In Brief
Official Obama Portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald Were Just Unveiled
The long-awaited portraits were presented at a ceremony today at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. The internet was quick to respond.
National Portrait Gallery
In Brief
Artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald Chosen to Paint Official Obama Portraits for the Smithsonian
Next year the portraits of the Obamas will enter the collection of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and judging by the choice of artists they're sure to be impressive.
News
Winner of a BP Portrait Award Donates Share of Prize Money to Anti-BP Protests
The 26-year-old winner of this year's BP Young Artist Award donated £1,000 to fund Greenpeace's anti-BP efforts.
News
At BP-Sponsored Art Show, Protesters Call Out the Corporation’s Abuses
On Thursday evening at the National Portrait Gallery, protesters drew attention to BP's work with the Indonesian government, which has been accused of civil rights violations in West Papua.
News
BP Sponsorship Violates UK National Portrait Gallery's Ethics Policy, Report Claims
Culture Unstained is calling on the museum to cut ties with BP because of its connections to foreign regimes that violate human rights.
Art
A Conceptual Artist Pays Homage to Surrealist Claude Cahun’s Performance of Identity
A Gillian Wearing exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery puts her work in dialogue with her largely forgotten Surrealist inspiration.
Art
An Exhibition Offers a Visual Biography of Sylvia Plath, Including Her Little-Known Art
The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery is opening a visual biography of the author Sylvia Plath, including her rarely-seen artwork.
Art
In a Performance, a Soundscape Invokes the Brutality of Slavery
Sheldon Scott's performance is based on the experiences of enslaved Africans in rice production in the American South.
Opinion
Art Not Oil Coalition Issues Statement on BP’s Sponsorship of UK Cultural Institutions
We received the following statement from the Art Not Oil coalition regarding the new BP sponsorships of major cultural institutions in the UK.
News
Lucian Freud’s Unseen Self-Portrait and Sketchbooks Go on View
“Truth heads into naked people bodies bodies whole complete living naked women avoid facial expression make bodies expressive of feeling,” scribbled painter Lucian Freud in one of the sketchbooks now on display at London's National Portrait Gallery.
In Brief
YouTube Pranksters Sentenced to Jail for Faking Art Heists at Museums
A group of British pranksters is facing jail time for staging a fake art robbery in the National Portrait Gallery last July, proving the consequences of going to pointless lengths to attain internet virality.
News
Internal Documents Show How BP Oiled the Wheels at UK Museums
After sharing a handful of emails detailing suspicious correspondence between British museums and their sponsor BP, the Art Not Oil Coalition has released the full set of documents it obtained, accompanied by a 40-page report describing the potentially unethical partnerships.