The Whitney Will Unveil the Largest Column-Free Exhibition Space in New York
New York's Whitney Museum of American Art may have opened the doors to its new Meatpacking home in May, but that doesn't mean the Renzo Piano-designed building has revealed all of its secrets just yet. In February, the museum will launch a new program called "Open Plan" on its fifth-floor galleries, taking advantage of the largest column-free gallery space of any of the city's museums. Click here to continue reading.

A Jackson Pollock Exhibit Earns the Dallas Museum of Art a $500,000 Grant
It’s an old story, this rivalry between Dallas and Houston, but it got fresh legs Tuesday, when the Texas Commission on the Arts awarded its largest single grant – a whopping $500,000 – to the Dallas Museum of Art. In issuing its Cultural District Project Grants, for the 2016 fiscal year (Sept. 1, 2015, to Aug. 31, 2016), the commission earmarked $500,000 “to support bringing the exhibition, ‘Jackson Pollock: Blind Spots’ for its exclusive U.S. debut to the Dallas Arts District to attract visitors.”Click here to continue reading.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum Spotlights Color Field Painting
A single act of generosity by a collector and supporter of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City has resulted in the gifting of five more works of art, a handful of loans, and an installation celebrating Color Field painting. Luther W. Brady, M.D., one of the world’s foremost oncologists, gifted the museum with Jules Olitski’s Embraced: Yellow and Black, in the memory of his dear friend Joanne Lyon, a longtime supporter of the Nelson-Atkins. Inspired by that gift, an anonymous donor loaned the Nelson-Atkins Helen Frankenthaler’s Elberta, another quintessential example of Color Field painting. Click here to continued reading.

The Crusader Bible Goes on View Just in Time for Christmas
Likely created in 1240 for King Louis IX of France, the Crusader Bible originally had no text, designed to appeal to a largely illiterate population. Biblical characters are depicted in guises familiar to medieval Europeans, including battling armored knights brandishing arms, and the setting is 13th century French villages and castles. The Crusader Bible does not illustrate the entire Bible, but rather 346 episodes from Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Samuel.Click here to continue reading.

A New Book Explores the Life and Work of Martín Ramírez
What is known with certainty about an artist’s life story can undoubtedly shed the light of understanding on his or her achievements and legacy. But what happens when authoritative historical documents, personal letters, photos, diaries and other materials have not been consulted or are scarce or even non-existent? Sometimes, in such a case, myths surrounding an artist can develop and take on lives of their own. Click here to continue reading.

The Flagler Museum Has Completed the Restoration of a Suite of Louis XV-Style Furniture
If Henry and Mary Lily Flagler were to walk into their music room at Whitehall today, they would feel right at home. That’s saying alot, considering that Whitehall, finished in 1902, has withstood more than a century of weather and wear. To reverse the inescapable ravages of time, the Flaglers’ Beaux-Arts mansion has undergone an extensive 15-year conservation effort. Click here to continue reading.

Top 4 Interior Design Projects of the Week: A Historic Home, An Eclectic Townhouse, A Glamorous Pad & Classically Chic Retreat
1. Society Hill Renovation by Eberlein Design Consultants Inc. - This refined and welcoming home in Philadelphia’s historic Society Hill neighborhood underwent a significant renovation but retains its original charm thanks to interior designer Barbara Eberlein. The light-filled residence, which dates back to the 19th century, boasts a masterful mix of one-of-a-kind antiques, delightful patterns and beautifully crafted details. Click here to continue reading.

A Possible Second Version of the “Mona Lisa” Has Been Discovered in a Private Russian Collection
The stream of news and discoveries about Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa are seemingly never ending. In a shocking twist, it's now been reported that a second version of the iconic portrait might have been discovered in a private collection in St. Petersburg. Experts are now analyzing the artwork in order to establish whether it is a genuine work by Leonardo da Vinci or simply one of the many convincing replicas in existence around the world. Click here to continue reading.

A Chicago Museum Employee Made Off With Nearly $1 Million in Membership Dues
The Field Museum has put some new security measures in place after an employee in the membership department swindled the museum out of more than $900,000 in cash over seven years. The museum revealed the $903,284 theft — discovered in April 2014 — in its 2014 Form 990 filed with the Internal Revenue Service.Click here to continue reading.

Artist Ed Ruscha Makes a Major Donation to the Tate
At nearly 78, American artist Ed Ruscha has promised to donate to London’s Tate museum one impression of all future prints he makes for the rest of his life. The initiative launched with the inaugural group of prints that includes “Jet Baby,” 2011, “Wall Rocket,” 2013, and “Sponge Puddle,” 2015, along with 15 other works reflecting the artist’s interest in signs, language, and the landscape of Los Angeles. Click here to continue reading.

