The Art Daddy's Weekly Daddy Wrap up for 1/24/25
All the art daddy news that's fit to print.
If last week wasn't hard enough, the chaos was kicked into high gear this week when the Trump administration officially took office on MLK day. What seemed like an SNL skit, was sadly a reality and the coverage of the event and what has transpired in the days have followed only underscore the absurdity of what the next four years will be like. In just a little over the last 96 hours Trump has managed to wreak havoc in ways only a small deranged fascist troll can.
Inauguration day but with a few art world adjustments from daddy.
He pardoned all 1,500 people who were jailed in the January 6th 2021 insurrection including proud boys and other politically questionable individuals. There is a 10% tariff that is scheduled to take effect on February 1st for all imports from China, and federal DEIA protocols are now suspended and this is only the beginning. There are also reports of ICE raids across the country and Trump has now allowed for agents to enter schools, churches, and hospitals. There is also a new demand for 'classic architecture' which is feeling very fascist to me and is reminiscent of Mussolini's rule in Italy. I am not sure what new fresh hellscape I am living in, but, daddies, I am scared.
These insane realities are sure to have a trickle down effect on the art world. One thing I know all too well is that the art world has always been filled with Republicans, casual sexism and racism and misogyny. And in an industry that is still pretty much run by old rich white men, (here's looking at you Larry G.), it's only about to get worse. Things were barely tolerable before and I am not sure how to move forward from here other than doing our best to call things out, fight like hell for the things that matter like freedom of speech, artistic freedom and supporting and championing art and artists. While I am still plotting my escape out of the US, I am still trying to do my best and to offer you the best daddy coverage I can. I also will occasionally try to mix business with pleasure.
While some of you are in Aspen for Sundance and in San Francisco for the Fog art fair, this week I slummed it and attended the party for the Winter Art Show. While there are never any major contemporary art galleries, let's be honest, I go for the open bar and daddy spotting. The fair was packed to the gills with past middle aged men with and without their trophy wife girlfriends and companions and I did my best to try and make an impression. I still need a ticket out of here after all.
And one other exciting development I discovered via social media this week was that Henry Highly appears to have gone upstate. Between that and UES daddies, at least this week did bring about some positive turns. Keep reading for my hot takes on that, winter fair takeaways, and the headlines for the week.
Daddies At the Broad Embroiled in Lawsuits
Things seem to be heating up for literal daddies at the Broad Museum in LA and not in a good way. Daddy received a hot tip this week that the former facilities director of the Broad museum filed a wrongful termination suit on the grounds that "an executive had a vendetta against him because he was white and 65 years old and supported the workers on his team.” The HR director filed his own discrimination lawsuit last week that the LA Times reported on.
The Broad is finding themselves at the center of a few legal battles right now.
Apparently the COO “derided him for being an “old white man,” according to a statement. The director also alleges that the firing was in retaliation for him expressing safety concerns for his staff “who were being required to lift and maneuver large heavy equipment, job duties outside their job description and beyond their physical means.” We will continue to tune in to see how this all pans out, daddies.
Founding Daddy Investor of Artnet Set to Retire This Year
It seems like it's the end of an era for publisher daddy Hans Neuendorf. News came this week that daddy Neuendorf, 80, will be retiring. The popular art database, auction and news site was founded as Centrox Corporation in 1989 by Pierre Serne in an attempt to bring transparency to the art market. In the 1990s Neuendorf began investing in it.
Artnet founder Hans Neuendorf in his office.
The annual general meeting has been postponed to February 27th. This is the big meeting that daddy shareholders are usually invited to, and at this one there is also a new supervisory board consisting of bigwig daddies such as Frédéric Jousset , the French founder of the ArtNova fund, Artnet vice president and Hans’ daughter Sophie Neuendorf, and Rüdiger Weng, the chief executive of Weng Fine Art AG, among others.
The shakeup at the news site also comes at a difficult time with the media in general. Just yesterday, news broke that CNN following a large restructuring would be laying off 200 employees. Artnet also issued a statement t and said they are trying to bring in new capital. Daddy, aren't we all right now.
