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The Headlines
POWER TO THE PEOPLE. British museums are increasingly handing the compass to the public, inviting ordinary citizens to help chart future policy, priorities, and even funding decisions through citizens’ assemblies, The Art Newspaper wrote. The National Gallery’s newly launched NG Citizens panel is emblematic of this shift, following similar experiments at Birmingham Museums Trust, the Imperial War Museum and the Migration Museum. For the gallery, this is not a token consultation but, as it puts it, a culture-shaping collaboration designed to keep the institution relevant, inclusive and publicly accountable. Supporters argue that museums, among the most trusted of public bodies, are ideal laboratories for democratic decision-making. Randomly selected citizens, properly informed, can grapple with complex questions of value, access and resources, challenging assumptions about who gets to decide. Critics fear a dilution of expertise, but advocates counter that assemblies shape guiding principles, not exhibition lists. The real test, they say, however, is whether institutions are genuinely willing to share power, and act on what the public tells them.
Donald Trump rang in 2026 with a glittering New Year’s Eve gala at his Mar-a-Lago resort, where a portrait of Jesus Christ, painted live on stage, sold for $2.75 million, the Guardian reported. Artist Vanessa Horabuena painted the massive black canvas while Trump lavished praise, declaring her “one of the greatest artists anywhere in the world” and marveling at her ability to conjure a masterpiece in minutes. Opening the bidding at $100,000, he urged her to “draw something really special,” reminding the audience, “loaded with cash,” as he put it, that proceeds would be split between St Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the local sheriff’s department. The winning bid came from a woman in a top hat, before a guest list heavy with political power and celebrity dispersed into the Florida night. Trump’s stated resolution for the year ahead: “peace on Earth.”
The Digest
The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in Marylebone, a museum of musical instruments, will soon be revamped thanks to a £30 million donation from philanthropist Aud Jebsen. [Ian Visits]
A 9,500-year-old cremation pyre uncovered in Malawi, thought to be the world’s oldest, has shed light onto rituals of ancient African hunter-gatherer groups. [Phys Org]
Here are the 20 biggest exhibitions, museum openings, art fairs, and biennials to look out for in 2026. [ARTnews]
The American artist Janet Fish, who was known for her radiant luminous still lifes, died at her Vermont home on December 11, aged 87. [Artforum]
The Kicker
ART LIFE = LONG LIFE. The idea that engaging with art is good for your health is increasingly backed by scientific studies, but, those mindful of Mark Twain’s sardonic warning about “lies, damn lies and statistics” may wonder whether the numbers are too good to be true. Are such claims simply the arts sector pleading its case with selective evidence? The Art Newspaper reported that Daisy Fancourt, professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London, has transformed this question from hopeful assertion into hard science. Instead of relying on small-scale studies, Fancourt turned to the gold standard of epidemiology: large cohort studies following tens of thousands of people over decades. These datasets already tracked health, psychology, income and lifestyle, and several also recorded engagement with cultural activities. Her analyses revealed that people who regularly took part in the arts, whether visiting museums, making music or reading poetry, were significantly less likely to develop depression, even after accounting for wealth, sociability and prior health. Published in 2019 and repeatedly confirmed worldwide, her work makes one thing clear: the arts don’t just enrich life, they measurably protect it.