Cash-Strapped Venice Considers Deaccessioning Works by Chagall and Klimt
The city of Venice is considering selling works by artists such as Gustav Klimt and Marc Chagall. The city’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, told the Italian news agency Ansa that he may seek to reduce Venice’s soaring debt by deaccessioning major pieces from the city’s most famous public museums. Click here to continue reading.

Historic England Launches a Campaign to Raise Awareness About Missing Public Artworks
Postwar public art in England is “disappearing before our eyes”, whether through wilful destruction, accidental loss, theft or sale, a heritage body has said. Historic England is launching a campaign to raise awareness of how much art is being lost, whether metal sculptures being stolen and sold for scrap or architectural friezes being deliberately ripped down by developers. Click here to continue reading.

The Italian Cultural Institute Presents a 16th Century Portrait of Dante Alighieri by Bronzino
On the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Dante Alighieri's birth (1265-1321), the Italian Cultural Institute wishes to honor Italy's greatest poet by presenting, for the first time in the United States, Dante's Portrait, a masterpiece by mid-16th-century painter Bronzino; and by holding a continuous reading of the Divine Comedy's first Cantica, the Inferno. American-Italian actor, writer and director John Turturro will open the night, by reading the first Canto. Click here to continue reading.

The Martyn Gregory Gallery, The Preeminent, London-Based Specialist in Chinese Export Paintings, to Hold Its First Exhibition in New York in January 2016
The world’s foremost expert in Chinese Export paintings, The Martyn Gregory Gallery of London, will exhibit 70 of these paintings (also known as China Coast or China Trade paintings), from January 21-31, 2016, at Mallett, 929 Madison Avenue (at 74th Street), Third Floor, in New York City. An exhibitor since 1990 at the annual Winter Antiques Show in New York, this new show, entitled China Observed, will be the gallery’s first independent exhibition in the city. Click here to continue reading.

For Sale: A Silicon Valley Gem, A Historic Estate, Julia Child’s French Retreat, A TV-Worthy Mansion & a Grand Western Ranch
1. This Palo Alto gem puts a modern spin on the Mediterranean Revival style. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, this 1930s Mediterranean Revival style home underwent a comprehensive renovation in 2010, bringing it up to snuff for even the most selective techie. The 6,458-square-foot, six-bedroom residence features a classically stunning exterior and beautifully modern interiors. Click here to continue reading.

5% of Sotheby’s Employees Have Taken the Auction House’s Buyout Offer
The auction house Sotheby’s has accepted the buyouts of 80 employees, or 5 percent of its 1,600-person global work force, the company reported in records filed on Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of the buyout offer, which expired Dec. 9, Sotheby’s said in the filing that it expected a charge of about $40 million in the fourth quarter of 2015. Click here to continue reading.

A New York Photographer is Suing Jeff Koons for Copyright Infringement
Jeff Koons, a US pop artist whose works can fetch millions, is facing allegations he used a New York photographer's commercial photo from the 1980s in a painting without permission or compensation, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday. The photographer, Mitchel Gray, said in the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court that Koons reproduced his photo, which depicts a man sitting beside a woman painting on a beach with an easel, "nearly unchanged and in its entirety." Click here to continue reading.

A New Exhibition at the Met Spotlights Furniture of the Gilded Age
The most sumptuous moment in America's Gilded Age is revealed through the work of some of its most noted design firms in Artistic Furniture of the Gilded Age at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The centerpiece of the three-part exhibition is the opulent Worsham-Rockefeller Dressing Room from the New York City house commissioned by art collector and philanthropist Arabella Worsham (later Huntington; ca. 1850-1924).Click here to continue reading.

An Art Deco Landmark Reopens in Manhattan
One of New York City’s most impressive Art Deco buildings has been closed to the public since the 1970s, but you can now visit its lobby and examine the marble-clad treasure yourself. Formerly a private office building, the towering structure at 70 Pine Street in the Financial District reopened this month as its developer, Rose Associates, began leasing freshly converted luxury apartments on its over 60 floors. Click here to continue reading.

The Toledo Museum of Art Acquires a Monumental Oceanic Mask at Auction
A masterwork of Oceanic art has been added to the collection at the Toledo Museum of Art. Purchased at Christie’s in Paris on Dec. 3, 2015, the mask is one of four known distinguished examples from Saibai Island in the Torres Straits and has been heralded by scholars as the most notable. The Saibai Island Masks are among the rarest and most spectacular works of art created by the artists of the Torres Straits.Click here to continue reading.

The Winter Antiques Show Names First-Ever Honorary Design Chairs
For the first time in its 62-year history, the seminal Winter Antiques Show has named four of the country’s most influential tastemakers Honorary Design Chairs. Ellie Cullman, Alexa Hampton, Markham Roberts and Nate Berkus have all been selected for their prominence in the industry and expertise in decorating with antiques. Click here to continue reading.

