The Tamesis
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Power goes to the people. British museums are increasingly putting their compass in the public’s hands, inviting ordinary citizens to help shape future policies, priorities and even funding decisions through citizens’ assemblies. The Art Newspaper wrote. this national galleryis newly launched non-citizen citizen The panel is emblematic of this shift, following similar experiments Birmingham Museums Trustthis Imperial War Museum and Immigration Museum. For the gallery, this is not a token consultation but a culture-shaping collaboration aimed at keeping the institution relevant, inclusive and publicly accountable. Supporters argue that museums are among the most trustworthy public institutions and are ideal laboratories for democratic decision-making. Randomly selected citizens, given appropriate information, can address complex issues of value, access, and resources, challenging assumptions about who has the power to make decisions. Critics worry that expertise is being diluted, but advocates counter that the convention sets guidelines, not exhibit lists. However, they say the real test is whether agencies are truly willing to share power and act on what the public tells them.
Donald Trump 2026 is knocking on his doorstep with a glittering New Year’s Eve party Mar-a-Lago Resort, there portrait Jesus Christpainted live on stage, sold for $2.75 million, The Guardian the report said. artist Vanessa Horabuena She painted on a giant black canvas, and Trump lavished praise, declaring her “one of the greatest artists in the world” and marveling at her ability to conjure masterpieces in minutes. With a starting bid of $100,000, he urged her to “paint something really special” and reminded viewers to be, in his words, “loaded with cash,” with proceeds to be split between St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the local Sheriff’s Department. The winning bidder was a woman in a top hat, and a guest list filled with politically powerful and famous people spread throughout the room. Florida night. Trump’s announced resolution for the year ahead: “Peace on Earth.”
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this Royal Academy of Music (RAM) The musical instrument museum in Marylebone will soon be renovated with the help of a £30m donation from philanthropists Odd Jebsen. [Ian Visits]
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Artistic life = longevity. Scientific research increasingly supports the idea that participation in the arts is beneficial to health, but those who pay attention mark twainA sarcastic warning about “lies, damn lies and statistics” may make one wonder whether the numbers are too good to be true. Are these claims simply defended by the art world with selective evidence? The Art Newspaper reported that Daisy Fancourtprofessor of psychobiology and epidemiology University College Londontransforming the question from hopeful assertion to hard science. Rather than rely on small studies, Fancourt turned to the gold standard in epidemiology: large cohort studies of tens of thousands of people over decades. These datasets already track health, psychology, income and lifestyle, and some also record participation in cultural activities. Her analysis showed that people who regularly participated in arts activities, whether visiting museums, making music or reading poetry, were significantly less likely to suffer from depression, even after accounting for wealth, social skills and previous health. Published in 2019 and repeatedly proven around the world, her work makes one thing clear: art not only enriches life, it actually protects it.
