T/museums

The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Rage and Grief
Arts, Today

Käthe Kollwitz’s fierce belief in social justice and her indelible images made her one of Germany’s best printmakers. A dazzling MoMA show reminds us why.

Crisis-Hit British Museum Gets New Leader
Arts, Today

Nicholas Cullinan will take over the London institution as it faces the fallout from a theft scandal and calls for the return of objects in its collection.

The Ellis Island Museum Gets a Face-Lift
New York, Today

The museum, opened 34 years ago in a 19th-century building, will be refurbished and reimagined, the president of the foundation that operates it said.

36 Hours in Mumbai
Interactive, Today

Explore ancient caves, catch a concert in a former textile mill, feast on mangoes and go on a poetry crawl in this fast-changing Indian city.

Harvard Removes Binding of Human Skin From Book in Its Library
Arts, Yesterday

The decision to find a “respectful final disposition” for human remains used for a 19th-century book comes amid growing scrutiny of their presence in museum collections.

The Broad Museum, a Los Angeles Favorite, Is Expanding
Arts, Yesterday

An expansion designed by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro will add 55,000 square feet to an institution that has become a popular Los Angeles destination.

What’s in Our Queue? ‘The Doom Generation’ and More
Interactive, Yesterday

I’m a New York Times visual editor. Here are five things I’ve been looking at, reading, watching and listening to.

For Richard Serra, Art Was Not Something. It Was Everything.
Arts, Yesterday

He was known as the Man of Steel. But the sculptor was also an eternal poet, reshaping our perception of space, says our critic.

You Know Him From N.B.A. Games. You Know His House From ‘Selling Sunset.’
Arts, Yesterday

For half a century, James Goldstein has been renovating a house by John Lautner. It’s a spectacular legacy. But like everything about Goldstein, it’s complicated.

British Museum Sues Former Curator for Return of Stolen Items
Arts, Yesterday

The museum accuses Peter Higgs, a former keeper of Greek and Roman antiquities, of stealing or damaging at least 1,800 artifacts and selling many on eBay.

Richard Serra, Who Recast Sculpture on a Massive Scale, Dies at 85
Arts, March 26

His tilted walls of rusting steel, monumental blocks and other immense and inscrutable forms created environments that had to be walked through, or around, to be fully experienced.

Once a Roadside Attraction, a Native Burial Site Nears Repatriation
Culture, March 25

Centuries-old grave mounds in Illinois became a flashpoint in the debate over displaying Native American remains. Now, tribes are close to seeing them reburied.

The Met Museum Hires Its First Head of Provenance Research
Culture, March 22

Lucian Simmons is leaving Sotheby’s to lead the museum’s increased efforts to review its collection, which has recently returned looted artifacts, including dozens last year.

The White House Has That Sinking Feeling (Thanks to an Artist)
Culture, March 22

Kiyan Williams, for their Whitney Biennial commission, recreated the column-lined facade from soil. Viewers can watch as it crumbles, sprouts plants and births insects.

Giant Neon Eggs and Other Outdoor Art to See in Hong Kong This Spring
Special Sections, March 22

Eye-popping pieces are cropping up around Victoria Harbor this month, just in time for Art Basel Hong Kong.

Prehistoric Amphibian Ancestor Is Named for Kermit the Frog
Express, March 21

The species seemed to have bug eyes and a smile, so a team of researchers named it Kermitops gratus in honor of the banjo-playing Muppet.

36 Hours in Cape Town
Interactive, March 21

The spectacular South African city is shedding its Eurocentric identity and emerging as a culturally rich African hub.

An Exquisite Biography of a Gilded Age Legend
Book Review, March 21

In Natalie Dykstra’s hands, the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner is a tribute to the power of art.

A British Woman Bought a Brooch for 20 Pounds. It Sold for Nearly £10,000.
Express, March 20

Flora Steel, an art historian living in Rome, bought the brooch 36 years ago at an antiques fair. She realized its value only last year while watching YouTube.

Joan Jonas: A Trailblazer Shines at MoMA
Culture, March 20

A bounteous and playful survey of the 87-year-old artist’s career on the vanguard highway fills the museum and the Drawing Center.

A Museum’s Feminist Artwork Excluded Men. So One Man Took It to Court.
Foreign, March 20

Gender-based discrimination is central to the women-only art installation, in Australia, but one visitor claims it is also illegal.

