Stories from the week that just ended:

  • Although the image is old, the bible scene interrupted by Middle East conflict is purportedly on Banksy’s Christmas card this year.
  • RIP: billionaire mega-collector and dealer Giuseppe Nahmad.
  • Simon de Pury resigns after 12 years as chairman of Phillips de Pury after selling his remaining interest.
  • UK teacher discovers William James Webb painting in her attic and it sells for almost $1 million at Christie’s.
  • Crewest Gallery in downtown Los Angeles to close after ten years.
  • 323East Gallery to close so that owners can concentrate on 1xRun.
  • Andy Warhol 15 Minutes Eternal show to be edited when it travels to Beijing due to Mao ban. Warhol Museum’s Eric Shiner voices his opinion about China and Singapore’s censorship of “Mao”.
  • An overnight vandalism attack devastated at least 35 sculptures at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center.
  • University of Oslo building project could be damaging recently restored Munch paintings.
  • Irina Ionesco ordered to pay €10,000 in damages to her daughter for taking explicit pictures of her in the 1970s, when she was between four and twelve.
  • Annie Sperling files lawsuit against Heineken over destruction of Silver Lake’s Iguana Lady mural.
  • Sting, Bryan Ferry, and others join to protest Newcastle City Council’s proposal to cut 100% of arts funding.
  • The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world again with nearly 10 million visitors in 2012 – a record.
  • Lots of drama over the future of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
  • Works by foreign artists attacked and vandalized at Kochi Biennale, which had just barely opened.
  • Censorship in Turkey as officials take down an exhibition of paintings of nude women at a state art gallery.
  • Artwork that calls the bluff that is the fiscal cliff in America.
  • Who should own the copyright to a tattoo that is originally designed by a tattoo artist?
  • Christie’s experimenting with Chinese art market with big-name Christian-themed Old Masters sale.
  • A look into corporate taxes paid (or not paid) by large galleries in the UK.
  • Export ban in UK is enforced to help keep some historic pieces, including a Manet, in the country.
  • Christopher Knight picks the best museum exhibitions he saw in Southern California in 2012.
  • Felix Salmon thinks that Larry Gagosian’s dominance may be ending and that others need to react.
  • Using Sotheby’s stock price as a indication of overconfidence and existence of bubbles.
  • Auction sales at Sotheby’s fall 10% in 2012.
  • Metropolis movie poster auctioned by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in LA sells for $1.2 million.
  • Peter Sellars’ production of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde features video imagery by Bill Viola.
  • Biola University receives $750,000 grant from Ahmansons and launches program to support Christian artists.
  • Jonathan Jones asks Who would be the worst artist to spend Christmas with?
  • Christo has donated two original Over The River  study pieces to the citizens of Colorado.
  • Jeff Koons designs special Chateau Mouton Rothschild Art label.
  • Maurizio Cattelan sculpture of Hitler in Warsaw causes some controversy.
  • Richard Serra to have a show at David Zwirner Gallery in the spring.
  • Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, McGinness, among artists submitting work to Playboy’s centerfold project.
  • ArtInfo has 13 questions for Carroll Dunham.
  • Interview with Eric White.
  • JR, Jacob Kassay, Adam Pendleton are among those selected by Forbes in its 30 Under 30 – Art & Style list.
  • TIME Magazine’s top 10 photos of 2012 and also chooses its top 10 photographic magazine covers of 2012.
  • Iwan Baan joins Perry Rubenstein gallery. New York magazine cover becomes editioned and sells for $100k ea.
  • Interview with Rob Pruitt on occasion of his collaboration with Jimmy Choo.
  • BluPrint Clothing’s handmade items include some designed by GUAVA, DAZE, and SYE5.
  • Harry Brant forced to do his homework before social events, Derek Blasberg likes sending handwritten notes, and Waris Ahluwalia writes his in old fashioned ink-dipped pens and recently got his motorcycle license.