National Trust acquires exceptional Isaac Oliver miniature

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

National Trust acquires Isaac Oliver miniature for £2.1 million | The National Trust has acquired a work by Isaac Oliver that The Art Newspaper describes as ‘one of the finest’ British miniatures in a transaction arranged by London agency Omnia Art. The work, which depicts Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury, was painted between 1610 and 1614, and has been on display at Powis Castle, a National Trust property. It was valued at £5.2 million, but due to tax concessions granted on sales to public collections, the Trust was able to acquire the work for £2.1 million – still a landmark price for a miniature. The picture will be restored before going back on display at Powis Castle.

Landmark art project in Detroit to be dismantled | Artist Tyree Guyton has said that he plans to dismantle his landmark Detroit art project, the ‘Heidelberg Project’. Guyton created the work in the late 1980s by painting numerous houses in bright colours as a response to the city’s social deprivation. It evolved into a sprawling open-air project that currently attracts around 200,000 visitors per year, but has been repeatedly damaged by arson attacks. ‘After 30 years, I’ve decided to take it apart piece-by-piece in a very methodical way, creating new realities as it comes apart,’ Guyton was reported as saying in the Detroit Free Press. ‘I gotta go in a new direction. I gotta do something I have not done before.’ The area is expected to continue to function as an ‘arts-infused community’.

Minneapolis Institute of Art launches longterm initiative for Asian art | The MIA has announced a new initiative that will enable public programming, scholarships and exhibitions devoted to Asian art, reports Artforum. The drive will be funded with a $6 million bequest from philanthropist Alfred P. Gale, in whose honour it will be named. ‘[Gale’s] generosity will allow MIA to make centuries of Asian culture even more enticing for our visitors,’ said director Kaywin Feldman.

Arrests made in connection with theft of a Banksy copy | Two men have been arrested in Folkestone after police observed them allegedly attempting to steal a copy of a Banksy mural. According to the Guardian, local graffiti artist Robsci had created the work (which was installed on a chipboard awning outside an abandoned building) in homage to a celebrated Banksy stencil. One man has been charged with drink driving, while another was arrested on suspicion of theft but released without charge.