Art Spell
@artspell.bsky.social
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Art Spell
@artspell.bsky.social
· May 1
About - Art Spell
Your morning brew of art world media. Click to read Art Spell, a Substack publication.
www.artspell.media
Art Spell has joined Blue Sky! Available on Substack, Art Spell delivers a daily list of top art world stories and reviews from our most trusted media sources. We’ll be sharing our Daily Pick here each morning. Subscriptions are free for art writers & editors; learn more at www.artspell.media/about
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Alma Allen’s Pick as America’s Venice Biennale Representative Is Deeply Dispiriting' by Alex Greenberger for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. One journalist’s opinion on the issue with a Venice Biennale representative that doesn’t confront politics.
Alma Allen’s Pick as America’s Venice Biennale Representative Is Deeply Dispiriting
In picking Alma Allen to do its 2026 Venice Biennale pavilion, the US has found its sought-after 'non-political' artist.
www.artnews.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Alma Allen’s Pick as America’s Venice Biennale Representative Is Deeply Dispiriting' by Alex Greenberger for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. One journalist’s opinion on the issue with a Venice Biennale representative that doesn’t confront politics.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Art Market Reporters Are Getting It All Wrong' by Marc J. Straus for @hyperallergic.com. In a pointed opinion piece, Straus fills in the gaps left by art-market reporters about the market’s downturns and rebounds.
Art Market Reporters Are Getting It All Wrong
The worst of the current market decline is not the closure of major galleries. It is the dozens of younger galleries that have gone under in the past three and a half years.
hyperallergic.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Art Market Reporters Are Getting It All Wrong' by Marc J. Straus for @hyperallergic.com. In a pointed opinion piece, Straus fills in the gaps left by art-market reporters about the market’s downturns and rebounds.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Artists Across the U.S. Are Staging Hundreds of Events to Protest Authoritarianism' by Helen Stoilas for @artnet.bsky.social. A look into the artist-led movement, “Fall of Freedom.”
Artists Across the U.S. Are Staging Hundreds of Events to Protest Authoritarianism
Fall of Freedom, a program of events across the U.S., aims to activate the country’s creative community against authoritarian threats.
news.artnet.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Artists Across the U.S. Are Staging Hundreds of Events to Protest Authoritarianism' by Helen Stoilas for @artnet.bsky.social. A look into the artist-led movement, “Fall of Freedom.”
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Told to Avoid D.E.I., Arts Groups Are Declining Grants Instead' by Michaela Towfighi for @nytimes.com. Arts organizations prioritize freedom of expression over their federal funding.
Told to Avoid D.E.I., Arts Groups Are Declining Grants Instead
www.nytimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Told to Avoid D.E.I., Arts Groups Are Declining Grants Instead' by Michaela Towfighi for @nytimes.com. Arts organizations prioritize freedom of expression over their federal funding.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'After the Death of Two Titans, Where Are the Next Giant Art Patrons?' by Robin Pogrebin for @nytimes.com. Considering the uncertain future of cultural philanthropy and the next generation of major art patrons.
After the Death of Two Titans, Where Are the Next Giant Art Patrons?
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'After the Death of Two Titans, Where Are the Next Giant Art Patrons?' by Robin Pogrebin for @nytimes.com. Considering the uncertain future of cultural philanthropy and the next generation of major art patrons.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Climate report from Getty’s PST Art programme urges cultural organisations to confront exhibitions’ impacts' by Annabel Keenan for @theartnewspaper.bsky.social. Through a new initiative, the Getty has encouraged museums to adopt more sustainable exhibition practices.
Climate report from Getty’s PST Art programme urges cultural organisations to confront exhibitions’ impacts
The report is a significant step toward addressing the environmental sustainability of art world activities
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Climate report from Getty’s PST Art programme urges cultural organisations to confront exhibitions’ impacts' by Annabel Keenan for @theartnewspaper.bsky.social. Through a new initiative, the Getty has encouraged museums to adopt more sustainable exhibition practices.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is '‘They Want to Kill Art’: The French Art World Is Up In Arms Over a Proposal to Impose New Taxes on Art' by @brianboucher.bsky.social for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. Two French parliamentarians aim to impose a wealth tax on the possession of artworks.
