Art Movements

A selection of indigenous masks recovered in Alaska (courtesy University of Aberdeen)

Art Movements is a weekly collection of news, developments, and stirrings in the art world. Subscribe to receive these posts as a weekly newsletter.

Over 50,000 frozen indigenous Alaskan artifacts will be returned to the village of Quinhagak following preservation work by archaeologists at the University of Aberdeen. It has taken over seven years to recover and preserve the massive archeological find, which is thought to be the largest of its kind from a single site in Alaska. The objects will go on display at the new Nunalleq Culture and Archaeology Research Center later this year.

President Trump unveiled his proposed federal budget for 2018. Entitled “America First,” the budget seeks to eliminate the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, failed to disclose his art collection in required financial disclosures. Kushner and Ivanka Trump own a multimillion dollar contemporary art collection that includes work by Alex Israel, Dan Colen, and Alex Da Corte.

Art dealer Perry Rubenstein was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading no contest to two counts of grand theft by embezzlement.

The Guardian obtained over 100 of Facebook‘s internal training manuals and spreadsheets. The documents provide an inside into the social media giant’s policies on sex and nudity in art posted by the site’s users.

A Camille Pissarro painting recovered from the Gurlitt trove was returned to the heirs of Max Heilbronn.

Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller confirmed authorship of a poster featuring the phrase “Strong and stable my arse,” a play on the oft-repeated (and much derided) campaign slogan of Prime Minister Theresa May. The poster was wheatpasted at various locations across London last weekend.

(via Twitter/@RichardBattye)

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum doubled its $5 million reward to $10 million for the return of the 13 works stolen from its collection on March 18, 1990.

The Italian government launched an initiative to give away 103 historical sites to individuals who will commit to their renovation.

The Queens Museum launched a Kickstarter campaign for Never Built New York, an exhibition exploring unrealized architectural projects from the last 200 years.

The Foundation for Contemporary Arts established the Roy Lichtenstein Award, a new annual grant.

Artist David Černý unveiled “Lupič” (or “thief”), a moving mechanical sculpture installed on the façade of the Olomouc Museum of Art.

The Bailang Bridge Ferris Wheel — the world’s tallest spokeless design — was unveiled in Weifang, China.

Britain’s oldest Roman arch was damaged by a truck driver.

Artist and Vincent van Gogh lookalike Matt Butterworth posed for hundreds of selfies outside the National Gallery of Victoria’s Van Gogh and the Seasons exhibition.

Transactions

Faith Ringgold, “American Collection #4: Jo Baker’s Bananas” (1997), acrylic on canvas with pieced fabric border, 80 1/2 x 76 in, National Museum of Women in the Arts, purchased with funds donated by the Estate of Barbara Bingham Moore, Olga V. Hargis Family Trusts, and the Members’ Acquisition Fund (photo by Lee Stalsworth)

The National Museum of Women in the Arts acquired works by Louise Bourgeois, Yael Bartana, Lalla Essaydi, Berthe Morisot, Jami Porter Lara, and Faith Ringgold.

The Rijksmuseum acquired a handwritten botanical book by Anna Atkins, who is credited by some sources as the first female photographer.

Michael R. Bloomberg donated $75 million to the Shed‘s $500 million capital campaign.

The Windgate Charitable Foundation donated $15 million to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

An anonymous $2.27 million donation was made to the University of Wyoming’s art museum.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens acquired George Tooker’s “Bathers (Bath Houses)” (1950).

George Tooker, “Bathers (Bath Houses)” (1950), egg tempera on gessoed board, 20 3/8 x 15 3/8 in (courtesy The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens)

Transitions

Over a a dozen members of the current staff and board of directors of the Brooklyn Rail resigned. An official press release did not cite a reason for the collective departure.

William D. Adams resigned as the tenth chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Lord John Browne of Madingley was appointed chairman of the Courtauld Institute of Art.

Susana Bautista was appointed executive director of the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

Kheli R. Willetts was appointed executive director of Art League Houston.

Jenny Gibbs was appointed director of the Sotheby’s Institute of Art’s graduate program in New York.

Brian Sholis was appointed executive director of Gallery TPW.

Matt Carey-Williams was appointed director of Blain Southern, London.

Ellen Rudolph was appointed chief curator of the Akron Art Museum.

Aaron T. Pratt was appointed curator of early books and manuscripts at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

Jo-ey Tang was appointed director of exhibitions at the Columbus College of Art and Design’s Beeler Gallery.

Artists Space will open a new venue at 80 White Street in 2018. The nonprofit has been operating out of its “secondary space” since its lease for 38 Greene Street expired in June 2016.

Galerie Urs Meile opened a new exhibition space in Beijing.

The Musée Dapper in Paris will permanently close next month.

CRG Gallery will permanently close this Summer.

Deutsche Bank plans to open a new arts centre in Berlin next year.

Curator Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff will open All Star Press, a sports-themed art gallery, in Chicago next month.

Accolades

Kiluanji Kia Henda, “Under the Silent Eye of Lenin” (2017), installation and performance (courtesy the artist)

Kiluanji Kia Henda received the 2017 Frieze Artist Award

Rachel Rose was awarded the inaugural Future Fields Commission, a new collaboration between the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.

David Adjaye received a knighthood for services to architecture.

Rebecca Rabinow received the 2017 Walter Hopps Award for Curatorial Achievement.

Olivier Culmann was awarded the 2017 Prix Niépce.

Dana Lixenberg was awarded the 2017 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize.

The Graham Foundation awarded over $560,ooo in grants for the support of 72 architectural projects.

Margaret Ricciardi will receive an honorary doctorate from CUNY’s College of Staten Island next week. Ricciardi has been taking art classes at the college every week since her husband passed away in 1983.