Museums & Heritage

Comment | US museums are finally going bilingual: here's why it matters

In the past few years, art institutions across the country have been making a concerted effort to provide information about their collections and exhibitions in languages other than English—and it's a step that's worth celebrating

Revealed: the long-suppressed stories of the world’s oldest slave ship

Marine archaeologists, academics, film-makers and local descendants of enslaved people are working together to shed light on the infamous “Camargo” shipwreck

Mexico City’s Muac damaged during anti-gentrification protest

A rising movement calls for housing reform in Mexico’s largest and most expensive city, but vandalism by disruptive groups has weakened its cause

Ancient stone carvings uncovered on Hawaiian beach

The 600-year-old petroglyphs, depicting humans and abstract forms, are usually obscured by sand and have not been seen in their entirety since they were first discovered in 2016

Discoveries at site of Isaac Newton’s mother’s home shed new light on world he grew up in

A dig led by the National Trust and York Archaeology—on land very near to where the scientist was born—has uncovered a collection of domestic objects

After a £27m makeover, Norwich Castle reopens with a new gallery, royal rooms—and medieval toilets

The castle in the east of England now also hosts the largest display of the British Museum’s medieval collection outside of London

Power to the people: London’s National Gallery seeks public panel to help shape its future

The citizens’ assembly, chosen via civic lottery, will produce recommendations on the gallery’s purpose and priorities

New Canadian art museum seeks to connect disparate disciplines and a university campus

Simon Fraser University near Vancouver will open its new Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum in September

Museums in New York and Los Angeles receive collection of 63 Modern works

Works by Cézanne, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh and others from the Pearlman Foundation are headed to the Brooklyn Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and New York’s Museum of Modern Art

Time for a survey? New programme provides museums with advice on long-term sustainability

The human-resources, talent and recruiting agency Verge helps institutions reach their long-term goals through a bit of introspection

What could the end of US sanctions mean for Syria’s heritage sector?

The World Monuments Fund is now exploring ways to re-engage in the country, after cultural institutions spent years starved of resources and international support

Efforts to preserve and repair historic US Black churches get $8.5m boost

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is helping 30 congregations shore up their buildings and share their stories, with their communities and the world

Smithsonian museum removes label referencing Trump impeachments

The label had been added to a display at the National Museum of American History about checks on presidential powers in 2021 following Trump's second impeachment

Revealed: how a secret rescue operation helped preserve Syria's heritage

Across the last decade, thousands of archaeological artefacts have been smuggled to safety by NGOs

Ancient treasures stolen in Dutch museum heist may yet be saved

Prosecutors have revealed evidence that suggests three golden armbands and a €4.3 million helmet—belonging to the Dacian civilisation—have not been melted down

Yale University Art Gallery withdraws federal funding applications over anti-diversity regulations

Instead, the museum will draw on Yale University’s endowment for funds to mount an upcoming show of African art

George Lucas reveals new details of Los Angeles museum at Comic-Con panel

The Star Wars director, appearing at the famed conference for the first time, described the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art as “a temple to the people’s art”

Metropolitan Museum trustee among victims of deadly Manhattan shooting

Wesley LePatner, a senior managing director at the investment firm Blackstone, was elected to the Met’s board in February

500km-long Indigenous pilgrimage route in Mexico joins Unesco World Heritage list

Mexico’s first inscription of a living Indigenous tradition highlights Wixárika cultural traditions following decades of advocacy

Tate Modern looks to younger audiences with relaunch of late-night openings

Capitalising on the success of Tate Modern Lates, the gallery will begin opening until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays

Rock on! Prehistoric art dominates Unesco's 26 new World Heritage Sites

A third of the newcomers have roots in prehistory, including mysterious megaliths in France and a region in Australia that is home to some of the world’s oldest petroglyphs

4,000-year-old Ancient Egyptian handprint discovered by Cambridge museum

Researchers at the Fitzwilliam Museum, UK, found the marking on an artefact due to go on display in an exhibition this autumn

Russia charges Estonian museum director with ‘rehabilitating Nazism’ over Putin-Hitler banner

Maria Smorževskihh-Smirnova of the Narva Museum has been targeted over a poster featuring a composite image of the two men

American Museum of Natural History announces free admission for low-income New Yorkers

The institution joins the city’s MoMA, Frick, Morgan Library and Jewish Museum in providing free admission to people on food stamps

Amy Sherald cancels Smithsonian show over censorship claim

The artist says leaders at the National Portrait Gallery suggested removing her painting of a non-binary transgender person posing as the Statue of Liberty

Introducing Julia Day, the Frick’s new chief conservator

The Frick veteran is particularly excited about all the new conservation spaces, created as part of the museum’s recent Selldorf-designed expansion

National Museum of Korea names new director as part of post-election reshuffle

President Lee Jae Myung’s victory in June has been followed by homecomings for two high-profile arts figures in the country, while the Busan Biennale has also announced its curators for 2026

One of England's oldest human-made structures given protected status by Historic England

The 5,000 year old Yorkshire cairn is thought to be older than Stonehenge

Trump pulls US out of ‘woke’ Unesco

The State Department says that Unesco membership does not square with its “America-first” outlook