‘They Want to Kill Art’: The French Art World Is Up In Arms Over a Proposal to Impose New Taxes on Art
Two French politicians are proposing new taxes on the possession of art in the country's 2026 budget. A broad coalition opposes the new tax scheme.
www.artnews.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is '‘They Want to Kill Art’: The French Art World Is Up In Arms Over a Proposal to Impose New Taxes on Art' by @brianboucher.bsky.social for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. Two French parliamentarians aim to impose a wealth tax on the possession of artworks.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Race in the Museum' by @artcrimeprof.bsky.social for The Brooklyn Rail. Examining the ways in which our museums were built upon, and continue to reflect, the construct of race.
Race in the Museum | The Brooklyn Rail
In the fall of 2023, I went to the American Museum of Natural History to sit shiva for a man who died nearly 1,500 years ago. The dry conditions and fluctuating temperatures of the high desert in what...
brooklynrail.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Race in the Museum' by @artcrimeprof.bsky.social for The Brooklyn Rail. Examining the ways in which our museums were built upon, and continue to reflect, the construct of race.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'One-Third of US Museums Feel the Pain of Trump’s Grant Cuts' by @isafarfan.bsky.social for @hyperallergic.com. A new survey by the American Alliance of Museums shows the direct consequences from the loss of government funding.
One-Third of US Museums Feel the Pain of Trump’s Grant Cuts
Two-thirds of affected institutions have not been able to find alternative sources of funding, says a survey by the American Alliance of Museums.
hyperallergic.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'One-Third of US Museums Feel the Pain of Trump’s Grant Cuts' by @isafarfan.bsky.social for @hyperallergic.com. A new survey by the American Alliance of Museums shows the direct consequences from the loss of government funding.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Observer’s 2025 Art Power Index: The Art Market’s Most Influential People' by the editors of Observer. The art world’s most powerful people, including dealers, fair directors, journalists, and artists.
Observer’s 2025 Art Power Index: The Art Market’s Most Influential People
Their acquisitions, affinities and approbations move the needle on valuation and redefine how art is made, shown and sold.
observer.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Observer’s 2025 Art Power Index: The Art Market’s Most Influential People' by the editors of Observer. The art world’s most powerful people, including dealers, fair directors, journalists, and artists.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Hard Truths: How Can a Curator at a Big Museum Evade Invisibility?' by @andybattaglia.bsky.social for Art in America. Art world consultants answer tough career questions posed by readers.
Hard Truths: How Can a Curator at a Big Museum Evade Invisibility?
A curator wriggles under constraints, and a designer rues obsolescence.
www.artnews.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Hard Truths: How Can a Curator at a Big Museum Evade Invisibility?' by @andybattaglia.bsky.social for Art in America. Art world consultants answer tough career questions posed by readers.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Why Zohran Mamdani’s Victory Is Good for the Art World (But Some Are Still Panicking)' by The Art Daddy for Observer. A sharp opinion piece on why wealthy art world patrons are panicking about Zohran Mamdani.
Why Zohran Mamdani’s Victory Is Good for the Art World (But Some Are Still Panicking)
If his vision threatens the art world, then the art world in question was never about the art. It was an investment strategy with wall labels.
observer.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Why Zohran Mamdani’s Victory Is Good for the Art World (But Some Are Still Panicking)' by The Art Daddy for Observer. A sharp opinion piece on why wealthy art world patrons are panicking about Zohran Mamdani.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Did the U.S. Finally Select an Artist for the Venice Biennale?' by Jo Lawson-Tancred for @artnet.bsky.social. The latest updates on the status of U.S. participation in the Venice Biennale.
