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Trump-Backed Federal Council Aims to Reduce Protections of Historic Sites

On Friday, the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), most of whose members were appointed by President Trump or include leaders of Trump-controlled agencies, sent an internal draft proposal to eliminate federal regulations requiring public and state input before construction begins on historic sites, as first reported The Atlantic . The suggested amendments to regulations, shared by the Washington Post , have stoked fears that the requested changes to existing rules will give Trump nearly unchecked power to build a portfolio of controversial projects monumentalizing him in the US capital, while also threatening historic sites around the country, including those considered sacred by Indigenous tribes. “This is not only a massive assault on laws that have benefited that nation for some 60 years, it almost completely eliminates the role of the public,” added Charles A. Birnbaum, CEO of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, in a statemen...
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V&A Museum’s Head of Academic Programs Quits Citing ‘Racist’ Behavior of Staff, Newly Revealed Letter Shows

The former head of academic programs at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London resigned in late January after accusing the institution’s staff of “racist” and “culturally insensitive” behaviors, the Art Newspaper reported Monday . The accusations by Yuko Kikuchi came in a January 26 letter addressed to V&A director Tristram Hunt, as well as trustees of the V&A’s research committee. In that letter, Kikuchi wrote that the museum “likely” has “a culture of systemic racism” and she further described her letter as “an act of whistleblowing” as she felt that issues raised by her students would not be addressed without her taking action. (While ARTnews has not seen the letter, the Art Newspaper reported that it had reviewed it.) In an interview with the Art Newspaper , Kikuchi said that she “felt unwelcome from day one” and added that she experienced frequent microaggr...
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David Zwirner Closes Upper East Side Gallery, Consolidating Manhattan Footprint

David Zwirner has closed its Upper East Side gallery, ending nearly a decade at the townhouse at 34 East 69th Street as the blue-chip dealer continues to concentrate its New York operations downtown. A spokesperson for the gallery told ARTNews that the move had been planned for a while. “It was always our plan to leave the Upper East Side once the last phase of our Chelsea overhaul was complete,” the spokesperson said in an email. “With our Selldorf-designed space at 525 West 19th Street now reopened with our current exhibition,  In Solidarity , that moment has arrived — and we’re sad to leave the Upper East Side. We’re looking forward to our fall exhibition program on 19th Street, 20th Street, and in Tribeca.” The gallery first opened the East 69th Street location in 2017, occupying the first three floors of the townhouse. Over the years, it hosted roughly three dozen exhibitions, including presentations by Yayoi Kusama, Dan...
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Matchday Scoring Highlights: Paremata-Plimmerton (35) v Marist St Pat’s (25)

The two teams met at Ngati Toa Domain in fine, breezy conditions in their 2026 Hardham VC Memorial Cup semi-final. Visitors Marist St Pat’s had won their past two encounters against Paremata-Plimmerton and a third victory on the trot would send them to the final. They kicked two penalties and Pare-Plim scored two unconverted tries,...
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Sideline Conversions 20 July (some news and information to start the new week in rugby)

Monday morning edition – updates expected: The 2026 club rugby Premier, Premier 2 and Women’s finals are upon us. It’s the defending champions Hutt Old Boys Marust against the first round winners and multiple past champions Petone in this coming weekend’s Jubilee Cup final, while Paremata-Plimmerton and Wellington meet in the Hardham VC Memorial Cup...
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Leaks Spotted in New Museum Gallery with WangShui Work as NYC Braces for Floods

Flash flooding in New York City this weekend has presented a new test for the New Museum, which experienced a significant water leak on Saturday in a gallery housing work by WangShui. Video footage shared with ARTnews and confirmed by the museum as accurate shows water pooling on the gallery floor as staff members move quickly to place buckets beneath active leaks, as well as water streaming down the didactic for “New Humans: Memories of the Future”. The incident comes months after the opening of the museum’s $82 million expansion, which faced scrutiny after its debut over reported faulty construction and facilities , including unfinished details and concerns raised by contractors and observers about the building’s final stages. The museum closed early on Saturday and will remain closed Sunday due to the flash flood warning, according to a statement posted on Instagram. A spokesperson for the New Museum told ARTnews via email statement: “As s...
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Shanghai Auction Executives Sentenced in Major Fraud Case as Industry Scrutiny Intensifies

Two former managers of a prominent Shanghai auction house have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for orchestrating an extensive fraud scheme that led one collector to spend about RMB 500 million ($74 million) on counterfeit or grossly overpriced artifacts. Hong Kong media reported on Wednesday that the collector, from Shandong province, purchased more than 40 items from Shanghai Jiahe Auction Co., Ltd., only to discover that authentication documents revealed many were forgeries or had been assigned artificially inflated valuations. The two former managers were convicted in four cases and sentenced to 14 years and six months and 12 years in prison, respectively. According to the court judgment, the pair arranged for employees and associates to drive up bidding prices at auction, inducing the collector, identified under the pseudonym Li Pin, to purchase the items at inflated prices. The profits were then divided between the consignors according to a p...
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