A group of experts charged with evaluating works for loan at the Uffizi Gallery have quit en masse over the decision to send a Raphael work to Rome. “Keeping us busy for months drafting lists which are then ignored undermines the very existence of the committee,” reads an open resignation letter. “We think that the mass resignation of the scientific committee of Italy’s most important museum makes a rethink inevitable, and a redefinition of the role of the scientific committees in the management of autonomous museums.” (more…)

João Ribas has been as hired executive director and vice president for cultural partnerships at REDCAT in Los Angeles. “João brings a deep practice of working directly with artists on presenting new work and has been a great champion of free expression and diversity, values made important to him from his own experience growing up as an immigrant in Newark, N.J.,” says CalArts President Ravi Rajan. (more…)

Artist Michael Rakowitz will install a sculpture on the shores of Margate, featuring a soldier pointing an accusatory finger towards Parliament.  “The sculpture in Margate points towards [the UK] Parliament and the Foreign Office, where the decision to invade Iraq was made, and where these veterans who are now peace activists feel their moral injury began,” Rakowitz says. (more…)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has altered the provenance of The Rape of Tamar, attributed to the French artist Eustache Le Sueur, noting the work was owned by a Jewish art dealer, Siegfried Aram, who fled Germany, and who claimed that the work had been taking illegally by businessman Oskar Sommer. “We updated the online provenance information, with the confirmation that the painting in dispute between Aram and Sommers was the same as the Met’s,” the museum said in a statement. (more…)

The Louvre’s blockbuster Leonardo da Vinci drew 1,071,840 visitors over its four month run, doubling its previous attendance record of 540,000 visitors.  “It is wonderful that, 500 years after his death, an artist of the Italian Renaissance continues to fascinate the general public so much,” says Jean-Luc Martinez, the Louvre’s president. (more…)

A former director of Mary Boone Gallery has filed a lawsuit alleging that the dealer and her companies engaged in an “unlawful scheme” involving the sales of a number of works and a failure to pay profits to the director as agreed. “Our client, James Oliver, who worked dutifully for Ms. Boone and Mary Boone Gallery for over 24 years, was deceived and divested of significant sums from Ms. Boone’s allegedly improper and unlawful conduct,” says lawyer Brett Gallaway. (more…)

Sotheby’s will sell 26 works from the collection of renowned West Coast collectors Harry “Hunk” and Mary Margaret “Moo” Anderson, including Clyfford Still’s 1947-Y-No.1 valued at $25 million–$35 million. The works will go on sale this May in New York. (more…)

Barcelona’s city council has rejected a planning application for a branch of the State Hermitage Museum in the city. “A few years ago, the Hermitage was asked to create a satellite centre in Barcelona, similar to the Hermitage Amsterdam, Hermitage Kazan and Hermitage Italy,” says Mikhail Piotrovsky, the Russian museum’s director. “Agreements were signed with the government of Catalonia and the city of Barcelona. The Hermitage had no further contacts with the Barcelona authorities and has none to this day. The Hermitage is ready to show its collections and share its experience of museum work around the world, but never forces it on anyone and is used to being treated politely.” (more…)

A Midtown lobby designed by Isamu Noguchi is under threat as developers make plans to disassemble the work for planned renovations. “The most significant part of the original ensemble has survived, and it’s landmark worthy,” says John Morris Dixon, a board member of the New York/Tri-State chapter of Docomomo “You already have this strong, creative treatment of the walls and the ceiling and you can’t expect to come up with something nearly as artistically effective again. Why risk it when you’ve got it already? The lobby is a great asset that gives a high degree of individuality to the building.” (more…)

The Armory Show has issued a statement on the threat of the coronavirus to its run next week.   “At a time of great global concern and uncertainty, the Armory Show is closely monitoring the evolving situation with the coronavirus,” it reads. “Our hearts go out to those directly affected. As the safety of our exhibitors and guests remains a top priority, we will continue to consult with experts in the field and pursue best practices in safeguarding The Armory Show 2020 edition.” (more…)