Did the U.S. Finally Select an Artist for the Venice Biennale?
Alma Allen has reportedly been chosen to represent the U.S., just as reports emerged that another artist was dropped from consideration.
news.artnet.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Did the U.S. Finally Select an Artist for the Venice Biennale?' by Jo Lawson-Tancred for @artnet.bsky.social. The latest updates on the status of U.S. participation in the Venice Biennale.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'The Art World Reacts to Zohran Mamdani’s Win as Mayor of New York City: ‘A Remarkable Moment’' by Alex Greenberger for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. Artists, curators, and critics weigh in on the victory.
The Art World Reacts to Zohran Mamdani’s Win as Mayor of New York City: ‘A Remarkable Moment’
The art world reacted to Zohran Mamdani's win as Mayor of New York City, with many artists expressing hope and joy.
www.artnews.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'The Art World Reacts to Zohran Mamdani’s Win as Mayor of New York City: ‘A Remarkable Moment’' by Alex Greenberger for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. Artists, curators, and critics weigh in on the victory.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'When Algorithms Curate Culture, What Do We Lose?' by Michele Y. Smith for Observer. Why A.I. can’t replace human curators, and what a partnership between the two could achieve.
When Algorithms Curate Culture, What Do We Lose?
Michele Y. Smith, CEO of Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP), examines how A.I.-driven curation is reshaping what we watch, listen to and value, and what’s being lost in the process. Smith argu…
observer.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'When Algorithms Curate Culture, What Do We Lose?' by Michele Y. Smith for Observer. Why A.I. can’t replace human curators, and what a partnership between the two could achieve.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Is It Ever Okay to Work for Free?' by Joanna Walsh for @artreview.bsky.social. Highlighting the barriers to accessibility for artists and calling for the establishment of living wage standards.
Is It Ever Okay to Work for Free?
Getting work paid is only one part of the problem: getting innovative work paid is another
artreview.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Is It Ever Okay to Work for Free?' by Joanna Walsh for @artreview.bsky.social. Highlighting the barriers to accessibility for artists and calling for the establishment of living wage standards.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Trump May Be the Most Consequential Arts President. It’s Time for a Unified Response' by Brett Egan for @artnet.bsky.social. Making the case for a nonpartisan national arts policy as a unified response to President Trump’s sweeping interventions into the arts.
Trump May Be the Most Consequential Arts President. How to Respond?
Donald Trump has put into effect a broad and sweeping arts policy. How can the sector mount a unified response?
news.artnet.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Trump May Be the Most Consequential Arts President. It’s Time for a Unified Response' by Brett Egan for @artnet.bsky.social. Making the case for a nonpartisan national arts policy as a unified response to President Trump’s sweeping interventions into the arts.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Frieze Editors Discuss the Best Works of the 21st Century' by @sfburns.bsky.social, @andrew-durbin.bsky.social, @seepackard.bsky.social and Terence Trouillot for Frieze Magazine. Four editors take on the challenge of selecting the 25 greatest artworks created since 2000.
Frieze Editors Discuss the Best Works of the 21st Century
The how, why and woes of distilling a quarter century of groundbreaking art into a single list
www.frieze.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Frieze Editors Discuss the Best Works of the 21st Century' by @sfburns.bsky.social, @andrew-durbin.bsky.social, @seepackard.bsky.social and Terence Trouillot for Frieze Magazine. Four editors take on the challenge of selecting the 25 greatest artworks created since 2000.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Qatar to Launch New Quadrennial in 2026' by @sarahldouglas.bsky.social and Alex Greenberger for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. Qatar works to establish itself as a leading art center with the launch of Rubaiya Qatar, a new quadrennial debuting in November 2026.
