Marc-Olivier Wahler resigns as director of MSU Broad Art Museum

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Marc-Olivier Wahler resigns as director of MSU Broad Art Museum | Marc-Olivier Wahler has resigned as director of Michigan State University’s Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum (MSU Broad). In a statement, the museum praised Wahler’s legacy, highlighting in particular his initiation of the new research centre and exhibition venue Art Lab. Wahler, formerly director and chief curator of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris (between 2006 and 2012), joined MSU Broad in 2016; a report in Artsy states that he has confirmed his departure is due to family reasons.

Nazi-looted painting in Gurlitt collection returned to Jewish heirs | German officials today returned a Nazi-looted painting found in the collection of Cornelius Gurlitt to the heirs of the Jewish French resistance leader Georges Mandel. Mandel, who was executed during the Second World War, was identified by the German Lost Art Foundation as the previous owner of Thomas Couture’s Portrait of a Seated Young Woman. Mandel’s partner reported the loss of the painting after the war. 

Stedelijk Museum confirms Beatrix Ruf will not return as director | The Stedelijk Museum yesterday issued a press release confirming that former director Beatrix Ruf, who resigned in October 2017 amid claims that she had engaged in independent work that created conflicts of interest with her role, would not return. An independent investigation commissioned by the Municipality of Amsterdam found these allegations to be unsubstantiated in June 2018. The Stedelijk’s statement declares that both parties have ‘agreed to leave the past behind’, and while Ruf would not be resuming her directorship she may be ‘involved in a specific exhibition or in other museum projects’.

Artadia and Marciano Art Foundation establish new award for LA artists | Artadia and the Marciano Art Foundation have announced the Marciano Artadia Award, a prize of $25,000 for an artist based in Los Angeles. Artadia has run an annual awards program for five years, with three winners each receiving $10,000. The Marciano Artadia Award winner will be selected from this existing pool and receive an additional $15,000. The inaugural 2019 grant will be awarded in March.