Benjamin Sutton
@bhsutton.bsky.social
Copy jockey, pun-slinger and Editor-in-Chief for the Americas at The Art Newspaper. Journalist, editor, critic, occasional curator, smothering cat dad, and year-round cyclist.
Pinned
Buyers of art collective's controversial food industry project to decide young cow's fate
The work, which has sparked online backlash, will see buyers of the project's tokens choose whether Angus becomes hamburgers and handbags, or is sent to live at an animal sanctuary
www.theartnewspaper.com
Vetoed headline of the week: "The final cow-tdown: buyers of MSCHF’s controversial bovine project will decide animal’s fate" www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/07/m...
The California College of the Arts, the last remaining nonprofit art and design school in Northern California, will not remain much longer: www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/13/c...
The California College of the Arts will close in 2027
Last remaining nonprofit art-and-design school in Northern California to shutter after next academic year, when Nashville-based Vanderbilt University will take over campus
www.theartnewspaper.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:59 PM
The California College of the Arts, the last remaining nonprofit art and design school in Northern California, will not remain much longer: www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/13/c...
Trump pulled the US out of more than 60 international groups and alliances including the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/08/t...
Trump pulls US out of international cultural property preservation centre and coalition of arts agencies
In a memo announcing the withdrawals, the president said the organisations ran “contrary to the interests of the United States”
www.theartnewspaper.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Trump pulled the US out of more than 60 international groups and alliances including the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/08/t...
Vetoed headline of the week: "The final cow-tdown: buyers of MSCHF’s controversial bovine project will decide animal’s fate" www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/07/m...
Buyers of art collective's controversial food industry project to decide young cow's fate
The work, which has sparked online backlash, will see buyers of the project's tokens choose whether Angus becomes hamburgers and handbags, or is sent to live at an animal sanctuary
www.theartnewspaper.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Vetoed headline of the week: "The final cow-tdown: buyers of MSCHF’s controversial bovine project will decide animal’s fate" www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/07/m...
Kathleen Goncharov, an influential curator (and artist) who curated countless exhibitions (including at Just Above Midtown, Creative Time and the Boca Raton Museum of Art), was beloved by artists and commissioned the US Pavilion in Venice in 2003, has died: www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/07/k...
Kathleen Goncharov, influential curator who helped many artists ‘realise their dreams’, has died aged 73
Alongside her work at organisations such as New York’s Just Above Midtown gallery and the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida, Goncharov was also an artist
www.theartnewspaper.com
January 7, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Kathleen Goncharov, an influential curator (and artist) who curated countless exhibitions (including at Just Above Midtown, Creative Time and the Boca Raton Museum of Art), was beloved by artists and commissioned the US Pavilion in Venice in 2003, has died: www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/07/k...
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art has returned three sculptures to Cambodia, the first returns under the Smithsonian’s Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns policy, adopted in 2022: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/12/23/s...
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art returns three sculptures to Cambodia
Researchers at the museum concluded that the three artefacts were removed from Cambodia during the civil war of the 1960s and 70s
www.theartnewspaper.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:42 PM
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art has returned three sculptures to Cambodia, the first returns under the Smithsonian’s Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns policy, adopted in 2022: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/12/23/s...
Mary Anne Carter, who has been acting chair of the National Endowment for the Arts since Trump's return to power, has been confirmed as chair. She held that role for part of Trump's first term; she previously worked for the Heritage Foundation, among others www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/12/19/n...
Mary Anne Carter, National Endowment for the Arts chair during Trump’s first term, takes the helm again
Carter has been serving as the agency’s acting chair since January
www.theartnewspaper.com
December 19, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Mary Anne Carter, who has been acting chair of the National Endowment for the Arts since Trump's return to power, has been confirmed as chair. She held that role for part of Trump's first term; she previously worked for the Heritage Foundation, among others www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/12/19/n...
Promising artist lineup for next year's Whitney Biennial, including Precious Okoyomon, Pat Oleszko, Andrea Fraser and her mother Carmen de Monteflores, Martine Gutierrez, Erin Jane Nelson, comedian Julio Torres, and more: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/12/15/p...
56 participating artists, duos and collectives revealed for 2026 Whitney Biennial
The exhibition, co-curated by Whitney Museum of American Art staffers Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, will feature artists from 25 states and Puerto Rico, plus “places marked by the reach of US powe...
www.theartnewspaper.com
December 15, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Promising artist lineup for next year's Whitney Biennial, including Precious Okoyomon, Pat Oleszko, Andrea Fraser and her mother Carmen de Monteflores, Martine Gutierrez, Erin Jane Nelson, comedian Julio Torres, and more: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/12/15/p...
The San Antonio Museum of Art has repatriated nine antiquities to Italy, eight of which will remain on display at the museum through a long-term loan agreement with the Italian ministry of culture www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/12/12/s...
