{"id":1761748,"date":"2026-02-06T11:00:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T08:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1761748"},"modified":"2026-02-06T11:00:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T08:00:47","slug":"the-art-world-after-epstein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1761748","title":{"rendered":"The Art World After Epstein"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><main class=\"gh-main\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"gh-article post tag-daily-newsletter tag-newsletter no-image\">\n<header class=\"gh-article-header gh-canvas\">\n<p>                Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"gh-article-title is-title\">The Art World After Epstein<\/h1>\n<p class=\"gh-article-excerpt is-body\">How can art institutions reject corrupt funding, the Washington Post lays off its art critic, art books to read this month, and our weekly community columns. <\/p>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta\">\n<div class=\"gh-article-author-image instapaper_ignore\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-profile-image\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/size\/w160\/2025\/11\/hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500.png\" alt=\"Hyperallergic\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-wrapper\">\n<h4 class=\"gh-article-author-name\">Hyperallergic<\/h4>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-content\"><time class=\"gh-article-meta-date\" datetime=\"2026-02-06\">February 6, 2026<\/time><span class=\"gh-article-meta-length\"><span class=\"bull\">\u2014<\/span> 4 min read<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>We knew everything we needed to know about the art world before the Epstein Files dropped. Before heinous allegations against Museum of Modern Art trustee Leon Black emerged, or School of Visual Arts chair David A. Ross&#8217;s sympathetic endorsement of Epstein came out, we knew about the intimate connections between institutional heads and donors and trustees. The\u00a0exchanges of money, donations, or favors that bind them.<\/p>\n<p>So what do we do about it? In an opinion piece today, Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian asks a crucial question: How do we empower arts leaders to reject funding from corrupt individuals in favor of civic leaders we can be proud of? <\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re living in a world where \u2014\u00a0speaking of evil billionaires \u2014\u00a0the Jeff Bezos-owned <em>Washington Post <\/em>just laid off 300 people,\u00a0including its Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee. But Vartanian&#8217;s piece refuses pessimism \u2014 the old and defeated adage that the system has always and therefore will always be this way. Democracy dies in darkness, as the tagline of a once-venerated newspaper goes. Let&#8217;s make our way into the light. <\/p>\n<p>\u2014<em>Lisa Yin Zhang, associate editor<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-29.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1220\"><figcaption><span>Disgraced billionaire and MoMA trustee Leon Black (edit Shari Flores and Hrag Vartanian\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"epstein-files-expose-the-depths-of-the-art-worlds-rot\">Epstein Files Expose the Depths of the Art World&#8217;s Rot<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;The culture that Jeffrey Epstein represents is deeply embedded in the art establishment power structures that force themselves onto the rest of us, creating dynamics that exploit, degrade, and turn us all into cynics,&#8221; Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian writes. He asks all of us in the art world to return to that fundamental question: Who are we making art for? What are we willing to give up? <\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/AmericanCraftMadeBaltimore_Hyperallergic.png\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x628\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-30-1-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\"><figcaption><span>Former <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Washington Post <\/em><\/i><span>art critic Sebastian Smee (photo by Amber Davis Tourlentes, courtesy Sebastian Smee)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>The <em>Washington Post <\/em>lays off its art critic Sebastian Smee in what&#8217;s been described as a \u201cbloodbath\u201d at the Jeff Bezos-owned paper. All of the Post&#8217;s staff photographers were also eliminated, raising questions about the future of the publication&#8217;s visual strategy.<\/li>\n<li>The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, acquires Italian Baroque master Artemisia Gentileschi&#8217;s &#8220;Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy&#8221; (c. 1625). The painting depicts the biblical character amid experiencing a divine vision. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/HF_Blue_V2-1.