Art Movements: Dozens Laid Off at Artnet and Artsy

Art Movements, published every Thursday afternoon, is a roundup of must-know news, appointments, awards, and other happenings in today’s chaotic art world.

Dozens Laid Off at Artnet and Artsy

A chipper announcement that Artnet had formalized its merger with Artsy earlier this week was quickly followed by somber news for staff. Dozens of workers at both companies have been laid off as of today, April 16. A spokesperson confirmed the cuts in an email to Hyperallergic, but declined to provide specific numbers. According to Artnews, senior reporters Sarah Cascone and Eileen Kinsella were among those impacted on Artnet's editorial side. The spokesperson told Hyperallergic that the cuts were part of “organizational changes to build one go-forward team,” which will also include the shutdown of Artnet's German entity.

Despite making millions each year from its core product, its price database, and sales from its online auctions, Artnet recorded a 12% revenue decline in the first half of 2025 that it attributed primarily to “lower-than-expected performance in the Media segment.” To put it in plain English, journalism doesn't sell. The British investment firm Beowolff Capital acquired a controlling stake in Artsy, an online art marketplace with a smaller editorial operation, last year. Months later, after a failed bid for struggling Artnet, Beowolff also absorbed that company in a $65 million deal, taking Artnet private after more than 25 years on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Now Artsy and Artnet have “joined forces,” according to a press release, with former Artsy leader Jeffrey Yin as CEO and Beowolff Capital founder Andrew Wolff as chairman — though said forces will be greatly diminished after this round of layoffs, it appears.

Hyperallergic has made attempts to reach workers at both companies affected by the cuts.

A Peek at the Toronto Biennial of Art

The Toronto Biennial of Art revealed the curatorial framework and artist list for its fourth edition, taking place September 26 through December 20. Curated by Allison Glenn with executive director Patrizia Libralato, Things Fall Apart, titled after Chinua Achebe’s landmark 1958 novel, will feature works by over 30 artists and collectives including Dawoud Bey, Coco Fusco, and Simranpreet Anand.

What Else Happened?

• The Denver Art Museum announced the appointment of Royce K. Young Wolf (Eastern Shoshone, Hidatsa and Mandan) as associate curator of Native Arts.
• Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, and Howardena Pindell are among the 33 Art Basel Awards medalists this year.
• Nara Roesler now represents artist Flávia Ventura.
• The Whiting Foundation named the winners of its 2026 Whiting Award for Emerging Writers: Negar Azimi, Elaine Castillo, Karen Hao, Hajar Hussaini, Hilary Leichter, Lara Mimosa Montes, Brittany Rogers, Alison C. Rollins, Celine Song, and Carvell Wallace.
• Sanford Hirsch is stepping down as executive director of the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation at the end of this year.
• The Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts announced the recipients of its 2026 Infinite Expansion Grants for organizations across Los Angeles County, including the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation. See the full list here.
• The ACLU of Texas named Robyn B. Adams as its Artist-In-Residence to Advocate for Reproductive Justice.

Wildcard

Marilyn Minter, photorealist painter of sensual close-ups, went on Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky last week to chat feminism, “cancel culture,” aging and sexual power, and more, with stops along the way for the unfair treatment of Miley Cyrus after the 2013 VMAs and how Minter had to explain to the New York Times what the term “slut shaming” meant.

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