Trump Demands 'Classic Architecture'
As if Trump isn't trying to control enough, now he is demanding that federal buildings maintain a 'traditional style' via an executive order issued on Monday. While we know art daddies are wide reaching and include architecture daddies within this, you cannot control daddy creative vision. This is also a move he tried before in 2020 when he tried to declare that traditional architecture was the look for federal buildings.
Trump looking very orange with his executive orders.
This comes at an interesting time because Trump is now trying to get all federal employees back into the office while the government has been trying to both upgrade and offload office space that hasn't been used. This is also furthering his issues with DC architecture in general.
The daddies in the architecture community have responded and aren't happy according to this article from The Art Newspaper.Well, neither are we.
Jo Bear Dies
This week news also broke that the painter Jo Bear died. Bear was 95 and most closely associated with the minimal art movement as a painter. Bear coined the term radical figuration and over the course of her nearly 5 decade career managed to radically shift the medium of painting. The announcement of her death came via Pace gallery who represents her.
The Winter Show Recap
Last night I went to the 2025 edition of the Winter Show. While it's not my favorite winter art event, I tend to view it as my winter-pick-me-up especially with the preview party. Here I get to galavant with 80 year old daddies of the UES in the hope that they might pick me to add to their will or attempt to make me their beard or side piece. If the latter were the case I hope the rendezvous would consist of minimal sexual contact and dinners at the Pierre and teas at the Carlyle. And if they were feeling really adventurous, dinners/lunches in SoHo. A daddy can dream, can't she?
This daddy having a wow moment with the art.
This year's fair was filled with the usual crowd and while I made the rounds and as the champagne finally started to course through my veins, things seemed ok, at least for a little while. While daddy can sometimes be shy at fairs, especially when trying to maintain my anonymity I was able to strike up some interesting conversations and also view some contemporary artwork in the process.
Booth daddies working it.
There were lots of 65+ AARP daddies to choose from. Some had UES art collector vibes, other seemd liked old Wall Street, others were there because they were part of the fair. You know how much I love a fair daddy too. Martha Stewart made an appearance as well but sadly I missed her
This daddy wearing white after labor day.
One art highlight for me was a fantastic smaller work by Joan Mitchell in pastel at Hollis Taggart. Another booth I also enjoy at this fair because they are British, and some of the daddies they are very handsome is the Thomas Heneage Art Books booth. Who doesn’t love books?
This creepy daddy approaching young women at the fair.
This year the daddies seemed more straightlaced too, but think that tends to be the crowd at the winter fair. And this fair is generally filled with a range of items and minimal contemporary and post war art. With a mix of silver, jewelry, and even books, the fair tends to have a little something for everyone. And I did manage to snag a fair tote bag so all and all, not a bad way to spend a Thursday night.
Henry Highley Goes Upstate
Sometimes you get thrown a bone online and this week I experienced this when our original art daddy heartthrob and panty dropper himself went upstate to one of my favorite places on earth, DIA Beacon. While daddy Henry only posted art porn from the trip, I drove myself into a frenzy imaging him in all my favorite upstate haunts. This was also worsened by imagining what Henry might have worn.
Upstate fashion inspo for Henny
My heart did get beating a little faster, imagining him taking the Metro North Hudson Line (he probably drove), and him taking in the gorgeous landscape all while wearing jeans, an Irish white cable knit fisherman sweater, turtle neck, classic black Armani wool coat, Hoka black sneakers, and jeans. Another possibility would be a plaid situation, some kind of upstate British boot suitable for walking the streets and galleries of Beacon and jeans and a quilted sports coat. I also like imagining Henny in a knit black turtleneck sweater as he walks the length of the Warhol gallery room and takes in the Serras. The Cut even did a round up of hot men in sweaters some time ago too and I think Henny needs to be added.
Too bad he posted no selfies, but I am sure he made the upstate daddies go crazy for him. Miss you, Henny.