June 24, 2026
Your morning brew of art world media
Welcome to Art Spell, a daily, comprehensive roundup of art news and reviews for the visual arts community. Today’s Editor’s Pick is Who Will Fight for Artists’ Rights in Congress? by Lauren van Haaften-Schick for Hyperallergic. With Jerry Nadler leaving Congress, artists risk losing a key advocate for resale royalties that would allow them to benefit from the increasing value of their work.
The Art Newspaper
Gameli Hamelo, The Netherlands and Germany agree to return more than 2,000 cultural artefacts to Ghana
Vanessa H. Larson, Smithsonian women’s museum launches augmented reality experience after congressional setback
Ben Luke, A brush with… Anne Imhof—podcast
Gareth Harris, Helen Cammock removes film criticising Winston Churchill from London’s National Portrait Gallery following complaint
Gabriella Angeleti, Fate of historic murals uncertain following Manhattan homeless shelter’s closure
Mercedes Ezquiaga, Restoration work is completed at one of Paraguay’s oldest churches
Vincent Noce, Picasso painting recovered in French drug raid was stolen ‘opportunistically’, police source says
Artforum
Mitchell Anderson, One Basel to Rule Them All: Art Basel 2026
From the Editors, Helen Cammock Pulls Video from London Museum After Portrayal of Churchill Sparks Ire
From the Editors, Picasso, Richter and Hockney Earn Largest Sums at Art Basel Switzerland 2026
From the Editors, Massive I. M. Pei Archive Will be Transferred to MIT Museum
From the Editors, Connie Choi Named Chief Curator of Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation
Artnet
Jo Lawson-Tancred, How Did M.C. Escher Develop His Mind-Bending, Paradoxical World?
Vittoria Benzine, A Knicks Good-Luck Charm Is Now a Guggenheim Exhibit
Richard Whiddington, Restoration Revives Rubens’s Sensual Venus
Vittoria Benzine, Ancient Roman Curse Tablet Deciphered
Min Chen, Long-Hidden Grateful Dead Photos Emerge From the Archives
ARTnews
Tessa Solomon, New Museum and Korea’s Ulsan Art Museum Inaugurate Partnership with Ho Tzu Nyen Commission
Maximilíano Durón, Manhattan Borough President Plans to Use His $50 M. Budget Toward the Arts, as Rebuff to the Trump Administration
Andy Battaglia, National Trust, Mid-Fight with Trump over White House Ballroom and Kennedy Center, Elects New President
Leigh Anne Miller, R.M.S. Titanic’s Plan to Sell Salvaged Artifacts at Auction Faces Ongoing Opposition
Tessa Solomon, Artists Facing Censorship Can Turn to This New Guideline for Guidance
Anne Doran, Charles Hinman, Known for His Sculptural Paintings, Has Died at 93
Maximilíano Durón, Masterpieces from the Reuben Collection to Go on View at the Courtauld Gallery in London
Brian Boucher, Paris Drug Bust Recovers Stolen $17 M. Picasso Canvas
Harrison Jacobs, How Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch’s Lunch With Trump Actually Went Down
Maximilíano Durón, Art Loss Register Recovers 17th-Century Flemish Painting Stolen in 2020
Maximilíano Durón, Studio Museum’s Connie H. Choi Named Chief Curator of the Barnes Foundation
ArtReview
Stephanie Bailey, Shuruq Harb Looks for a Way Out
From the Editors, ArtReview Podcast | Episode 8: Nalini Malani
From the Editors, Theme announced for Steirischer Herbst 2026
From the Editors, Dundee’s Cooper Gallery threatened with closure
Frieze
Annabel Keenan, The Inaugural Medina Triennial: A Thoughtful Show With an Identity Crisis
The Guardian
Olivia McEwan, Game of stones: how paintings of marble reveal a world of magical medieval mysticism
Stephanie Convery, Artist accused of winning prize with ‘imitation’ won Australian award with piece ‘influenced’ by Basquiat
Hyperallergic
Valentina Di Liscia and Rebecca Schiffman, Pace Gallery’s Hall of Mirrors
EDITOR’S PICK - Lauren van Haaften-Schick, Who Will Fight for Artists’ Rights in Congress?: Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler has led the fight to bring resale royalties to artists in the US. With his retirement, it could all go away.
Alex Bowditch, James Cahill’s Character Study of the Art World
Isa Farfan, Hundreds of Artists Ask NYC Mayor to Ban AI in Schools
Mala Iqbal, Going Deep With Brenda Goodman
Paddy Johnson, James Wagner, Insatiable Art Collector, Dies at 85
The New York Times
Aruna D’Souza, An Artist Creates Moments for Play, and Solidarity
Emily LaBarge, A Show for All Seasons: Henry Moore’s Art, Reborn in Open Air
Elisabetta Povoledo, Up Late With Botticelli as the Uffizi Gets a Reset
Alex Williams, Charles Hinman, Who Brought New Dimensions to Painting, Dies at 93
Observer
Joshua Mellin, In the Depths of Osaka’s Namba Station, Works From the Art Institute of Chicago Await
Elisa Carollo, The Lewis and Zabludowicz Collections Anchor London’s June Auctions in the Art Market’s Final Pre-Summer Test
Elisa Carollo, After Capri, St. Moritz and Abu Dhabi, NOMAD Heads to the Hamptons
Urgent Matter
Adam Schrader, Free guide coaches artists to resist censorship as the NEA case it cites reaches appeal
Adam Schrader, Claire Valdez, who came to New York for the arts, wins NY-7 primary
Art Spell is a free daily roundup of art news and reviews to help you stay current with what’s being reported on in the visual arts community. Help us grow the Art Spell community by subscribing and sharing the newsletter with friends and colleagues who want to stay connected to the art world.