San Antonio Museum of Art repatriates nine antiquities to Italy
The artefacts, most dating from the 4th century BC, include a terracotta statue of a woman and elaborate red-figure vessels
www.theartnewspaper.com
December 15, 2025 at 1:53 AM
The San Antonio Museum of Art has repatriated nine antiquities to Italy, eight of which will remain on display at the museum through a long-term loan agreement with the Italian ministry of culture www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/12/12/s...
Lots to love on the long-awaited Nas and DJ Premier album, including this tribute to graffiti writers that Nas spends about half of name-checking canonic graffiti and street artists, from Lady Pink, Futura, and Taki 183 to Revs, Cost, and so many more: youtu.be/QeR9VfPPwDw?...
Nas & DJ Premier - "Writers" (Visualizer)
YouTube video by Nas
youtu.be
December 12, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Lots to love on the long-awaited Nas and DJ Premier album, including this tribute to graffiti writers that Nas spends about half of name-checking canonic graffiti and street artists, from Lady Pink, Futura, and Taki 183 to Revs, Cost, and so many more: youtu.be/QeR9VfPPwDw?...
Reposted by Benjamin Sutton
Art Basel Miami Beach saw strong sales driven by digital work in the new Zero 10 section and renewed demand for secondary-market material.
buff.ly/cvNBoWD
buff.ly/cvNBoWD
December 8, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Art Basel Miami Beach saw strong sales driven by digital work in the new Zero 10 section and renewed demand for secondary-market material.
buff.ly/cvNBoWD
buff.ly/cvNBoWD
Legal feud between the Philadelphia Art Museum and its former director Sasha Suda keeps getting uglier, with the museum claiming in a recent legal petition that Suda "misappropriated funds from the museum." www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/24/p...
Philadelphia Art Museum accuses fired director of ‘theft’ in court filing
In a petition in response to Sasha Suda’s lawsuit claiming unfair treatment, abuse and more, the museum claims "misappropriated funds”
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Legal feud between the Philadelphia Art Museum and its former director Sasha Suda keeps getting uglier, with the museum claiming in a recent legal petition that Suda "misappropriated funds from the museum." www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/24/p...
The US State Department has confirmed that Mexico-based sculptor Alma Allen will represent the US at the 2026 Venice Biennale, "furthering the Trump Administration’s focus on showcasing American excellence." www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/24/a...
Sculptor Alma Allen officially selected to represent US at 2026 Venice Biennale
The state department’s announcement, delayed by the US government shutdown, says Allen’s presentation will further Donald Trump’s “focus on showcasing American excellence”
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:18 PM
The US State Department has confirmed that Mexico-based sculptor Alma Allen will represent the US at the 2026 Venice Biennale, "furthering the Trump Administration’s focus on showcasing American excellence." www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/24/a...
Daniel Weiss, Metropolitan Museum leader from 2015-23, is the next Philadelphia Art Museum director. In a lawsuit filed after her firing earlier this month, predecessor Sasha Suda claims Weiss told her of PAM leadership: “It is a very dysfunctional board.” www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/21/p...
Philadelphia Art Museum taps former Metropolitan Museum leader after firing previous director
Daniel H. Weiss, who led the Met from 2015 to 2023, will succeed Sasha Suda, who is suing the Philadelphia Art Museum over the circumstances of her firing
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Daniel Weiss, Metropolitan Museum leader from 2015-23, is the next Philadelphia Art Museum director. In a lawsuit filed after her firing earlier this month, predecessor Sasha Suda claims Weiss told her of PAM leadership: “It is a very dysfunctional board.” www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/21/p...
Following the end of the longest government shutdown in US history, the National Gallery of Art is now fully reopened and all parts of the Smithsonian will be back to normal opening hours tomorrow: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/14/u...
With end of US government shutdown, National Gallery of Art and Smithsonian museums start reopening
Areas of the National Gallery of Art and parts of the Smithsonian were open to the public for the first time in more than a month on Friday
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 16, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Following the end of the longest government shutdown in US history, the National Gallery of Art is now fully reopened and all parts of the Smithsonian will be back to normal opening hours tomorrow: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/14/u...
Patience, you must have: more than a decade after the project first started to take shape, the $1bn Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open in Los Angeles next September. www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/12/l...
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art sets September 2026 opening date
The $1bn museum co-founded by the ‘Star Wars’ director George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, will open its futuristic doors next autumn in Los Angeles
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Patience, you must have: more than a decade after the project first started to take shape, the $1bn Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open in Los Angeles next September. www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/12/l...
Sasha Suda, who was abruptly fired by the Philadelphia Art Museum last week, is suing the institution and alleging, among other things, "breaches of contract, bad faith, unfair treatment and abuse": www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/10/s...
Fired director sues Philadelphia Art Museum
Sasha Suda claims in a lawsuit that she was terminated after she “clashed with a small, corrupt and unethical faction” of the museum’s board of trustees
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Sasha Suda, who was abruptly fired by the Philadelphia Art Museum last week, is suing the institution and alleging, among other things, "breaches of contract, bad faith, unfair treatment and abuse": www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/10/s...