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Frankenthaler Climate Initiative Opens Applications for Sixth Grant Cycle<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>The program has awarded more than $17.5 million to US visual arts organizations pursuing energy efficiency assessments and projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"books-guide\">Books Guide<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-26-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\"><figcaption><span>Art-related books spanning centuries, countries, and subjects! (edit Shari Flores\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"8-art-books-to-read-this-february\">8 Art Books to Read This February<\/h3>\n<p>Recommendations from our editors this month include a history of the Parisian artist hub of Montmartre, a colorful monograph by Yankunytjatjara artist Kaylene Whiskey, and Joseph Grigley&#8217;s poignant book about how his loss of hearing inflected his creative life.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"community\">Community<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-27-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\"><figcaption><span>Yep, one of our readers gets to make art here. Enjoy vicariously. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"a-view-from-the-easel\">A View From the Easel<\/h3>\n<p>This week, Pitseolak Qimirpik makes graphic art and carvings (and watches beautiful sunsets, apparently) from their snow-bound studio in Kinngait, Canada, and Pau Tiu and Felize Camille Tolentino-Tiu share a cozy (actually cozy, not realtor-speak &#8220;cozy&#8221;) studio in Queens. Yours could be next!<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"required-reading\">Required Reading<\/h3>\n<p>The politics of love letters, the blossoming of Black-owned bookstores, and a spoof of Melania Trump&#8217;s new movie are just some of the gems from Associate Editor Lakshmi River Amin&#8217;s weekly round-up of must-reads from around the internet. <\/p>\n<h3 id=\"art-movements\">Art Movements<\/h3>\n<p>In this week&#8217;s edition of Senior Editor Valentina Di Liscia&#8217;s round-up of must-know industry news, British curator Ekow Eshun will curate the 13th SITE SANTA FE International Biennial, Mnuchin Gallery shutters, the Warhol Foundation expands its grant program, and Michelangelo&#8217;s foot drawing sells at Christie&#8217;s. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"member-comment\">Member Comment<\/h2>\n<p>Joel Becktell on Julia Curl&#8217;s \u201cEug\u00e8ne Atget, Readymade Icon\u201d:<\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\n<div class=\"kg-callout-text\">That is some excellent writing. I feel informed and educated about an artist I already appreciate, and entertained by the deft translation of the writer&#8217;s experience and knowledge into personal but helpful criticism. That&#8217;s good enough, as far as it goes, but maybe best of all, the freshness and the skillful combination of the writer&#8217;s expertise and strong-but-flexible viewpoint will inspire me to better viewing at other exhibitions in the future. Congratulations, and thanks.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-31.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\"><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"art-historian-may-have-discovered-two-artemisia-gentileschi-paintings-in-beirut\">Art Historian May Have Discovered Two Artemisia Gentileschi Paintings in Beirut<\/h3>\n<p>After Gregory Buchakjian\u2019s discovery laid largely dormat for decades, his research has been renewed and well-received by scholars of the Baroque artist. | Hrag Vartanian<\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/main><\/p>\n<article class=\"gh-article post tag-daily-newsletter tag-newsletter no-image\">\n<header class=\"gh-article-header gh-canvas\">\n<p>                Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"gh-article-title is-title\">The Art World After Epstein<\/h1>\n<p class=\"gh-article-excerpt is-body\">How can art institutions reject corrupt funding, the Washington Post lays off its art critic, art books to read this month, and our weekly community columns. <\/p>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta\">\n<div class=\"gh-article-author-image instapaper_ignore\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-profile-image\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/size\/w160\/2025\/11\/hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500.png\" alt=\"Hyperallergic\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-wrapper\">\n<h4 class=\"gh-article-author-name\">Hyperallergic<\/h4>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-content\"><time class=\"gh-article-meta-date\" datetime=\"2026-02-06\">February 6, 2026<\/time><span class=\"gh-article-meta-length\"><span class=\"bull\">\u2014<\/span> 4 min read<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>We knew everything we needed to know about the art world before the Epstein Files dropped. Before heinous allegations against Museum of Modern Art trustee Leon Black emerged, or School of Visual Arts chair David A. Ross&#8217;s sympathetic endorsement of Epstein came out, we knew about the intimate connections between institutional heads and donors and trustees. The\u00a0exchanges of money, donations, or favors that bind them.<\/p>\n<p>So what do we do about it? In an opinion piece today, Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian asks a crucial question: How do we empower arts leaders to reject funding from corrupt individuals in favor of civic leaders we can be proud of? <\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re living in a world where \u2014\u00a0speaking of evil billionaires \u2014\u00a0the Jeff Bezos-owned <em>Washington Post <\/em>just laid off 300 people,\u00a0including its Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee. But Vartanian&#8217;s piece refuses pessimism \u2014 the old and defeated adage that the system has always and therefore will always be this way. Democracy dies in darkness, as the tagline of a once-venerated newspaper goes. Let&#8217;s make our way into the light. <\/p>\n<p>\u2014<em>Lisa Yin Zhang, associate editor<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-29.