World War II Loot Found in a Massachusetts Home Is Returned to Okinawa
Express, March 19

The cache of artifacts was discovered in the attic of a veteran’s home after he died. The items were turned over to the F.B.I., which arranged for their return eight decades after the war.

Marcos vacíos y otras rarezas del robo sin resolver del Museo Gardner
En español, March 18

Han pasado 34 años del mayor robo de arte de la historia y aún no aparece ni una sola de las 13 obras sustraídas. Las desconcertantes peculiaridades del caso siguen causando intriga.

2nd Man Charged in Theft of Judy Garland’s Ruby Slippers
Express, March 18

Jerry Hal Saliterman threatened to release a sex tape of a woman if she told the F.B.I. about the theft of the famed red pumps, according to an indictment.

Toby Keith Will Be Inducted Into the Country Hall of Fame This Year
Culture, March 18

The organization behind the honors avoids electing artists in the year of their death, but the singer died in February just after this year’s vote closed.

Modernism, but Make It Cool
Weekend, March 18

Britain exported the architectural style to West Africa and India, but local practitioners adapted it for a different climate and a new kind of politics.

Empty Frames and Other Oddities From the Unsolved Gardner Museum Heist
Culture, March 18

After 34 years, not one of the 13 works stolen during the largest art theft in history has surfaced but the puzzling peculiarities of the case still draw interest.

Crafting a Universe in a Pot
Arts & Leisure, March 17

The ceramic artist Toshiko Takaezu is getting a posthumous reappraisal, thanks to her devoted acolytes — and major shows highlighting her poetic forms.

The Tinge of Stained Glass
Insider, March 16

In the old New York Times headquarters, stained-glass panels adorned the editorial offices — and colored the place in more ways than one.

When Manahahtáanung Became European
Culture, March 16

The New-York Historical Society acknowledges a notorious purchase 400 years ago — and lets the Lenape tell their side: “We are still here.”

For Ytasha Womack, the Afrofuture Is Now
Science, March 16

The writer and filmmaker discusses the blend of theoretical cosmology and Black culture in Chicago’s newest planetarium show.

David Byrne and Huma Abedin Channel Their Inner Art Critics
Styles, March 15

At two of the spring’s major art world events, everyone was a critic.

Once You Watch an Ernie Gehr Film, You’ll Never See the World the Same Way
Culture, March 15

A MoMA series shows how the artist pushes the boundaries of cinema in short movies that both delight and baffle.

5 Things to Do This Weekend
Interactive, March 15

A selection of entertainment highlights this weekend, including Kacey Musgraves's new album, “Deeper Well.”

In Whitney Biennial Artwork, a Message Reveals Itself: ‘Free Palestine’
Culture, March 14

Museum curators said they had been unaware that the artist Demian DinéYazhi’ included the message through the flickering letters of their neon installation.

An Art Show With Celebrity Backing on Behalf of Ukraine
Metro, March 14

Joseph Feury, who is married to the actress Lee Grant, is exhibiting work that includes images of sunflowers, symbols of Ukraine.

Norman Zammitt, Californian Modernist, Had His Eye to the Sky
Weekend, March 14

The Light and Space artist who flew under the radar has his moment in the sun.

36 Hours in Sarasota, Fla.
Interactive, March 14

Kayak through mangroves, take a Black history trolley tour and spot dolphins from a white-sand beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Seattle University to Receive $300 Million Art Collection
Culture, March 13

The hotel developer Richard Hedreen is donating more than 200 artworks, and $25 million in seed money, in honor of his wife, Betty, an alumna.

Dozens of Artists, 3 Critics: Who’s Afraid of the Whitney Biennial 2024?
Weekend, March 13

“Even Better Than the Real Thing” is as a well-intentioned edition of the perpetually debated show. Will it go down as a notable one?

An Artist’s Response to a Racist Mural Walks a Fine Line
Culture, March 12

Activists urged Tate Britain to take an offensive artwork from 1927 off its walls, but the museum instead commissioned Keith Piper to create a response.

Audience Snapshot: Four Years After Shutdown, a Mixed Recovery
Culture, March 12

Covid brought live performance to a halt. Now the audience for pop concerts and sporting events has roared back, while attendance on Broadway and at some major museums is still down.

Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Names New Director
Culture, March 12

Elizabeth C. Babcock, the chief executive of Forever Balboa Park, will start this summer, after Nancy Yao’s withdrawal.

