Michigan contemporary art museum will close permanently due to funding shortages

A SUMMARY OF THE MOST EXCITING ART NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

While we focus on Indian art, we can’t obviously function in a vacuum. It’s a small world and everything is connected, especially on the web. So, let’s train our spotlight across the world map to see what’s going on — from art trends to socio-political issues to everything that affects the great aesthetic global consciousness. Or, let’s just travel the world and have some fun!

Snoop Dogg, Madonna and More Celebs Are Being Sued

A class-action lawsuit alleges that celebrities were paid to promote Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs and did not disclose such deals. Plaintiffs allege that Yuga Labs\’ parent company conspired with Hollywood talent manager Guy Oseary and crypto-trading app MoonPay. The complaint was filed to the federal Central District Court of California by Adonis Real and Adam Titcher on behalf of two investors. MoonPay\’s statement misleadingly suggested to investors that the promotion of MoonPay and the BAYC NFT collection within the so-called music video from Defendants Post and Tesfaye [the Weeknd] was something that occurred. Plaintiffs\’ lawyers allege that blockchain transactions show that Malone was transferred $1.4 million worth of ether in October 2021. The complaint repeatedly singles out Oseary as a kind of mastermind in the alleged scheme. Details on ArtNews.

Roman treasure stolen from British Museum

Thousands of dollars worth of historical artifacts are suspected of being stolen in England, according to a report on Thursday Daily Mail. The lost treasures from Roman times should be examined by the British Museum. The find includes 28 Roman silver coins and a silver bar unearthed in Rutland earlier this year. British Museum\’s Portable Antiquities Scheme and the government\’s process for the fair stewardship of treasure finds are at risk, according to Daily Mail. The PAS program was launched in 2003 amid fears that an increase in metal detection was leading to the loss of important archaeological finds. To better ensure that finds are reported and evaluated, the system allows metal probe seekers to voluntarily report their finds to a local Finds Liaison Officer, usually hosted by the local government museums. Read more on ArtNews.

Michigan contemporary art museum will close permanently due to funding shortages

The Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts (UICA) in Grand Rapids will shut down early next year. UICA was launched in 1977 by a group of Grand Rapids artists, quickly becoming a focal point for the city\’s creative community. Two years later it was displaced when its original home was demolished to make for the parking structure of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. In the ensuing decades it relocated to various spaces around the Rust Belt city, merging with local non-profit ArtWorks in 2006 and, seven years later, with Kendall College of Art and Design. The museum left its longtime building at 2 Fulton Street West during the Covid-19 pandemic and relocated to the Kendall College of Art and Design campus. Last July, the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara announced it would close permanently. Kendall College of Art and Design will take over UICA\’s popular Holiday Artists Market and its long-running partnership with ArtPrize. Read more on The Art Newspaper.