery process, waiting to return to the home that welcomed them. Others have decided not to return. For them, the risk of another storm outweighed anything else.” - The New York Times

Five Beautiful Objects An Artist Wishes He’d Made

Sometimes, you just have to admire the pencil. - The New York Times

St. Rat In Seattle: Art And Theology Experts Weigh In

“Hot Rat Summer features St. Rat, a kind of patron saint for those at the bottom of the societal heap: Furries, gay people, trans people, and anyone else who doesn’t fit into the typical mold.” - The Stranger (Seattle)

Historic Painted Houses Of Burkina Faso Endangered By Climate Change

The wavy-walled houses of Tiébélé, covered with distinctive geometric patterns, constitute one of four UNESCO World Heritage sites in Burkina Faso. They’re made of earth, straw, and logs; the unpredictable rains brought on by climate change are causing the walls to deteriorate and making repair more difficult. - The Guardian

The Bob Ross Painting Market Is Booming

The paintings, which both date to around 1990 or ’91, attracted five or six bidders over the course of the sale, with offers from three prospective buyers coming in at the last minute—including one who was actively bidding on both canvases. - Artnet

Famous Coded Art At CIA, Unsolved For 35 Years, Is For Sale

When artist Jim Sanborn talks about “Kryptos,” his sculpture at the CIA headquarters, and the famously unsolved secret code engraved in its copper panels, he sounds as if he’s talking about espionage, not art. The piece has “destroyed marriages,” he claims. - Washington Post

Rising Sea Levels Could Endanger Easter Island’s Ancient Statues: Study

“By the end of the century, rising sea levels could push powerful seasonal waves into Easter Island’s 15 iconic moai statues, according to a new study published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage. … The findings show waves could reach Ahu Tongariki, the largest ceremonial platform on the island, as early as 2080.” - AP

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