MoMA Rethinks How It Collects and Exhibits Modern Art
Within the Museum of Modern Art’s announcement on Tuesday of coming exhibitions were signs of a seismic shift underway in how it collects and displays modern and contemporary art — changes that are expected to have a powerful impact on the museum’s renovation. While curatorial activities used to be highly segregated by department, with paintings and sculpture considered the most important, the museum has gradually been upending that traditional hierarchy, organizing exhibitions in a more fluid fashion across disciplinary lines and redefining its practice of showing art from a linear historical perspective. Click here to continue reading.

The St. Louis Art Museum Acquires an Important Work by Horace Pippin
The St. Louis Art Museum has announced a significant acquisition: “Sunday Morning Breakfast,” a 1943 painting by the highly regarded African-American folk artist Horace Pippin. The painting, the purchase of which was approved by the museum’s board of commissioners on Monday evening, cost $1.5 million. Click here to continue reading.

Following Paris Photo’s Closure, the Fair Will Compensate 20% of the Investment Costs to Exhibitors
After the terrorist attacks that hit Paris the night of November 13th which led the French government to declare of a State of Emergency, Paris Photo was obliged to close its doors Saturday and Sunday November 14-15th, thus depriving the event of more than 25,000 expected visited during the course of the final two days of the Fair. Aside from the shock and sadness that was shared by all, these tragic events had a direct impact on the activity of the galleries and that of the fair. Click here to continue reading.

After a Botched Repair, King Tut’s Mask is Back on View in Egypt
Egypt put the famed golden burial mask of King Tutankhamun back on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo on Wednesday evening after the relic was repaired following a botched attempt to reattach the mask's beard with epoxy. In August 2014, the beard was accidentally knocked off during work on the relic's lighting, after which workers hastily tried to reattach it with epoxy causing damage to the priceless artifact and stirring uproar among archaeologists.Click here to continue reading.

Hieronymous Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights” To Remain at the Prado
Four iconic paintings by Hieronymus Bosch and other Old Masters will remain at Madrid's Prado Museum after a protracted battle with a new national museum. The Prado took in Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights (1500–1505) for safekeeping in 1936, at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War at the request of the royal collection, which owns the work.Click here to continue reading.

Sotheby’s CFO/Executive Vice President Will Step Down January 1
Sotheby’s, the New York-based auctioneer under pressure to improve returns, said Patrick McClymont will resign as its chief financial officer and executive vice president effective Jan. 1, a little more than two years after assuming the post. McClymont was a partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. prior to joining Sotheby’s in 2013. He will receive $3.75 million in cash severance. Click here to continue reading.

A Basquiat Painting Sold at Auction Raises Questions After It Remains in the Consignor’s Hands
A commercial statement filed in New York this summer has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the sale of a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat at Christie’s, New York, on 13 May. The work, The Field Next to the Other Road (1981), was consigned to the auction house by the dealer Tony Shafrazi and included in the Post-War and Contemporary evening sale where it sold for $37.1m, the sixth-highest price of the night. Click here to continue reading.

The Louvre Acquires the Left Panel of the Renaissance Triptych “Betrayal of Christ”
Earlier this month at Sotheby’s London, the Louvre paid £965,000 ($1.44 million) for a Betrayal of Christ, the left wing of a French renaissance triptych by Dreux Bude Master (probably André d’Ypres). The larger central panel, a Crucifixion (below) has been in the Getty Museum since 1979, and the right panel is in the Musée Fabre. The three panels were briefly displayed together at the Art Institute of Chicago for a 2011 exhibition. Click here to continue reading.

A Thief Makes Off with Warhol Prints and a Work by Otto Piene
Two unique Andy Warhol prints depicting the Cologne Cathedral and former German soccer player Toni Schumacher, as well as an Otto Piene artwork worth a combined €100,000 ($108,000) were stolen in Nürnberg, Germany from a vehicle belonging to Galerie Hafenrichter. Claudia Eidner, a representative for the gallery told artnet News in a telephone interview that director Jens Hafenrichter loaded the artworks unto the vehicle on Tuesday evening.Click here to continue reading.

The Armory Show Appoints a New Executive Director
Ever since Noah Horowitz announced in July that he was stepping down as head of the Armory Show, the art world has wondered who would replace him at a time when that mammoth fair for Modern and contemporary art faces increasing competition from Frieze New York. Now there is a decision: Benjamin Genocchio, the editor in chief of Artnet News, will become the fair’s executive director next month, in time to put his stamp on the Armory Show on Piers 92 and 94 in March. Click here to continue reading.

Top 4 Interior Design Projects of the Week: A Refined Brownstone, An Inviting Loft, An Upper East Side Gem & A Candy-Colored Home
1. Brownstone Renewed by Jayne Design Studio - This New York City townhouse, which once served as a multi-unit apartment building, was restored to a single family residence for a young family. Designer Thomas Jayne was tasked with creating cohesive interior spaces that meshed with the home’s original architectural elements while maintaining a contemporary edge. Click here to continue reading.