An Artist Who Aims to Be as Eclectic as a Tumblr Feed
T Style, March 12

Anthony Cudahy’s lush, figurative works are inspired, in equal parts, by news footage, family photographs and Renaissance paintings.

Petra Mathers, Author Whose Children’s Stories Soared, Dies at 78
Obits, March 9

Her winsome animal characters and their comic adventures expressed universal truths and feelings, rendered in a naïve and often surrealistic style.

Activists Deface Portrait of Balfour, Who Supported Jewish Homeland
Culture, March 8

A pro-Palestinian group slashed and spray-painted a century-old portrait of the author of the Balfour Declaration at the University of Cambridge in England.

At TEFAF Art Fair, Museums Make Up for Shrinking Private Sales
Culture, March 8

Curators are looking for old art that can resonate with a new audience at the venerable event in the Netherlands.

An Instagram-Ready Immersive Museum Uses Braille. But Is It Accessible?
Culture, March 8

Roy Nachum designed the spectacle-filled Mercer Labs, which he touts as inclusive. But some advocates for blind people say his use of Braille can feel exploitative.

Why Sunday Story Hours Are Coming to the Whitney
Metro, March 8

Libraries are now shut on Sundays, so the museum decided to step up.

‘Decolonizing’ Ukrainian Art, One Name-and-Shame Post at a Time
Foreign, March 8

Oksana Semenik’s social media campaign both educates the curious about overlooked Ukrainian artists — and pressures global museums to relabel art long described as Russian.

Nona Faustine: She’s Putting Herself in Their Places
Weekend, March 7

In striking self-portraits at the Brooklyn Museum, the artist revisits locations with histories of enslavement and reimagines the body as a site of power.

Not Just for Scooby-Doo Anymore — the Secret Door Is Having a Moment
Special Sections, March 7

Homeowners are adding hidden doors and rooms to foil burglars, eke out extra storage space and prepare for Armageddon.

Paper Bag Players Celebrate 65 Years of Making Magic Out of the Ordinary
Culture, March 6

The children’s theater company will bring its latest production, “It’s a Marvelous Paper Bag World!,” to stages in New York this spring.

Patti Smith Sings for a ‘New York Gem’
Styles, March 5

The Morgan Library & Museum drew devotees out for a party celebrating its centennial, including Peter Marino, Vito Schnabel and Walton Ford.

Nations Agree to Refine Pact That Guides the Return of Nazi-Looted Art
Culture, March 5

At a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Washington Principles, officials presented clarifications to the guidelines credited with helping to accelerate restitutions worldwide.

Museum of Chinese in America Names New Leader
Culture, March 5

The museum, which has been the site of protests in recent years, has chosen Michael Lee as its director as it focuses on rebuilding trust.

With a New Holocaust Museum, the Netherlands Faces Its Past
Culture, March 5

The new institution in Amsterdam is the first to tell the full story of the persecution of Dutch Jews during World War II.

Sara Zewde Sows, and Dia Beacon Reaps
Arts & Leisure, March 5

On eight acres, a landscape architect challenges ideas about the legacy of the land, the museum’s history and climate change.

Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Focuses on Forgotten Figures
Arts, March 4

An inaugural digital exhibition, “Becoming Visible,” traces the paths of five notable women whose stories have been largely erased.

London Bids Farewell, for Now, to a Beloved, Overstuffed Walrus
Express, March 4

A taxidermy gallery known for its bulky centerpiece is closing for a two-year renovation.

When a Math Museum Moves, Geometry Helps
Metro, March 4

The National Museum of Mathematics is shifting to temporary space in a former gym on Fifth Avenue.

El legado irreverente de Iris Apfel, ícono del mundo de la moda
En español, March 3

Celebridad internacional de la moda, su exitosa exposición del Met viajó a otros museos y, como una estrella de rock, atrajo a miles de personas en sus apariciones públicas.

Why We Can’t Stop Rushing
N Y T Now, March 2

We know that happiness is to be found in taking our time and being present. How can we slow down?

When an Artist Dies, Who Owns Her Story?
Styles, March 2

The Cuban artist Ana Mendieta fell from a window of her 34th-floor apartment in 1985. Her family members have been fighting for control of her legacy ever since.

