“Untitled” (1961) by George Morrison is the first work by a Native American artist to join the museum’s Abstract Expressionist collection.
Acquisitions
NYC’s Last Public Pay Phone Is Now a Museum Artifact
The relic was acquired by the Museum of the City of New York and included in the exhibition Analog City.
Two Rediscovered Fragonard Paintings Are Acquired by France
The works had been hanging in a cluttered room in Normandy, unbeknownst to its residents.
Artemisia Gentileschi Masterpiece, Unrecognized for Decades, Is Acquired by Getty
“Lucretia” (ca. 1627) remained in private hands for centuries before it was recently rediscovered in a collection in southern France.
A Dutch Royal Carriage With Racist Imagery Will Go to a Museum
The carriage has been the subject of controversy because of a triptych on its sides, “Homage of the Colonies,” which depicts South Asian and African people kneeling before a white woman seated on a throne.
Smithsonian Gets Some Vibranium with Acquisition of Iconic Black Panther Costume
The National Museum of African American History and Culture acquired various objects from the movie, embracing the first superhero of African descent to feature in mainstream American comics.
Beyoncé Donates Bejeweled Butterfly Ring to Victoria & Albert Museum
The superstar’s scintillating Glenn Spiro ‘Papillon’ ring is now on view in the V&A’s jewelry galleries.
Artists and Curators Weigh In on Baltimore Museum’s Move to Deaccession Works by White Men to Diversify Its Collection
The Baltimore Museum of Art will deepen its holdings of works by women and artists of color using funds from sales of seven redundant works.
Chris Ofili Painting, Once Called “Degenerate” by Trump, Gifted to Museum of Modern Art by Trump Supporter
The painting, which sparked a political scandal at the Brooklyn Museum in 1999, was donated to MoMA by hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen.
Louvre Abu Dhabi Claims They Own Leonardo’s “Salvator Mundi” [UPDATE 2]
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is now claiming it owns the world’s most expensive artwork.
A Somber Sculpture of the First Black Actor to Play Othello
When Ira Aldridge took the London stage in 1825, he became the first black actor to portray Shakespeare’s Othello.
For the First Time, Metropolitan Museum Will Display Indigenous Art in Its American Wing
With a major promised gift of 91 works of Native American art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will now include indigenous art in its galleries on American art.