Art Basel appoints new director to a newly created position; and two other stories

We are happy to curate trending stories for you from the many fascinating developments across the globe. Here’s the latest from the art world that you should not miss!

Philadelphia under fire for Harriet Tubman monument

The statue of Harriet Tubman is planned to be Philadelphia’s first monument to a historical Black woman that has now landed in a controversy in the city due to the selection of a white male artist to construct it. The project was announced in March and is expected to cost $500,000. Numerous attendees in the virtual public meeting held on June 15 for input about the sculpture expressed their objections to sculptor Wofford’s selection. “As an artist, it’s hurtful and it is traumatizing,” textile artist Dee Jones said during the meeting. “If it was an open call and Wesley was chosen, it would be fine. But because the process wasn’t open, that’s the big issue.”Artnet news reports. A public input survey for the project (https://www.creativephl.org/philadelphia-harriet-tubman/) is open till July 13.

Robbery at European Fine Art Fair

Police in the Dutch city of Maastricht have arrested two men after a suspected robbery at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) was caught on camera. Two other suspects are still on the run. A video taken by an eyewitness shows four smartly dressed men wearing flat caps and glasses trying to smash their way into a display case. Police say they\’re investigating what might have been taken, and if the men were armed. \”It\’s still part of the investigation if other weapons were used but we have seen the same videos and social media posts,\” a spokesperson for Limburg Police told Euronews. Read more on Euronews.

Art Basel appoints new director to a newly created position

Art Basel has appointed Vincenzo de Bellis to the newly created position of Director of Fairs and Exhibition Platforms worldwide. He’s currently a curator at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. De Bellis, who takes up his new job in August, comes to Art Basel with experience in the fair world. Prior to his role at the Walker Art Center, he was the artistic director of miart, the Milan’s international fair of Modern and Contemporary Art, between 2012 and 2016, during which time exhibitor numbers doubled. “I’m excited to expand the spectrum of exhibition platforms to further explore ways in which Art Basel can provide opportunities of exchange between local and global art scenes and communities of artists, gallerists, collectors, art institutions, as well as present and future art lovers,” De Bellis says in a statement. Get the details on The Art Newspaper.