Unveiling Hestia Statue in Aigai, Turkey's Ancient Heart
8.4.25
A 2.7-meter-tall marble sculpture of Hestia, discovered in 2005 during excavations in Aigai, Turkey, has been unveiled after nearly two decades in storage. The statue is the only surviving example from the Hellenistic period and now stands at the center of a specially designed exhibition space replicating Aigai's Bouleuterion, where it originally stood. Professor Yusuf Sezgin, head of the Aigai excavation project, described the sculpture as "not just any artifact".
Bill Cunningham's Archive Joins NYC History Collection
8.4.25
The archive of renowned fashion photographer Bill Cunningham has been added to the collection of the New-York Historical Society, joining existing items such as his bicycle and first camera, an Olympus Pen-D 35mm. Cunningham's photography project Facades, which spanned eight years and documented New York City's architectural and fashion history, is also part of the archive.
The art market has seen significant growth in recent years, with Carrington's sales surging to an estimated $35-45 million in 2024. Pauline Barker praises the artist's work for its technical brilliance and mythic depth, while also highlighting her collection's expansion into contemporary artists and designers who share a similar spirit of subversion and intensity. The sale includes highly anticipated lots such as Andy Warhol's "The Scream" and Madonna's self-portrait with a skeleton's arm, showcasing the artist's irreverent appropriation of modern masters and his ability to critique the mass-mediated world through visual roleplay.
Cochran II's approach to photography draws inspiration from influential photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gordon Parks, and Dawoud Bey. He focuses on capturing fleeting moments of societal significance in everyday life, such as mundane gestures in shared spaces, highlighting the importance of the signified - the phenomena that emerge as image and symbol in a moment.
K-pop rock band DAY6 is set to make its big-screen debut with a cinematic road movie called '6DAYS', which will be released in theaters nationwide on August 13. The film marks the 10th anniversary of the group's debut under JYP Entertainment, where they rose to fame with hits like "Congratulations", "You Were Beautiful", and "Zombie". DAY6 recently wrapped up its "Forever Young" tour at the KSPO Dome, welcoming a record-breaking 96,000 audience members across six performances. The band will also hold six finale concerts in Seoul in May, followed by two shows at Goyang Stadium in August, making it the first time for a rock band to perform there.
Dubai's Harakat Sikka Animation Training Programme Launches
8.4.25
Dubai's first stop-motion animation programme, Harakat Sikka, is now accepting applications for a practical training course. The programme, part of the Sikka platform, aims to develop visual storytelling skills among young creatives and support the growth of Dubai's animation sector. Led by director and artist Boubaker Boukhari, the 10-participant course will run from August 18 to September 26 at House 436 in Al Shindagha. Participants will learn about each stage of the animation process, including concept development, storyboarding, character design, visual and audio production, and editing. The programme concludes with a public screening of participants' short films at the Sikka Art and Design Festival. Applications are open to UAE nationals and residents aged 18 and above, with a deadline of August 8.
Three high school students from the Alignment Collaborative for Education's internship program, Avery Lilly, Malcolm Wilson, and Gia Mangriotis, designed and painted a mural on a storage trailer outside the Taylor YMCA in Elgin. The project was part of ACE's first visual arts internship, which aims to provide students with hands-on experience and academic credit. The interns received guidance on building their portfolios and websites, as well as help designing business cards. Fifty-five different organizations hosted the interns, who are paid either fully or through grants and donors. The mural was unveiled on Monday and is part of a $250,000 investment by the community and schools in ACE's program this summer.
LACMA Raises $3M with Art Donations from Elite Patrons
8.4.25
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has raised nearly $3m during its annual Collectors Committee Weekend and acquired works by artists Tavares Strachan, Judith Baca, Suzanne Jackson, among others. The gifts and acquisitions were made possible through the generosity of donors such as Hannah McGivern and the Ahmanson Foundation, which has been a long-time patron of LACMA.
Museums Shift from Traditional Philanthropy Models
8.4.25
US museums are shifting away from traditional philanthropic models, with institutions like the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the Andy Warhol Museum forming unconventional partnerships and launching spin-off businesses. This shift is driven by a need for sustainability, as highlighted in recent articles by Julia Halperin. The author notes that docents, often white, middle-class individuals, embody the tensions between tradition and change in US museums. Additionally, the recruitment process for new museum directors has come under scrutiny, with some questioning its transparency. To address these issues, the Readying the Museum group has created a blueprint to prioritize public engagement over trustee influence, aiming to promote equity within institutions and make them more accountable to their communities.