A piece in the New York Times looks at how some art fairs are making an effort to appeal to children, including events and projects that invite them to take part in pieces and workshops. “Education is incredibly important and part of the ethos of our fair,” says Philip Hewat-Jaboor, chairman of the Masterpiece London Art Fair. “We have a sort of duty to do this, apart from the fact that this is tremendous fun and tremendously exciting to see people of any age group, particularly young ones, get thrilled and interested in something they may not have looked at before.” (more…)

Philip Guston Now, the first retrospective for the artist in over 15 years has been announced by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and will will travel to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston for an opening in October 2020, and then on to Tate Modern in London in February 2021 and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in July 2021. (more…)

The $50.1 million sale of Mark Rothko’s Untitled (1960) from the SFMoMA collection at Sotheby’s last month has been used to buy 11 works by 10 artists as part of an initiative to diversify its holdings, with works by Leonora Carrington, Lygia Clark, and Mickalene Thomas, among others.  “This is just the beginning of what we will be able to accomplish with this fund, which allows us to broaden the scope of the stories we are able to tell in our galleries,” says Neal Benezra, director of SFMOMA. (more…)

Julia Scher, Glückshaube (2006), via Ortuzar Projects

For over three decades, artist Julia Scher has explored the relationship between surveillance, authority, and exhibitionism, orchestrating complex and intimate explorations of the way human and non-human parts of the modern technological apparatus function, both in the creation of and the limitations of personal expression and individual freedom in the modern world. Delving into how technology creates new and divergent relationships to the existing structures of power, Scher investigates just how these relationships bound and inform our place in the world. (more…)

Francis Bacon, Self-Portrait (1975), Final Price: £16,542,650 via Sotheby’s

Following up on a steady, reliable auction last night at Christie’s, Sotheby’s came out swinging this evening, marking a £69,720,050 sale in London that showcased a relatively strong market and ample interest for works at the highest levels of the blue-chip market.  The evening’s sale, which saw 4 of the 43 lots on offer go unsold, marked a strong closing for the first half of the year at Sotheby’s, and brings the season one step closer to conclusion. (more…)

Hauser & Wirth now represents the work of artist Nicolas Party, the New York– and Brussels-based artist whose colorful paintings and sculptures have commanded attention in past years. “When I found out [Party] was Swiss, I of course paid attention,” said partner Marc Payot. “When you look at Party, there are very strong references to Swiss painting.” (more…)

The New Museum workers union staged an action this week around its ongoing contract negotiations, handing out leaflets and buttons outside the museum. “We’re trying to work within the museum’s means and not ask for anything ludicrous,” says Francesca Altamura, a curatorial assistant at the New Museum.  (more…)

Kate Fowle, the former chief curator at Moscow’s Garage Museum of  Contemporary Art, will take over leadership of MoMA PS1, filling the space left by Klaus Biesenbach’s departure for MOCA in Los Angeles. “It’s an honor to take the helm of MoMA PS1 at this juncture in its rich history,” Fowle said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the team and board to create a generative environment where our outlook is transformed through artists and their perspectives on the world.” (more…)

Mike Steib is taking over as CEO of Artsy, as Carter Cleveland moves into a newly created role as executive chairman, Art News reports.  “He’s always been someone I’ve really admired, and I’ve been very inspired by what he’s achieved,” Cleveland says. “When I look at the specifics of how he did it, I couldn’t imagine a better fit.” (more…)

Unesco’s World Heritage Committee will not review the issues around Notre Dame’s fire in an upcoming meeting after France failed to turn in a report on the damage on time.  “The restoration works must be in conformity with the provisions of the World Heritage Convention,” a draft statement from Unesco reads. (more…)

A New York federal judge has ruled the $380 million lawsuit brought by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev against Sotheby’s will go forward.  The case is part of the collector’s ongoing efforts to cover losses from his art purchases through Yves Bouvier.  (more…)

Joan Mitchell, La Seine (1967), via David Zwirner

Currently on view at David Zwirner’s 537 West 20th Street location in New York, the gallery is presenting  a selection of multi-paneled paintings by American master Joan Mitchell, the first exhibition to look specifically at Mitchell’s work in this format, and the possibilities for her work brought forth through the use of expansive amounts of space. (more…)

