Pace Gallery has furloughed 25 employees in New York over lost income due to COVID-19-related closures. “I’m kind of in limbo,” one worker says. “I’m receiving one more paycheck from Pace, and hopefully that will help me pay next month’s rent. Then we will see what happens next.” (more…)

The Guggenheim is facing a $10 million budget shortfall, resulting in announced furloughs and cuts to employee benefits. “The near- and long-term financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the Museum’s fiscal well-being is profound,” says director Richard Armstrong. “This decision did not come easily.” (more…)

Christie’s has been ordered to pay a fine of up to to $16.7 million for failing to collect sales tax on purchases.  The fine follows an extensive investigation of the company’s tax practices, particularly its private sales arm and overseas branches. (more…)

A new report from the Center for an Urban Future charts the impacts of coronavirus on small arts orgs, surveying a broad range of venues and galleries on the impacts that pandemic-related closures and cancellations are causing. “Small, community-based arts venues are the cultural lifeblood of New York City and cities around the world. But unlike larger institutions and museums, few smaller cultural groups have the benefit of endowments or large donor bases to help cushion the blow as they experience staggering declines in revenue,” says Eli Dvorkin, Editorial & Policy Director, Center for an Urban Future. “Without immediate financial support to offset these losses, there’s a real danger that many of these organizations will not make it to the other side of this crisis. And the loss to our collective cultural lives is incalculable.” (more…)

The Whitney Museum has laid off 76 employees in response to budget pressure over COVID-19 related closures.  “These are painful difficult times,” said President Adam Weinberg. “I want you to know I am grateful to all of you for everything you have done.” (more…)

The New York Botanical Garden has rescheduled its blockbuster show of works by Yayoi Kusama.  The show will now take place in 2021. (more…)

The Met will pay all employees through May, as coronavirus closures continue, the New York Times reports. “Our highest priority remains to support our staff as best we can in helping to keep everyone safe and as financially secure as possible,” says president and CEO Daniel Weiss. “We realize that this announcement of a four-week extension of full salary support does not provide enduring comfort, but at the moment it is the best we can do in a rapidly evolving situation.” (more…)

Hans Ulrich Obrist has called for a massive public arts program to help jumpstart the arts economy again after the impact of coronavirus, likening the idea to the Great Depression’s WPA.  “With the WPA, they went out into the community: artists got salaries and were able to research and create work during the New Deal era. It gave many people their first real jobs and commissions,” he says. (more…)

David Zwirner is welcoming a group of 12 small galleries to exhibit in his gallery’s digital viewing rooms, NYT reports. “We are grateful for any and all acts of solidarity in these incredibly difficulty times,” says Oliver Newton of 47 Canal, one of the galleries invited. (more…)

Art Observed would like to send out a message of support and encouragement to all affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Art Observed will be changing in reaction to a world that is itself in a state of change.

Restricted ability to physically engage with art work does not prevent us from the experience of viewing and thinking about art as well as connecting with each other in the process.

Art Observed will continue to transmit information on shows and the news surrounding them, but in new ways.

Art Observed will look to continue to support those in the art world whom we covered before, as well new participants whom we can connect with meaningfully through a digital format.

We also hope to continue to develop a passionate following of those interested in new phases and frontiers for art.

We invite all to collaborate with Art Observed as we look to adapt, restructure and continue our role to promote and support the art world.

While we look forward to returning to providing our readers and supporters live and timely coverage of art exhibitions, fairs and projects in the near future, we also look forward to taking this new step with you in the time in between.

If you are interested in exploring new strategies and ideas with Art Observed, please feel free to contact us at the handles below:

Email: info@artobserved.com
Instagram DM: @ArtObserved

Gerhard Richter, Painting After All (Installation View), via Art Observed

Editors Note: Art Observed was on site for the opening of the exhibition and photographed this show before the closings related to COVID-19.   

