The Armory Show is planning a September edition in New York, running from September 9th – 12th. “For over 25 years, the Armory Show has been a cornerstone of New York City’s cultural scene and an economic driver for the global art market,” says director Nicole Berry. “We believe NYC will emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever, and we’re excited to anchor the fall arts season at this pivotal moment when the city’s cultural organizations are reopening and experiencing art in-person is becoming possible again for everyone.” (more…)

The Maine Attorney General has alleged that the lawyers handling Robert Indiana’s estate were significantly overpaid after charging $8.4 million to handle the artist’s legal matters. “The attorney general remains concerned that the very existence of the foundation is threatened by the liquidation of estate assets,” the office says. (more…)

The Andy Warhol Foundation has filed an en banc petition with the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to reconsider a court ruling against it over a Warhol depiction of Prince. “We respectfully disagree with the panel’s decision in this case,” says Roman Martinez, of Latham & Watkins, which represents the foundation. “The fair use doctrine plays an essential role in protecting free expression and advancing core First Amendment values.  We are hopeful the Second Circuit will reconsider its ruling and confirm that Andy Warhol’s transformative works of art are fully protected by law.” (more…)

Art handling firms UOVO and Crozier have both announced expansion plans, with UOVO opening a facility in Miami, and Crozier making an acquisition of British logistics company Martinspeed. (more…)

A group of researchers are claiming they have created a shade of white said to be the “whitest on record.”  (more…)

Rirkrit Tiravanija has joined David Zwirner, the gallery has announced, and will open a show in Hong Kong in 2022. “Rirkrit Tiravanija is a longtime friend,” Zwirner says. “I have known him as long as I have had a gallery, and have been collecting his work since the early 1990s. Rirkrit is a transformational artist.” (more…)

A Claude Monet work, Le Bassin aux Nymphéas, estimated at $40 million, will close out Sotheby’s New York Impressionist and modern art evening sale May 12. (more…)

Senior Curator Mia Locks is out at MOCA LA after reporting resistance over diversity initiatives at the museum. “MOCA’s leadership is not yet ready to fully embrace IDEA,” she said in an email, referring to a new initiative designed to promote inclusion and diversity. (more…)

Artist Sam Durant has installed a predator drone on the High Line, an attempt to make visible the United States’ secret drone bombing policies. “I was very concerned with using unmanned aircraft to essentially assassinate people,” he says. “It was seen as popular in the United States because U.S. soldiers didn’t have to go to the battlefield. But what about the casualties in the countries that were attacked by our drones? The idea was to bring this conversation home to America.” (more…)

Marking its 13th gallery worldwide, Hauser & Wirth have opened in Monaco. “In former times, Monaco was a destination for artists, writers, and filmmakers who were as captivated as we have been by the Côte d’Azur,” says Iwan Wirth. (more…)

A new studies shows that 43% of museum workers have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “As we recover and rebuild, we must focus on equity, empathetic leadership and actions that support the people who make museums possible,” Laura Lott, president and chief executive of the American Alliance of Museums says. “The resiliency and future vitality of our field relies on them.” (more…)

A piece in the Wall Street Journal notes that da Vinci‘s Salvator Mundi was stored on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s 439-foot yacht Serene until late last year, following a dispute that kept it out of The Louvre’s landmark show. A source who saw the work was “very surprised it was not in Switzerland as others believe.”  (more…)

A string of American fairs have been cancelled this week, with Expo Chicago joining the list of events postponed for the near future. “We gauged the global re-emergence of fairs, gatherings, and exhibitions and felt strongly that our commitment to April of 2022 allows us a strong chance to open where we left off after the 2019 exposition, respecting the impact and numerous considerations that dealers and collectors are making in 2021,” says founder and director Tony Karman. (more…)

Cairo’s Mr & Mrs Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum has reopened after a ten year closure, which followed the theft of a Van Gogh from the museum. (more…)

Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas is planning a major expansion that will add almost 100,000 square feet to its footprint. “With the number of visitors we welcome annually, it’s timely to enlarge our building and make sure more people can access these offerings,” says founder Alice Walton. (more…)

Pace Gallery is expanding its footprint in South Korea, as it moves to a larger space in the Hannam-dong neighborhood of Seoul. “We’re growing, but I like to think we grow very carefully and thoughtfully,” says Marc Glimcher. “We start really small in a city and see if it’s successful. It’s about the people first, not the space. We are really interested in going to cities where we really add to the equation and that city can have an interesting impact on us.” (more…)

Art Basel Hong Kong will return next month, and has just announced its exhibitor list for the next edition of the fair, welcoming 104 exhibitors to the space.  (more…)

The Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI has received $30 million by Jennifer and Dan Gilbert to promote diversity in students and faculty. “Our ultimate goal is to drive lasting financial stability while creating a more diverse and equitable community,” Jennifer Gilbert said in a statement. “We know it’s not a silver bullet, but a step in the right direction. Dan and I hope that the gift grants the Academy space to develop long-term solutions, and that it encourages others to join us in giving.”

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Alex Da Corte gives the NYT a tour of his studio this week, as he prepares to complete a large-scale sculpture of Big Bird for his coming Met Rooftop Installation. “There’s something beautiful about wondering what Big Bird is looking for,” Da Corte says. “Maybe the sunset.” (more…)

A new rule in Venice will block temporary and pop-up exhibitions from running the full length of the Venice Biennale, Art Newspaper reports. (more…)

A Boston man has admitted to stealing several Andy Warhol works and selling fake versions online. “The buyer removed the paintings’ frames and found no Warhol Foundation authentication stamps and noticed that the canvasses and staples looked new,” prosecutors said. (more…)

The NYT visits The Met’s Alice Neel exhibition this week with Jeff Neal, who the artist painted as a child for a work now on view in the show. “I always thought it was going to come back to me,” Mr. Neal said. “I would dream about it, and then I would ask Allen about it. He said, ‘No, hadn’t heard anything.’ I would see her on the news and say, ‘Wow, I wonder what happened to my painting.’” (more…)

The New Museum has announced the latest iteration of its Triennial, postponed until October due to the pandemic. Organized by Margot Norton, the Allen and Lola Goldring curator at the New Museum, and Jamilah James, the senior curator of The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the show is titled Soft Water Hard Stone, borrowed from a Brazilian proverb about perseverance: “soft water on hard stone hits until it bores a hole.” (more…)

After years of complaints and critiques, the city of Venice has finally banned cruise ships from docking in the lagoon. “It’s a fair decision that has been awaited for years: the Council of Ministers approves a decree that establishes that the final landing of big ships in Venice must be outside the lagoon, as requested by Unesco,” says culture minister Dario Franceschini. (more…)