The Ahmanson Foundation, a long-running supporter of LACMA, has announced it will no longer donate works to the museum.  “We’ve been unable to get a commitment from Michael Govan about presenting the collection as it has been throughout the life of the museum,” says foundation President William Ahmanson. “Our greatest concern is that the public has access to the art we’ve provided throughout LACMA’s history.” (more…)

Art Basel has announced the exhibitor list for the 2020 edition of its annual fair, with a list of 288 galleries participating. (more…)

Rashid Johnson’s Native Son was awarded an NAACP Image Award last night for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television).   (more…)

Independent NY is partnering with Crozier fine arts to offer discounted shipping for LA Galleries participating in next week’s fair, Art News reports. “One of the hardest parts about being a gallerist is looking after things you haven’t sold and getting them back cost efficiently,” says Tom Hale, Crozier’s senior vice president and general manager for North America. “It takes so much energy to erect these art fairs.” (more…)

David Hockney muse Celia Birtwell gets a interview in The Guardian this week, as she reflects on her time sitting for the artist. “Life changes, doesn’t it? My brain, thinking about doing such a thing now, well, it’s inconceivable!” she muses. (more…)

Sales of works from the Stephen Marron collection have already started, with casino magnate Steve Wynn buying up two Picasso works for about $105 million from the estate. (more…)

A group of over 600 artists have signed a pledge supporting Bernie Sanders for president. “We represent a diverse coalition of people that work within art and culture from around the world, and with this letter, we would like to declare our support for Senator Bernie Sanders and endorse his candidacy for President of the United States,” the letter reads, with artists Kara Walker, Kim Gordon and more signed on already. (more…)

Responding to ongoing concerns over coronavirus in Hong Kong, Sotheby’s has relocated its major April Modern and Contemporary sales in the city to New York.   (more…)

The Guardian notes major museum collections are “playing catch up” to build their holdings in Contemporary African Art, as MoMA and the Tate Modern rush to buy works from African artists. “At the Tate the collection was global but they were just missing an entire continent,” says Touria El Glaoui, founder of 1-54. “We know when the Tate gets focused on something it brings more credibility and more gravitas to whichever part of the world they are focusing on.” (more…)

Collector Vincent Fay is suing Princeton University after the institution backed out of a $1 million art sale due to concerns over the authenticity of some works in his collection. “The art will outlive all of us, and it is good to keep it untainted,”says Fay’s attorney John Cahill. “Princeton hasn’t said why the art isn’t authentic.” (more…)

A piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer details alarming allegations against a former Philadelphia Museum of Art retail director, James A. Cincotta, who had several allegations of physical violence against employees leveled against him, but who kept his job for several years following complaints. “That they would allow a known abuser to participate in the museum in any way was very demoralizing and upsetting,” said one employee who also claims Cincotta once slapped him in the face. “It was a clear signal to many people that they did not value workers’ rights.” (more…)

Painter Jack Youngerman, a vital part of New York’s painting scene in the 1950’s, has died at 93. Youngerman’s work during the explosion of Abstract Expressionism say him creating massive blooms of color on canvas working alongside colleagues like Ellsworth Kelly and Frank Stella. (more…)

A piece in The Stage notes the potentially “devastating” new criteria for artists looking to travel to the UK for work, including artists and touring musicians.  “In our sector, high skill levels do not always equate to high salaries,” reads a statement from the Creative Industries Federation on the decision. “There must be recognition of sector-specific means of assessment including auditions, work experience and portfolios.” (more…)

A rarely seen David Hockney portrait of the artist and his parents has gone on view at London’s National Portrait Gallery.  “They were both started when I was in Paris,” he says of the works. “I wasn’t going to destroy it all these years later. It was, after all, painted from life. And my parents aren’t here now.” (more…)