Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

The first full-size statue of British author, Virginia Woolf, appeared on the riverside at Richmond-upon-Thames in London on Wednesday. Created by sculptor, Laury Dizengremel, the bronze Woolf will sit on a bench, book in hand, smiling at passing denizens. It comes after a 5-year fundraising campaign. (TheGuardian)

It took six sales to disperse the contents of Pierre Bergé's 1,642-volume library. The greatest names in 19th and 20th-century literature were represented in the final act, from François-Paul Alibert to Virginia Woolf.

In a trio of current and upcoming exhibitions, the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University will showcase prints, paintings, and an immersive sound exhibition that celebrate underrepresented narratives over colonialism and misogyny. 

Plans for a 200,000-square-foot renovation and expansion at the museum have been revealed. Overseen by international architectural firm SmithGroup, the project includes the addition of a five-story wing devoted to African art, photography, and art of the twenty-first century—it aims for completion in 2025. (Artforum)

Without her, Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, a manifesto of Land Art, might never have existed for lack of funding. During her brief career as a gallery owner (1959-1971), she contributed to promoting, in her Los Angeles and New York spaces, conceptual and minimal art, as well as Pop art.

The Aaron Siskind Foundation of New York made the decision to gift the collection to the museum due to its commitment to photography; the museum will be charged with caring for and displaying the photographs, as well as administering the foundation’s annual fellowship prize for individual artists.

Portrait of a Lady was painted by the celebrated artist from Bologna in 1585. “A pioneer in her lifetime…the discovery and acquisition of this piece elevates VMFA’s collection of late Renaissance art,” says the institution's director, reflecting the drive to hang more works by women artists on their walls. (Artfix)

A 21-foot-tall monument depicting Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, removed several months ago after protests may now be heading to the city’s local Black History Museum. Should plans proceed, it will be joined by eight other Confederate statues in the museum.

The prolific artist, who was born into slavery in 1853, began creating abstract, stylized works of people in his community and memories at age 85. Nine works on paper have been donated to the museum, striving to expand their collection by African Americans, from the collection of B.K. Fulton and Jackie Stone. (Artfix)

The bronze of Robert E. Lee—the general who led the South against the Union Army in the US Civil War—was the largest confederate monument in the US. Yesterday morning it was hoisted from its pedestal by cranes as onlookers chanted “Hey, hey, hey, goodbye!” after numerous protests and lawsuits. (Hyperallergic)