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1220\"><figcaption><span>Disgraced billionaire and MoMA trustee Leon Black (edit Shari Flores and Hrag Vartanian\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"epstein-files-expose-the-depths-of-the-art-worlds-rot\">Epstein Files Expose the Depths of the Art World&#8217;s Rot<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;The culture that Jeffrey Epstein represents is deeply embedded in the art establishment power structures that force themselves onto the rest of us, creating dynamics that exploit, degrade, and turn us all into cynics,&#8221; Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian writes. He asks all of us in the art world to return to that fundamental question: Who are we making art for? What are we willing to give up? <\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/AmericanCraftMadeBaltimore_Hyperallergic.png\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x628\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-30-1-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\"><figcaption><span>Former <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Washington Post <\/em><\/i><span>art critic Sebastian Smee (photo by Amber Davis Tourlentes, courtesy Sebastian Smee)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>The <em>Washington Post <\/em>lays off its art critic Sebastian Smee in what&#8217;s been described as a \u201cbloodbath\u201d at the Jeff Bezos-owned paper. All of the Post&#8217;s staff photographers were also eliminated, raising questions about the future of the publication&#8217;s visual strategy.<\/li>\n<li>The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, acquires Italian Baroque master Artemisia Gentileschi&#8217;s &#8220;Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy&#8221; (c. 1625). The painting depicts the biblical character amid experiencing a divine vision. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/HF_Blue_V2-1.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Frankenthaler Climate Initiative Opens Applications for Sixth Grant Cycle<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>The program has awarded more than $17.5 million to US visual arts organizations pursuing energy efficiency assessments and projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"books-guide\">Books Guide<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-26-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\"><figcaption><span>Art-related books spanning centuries, countries, and subjects! (edit Shari Flores\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"8-art-books-to-read-this-february\">8 Art Books to Read This February<\/h3>\n<p>Recommendations from our editors this month include a history of the Parisian artist hub of Montmartre, a colorful monograph by Yankunytjatjara artist Kaylene Whiskey, and Joseph Grigley&#8217;s poignant book about how his loss of hearing inflected his creative life.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"community\">Community<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-27-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\"><figcaption><span>Yep, one of our readers gets to make art here. Enjoy vicariously. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"a-view-from-the-easel\">A View From the Easel<\/h3>\n<p>This week, Pitseolak Qimirpik makes graphic art and carvings (and watches beautiful sunsets, apparently) from their snow-bound studio in Kinngait, Canada, and Pau Tiu and Felize Camille Tolentino-Tiu share a cozy (actually cozy, not realtor-speak &#8220;cozy&#8221;) studio in Queens. Yours could be next!<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"required-reading\">Required Reading<\/h3>\n<p>The politics of love letters, the blossoming of Black-owned bookstores, and a spoof of Melania Trump&#8217;s new movie are just some of the gems from Associate Editor Lakshmi River Amin&#8217;s weekly round-up of must-reads from around the internet. <\/p>\n<h3 id=\"art-movements\">Art Movements<\/h3>\n<p>In this week&#8217;s edition of Senior Editor Valentina Di Liscia&#8217;s round-up of must-know industry news, British curator Ekow Eshun will curate the 13th SITE SANTA FE International Biennial, Mnuchin Gallery shutters, the Warhol Foundation expands its grant program, and Michelangelo&#8217;s foot drawing sells at Christie&#8217;s. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"member-comment\">Member Comment<\/h2>\n<p>Joel Becktell on Julia Curl&#8217;s \u201cEug\u00e8ne Atget, Readymade Icon\u201d:<\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\n<div class=\"kg-callout-text\">That is some excellent writing. I feel informed and educated about an artist I already appreciate, and entertained by the deft translation of the writer&#8217;s experience and knowledge into personal but helpful criticism. That&#8217;s good enough, as far as it goes, but maybe best of all, the freshness and the skillful combination of the writer&#8217;s expertise and strong-but-flexible viewpoint will inspire me to better viewing at other exhibitions in the future. Congratulations, and thanks.