Our weekly news roundup is an extension of Paint Drippings, which drops first in The Back Room, our lively recap funneling only the week’s must-know art industry intel into a nimble read you’ll actually enjoy. Artnet News Pro members get exclusive access—subscribe now to receive this in your inbox every Friday.
Art Fairs
– Expo Chicago’s upcoming edition, running from April 24 through 27, will feature over 170 galleries from 36 countries and 93 cities. It will include a collaboration with the Galleries Association of Korea, bringing 20 Korean galleries within the fair’s core section. (Press release)
– Volta marks its 20th anniversary with a move to a larger venue in Hall 4 of Basel’s Messe. Running June 19 to 22, the fair will feature more than 65 galleries from over 20 countries. (Press release)
– After 13 years, Omar López-Chahoud is stepping down as the artistic director of Untitled Art, Miami Beach to pursue new projects. (Press release)
Auction Houses
– Sotheby’s and Christie’s are competing for the contemporary art trove of Barbara Gladstone, who died last year at 89. (Artnet News)
– Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1984 painting Sabado por la Noche (Saturday Night) will headline Christie’s 20th- and 21st-century evening sale in Hong Kong on March 28 with an estimate of HK$95 million to HK$125 million(about $13 million to $16 million). (Artnet News)
– A previously unknown painting by French Romantic giant Eugène Delacroix, Study of Reclining Lions, will come to auction on March 28 at Hôtel Drouot in Paris. The piece is estimated at €200,000 to €300,000(about $217,000 to $326,000). (Artnet News)
– Julien Pradels has been named the new regional president of the Americas at Christie’s. (Press release)
Galleries
– Rumors of a partnership set-up between Sotheby’s and Pace have intensified, as a source close to the auction house and the gallery described it as a “joint venture between Pace and Sotheby’s that will be multifaceted and has many elements.” (ARTnews)
– Mennour has taken on representation of Adam Pendelton, Nara Roeslerannounced the representation of Mônica Ventura, Merlin James is now repped by Chris Sharp Gallery, and Pearl Lam Galleries said it’s now representing Damian Elwe. (Press releases)
Museums and Institutions
– The Getty acquired the archive of American artist Raymond Pettibon. Its Reference Collection will house paint tubes and ink jars tied to his practice, while the bulk of the archive will be housed at the Getty Research Institute. (Press release)
– The Tate has cut close to a tenth of its staff (about 40 roles) following a fundraising deficit. (Financial Times)
– The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis will launch a design triennial in the fall of 2026. Its inaugural curator will be architect, curator, and editor Joseph Grima. (Press release)
– This summer, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is set to open parts of the plaza around its new David Geffen Galleries. The institution is slated to reopen in its new Peter Zumthor-designed building in April 2026. (Los Angeles Times)
Tech and Legal
– A Black Lives Matter mural in Washington, D.C., is being demolished after Andrew Clyde, a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Georgia, filed legislation threatening to withhold millions of dollars in federal funding unless the city removed it. (Artnet News)
– The Trump administration is making deep cuts to staff at the General Services Administration, which is responsible for caring for over 26,000public artworks. (Artnet News)
People
– Edward Gillman has been appointed as director of the Chisenhale Gallery in London, succeeding Zoé Whitley. He joins from Auto Italia, a non-profit visual arts institution in the British capital. (Press release)
– Denise Markonish has been tapped as the next chief curator of the Madison Square Park Conservancy in New York. (New York Times)
