Friday, May 1
Company Gallery Now Represents Ambera Wellmann
Ambera Wellmann, whose paintings depict bodies intertwining in various states of play and violence, has joined Company Gallery in New York. Figures in Wellmann’s paintings dance around and within one another, forming enigmatic shapes. The artist’s work has previously been exhibited at Lulu in Mexico City, the 16th Istanbul Biennale in 2019, MoMA Warsaw, and other international venues.
Madrid Dealer Donates $1.1 M. to Coronavirus Research in Spain
Dealer and collector Helga de Alvear, who runs a Madrid-based gallery, has donated €1 million (about $1.1 million) to efforts dedicated to finding a Covid-19 vaccine. The money was directed toward research conducted by Luis Enjuanes, a virologist for the Higher Council for Scientific Research.
National Portrait Gallery Announces Winner of “The Outwin 2019” People’s Choice Award
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery has named artist ADÁL winner of the “The Outwin 2019” People’s Choice Award for his photograph Muerto Rico (Dead Rico), which depicts a masked person submerged in bathwater. Over 17,000 visitors to the Portrait Gallery’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition exhibition voted for ADÁL’s print, setting a record number of ballot’s cast. “The 2019 competition celebrates ADÁL as the second Latinx artist to receive the triennial’s People’s Choice Award,” said Taína Caragol, the triennial’s co-curator and the Portrait Gallery’s curator of Latino art and history, adding, “It’s an exciting moment for Latinx artists.”
Thursday, April 30
Contemporary Istanbul Names New Director
The Contemporary Istanbul fair has named a new director: Melih İsmail İnan, who has worked with Contemporary Istanbul for nearly a decade. The fair also dated its 2020 edition, which is set to run from September 24 to 27 in the Turkish capital, and will also launch a digital iteration this year, making the experience accessible to visitors who choose to remain at home.
College Art Association Appoints Three Board Members
The College Art Association, a New York–based organization that facilitates academic art-historical studies, has named John Davis, Katy Rogers, and Kenneth Wissoker to its Board of Directors. Davis is an art historian who served on the faculty of Smith College for 25 years; he currently serves as associate provost and dean for academic development at the Smithsonian Institution. Katy Rogers is vice president and secretary of the Dedalus Foundation, where she also serves as the programs director and director of the Robert Motherwell catalogue raisonné project. Kenneth Wissoker is senior executive editor at Duke University Press. Each will serve a four-year term on the CAA board.
Wednesday, April 29
Terra Foundation Announces Covid-19 Relief Fund
The Terra Foundation for American Art, a Chicago-based arts nonprofit, has pledged $8 million toward funding and relief for domestic and international visual arts organizations impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Up to $4 million in grants will be awarded in the first round of emergency relief funding. U.S. museums will be awarded funding over a two-year period, with grants going toward collection-based projects and exhibitions on American art.
Seattle Art Fair Canceled Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
The organizers of the Seattle Art Fair said that they will cancel this year’s edition of the event, scheduled to take place from July 23–26. As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many large-scale events that look to draw huge crowds have been forced to cancel their plans through the summer, as it still remains unclear when mass gatherings of the kind will be able to go on as intended. In a statement the fair’s director, Kira Burge, said, “Seattle’s cultural community is coming together with incredible strength and ingenuity right now. We look forward to the time when we can once again gather to celebrate the exciting artistic talent in the Pacific Northwest.” –Maximilíano Durón
Tuesday, April 28
Deborah Cullen-Morales Joins Mellon Foundation
The New York–based Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has hired Deborah Cullen-Morales as a program officer in its Arts and Cultural Heritage division. Cullen-Morales was most recently the director of the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York, and she previously served as the director of the Wallach Art Gallery at Columbia University, where she oversaw its expansion. Prior to that she was the director of curatorial programs at El Museo del Barrio. In a statement, Elizabeth Alexander, the Mellon Foundation’s president, said, “Having led multiple arts institutions, including museums, university galleries, and artist-run spaces, Deborah brings to the position field-wide perspective, deep appreciation of the central role of artists in shaping arts organizations, and a vast network of relationships with artists, curators, scholars, and cultural leaders.” —Maximilíano Durón
Monday, April 27
David Zwirner to Spotlight Los Angeles Galleries Through Platform Initiative
David Zwirner, one of the world’s biggest galleries, has announced the launch of Platform: Los Angeles, an online viewing room that will feature 13 Los Angeles–based galleries, which will each present works by a single artist from their programs. The galleries participating in the initiative are Commonwealth and Council, François Ghebaly, Night Gallery, Hannah Hoffman, Jenny’s, Kristina Kite, Château Shatto, Nonaka-Hill, O-Town House, Park View / Paul Soto, Parker Gallery, The Pit, and Wilding Cran Gallery. This is the third edition of the Platform series introduced in March, which currently includes Platform: New York and Platform: London, all three of which will be live on David Zwirner’s website starting on May 1.
New Initiative by Hauser & Wirth Showcases Art by Gallery Staff
Through its new platform “Homegrown,” Hauser & Wirth gallery is selling artworks created by staffers and their family members in bi-weekly exhibitions. Proceeds from the sales will go to the artists, with 10 percent of the funds directed to the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Works on view, which are collected for the exhibitions through an open call, include paintings, drawings, sculptures, videos, and more.
Magnum Photos Donates $1 M. to Doctors Without Borders
The international photography cooperative Magnum Photos announced via Instagram today that it would give $1 million to the nonprofit Doctors Without Borders to support its Covid-19 response. The funds were raised by way of the recent Magnum Square Print Sale, titled “Turning Points.”