museums in crisis because of coronavirus
newsletter 16: March 2020
hello again. since my last newsletter the whole of society has been turned upside down. this edition comes to you at a time when nearly every museum and gallery outside of Asia is closed indefinitely. that's a sentence i never thought i'd type.
i've dispensed with my usual format here to focus on all the news you need to know (or may have missed) regarding museums and the coronavirus pandemic.
i really hope it won't be too long before our fantastic museums and cultural attractions can get back to something near normality. BUT make no mistake: this is an unprecedented crisis. museum finances will take a hit that will take years to recover from. jobs will be cut, activities reduced. if you read one thing from this newsletter, make it this in-depth look by ArtNet at the coming fight for survival for museums. they are going to need your help more than ever.
stay safe.
catch up: news
dire warnings from the Met Museum in New York, as it's braced for a $100 million loss thanks to coronavirus. Hyperallergic
in another sad sign of things to come, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles is laying off all its part-time employees. LA Times
coronavirus closures are “causing massive and unsustainable loss of revenues” at arts venues across the UK. Arts Council England tries to help with a £160m emergency package. the Guardian
...meanwhile the German government grasps the scale of the coming financial threat, pledging a staggering €50 billion aid package for the creative and cultural sector. ArtNet News
reopened museums in Hong Kong are forced to close again after a second wave of infections sweep the region. Art Forum
the next Fourth Plinth sculpture in Trafalgar Square - a huge dollop of ice cream! - has been postponed because of...you guessed it. ITV News
a whole generation of artists might be wiped out due to COVID-19 according to the Director of the Castello di Rivoli in Turin. Frieze
Centre Pompidou was about to sign a deal for a satellite space in South Korea—before coronavirus struck. The Art Newspaper
as Paris is in lockdown, two men were arrested for trying to steal Medieval stones from the Notre-Dame Cathedral. ArtNet News
some light amongst the gloom: Grayson Perry is starting an isolation art club on Channel 4. Evening Standard
...meanwhile the BBC announces Culture in Quarantine, a huge raft of new programmes bringing arts and museums to our living rooms. Evening Standard
the British Museum has seen a surge in visitors to its website. Metro.co.uk
and to keep your spirits high, enjoy museums sending each other flowers on twitter to spread virtual joy. CBS News
it might be a long time before we can come face to face with art again
last up: and finally
there's been an explosion in articles about how to virtually visit museums. this is one of the very best: get your culture fix during lockdown with this excellent 'private tour' of some of the best online galleries and museum events from around the world. the Guardian
thanks for reading. it takes time to put this together, so if you enjoy what you see, please consider sharing it with at least one museum-loving friend so even more people can see it. or subscribe using the button below, and BIG THANKS