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-31.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\"><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"art-historian-may-have-discovered-two-artemisia-gentileschi-paintings-in-beirut\">Art Historian May Have Discovered Two Artemisia Gentileschi Paintings in Beirut<\/h3>\n<p>After Gregory Buchakjian\u2019s discovery laid largely dormat for decades, his research has been renewed and well-received by scholars of the Baroque artist. | Hrag Vartanian<\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>We knew everything we needed to know about the art world before the Epstein Files dropped. Before heinous allegations against Museum of Modern Art trustee Leon Black emerged, or School of Visual Arts chair David A. Ross&#8217;s sympathetic endorsement of Epstein came out, we knew about the intimate connections between institutional heads and donors and trustees. The\u00a0exchanges of money, donations, or favors that bind them.<\/p>\n<p>So what do we do about it? In an opinion piece today, Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian asks a crucial question: How do we empower arts leaders to reject funding from corrupt individuals in favor of civic leaders we can be proud of? <\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re living in a world where \u2014\u00a0speaking of evil billionaires \u2014\u00a0the Jeff Bezos-owned <em>Washington Post <\/em>just laid off 300 people,\u00a0including its Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee. But Vartanian&#8217;s piece refuses pessimism \u2014 the old and defeated adage that the system has always and therefore will always be this way. Democracy dies in darkness, as the tagline of a once-venerated newspaper goes. Let&#8217;s make our way into the light. <\/p>\n<p>\u2014<em>Lisa Yin Zhang, associate editor<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-29.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1220\"><figcaption><span>Disgraced billionaire and MoMA trustee Leon Black (edit Shari Flores and Hrag Vartanian\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"epstein-files-expose-the-depths-of-the-art-worlds-rot\">Epstein Files Expose the Depths of the Art World&#8217;s Rot<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;The culture that Jeffrey Epstein represents is deeply embedded in the art establishment power structures that force themselves onto the rest of us, creating dynamics that exploit, degrade, and turn us all into cynics,&#8221; Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian writes. He asks all of us in the art world to return to that fundamental question: Who are we making art for? What are we willing to give up? <\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/AmericanCraftMadeBaltimore_Hyperallergic.png\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x628\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-30-1-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\"><figcaption><span>Former <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Washington Post <\/em><\/i><span>art critic Sebastian Smee (photo by Amber Davis Tourlentes, courtesy Sebastian Smee)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>The <em>Washington Post <\/em>lays off its art critic Sebastian Smee in what&#8217;s been described as a \u201cbloodbath\u201d at the Jeff Bezos-owned paper. All of the Post&#8217;s staff photographers were also eliminated, raising questions about the future of the publication&#8217;s visual strategy.<\/li>\n<li>The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, acquires Italian Baroque master Artemisia Gentileschi&#8217;s &#8220;Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy&#8221; (c. 1625). The painting depicts the biblical character amid experiencing a divine vision. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/HF_Blue_V2-1.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Frankenthaler Climate Initiative Opens Applications for Sixth Grant Cycle<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>The program has awarded more than $17.5 million to US visual arts organizations pursuing energy efficiency assessments and projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"books-guide\">Books Guide<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-26-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\"><figcaption><span>Art-related books spanning centuries, countries, and subjects! (edit Shari Flores\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"8-art-books-to-read-this-february\">8 Art Books to Read This February<\/h3>\n<p>Recommendations from our editors this month include a history of the Parisian artist hub of Montmartre, a colorful monograph by Yankunytjatjara artist Kaylene Whiskey, and Joseph Grigley&#8217;s poignant book about how his loss of hearing inflected his creative life.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"community\">Community<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-27-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\"><figcaption><span>Yep, one of our readers gets to make art here. Enjoy vicariously. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"a-view-from-the-easel\">A View From the Easel<\/h3>\n<p>This week, Pitseolak Qimirpik makes graphic art and carvings (and watches beautiful sunsets, apparently) from their snow-bound studio in Kinngait, Canada, and Pau Tiu and Felize Camille Tolentino-Tiu share a cozy (actually cozy, not realtor-speak &#8220;cozy&#8221;) studio in Queens. Yours could be next!