Democrats Move to Shield Landmarks, Russian Artist’s Refugee Status, and More

Good Morning!

The Headlines

PRESERVE, PROTECT, PROSPER. Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced the Preserve Act, a bill aimed at protecting public artworks in federal buildings targeted for sale by the Trump administration, The Art Newspaper reported. The legislation would require the General Services Administration to create an expert committee to safeguard commissioned art, including New Deal-era murals. Supporters warn that works in buildings such as Washington, DC’s Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building could be lost if properties are sold without protections. The bill seeks to preserve public access to artworks considered important records of American history, though its future remains uncertain in a Republican-controlled House.

REFUGEE STATUS NOT NAILED ON. Russian performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky, known for extreme political actions including nailing his scrotum to Moscow’s Red Square and setting fire to the FSB headquarters, faces losing his refugee status in France. The Art Journal reported that the authorities are reviewing his protection after convictions linked to his performances Lighting and Pornopolitics, which involved property damage and the publication of an intimate video of a French politician. Pavlensky argues that his work is being used against him, while French authorities are assessing whether his criminal convictions justify withdrawing his asylum status. The review does not automatically end his protection, and he can appeal any final decision.

The Digest

The FT argues that Pop art’s original stars, like Warhol and Oldenburg, still outshine today’s young pop pretenders. [FT]

Detroit Institute of Arts director, Salvador Salort-Pons, has uncovered a missing Velázquez painting while researching an upcoming exhibition. [The Art Newspaper]

The New Yorker revisits Paul Thek, the influential but overlooked American artist whose boundary-pushing work defied easy categorisationcategorization. [The New Yorker]

Artist Felandus Thames has been profiled by ARTnews, which looks at how his intricate beadwork portraits explore Black history, identity, and memory in the artist’s first major museum survey at The Aldrich. [ARTnews]

The Kicker

NO PHDs NEEDED. Think you need a degree in art history to appreciate a masterpiece? Think again. The Telegraph reports on new research suggesting that people without formal art education can enjoy and connect with great artworks just as meaningfully as trained experts. The study challenges the idea that understanding art requires specialist knowledge, arguing that personal responses, emotions, and individual experiences can be just as important as knowing an artist’s biography or historical context. The findings add to a wider debate about making museums and galleries feel less intimidating and more welcoming to everyone.