A painting believed to be a lost Caravaggio, and valued at upwards of $170 million has been bought just days before it was due to go on sale in France. “Not only is it a Caravaggio, but of all the Caravaggios that are known today, this is one of the great pictures,” says expert Eric Turquin.  (more…)

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Sabado por la Noche (Saturday Night) (1984), via Christie’s

Marking the first of the week’s trio of Contemporary and Post-War Auctions in London this week, Christie’s has capped a 35-lot offering to a final of $45,346,950, a strong figure that saw only three works go unsold with ample interest from buyers to keep the evening moving quickly and relatively smoothly.  The sale marks something of a snap back into form for the auction house following a dire struggle last week during its Impressionist/Modern offering, and seemed to signal emerging blue-chip markets for several younger artists. (more…)

Collector Eli Broad has an opinion piece in the NYT this week, calling on the US Government to raise taxes on the wealthiest citizens in the country.  “We are a nation of strivers who can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps with the right combination of grit and determination,” he writes. “That’s the tale we love to tell and hear. But take it from a person who has found himself on the fortunate side of that narrative: This story is incomplete. For most people, our system isn’t working.” (more…)

Thirty of Arts Council England’s (ACE) National Portfolio Organizations (NPOs) have signed on to a project for energy independence and limiting carbon emissions.  “We’re really going beyond that annual number,” says Environmental Program Lead, Claire Buckley. “The Spotlight program has come in really to push and to support reductions – quantifiable reductions – from the buildings of the big energy users.” (more…)

Berlin’s state museum group will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to dismiss a claim filed by the heirs of a consortium of Jewish art dealers over rights to a €200 million hoard of works referred to as the Guelph Treasure.  “The SPK is convinced that this was not a sale under duress due to Nazi persecution,” the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation said. “It views these claims as unfounded. Regardless of this, the SPK is of the opinion that this case—concerning a historic transaction between Germans in Germany— shouldn’t be heard in a US court.” (more…)

Despite an increasingly fraught relationship between Iran and the United States, and ever-tightening series of sanctions, Tehran has opened a new edition of its Teer Art Fair this week. “Young collectors, emerging collectors, are engaging with the art scene, and those who have money are purchasing Iranian art,” says Maryam Majd, the co-owner of the Assar Gallery. (more…)

A piece on radiocarbon dating in Forbes this week looks at how the technology might be used to prevent art fogery and fraud.  “The works of Beltracchi could probably all be spotted as fakes with this technique, who is known to have recycled older canvases,” explains Laura Hendriks, who recently penned a study on how the technology could be used. (more…)

MoMA has launched a new online platform, Magazine to feature various pieces of scholarly writing, commissioned projects and features.  (more…)

A piece in Popular Mechanics this week charts the challenges and issues with maintaining pieces of avant-garde work, and early techonologically-driven pieces. “The first person was hired to do something like this in 2005,” says Glenn Wharton, a time-based media conservator at MoMA. “Now there are about a dozen. I think we need about 100. There’s a huge need, and it’s growing fast.” (more…)

David Zwirner is expanidng its digital footprint, as the gallerist’s son, Lucas, currently editorial director of David Zwirner Books, is appointed head of content for the entire gallery. “We have this incredible online platform that’s more than just a sales platform, it’s an exhibition space,” Zwirner told ARTnews. “It’s a space where we can curate shows, highlight artists, and tell stories. In that respect, it’s also a kind of publishing platform.” (more…)

The NYT looks at the different versions of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and the differing materials used to create some of his most iconic works. “Though the basic palette is the same, there were different colors that were used, differences in paint texturing, and his brushwork is different,” says Ella Hendriks, a professor of conservation and restoration at the University of Amsterdam. (more…)

Artist Amy Sherald, who was tapped to create the official portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama has erected a massive mural in Philadelphia, showing local resident Najee Spencer-Young.  “Given Philadelphia’s cultural landscape, I think it’s important to also have that diversity represented within its visual landscape,” she said. (more…)