Week in Review: Activists Oppose Purdue Pharma Settlement, "Charging Bull" Statue Attacked

State Rep. David Michel joined in the protester’s chants of “Sacklers lie, people die.” (photo by Jasmine Weber)

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

On September 11, the notorious Sackler family came to a tentative agreement to settle the litigation against them and their pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma. If the settlement is approved, the family will shell out $3 billion over seven years. Many accuse the deal of falling short considering the Sackler’s $13 billion fortune. Further, the Sacklers will not be required to make a statement of wrongdoing for their role in the ongoing opioid epidemic. The next day, PAIN Sackler gathered outside of Purdue Pharma’s headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, to make its cause known. Truth Pharm, a non-profit advocating for policy change to improve treatment options, jointly hosted the action. | Hyperallergic

Last week, the maintenance workers responsible for keeping that fragile balance of heating and cooling intact received a 63 percent pay increase across the museum’s three campuses, which include the Met Cloisters and the Met Breuer. The agreement comes after more than a year of negotiations between the institution and Local 1503, a chapter of DC 37 that represents HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) workers. | Hyperallergic

The gashes left after the attacks have attracted large groups of tourists (photo by Hrag Vartanian/Hyperallergic)

A man armed with a makeshift spiked metal banjo attacked the bronze “Charging Bull” statue in New York City’s Financial District on Sunday, September 7, leaving the bull with a six-inch gash and several other deep scratches on its right horn. Tevon Varlack, a 42-year-old truck driver from Dallas, was arrested shortly after the attack. He was charged with criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and criminal possession of a weapon, but was later released. | Hyperallergic

On Thursday, September 5, after a five-month trial against the party’s organizers, an Oakland jury acquitted Max Harris, Ghost Ship’s creative director, of involuntary manslaughter, but it remained hung on the case of the warehouse’s master tenant, Derick Almena. Harris and Almena faced up to 39 years in prison if convicted on all 36 charges of involuntary manslaughter in the case. Harris was released from jail in Dublin, California on Thursday while Almena remained in jail, awaiting the prosecutors’ decision on retrying him. | Hyperallergic

The National Museum of the American Indian in New York City (courtesy of the Smithsonian)

On September 21, museums across the country will offer visitors free general admission tickets as part of the 15th annual Smithsonian Museum Day. | Hyperallergic

New Jersey is the first state in the country to provide access to arts education for all students, the 2019 New Jersey Arts Education Annual report says. The state has reached the benchmark for “universal arts education access,” meaning each one of its public schools provides some type of school-based arts instruction during the school day for all students. | Hyperallergic

In the wake of Hurrican Dorian, the Perez Art Museum Miami partnered with Food For the Poor and the City of Miami to collect urgently needed supplies for survivors of the devastating hurricane in the archipelago. | Hyperallergic

A Santa Fe court ruled that Meow Wolf, an immersive arts group, violated living wage laws. The city ordered the collective to pay its former employees more than $17,500 for violating labor laws. | Hyperallergic

Kehinde Wiley, “Portrait of a Florentine Nobleman” (2018) (image courtesy Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art)

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, has acquired several new pieces for its permanent collection, including paintings by Kehinde Wiley, Jordan Casteel, Henry Ossawa Tanner, and works from the Gordon W. Bailey Collection. “Each new acquisition advances the conversation about American art in ways that are representative of more of the American people and their stories,” said Austen Barron Bailly, the museum’s chef curator, in a statement.

This and other notable sales and acquisitions are chronicled in our latest Transactions story.

Pioneer Works will host its first-ever Open Call for 2020-2021 across all residency disciplines in Visual Arts, Music, Technology, and Narrative Arts. Applications close September 30. Learn about other opportunities you can apply for this month in our latest “Opportunities for Artists in September 2019.”

Also, check out Hyperallergic’s lists of must-see, fun, and insightful art events in New York and Los Angeles this fall.

This Week in the Art World

Nabila Abdel Nabi, Osei Bonsu, Valentina Ravaglia, and Devika Singh were appointed curators of international art at Tate Modern. | Hyperallergic

Seth Brodsky was appointed director of the Richard and Mary L. Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry at the University of Chicago. | Artforum

Zhang Enli is now represented by Xavier Hufkens. | Art Daily

Luhring Augustine will collaborate with Fraenkel Gallery to represent Lee Friedlander. | Art Daily

The estate of Simon Hantaï is now represented by Gagosian Gallery. | ARTnews

Alan Joyce and Christine Evans have joined the board of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. | Artforum

Tiona Nekkia McClodden was awarded the Bucksbaum Award, a prize given to an artist participating in the Whitney Biennial. | via email announcement

Toshiko Mori, Sharon Johnston, Claire Weisz, Mabel O. Wilson, and Dana Cuff were honored at Architectural Record’s Women in Architecture Awards. | New York Times

P.P.O.W. Gallery will relocate to Tribeca. | ARTnews

Cristina Salmastrelli was named director of PULSE Art Fair. | Artforum

Amira Gad was appointed artistic director of Lehmann Maupin. | Artforum