Leon Black, You Can’t Hide
Protests against the Epstein associate and MoMA trustee intensify, Independent Art Fair sells out, and Black artists create their own glossary of liberation.
If leaders of New York’s Museum of Modern Art thought that calls to remove board member Leon Black, an Epstein associate, would eventually die down, a group of two dozen protesters today proved them very much mistaken. Hear from an Epstein survivor, a feminist campaign group, and the organizer behind a roving Epstein files “bookmobile” — all of whom were outside MoMA today to remind the public of Black’s seedy ties to the sex offender. Staff Writer Anna Lee reports from the scene.
In more news today, the New Museum reveals the 36 artists and collectives in its upcoming triennial; and Independent Art Fair is acquired by Informa, a British conglomerate that owns several Miami art fairs and, of course, a yacht show in Monaco. I always thought “Independent” was an interesting name choice.
—Valentina Di Liscia, senior editor
MoMA Helping “Sanitize” Leon Black’s Reputation, Protesters Say
Over two dozen people assembled down the street from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) today, October 6, calling for the removal of disgraced billionaire Leon Black from the museum board over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Black has also faced multiple rape allegations, which he denies, none of which have resulted in a conviction.
Among those in attendance were members of the feminist campaign We Are UltraViolet and its Epstein Accountability Project, the research initiative Time & Memory Project, and the mobile Epstein-Trump Reading Room, created by the Institute for Primary Facts.
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Curatorial Practices in Photography One-Year Certificate Program at ICP
Find your voice and build a creative network in the International Center of Photography’s online One-Year Certificate Program in Writing and the Photographic Image. The 2027 program year begins in January. Submit your application by October 18 for priority admission and scholarship consideration.
News
- The New Museum in Manhattan will open its sixth triennial for emerging artists in its newly expanded building in February 2027.
- Independent Art Fair is acquired by Informa, a London publishing, research, business intelligence, and exhibitions conglomerate.
Discover Carl Sprinchorn at Two Maine Museums This Fall
The Ogunquit Museum of American Art and Bates College Museum of Art chronicle the life and work of under-recognized modern artist Carl Sprinchorn.
From Our Critics
“Thinking From Black” Is a Glossary of Possibility
Artists, poets, and scholars mull over words of their choosing in this book, offering new definitions of phrases from which Blackness proliferates: “world,” “water,” “care.” | Jasmine Weber
Read MoreAyé A. Aton Returns to His Earthly Roots
The former percussionist for Sun Ra’s band has turned to art in a self-directed inquiry into the visual culture of West and Central Africa. | Natalie Weis
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UCR ARTS Presents Dispatches: The Photography of Douglas McCulloh, 1990–2025
The first full survey of the Southern California photographer’s four-decade career is opening this fall at UCR ARTS in downtown Riverside.
Feature
A Triumphant Tribute to Latine Visual Culture
Forty-six entities displayed zines, academic books, textiles, and artwork — some even made in real time — at the third edition of The Latinx Project’s La Feria. | Gabrielle Vazquez
Read MoreHyper Links
- Malavika Kannan calls for an end to fraternities in Dazed, writing, “I have grown tired of waiting for boys to grow up. Instead of awaiting male repentance, or the end of the world – whichever comes first – what if we could tear their houses down?”
- ChatGPT is adding the signatures of real New Yorker cartoonists to AI-generated comics, Nieman Lab reports.
- Michele Pred took to the facade of the Whitney Museum of American Art this weekend with guerrilla projections in solidarity with the museum’s union, calls for free speech, and the message “I Am Jane Doe.”
Millay Arts — Core & Steepletop Residencies
Dive deep into your creative process alongside a curated cohort of multidisciplinary artists in an inspirational setting. Stays include groceries, chef-prepared suppers, private bedrooms/studios.
Deadline: October 1 - $20 fee; October 8 - $65 fee | millayarts.com
Member Comment
—Garry B Noland on "The Met’s Krasner and Pollock Show Is a Breathtaking Upending"
From the Archive
The Spellbinding, Bookish World of Art Nouveau Posters
Accompanying a show at The Met, The Art of the Literary Poster examines the commercial, artistic, and political dimensions of the late-19th-century form. | Sarah Rose Sharp
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