The Met Breuer is closing its doors this summer, following a fittingly ambitious final exhibition, a sprawling review of the work of Gerhard Richter, marking the first major exhibition in the United States on the work of the German artist in nearly twenty years.   (more…)

The UCLA Hammer Museum has laid off 150 part-time student employees, in what looks like the first major art world layoffs caused by coronavirus. “We hope that many of our part-time students will return to the Hammer later this summer,” a museum representative said. (more…)

Art Basel has postponed its June edition, rescheduling it for September. “Art Basel will continue to invest in and enhance its new digital platform – the Online Viewing Rooms – as a way to support galleries and strengthen the art community in these challenging times,” the organization said in a statement.  (more…)

Billionaire Jeffrey Gundlach claims that he has received “panic offers” for works by artists including Monet and Renoir this week at majorly discounted prices.  “This is a difficult time,” he says. “It makes sense for people who want liquidity” to turn to their art collections. (more…)

The unveiling of the next Fourth Plinth sculpture in London has been postponed over coronavirus fears. “We will support all the individuals and businesses involved in the commissioning, planning and operation of this installation during these challenging times,” says London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, Justine Simons. (more…)

Students in the Yale MFA program are demanding a partial refund of their tuition over the class cancellations due to coronavirus. “We are deeply troubled by the far-reaching repercussions of this event, which has tangible and unfathomable implications for our physical and mental health, financial security, professional careers, housing, and immigration status,” the students wrote in an open letter. “Moreover, it has severely curtailed the viability of the unrivaled visual arts education that SoA claims to provide. In light of these circumstances, we believe that financial reimbursement must play a part in the university’s forthcoming actions.” (more…)

With renovations at Notre Dame halted over coronavirus, thieves have broken into the cathedral, Art News reports.  Two men were taken into custody after being spotted by guards. (more…)

Paul Kasmin, via Kasmin Gallery

Dealer Paul Kasmin, who was a formative voice in the development of the Chelsea gallery scene over the last 20 years has passed away at the age of 60.  (more…)

Trevor Shimizu, Landscapes (Installation View), via 47 Canal

In 1998, the Museum of Modern Art opened an ambitious and expansive exhibition of the work of Pierre Bonnard.  Among those winding through the galleries of the show was Trevor Shimizu, who left the museum ultimately disillusioned by the possibilities of painting in the modern age, and convinced that he should abandon the format.  The artist would turn, as a result, to video and performance art as a result, exploring approaches driven in part by his disappointment in the possibility of painting.  (more…)

Another string of closures has marked a bleak few days for the art world, as Frieze New York cancels its 2020 edition in the city, and François Pinault’s ambitious new museum inside Paris’s Bourse de Commerce postponed its opening until September.   (more…)

Leidy Churchman, Kishkindha Forest (Jodhpur) (2020), via Matthew Marks

Currently on view at Matthew Marks in New York, painter Leidy Churchmann presents a wide-ranging selection of canvases exploring the artist’s ever-evolving sensibility and eye, exploring the landscape of modernity at a range of scales and points of inquiry.  Titled Earth Bound, the show is a nuanced and intriguing exploration of the world, treating its residents and phenomena as a stream of images, and exploring the effects of their simultaneous presentation within the gallery. (more…)

A piece in the NYT charts the galleries experimenting with digital sales rooms and online viewing platforms as Coronavirus continues to threaten social gatherings. “If galleries are closed, how can we sell art?” asks David Zwirner. “The online platform is something we have envisioned as an important part of what we do.” (more…)

Closures continue this week over the coronavirus, as the National Gallery in London and the Tate announced full shutdowns for the coming weeks.  “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to the galleries when we reopen” a statement by the Tate reads. (more…)

Jordan Wolfson, ARTISTS FRIENDS RACISTS (Installation View), via David Zwirner

Twenty holographic videos and nostalgic photographs printed on brass comprise artist Jordan Wolfson’s latest, unsettling work entitled ARTISTS FRIENDS RACISTS, currently on view at David Zwirner in Paris. Utilizing a range of autobiographical and cultural iconographies, the artist explores the convergent power of images and language in the framing of any cultural epoch. (more…)