Museums

Repatriation of objects is on the government’s agenda, says UK culture secretary

Lisa Nandy's apparent support for repatriation reform has been welcomed by the head of London's Victoria and Albert Museum

Sicilian town seeks director to run its civic museum—for free

The town of Aci has attracted criticism for wanting to hire a new head for the Civic Museum of the Norman Castle of Svevo, who must be educated to degree level, but will not be paid

Why it's time for museums to take risks—or risk obsolescence

Jorrit Britschgi, executive director of the Rubin Museum of Art, on ‘embracing non-attachment and impermanence’

Bavaria acquires Picasso’s Woman with a Violin from a private collection

Six sponsors cooperated to buy “a masterpiece of Cubism of priceless art historical value” for the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich

How to make Florence’s 'Museum of Tourism', the Uffizi, enjoyable again, according to its new director

Simone Verde cannot reduce visitor numbers, so he means to spread them out over new delights

Rome’s Maxxi museum ousts dentist to appoint second interim president in a week

An art historian and journalist has been chosen to replace dentistry teacher Raffaella Docimo, who recently took up the role amid a wave of criticism

An open letter to Chris Bryant, the tenth UK arts minister in ten years

Labour’s pre-election arts manifesto, Creating Growth, included policies to put the arts back into education and bring museums into line with universities on open data

Noguchi Museum fires three employees for failing to comply with ban on overtly political dress

The firings come after museum leaders disciplined several employees who refused to remove their keffiyehs, traditional scarves often worn as a sign of support for Palestinians

Ready for the art-world reckoning?

The Readying the Museum group has created a blueprint to help institutions address inequity within their own walls—and to make the public, rather than trustees, their key priority

Pressure mounts in Slovakia as cultural workers announce nationwide strike alert

The "Cultural Strike" follows the dismissal of the directors of the Slovak National Gallery and the Slovak National Theatre in early August

Japanese art museum—home to one of world's only four Rothko rooms—faces closure and collection selloff

The Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum Art, operated by the chemical manufacturer DIC, may have to downsize or close for good

Rijksmuseum acquires controversial early botanic book on Suriname

Maria Sibylla Merian was accused of exploiting native knowledge of enslaved people without credit for her 1705 book Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium

Israel museums close amid general strike over Gaza hostage deaths

Thousands take to streets following news that six bodies were recovered in a tunnel in Rafah

‘It's not about being disabled, it's about great art’: Unlimited festival returns to London's Southbank Centre

The UK's largest celebration of work by D/deaf and disabled artists opens on 4 September with a packed and varied programme

A smashing day out: boy accidentally breaks 3,500-year-old pitcher at Israeli museum

The Middle/late Bronze Age object was “pulled” by the “curious” four-year-old while visiting the Hecht Museum in northern Israel

British Museum reveals that 2022 bequest from tycoon and former trustee was worth £123m

Joseph Hotung’s collection of hundreds of jades, as well as metalwork and early Chinese porcelain is one of the most valuable gifts the museum has ever received

Louvre visitor figures plummet during Paris Olympics disruption

Security measures and transport upheaval prompted 22% decrease in attendance at the world's most visited museum

International arts community calls for reinstatement of Slovak National Gallery director

At least 360 professionals sign open letter in defence of Alexandra Kusá, who was sacked alongside the head of the national theatre

London’s National Gallery acquires major work by Lawrence Alma-Tadema for £2m

The painting, purchased with the help of Christie’s auction house, is a prime example of the Victorian artist’s interest in antiquity

Slovak National Gallery director dismissed by culture minister

Alexandra Kusá's removal follows the ouster of National Theatre director Matej Drlička

London's prestigious Courtauld Institute to create British art centre with $12m donation

US-based Manton Foundation's gift will establish a research facility and "intellectual hub" at Somerset House

Musée Rodin to open outpost in Shanghai

The new venue will be run and funded by the private collector Wu Jing, whose Rodin works, ordered from Paris, will be on show

Nan Goldin, Brian Eno and Rosalind Nashashibi among signees of open letter accusing Royal Academy of 'anti-Palestinian censorship'

The London institution removed works from a young artists’ exhibition earlier this month after they were deemed to be anti-semitic by the Board of Deputies of British Jews

New collector-backed Taipei museum faces criticism for steep ticket prices

Fubon Art Museum, whose chief executive has links to one of the world’s richest finance companies, is charging a $37 standard entrance fee

Hong Kong officials throw financial lifeline to West Kowloon mega arts hub

Green light given to property sales in hopes of boosting cash-strapped cultural quarter

Troubled Brussels fine arts museums pin hopes on new director

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Brussels was hit by scandal last year when its longstanding director stood down following allegations of inappropriate behaviour and bad management

Protesters at Tate Modern call on arts patron Len Blavatnik to defend ‘press freedom’ in Israel

Activist group claims news channel owned by billionaire cancelled programmes criticising Israeli government

‘Groundbreaking’ UK exhibition spotlights work of disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent artists

Towards New Worlds brings together the work of 15 creatives, with a key mission being to counter traditionally siloed views of disabled artists’ work

Art-world social media specialists are on the rise—but is the sector really ready for digital success?

Museums are addressing a lack of in-house expertise in creating digital content by hiring from a growing pool of social-savvy freelancers