Helen Stoilas

Helen was previously Editor, Americas and has worked for The Art Newspaper since 2003. She regularly reports on political and social issues that affect artists and institutions.

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Podcastspodcast

Revisiting the Thanksgiving myth: the Mayflower and the Wampanoag, 400 years on

Plus, artist Chantal Joffe on a poignant painting by Paula Modersohn-Becker

John Waters, the ‘Pope of Trash’, gives his treasures to Baltimore Museum of Art

The director and film-maker has donated around 375 works to his hometown institution—and will have a pair of restrooms named after him

Art world rejoices in Biden’s win of US presidency

Artists, collectors, policy makers and gallery owners share their reactions after the tightly fought election

Podcastspodcast

US election: How Trump’s presidency has affected the arts

Plus, artist Pedro Reyes on his New York project; cartoonist Martin Rowson on Hogarth

Post-election mental health and wellness events at US museums and galleries

A guide to in-person and online programmes that offer some mental and emotional relief this week

US politicsanalysis

The 2020 US election: what it means for the arts

With US polls closing on Tuesday night, The Art Newspaper looks at the cultural issues at stake in this election

Artist designs Dias de los Muertos altar in Brooklyn for those who died during the pandemic

New Yorkers are invited to leave a remembrance of loved ones at Scherezade Garcia’s ofrenda at Green-Wood Cemetery

Ten most wanted antiquities: have you seen these missing artefacts?

The Antiquities Coalition releases a list of “infamous cases of cultural racketeering”

Lawnews

Sackler family to pay $225m in civil settlement with US government

The deal with the Department of Justice, which also includes guilty pleas and a $8bn fine against Purdue Pharma, does not prevent future claims against family members or company executives

Mark Mothersbaugh and Beatie Wolfe want your postcards for democracy

The artists have launched a mail art project to support USPS and mail-in voting efforts

Lawnews

In victory for street artists, US Supreme Court declines to hear 5Pointz developer’s appeal

A New York judge previously awarded $6.75m in damages to the artists, whose graffiti was whitewashed from a Queens warehouse

Nancy Spector steps down as chief curator of the Guggenheim Museum, after months of controversy

At the same time, museum’s board announced that an independent investigation found she did not mistreat a guest curator based on her race

Lawnews

Robert Indiana’s Star of Hope reaches deal with Morgan Art Foundation to end ongoing legal battles

The two organisations will work together to settle the artist’s estate and get his charitable foundation up and running in Maine

Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be memorialised with statue in Brooklyn

Governor Andrew Cuomo has suggested a site for the monument of the Supreme Court justice, overlooking the Statue of Liberty

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to open with Hayao Miyazaki retrospective in 2021

The new Los Angeles institution will honour the influential Japanese film-maker with an immersive show that draws visitors into his animated worlds

History's greatest forgers

The ability to mimic a famous artist’s work, fool knowledgeable experts and swindle deep-pocketed collectors are skills that can elevate the ordinary conman to legendary status

Podcastspodcast

Ready to see some art? The top exhibitions of the summer

Plus, the artist Hassan Hajjaj on a Dr Alimantado album cover

Hosted by Ben Luke and Helen Stoilas. with guest speakers Anna Brady, Gareth Harris, Nancy Kenney and Jillian Steinhauer. Produced in association with Christie's
Canadanews

Museums halt Jon Rafman shows after allegations are made online

Several women have accused the artist of misconduct, but Rafman disagrees with how their interactions have been represented

New York developer who whitewashed 5Pointz graffiti—and owes artists $6.75m in damages—appeals to Supreme Court

Petition focuses on the phrasing of the Visual Artists Rights Act, which protects works of “recognized stature” without defining what that means

David Castillo is moving his gallery to Miami Design District

The dealer plans to open his new space in the Melin Building in September

Some of Hagia Sophia’s mosaics will be covered during Muslim prayers

A spokesman for Turkish President Ergodan said curtains would hide depictions of the Virgin Mary and the archangel Gabriel when the site opens for worshippers on Friday

Lawnews

New York grand jury indicts Inigo Philbrick on federal fraud charges

The dealer was arrested by the FBI on the Pacific island Vanuatu last month and transferred into federal custody

An adventure with photography: MoMA receives 300-work Gayle Greenhill Collection

The gift from the late patron’s husband will also help create a photography endowment fund through the sale of some works

Hagia Sophia will be mosque again, Turkish president Erdogan says

The controversial decision is likely to set off a storm among cultural heritage officials

Murals that ‘whitewash’ American history come under fire

Monuments are not the only problematic depictions of the past

‘It's the end of civilisation’: Alexis Rockman on his new watercolour series created during lockdown

The paintings depict animals shipwrecked by the networks of capitalism grinding ecosystems to a nub, the artist says

Milton Glaser, the man behind ‘I ♥ NY’ logo, has died, aged 91

The influential designer helped define the visual culture of the 1960s and 70s in America

Suspected arson damages Andy Goldsworthy’s Spire in San Francisco’s Presidio park

The 100ft-tall sculpture is still standing after a major blaze, but crews will determine if it can remain in place