Qatar to Launch New Quadrennial in 2026
Qatar with launch a major new quadriennial in 2026 with a show curated by Tom Eccles, Ruba Katrib, and more.
www.artnews.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Qatar to Launch New Quadrennial in 2026' by @sarahldouglas.bsky.social and Alex Greenberger for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. Qatar works to establish itself as a leading art center with the launch of Rubaiya Qatar, a new quadrennial debuting in November 2026.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Is It Getting Better to Work in Museums?' by @zacharyhsmall.bsky.social for @nytimes.com. A study found that while museum workers report higher job satisfaction, there is still room for improvement.
Is It Getting Better to Work in Museums?
www.nytimes.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Is It Getting Better to Work in Museums?' by @zacharyhsmall.bsky.social for @nytimes.com. A study found that while museum workers report higher job satisfaction, there is still room for improvement.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Picture of health: going to art galleries can improve wellbeing, study reveals' by @andrewgregory.com for @theguardian.com. A study found that viewing original works by artists like Manet, Van Gogh, and Gauguin in a gallery elicited positive physiological responses.
Picture of health: going to art galleries can improve wellbeing, study reveals
Viewing original works of art can relieve stress, cut heart disease risk and boost immune system, first study of its kind finds
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'Picture of health: going to art galleries can improve wellbeing, study reveals' by @andrewgregory.com for @theguardian.com. A study found that viewing original works by artists like Manet, Van Gogh, and Gauguin in a gallery elicited positive physiological responses.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'A.I. Is Coming for Museums. The Opportunities Are Vast—So Are the Pitfalls' by András Szántó and Thomas P. Campbell for @artnet.bsky.social. A museum director and cultural strategist share insights on AI from the biannual Museums of Tomorrow Roundtable.
A.I. Is Coming for Museums. What Are the Potentials—and Pitfalls?
Thomas P. Campbell and András Szántó reflect on what A.I. will mean for museums, after the Museums of Tomorrow roundtable.
news.artnet.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'A.I. Is Coming for Museums. The Opportunities Are Vast—So Are the Pitfalls' by András Szántó and Thomas P. Campbell for @artnet.bsky.social. A museum director and cultural strategist share insights on AI from the biannual Museums of Tomorrow Roundtable.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'The Myth of the Digital Threat: How Technology Expands Art’s Reach' by Arline Mann for Observer. Digital art presents new artistic opportunities, complementing rather than replacing physical art.
The Myth of the Digital Threat: How Technology Expands Art’s Reach
Arline Mann, artist and former Goldman Sachs managing director, examines the anxiety surrounding digital art’s rise and what it reveals about how audiences engage with creativity today. Mann explor…
observer.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'The Myth of the Digital Threat: How Technology Expands Art’s Reach' by Arline Mann for Observer. Digital art presents new artistic opportunities, complementing rather than replacing physical art.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'What Is the Future of Collecting?: An Introduction to the 2025 Edition of the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors List' by Max Durón for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. Leading figures from ARTnews’ annual Top 200 Collectors list share their perspectives on the future of collecting.
What Is the Future of Collecting?: An Introduction to the 2025 Edition of the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors List
For the 2025 edition of the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list, our collectors take stock of the future of art collecting and more.
www.artnews.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'What Is the Future of Collecting?: An Introduction to the 2025 Edition of the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors List' by Max Durón for @artnews.com.web.brid.gy. Leading figures from ARTnews’ annual Top 200 Collectors list share their perspectives on the future of collecting.
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'At Art Basel Paris, Experimentalists and Their Big Ideas Are Celebrated' by Dale Berning Sawa for @nytimes.com. A critic offers an early look at presentations ahead of Art Basel Paris.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/a...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/a...
At Art Basel Paris, Experimentalists and Their Big Ideas Are Celebrated
www.nytimes.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Today’s Editor’s Pick is 'At Art Basel Paris, Experimentalists and Their Big Ideas Are Celebrated' by Dale Berning Sawa for @nytimes.com. A critic offers an early look at presentations ahead of Art Basel Paris.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/a...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/a...