Reposted by Benjamin Sutton
NEW EPISODE | The Week in Art Podcast
MFA Boston returns work by enslaved artist David Drake to his heirs, Wifredo Lam, Ghirlandaio’s Adoration of the Magi
Download and listen to the full episode: buff.ly/c50ZR7b
MFA Boston returns work by enslaved artist David Drake to his heirs, Wifredo Lam, Ghirlandaio’s Adoration of the Magi
Download and listen to the full episode: buff.ly/c50ZR7b
November 7, 2025 at 6:45 PM
NEW EPISODE | The Week in Art Podcast
MFA Boston returns work by enslaved artist David Drake to his heirs, Wifredo Lam, Ghirlandaio’s Adoration of the Magi
Download and listen to the full episode: buff.ly/c50ZR7b
MFA Boston returns work by enslaved artist David Drake to his heirs, Wifredo Lam, Ghirlandaio’s Adoration of the Magi
Download and listen to the full episode: buff.ly/c50ZR7b
Reposted by Benjamin Sutton
A 34-year state democratic socialist assemblyman from Queens, Mamdani became the city’s first ever Muslim mayor—and the first immigrant mayor in half a century.
Zohran Mamdani drags the Democratic Party into the future
This was a local race with national implications, whether the party's leaders liked it or not.
www.motherjones.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:41 AM
A 34-year state democratic socialist assemblyman from Queens, Mamdani became the city’s first ever Muslim mayor—and the first immigrant mayor in half a century.
Sasha Suda, the director of the Philadelphia Art Museum (fka the Philadelphia Museum of Art), has been ousted following a divisive rebrand: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/04/p...
Philadelphia Art Museum’s director ousted following divisive rebrand
Sasha Suda had been in the role for three years, but board members complained of a lack of transparency around the institution's recent rebranding
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Sasha Suda, the director of the Philadelphia Art Museum (fka the Philadelphia Museum of Art), has been ousted following a divisive rebrand: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/11/04/p...
🗽 It's election day in New York City. 🗳️ Here's where the three leading candidates for mayor stand on arts and culture: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/23/n...
Where do New York City’s mayoral candidates stand on the arts?
While it is not a central topic in their campaigns, Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa have all addressed issues relevant to artists and arts workers
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:37 PM
🗽 It's election day in New York City. 🗳️ Here's where the three leading candidates for mayor stand on arts and culture: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/23/n...
More than 1,000 objects—including Native American baskets, modernist jewelry, daguerreotypes, scrimshaw and more—were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California's off-site storage site in a robbery: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/30/o...
More than 1,000 objects stolen from Oakland Museum of California in storage facility break-in
Museum leaders and investigators believe stolen objects may soon start to turn up at area pawn shops and second-hand stores
www.theartnewspaper.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:31 PM
More than 1,000 objects—including Native American baskets, modernist jewelry, daguerreotypes, scrimshaw and more—were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California's off-site storage site in a robbery: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/30/o...
Trump has fired all six members of the federal Commission of Fine Arts and will replace them with appointees who "are more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies", per a White House spokesperson www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/29/p...
Trump fires all members of fine arts commission that reviews construction projects in Washington, DC
The White House plans to install new Commission of Fine Arts who “are more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies”
www.theartnewspaper.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Trump has fired all six members of the federal Commission of Fine Arts and will replace them with appointees who "are more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies", per a White House spokesperson www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/29/p...
The vast new terminal one at JFK Airport will include site-specific commissions by Yinka Shonibare, Kelly Akashi, Tomás Saraceno, Ilana Savdie, Julie Curtiss, Firelei Báez and Woody De Othello www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/27/j...
$9.5bn terminal at New York's JFK Airport will feature art by Yinka Shonibare, Firelei Báez, Tomás Saraceno and others
Seven monumental public art commissions will land at the airport’s massive new terminal
www.theartnewspaper.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:48 PM
The vast new terminal one at JFK Airport will include site-specific commissions by Yinka Shonibare, Kelly Akashi, Tomás Saraceno, Ilana Savdie, Julie Curtiss, Firelei Báez and Woody De Othello www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/27/j...
Big drama over a big billboard: the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is suing the Florida Department of Transportation and seeking the removal of a digital billboard erected by its neighbor, the Pérez Art Museum Miami. www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/24/p...
Science museum files lawsuit to have Pérez Art Museum Miami’s billboard removed
According to the Frost Museum of Science next door, the Pamm’s large digital billboard—subject of a previous dispute with the city that was settled last month—violates state laws
www.theartnewspaper.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Big drama over a big billboard: the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is suing the Florida Department of Transportation and seeking the removal of a digital billboard erected by its neighbor, the Pérez Art Museum Miami. www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/24/p...