Dec 14, 2020 • View in browser

Happy Monday! ☂️ Arts leaders are calling for senior executives at Americans for the Arts to resign, how scientists are misusing portraiture, and US Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has blocked bipartisan legislation to establish two new Smithsonian museums dedicated to Latino Americans and American women.

And I want to make sure you didn’t miss this excellent article by Cassie Packard about how Swann Galleries in New York has helped to build a market for African American art in the auction world. I remember attending some of the earlier sales just to see the work, but never imagined it would be as influential as it is today.

– Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief

How Scientists Use and Abuse Portraiture

Detail of Leonardo da Vinci, “Salvator Mundi,” (photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Many scientific studies assume that painted faces are factual representations of the flesh-and-blood countenances to which they refer. This assumption is not only false; it is preposterous, write Yael Rice and Sonja Drimmer in a new piece.

They continue:

A portrait, like any other kind of art, is the product of intersecting demands and desires. It is governed by the goals of the patron, the preferences of the artist, representational norms of a given time and place, the expectations of the anticipated audience, and its intended location and function.

In Other News

Leaders in arts education are calling for the resignation of senior executives at Americans for the Arts, citing failures to address racial equity and claims of harassment within the organization.
Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah has blocked bipartisan legislation to establish two new Smithsonian museums dedicated to Latino Americans and American women.
The Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture will award $12 million in CARES Act relief grants to 337 local arts nonprofits.
The Jewish Museum in Manhattan has the biggest collection of Hanukkah menorahs in the world – we highlighted a few of their gems, plus more.
Banksy’s latest commentary on the COVID-19 era is here.

Latest Reviews

Tomás Esson’s Whirling Gyroscopes of Paint

In The GOAT, tongues, butts, and spillage all combine, expressing a delightful reverence of the corporeal.

Monica Uszerowicz

Celebrating the Creativity, Comradery, and Activism of Japan's Queer Community

The documentary Queer Japan talks to LGBTQ+ people all over the country.

Serena Scateni

A View From the Easel During Times of Quarantine

This week, artists reflect on quarantining from their studios in New York, Michigan, and Greece.

Elisa Wouk Almino

From the Store

Guerrilla Girls Tote Bag

Use it as a tote or wear it as a mask! For when you need to carry something but also be ready to fight the patriarchy at any moment, this tote by intersectional feminist activist artist group Guerrilla Girls will do the trick.

Shop our Guerrilla Girls collection for more ferocious gift ideas!