BEST

Mega Foundations Step Up – A new $10 million fund will give $5,000 to 100
artists every week until September, thanks to 23 enterprising
organizations.

Zwirner Looks to the Future – The mega-gallery is debuting two new online
initiatives this April, featuring artworks that might
otherwise be sold at art fairs.

Vermeer Meets Vermin – Self-quarantined
creatives devised a tiny museum for their pet gerbils to
enjoy, complete with masterpieces like Gerbil with a a
Pearl Earring.

Archiving in Real Time – Museums around
the world are collecting coronavirus ephemera, documenting
the pandemic for future generations.

Germany for the Win – On this week’s Art
Angle podcast, Artnet News European editor Kate Brown explains
why Germany’s new arts bailout
package sets a new standard.

Artist for Hire – A new website is connecting prospective employers to artists looking
for gigs.

Thomas Kinkade’s Toilet Paper – The late
artist’s eponymous foundation is teaming up with NADA and selling a print
by Thomas Kinkade depicting a roll of toilet paper for a
fundraiser.

WORST

Art World Mourns Ann Bass – The society
staple and avid supporter of arts and culture died at age 79 after a long illness.

Organizations Are Rapidly Losing Millions
– Art organizations are facing lean times, reporting a collective $4.5 billion in lost
income.

Christie’s In Hot Water – The auction
house was slapped with a $16.7 million fine for failing to collect New
York sales tax.

A Brave New (Virtual) World – Artnet
News’s Tim Schneider reports on the do’s and don’ts of setting up an
online viewing room.

Furloughs Continue – The Solomon R.
Guggenheim museum is the latest to make cuts, furloughing nearly 100 employees this week.

Survey Says… – A new survey reveals that
among 650 international museums, many are seeing the majority of their income
vanish in the wake of the pandemic.

Singapore Shuts Down – Singapore is
shutting down museums and galleries in an
effort to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

Germany’s Questionable Antiquities – A new
report says that almost 98 percent of all “eastern Mediterranean”
antiquities sold in Germany may have been trafficked.

Gagosian Pounces on Picasso – Eagle-eyed
dealer Larry Gagosian has swooped in to offer a Picasso painting for $10
million, just days after it was restituted to a Jewish
family.

The post From a Museum Tailor-Made for Pets to Christie’s
Multi-Million Dollar Fine: The Best and Worst of the Art World This
Week appeared first on artnet News.