<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"required-reading\">Required Reading<\/h3>\n<p>The politics of love letters, the blossoming of Black-owned bookstores, and a spoof of Melania Trump&#8217;s new movie are just some of the gems from Associate Editor Lakshmi River Amin&#8217;s weekly round-up of must-reads from around the internet. <\/p>\n<h3 id=\"art-movements\">Art Movements<\/h3>\n<p>In this week&#8217;s edition of Senior Editor Valentina Di Liscia&#8217;s round-up of must-know industry news, British curator Ekow Eshun will curate the 13th SITE SANTA FE International Biennial, Mnuchin Gallery shutters, the Warhol Foundation expands its grant program, and Michelangelo&#8217;s foot drawing sells at Christie&#8217;s. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"member-comment\">Member Comment<\/h2>\n<p>Joel Becktell on Julia Curl&#8217;s \u201cEug\u00e8ne Atget, Readymade Icon\u201d:<\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\n<div class=\"kg-callout-text\">That is some excellent writing. I feel informed and educated about an artist I already appreciate, and entertained by the deft translation of the writer&#8217;s experience and knowledge into personal but helpful criticism. That&#8217;s good enough, as far as it goes, but maybe best of all, the freshness and the skillful combination of the writer&#8217;s expertise and strong-but-flexible viewpoint will inspire me to better viewing at other exhibitions in the future. Congratulations, and thanks.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/2026\/02\/image-31.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\"><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"art-historian-may-have-discovered-two-artemisia-gentileschi-paintings-in-beirut\">Art Historian May Have Discovered Two Artemisia Gentileschi Paintings in Beirut<\/h3>\n<p>After Gregory Buchakjian\u2019s discovery laid largely dormat for decades, his research has been renewed and well-received by scholars of the Baroque artist. | Hrag Vartanian<\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/02\/KAPOW-Naoto_Nakagawa_2026_Still_Life_With_Wine_Opener_Lemon_and_Pomegranate.jpg\" alt=\"Naoto Nakagawa 2026 Is on View at KAPOW\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Naoto Nakagawa 2026 Is on View at KAPOW<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">The Lower East Side gallery presents new works by an artist who has shown in major US museums since the 1960s. The exhibition is open through February 22.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">KAPOW<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/02\/2024_IDSVAStudentsatVeniceBiennale_photobyChristopherAndrew.jpg\" alt=\"The Biennale Certificate in Philosophy and Art\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">The Biennale Certificate in Philosophy and Art<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA) invites creatives from all backgrounds to apply for this four-day summer program in Venice.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA)<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/02\/2026-MVP-Hyperallergic-Announcement-Matthew-Bogdanos-001.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Bogdanos Awarded Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History for Repatriation of Stolen Artifacts\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Matthew Bogdanos Awarded Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History for Repatriation of Stolen Artifacts<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">The leader of the Manhattan DA\u2019s Antiquities Trafficking Unit is acknowledged for his lifelong dedication to recovering and safeguarding looted antiquities.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">The Vilcek Foundation<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/02\/Alex_SCA_IMAGE.jpg\" alt=\"Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs at SFU\u2019s School for the Contemporary Arts\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs at SFU\u2019s School for the Contemporary Arts<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Transform your art practice with access to internationally-recognized faculty and state-of-the-art facilities in downtown Vancouver. MFA and MA applications are accepted through February 15.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">Simon Fraser University<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/the-art-world-after-epstein\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;&#8221;] Daily Newsletter The Art World After Epstein How can art institutions reject corrupt funding, the Washington Post lays off its art critic, art books to read this month, and our weekly community columns. Hyperallergic February 6, 2026\u2014 4 min read We knew everything we needed to know about the art world before [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,69],"class_list":["post-1761748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-hyperallergic-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1761748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761748\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1761748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1761748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1761748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}