A crane crashed onto the roof of the Dallas Museum of Art this week, just missing a Mark Di Suvero sculpture atop the institution. The south end of the space are currently closed for repairs, while the rest of the building remains open. (more…)

The Battersea Arts Center has received a £1 million grant from the United Kingdom following a massive fire at the South London institution that destroyed its Grand Hall.  “The arts center is having to divert all its available resources into dealing with the aftermath and so I am pleased to be able to confirm that the government will provide £1 million towards the ongoing redevelopment work to help get this south London venue back on track,” says Culture secretary Sajid Javid. (more…)

A number of works which were damaged during a massive fire in Berlin’s Friedrichshain bunker, including pieces by Caravaggio, Rubens and Donatello, are on view at the Bode Museum in Berlin, showcasing the immense restorations done on some works while exploring the ethical and historical implications of their damage.  “We will be showing a number of horrendous-looking pieces—works that are so badly damaged that they haven’t been displayed in generations,” says Julien Chapuis, the museum’s deputy director and show curator. “We want to be brutally honest about the condition of these works so that we can start a dialogue as to how they can be presented in the future.” (more…)

More than 100 conservators have volunteered to aid in the restoration of the Glasgow School of Art building destroyed by fire late last week, coming from across the UK and abroad to answer a call for help from the school.  “We have people offering to source freezers, drying facilities and secure storage for collections,” Alison Richmond of Conservation Organization Icon adding that some volunteers are familiar with the building and its collection. “We have this small army of expert helpers and are standing by.” (more…)

A major fire broke out yesterday at the Glasgow School of Art, reportedly caused by the explosion of a projector in the basement of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building.  The school has reported that all occupants were evacuated safely with no casualties, but damage has been sustained to the building and the works of art inside, including works made in preparation for the school’s degree show.  “We didn’t think it was anything but we had to go out and then we saw smoke coming out and realised that it was really bad. It got to the point where flames were coming out of the top floor,” says student Hugh Thornhill.  “All that effort is gone, everyone’s work on that side of the building is ruined. Even if it didn’t catch fire it will be damaged extensively.” (more…)

Vladimir Umanets, the 2012 vandal of Mark Rothko’s mural Black on Maroon, has published an editorial in The Guardian, expressing regret for his actions but remaining committed to the principles of his conceptual practice Yellowism.  “It doesn’t matter how important one believes one’s ideas to be, nor how genuine one’s intentions are,” he writes.  “It is unacceptable to deface someone’s property without permission. What I did was selfish. My act has hurt many art enthusiasts and I deeply regret it.” (more…)

A New York Judge has placed a hold on the removal of a delicate Picasso tapestry from the wall of the Four Seasons Restaurant at the Seagrams Building.  The work was scheduled for removal to make repairs to the wall behind it, but will stand until a more cautious plan can be developed.  “I don’t want to be the judge who has a Picasso destroyed,” said Justice Matthew F. Cooper.  “If some damage were to occur, no amount of money could make up for the loss of any Picasso.” (more…)

A car bomb explosion in Cairo has caused major damages to the collections of the Islamic Museum of Art and the Egyptian National Library and Archives, destroying ancient artifacts and artworks from all eras of the country’s history.  “Until now I cannot move freely inside the museum to continue my inspection tour due to safety reasons, as the ceilings are still on the verge of collapsing,” says Egypt’s antiquities minister Mohamed Ibrahim. (more…)

Michael Werner Gallery is currently embroiled in a $1.35 million lawsuit with South Korea’s Gwangju Biennale Foundation over damage to three sculptures by James Lee Byars.  The works were chipped on the return trip, and attempts to collect insurance through a South Korean insurance company have proved futile.  “Unfortunately, risks are inherent in any loan, and it is devastating and embarrassing when anything like this happens,” said Massimo Gioni, who curated the 2010 event and went on to curate this year’s Venice Biennale. (more…)

A Dublin man who put his fist through a €10 million painting by Claude Monet has stated in court that the incident was a complete accident.  Andrew Shannon was at Dublin’s National Gallery of Ireland last year, when, feeling faint, he fell forward, putting his hand directly through the canvas of Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat, and tearing it.  However, other testimony was less forgiving.  “It was no accident. I did not believe what he was saying as regards his condition. His whole manner was unconvincing. His behavior didn’t ring true to me,” said Christian Clotworthy, the guard at the museum who detained Mr. Shannon. (more…)

The Cuming Museum, located in South London, faced a major fire inside the building yesterday, threatening its collection of Roman London, Chinese and African artworks and artifacts.  120 firefighters and 20 engines were needed to stop the blaze inside the centuries-old building. (more…)

Fire at Pratt Institute, via Brooklyn News 12

A brutal, four-alarm fire broke out in the main building of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn on of the major arts schools in New York City, late last night, causing a partial collapse of the building’s roof, and massive damage to its structure and facade. (more…)

Eugène Delacroix’s iconic work “Liberty Leading the People” has been defaced by a vandal at the Louvre Museum in Lens, Northern France.  The famous work was vandalized near closing time on Thursday evening by a woman described by prosecutors as “unstable.”  The museum has already sent restoration experts to examine that damage, and has stated that the work should be “easily cleaned.” (more…)