
The Latest

Manhattan DA’s Office Is After Its Own Antiquities Trafficking Informant
Lebanese art dealer Georges Lotfi, who once helped authorities seize looted antiquities, is now accused of doing his own share of trafficking too.

What Our Fantasies About the European “Middle Ages” Say About Us
An exhibition depicts how people have reimagined the medieval period in the centuries since, and how they have revealed their own interests and ideals with each new interpretation.

The Newark Museum of Art Presents Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection
Photographers Antony Armstrong Jones, Milt Hinton, Chuck Stewart, Barbara Morgan, and more capture a breadth of legendary and local musicians and performance artists. On view through August 21.

One of China’s First Modern Sculptors Has a New York Retrospective
During his 84-year life, Liu Shiming helped shape a new Chinese cultural image rooted in the contributions and sacrifices of everyday people.

Brazilian Nights From an Animal’s Point of View
Playing at several film festivals this late summer, Ana Vaz’s It Is Night in America asks the viewer to take on unusual perspectives.

LGBTQ+ Art, Literature, and Historical Ephemera Up for Auction at Swann
Art and photographs, publications from the 19th and 20th centuries, manuscripts, posters and more are set to cross the auction block on August 18.

The Very Expensive Dental Work of the Ancient Maya
The sealant used for gem-crusted ancient Maya teeth had medicinal properties that prevent tooth infections and decay, according to a new study.

Brooklyn Public Library Is Inviting You to Borrow From Their Vinyl Collection
Patrons can listen to a collection of 400 titles at the library and borrow them for up to three weeks.

Apply Now for the 2023 Joyce Awards
The grants will provide $450,000 for six new commissions across disciplines by artists of color working with cultural organizations in the Great Lakes.

Luke Gilford’s Tender Photographs of Gay Rodeos
The Los Angeles-based photographer offers an updated version of the mythologized American cowboy, calling rodeos “the traditional drag of America.”

An Artist Chases the Ghost of Her Father
At its core Line Berg’s Fra Far manifests the anguish of a family whose loved one is convicted of a serious crime.

The Book Club That’s Been Discussing the Same Proust Novel for 20 Years
At first, simply watching people read In Search of Lost Time might seem dull; by the end, you’ll be itching to read or reread it yourself.
Excellent work! I thoroughly enjoyed reading, viewing, reflecting. The wealthy arbiters of taste, art, and culture have always been “at” it, even before the rise of capitalism built the “arts industry,” museum boards (often the most undemocratic spaces on the planet), and public arts funding. and the “art of the sellout.”
Fwiw, if we don’t like our government’s decisions regarding art funding, we can vote for a different government. To the extent that art funding comes from wealthy corporations and individuals, we lack even that tenuous control over their decisions. Given the various pressures and proclivities, a mix is probably best. Ps: we can eschew support from the worst corps without eschewing it from all corps… assuming some aren’t as bad as others…