Iris Apfel, Eye-Catcher With a Kaleidoscopic Wardrobe, Dies at 102
Obits, March 2

She came to fame in the fashion world in her 80s and 90s, and her wildly eclectic closet of clothes formed a hit exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

2 Charged After Pouring Red Powder Over Case Holding U.S. Constitution
Express, March 2

Two activists poured the powder over the protective case at the National Archives Museum last month to call attention to climate change, prosecutors said.

On Covering the Arts in California
National, March 1

A conversation with Robin Pogrebin, a Los Angeles-based arts writer for The New York Times.

Meet One of America’s Most Elusive Artists
T Style, March 1

Joan Jonas’s maximalist, category-defying work combines video, performance, folklore, sculpture and ecology. At 87, she still has no intention of simplifying anything.

The ‘Griselda’ Creator’s Miami
Travel, March 1

Eric Newman, who created the Netflix show “Narcos” and produced his new show with Sofia Vergara, shares his love for a lesser-known side of the South Florida playground.

Artist Featured in ‘Erotic Carnival’ Ad Campaign Sues Museum of Sex
Arts, February 29

Julia Sinelnikova says the museum plastered an image of a kiss with a girlfriend all over New York, including on the subways, without seeking consent.

Richard Abath, Guard at Center of Boston Art Museum Heist, Dies at 57
U.S., February 29

His decision to let in two robbers disguised as police officers enabled the greatest art theft in history — a crime that remains unsolved today.

What John Singer Sargent Saw
Culture, February 29

At a retrospective of his portraits in London, where the American expatriate fled after creating a scandal in Paris, clothes offer both armor and self-expression.

Black Families Can Now Recover More of Their Lost Histories
Op Ed, February 29

With one pension file, I was able to fill in multiple gaps in my family tree and the location where most of my paternal grandfather’s family had been enslaved.

What to See in N.Y.C. Galleries in March
Weekend, February 28

This week, Holland Cotter covers the Studio Museum in Harlem’s residency results, Sarah Grilo’s little-seen paintings and Mary Lucier’s experimental and heartfelt video art.

Frieze Los Angeles Opens Amid Attention to Asian Artists
Culture, February 28

Spurred by population growth and new patron support, artists from China, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines are getting more recognition from museums and the market.

Surrealism Is 100. The World’s Still Surreal.
Arts & Leisure, February 28

Exhibitions around the world are celebrating the art movement’s centennial and asking whether our crazy dreams can still set us free.

Through Catastrophe, and in Community, the Art of Daniel Lind-Ramos
Weekend, May 4

A storm, a pandemic, and Black Puerto Rican history pervade his work at MoMA PS 1, with materials sourced from daily life.

Spider-Man, We Know Where You Live
Metro, February 7

Letters on display at a small museum in Brooklyn were sent to the same address in Queens as where the comic book hero lived.

Looking for Elbow Room, Louvre Limits Daily Visitors to 30,000
Culture, January 6

With attendance surging back, the museum wants to offer “a moment of pleasure” — and relieve that Mona Lisa problem.

Why One World Trade Is Winning R.T.O.
Interactive, December 13

The tower, next to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, is doing something right; it's at 94 percent occupancy.

Your Thursday Briefing: Iran’s Protests Intensify
N Y T Now, October 26

Plus Myanmar gets closer to Russia and a dire climate report.

After a Covid Contraction, Museums Are Expanding Again
Special Sections, October 20

Projects all over the country include renovations and new wings as institutions continue to bet on bricks and mortar.

San Francisco’s Art Market Struggles in the Shadow of Los Angeles
Culture, August 29

Though some small galleries are opening or expanding, the mega dealers have closed shop, a blow to an area with a vibrant artistic history.

In the Mile High City, Festivals and Food Are on the Rise
Travel, August 11

Denver has regained its prepandemic vibrancy, with a plethora of new restaurants and hotels, and the return of some old favorites.

Covid. A Coma. A Stroke. José Parlá Returns From the Edge.
Culture, July 31

After a lengthy recovery, the artist comes back with the most vigorous work he’s made: “It took me a really long time to understand what had happened to me.”

Covid Memorials Offer a Place to Put Our Grief
Culture, May 5

From “anti-monuments” to ephemeral sand portraits, four art exhibitions encourage viewers to slow down and take stock of our pandemic losses.

Manhattan Springs Back to Life
Travel, May 5

Broadway enthusiasts, art aficionados and food lovers will find new offerings in and around Times Square and in neighborhoods below 42nd Street, heralding the promise of a vibrant recovery.