Reposted from The Art Newspaper

One of the most difficult challenges that museums have faced this year is escalating attacks by protesters on some of their greatest masterpieces. Although there may have been no—or minimal—damage to the works, if it continues, then something is likely to occur. London’s National Gallery has now suffered five attacks. In October it therefore announced a ban on bringing liquids into its rooms. This has increased security costs (thereby diverting resources) and has lengthened queues for visitors. Many hundreds of paintings have recently been glazed, at a considerable cost, and making it more difficult to avoid the distraction of a narrow shadow strip at the top of a canvas. Vincent van Gogh has been the primary target of climate protesters. Soup was thrown at Sunflowers (1888) in October 2022 by two environmental activists from the Just Stop Oil group, causing minor damage to the painting’s 17th-century Italian frame. In September 2024, on the day the perpetrators were being sentenced, the same painting and another Sunflowers version (1889) on loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art faced a similar attack. There were three other incidents. In July 2022, Just Stop Oil activists glued themselves to Constable’s The Hay Wain (1821). In November 2023, protesters used safety hammers to smash the glass of Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus (1647-51). And this October, two members of the Youth Demand group covered the glass of Picasso’s Motherhood (1901) with an image of a mother and child in war-torn Gaza.

Of course, other institutions in the UK and internationally have been hit. In January 2023, two protesters stenciled the logo of the global energy company Woodside onto Frederick McCubbin’s Down on his luck (1889) at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, and at London’s British Library in May this year, two environmental activists attacked the glass case holding the Magna Carta. Works of art have become targets in a way that Britain has not seen since the suffragette slashing of the Rokeby Venus in 1914. Sadly, we now have the spectre of copycats, with protesters of various persuasions seeing it as a quick way of getting a shocking image into the media.

War zones

Everyone in the art world and beyond has been horrified by the wars that are being fought in Gaza and Ukraine. Museums and institutions have generally tried to avoid involvement in the political issues, although the travelling show of Ukrainian Modernism represents a positive, non-provocative attempt to deal with the situation in artistic terms. In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine, 1900-1930s was at London’s Royal Academy of Arts until October. Individual artists have their own personal views and those from the conflict zones may try to represent something of what they observe and feel in their art. But artists—and art lovers—hold virtually no power in these desperate wartime situations. The military and serving politicians are the ones in command. However, what museums and galleries have demonstrated is that the art world is a truly global community. Hopefully ties between artists, and the dissemination of art internationally, might do a little to help bring diverse groups of people together.

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Reposted from CISA/DHS

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced the release of a new resource titled, De-escalation Action Guide, which is a companion product to the De-escalation Series. This new resource consolidates the existing De-escalation Series into a single, easily accessible product. The Action Guide provides organizations with strategies for empowering staff and community members to recognize, assess, de-escalate, and report suspicious behaviors that may indicate a potential threat.

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Reposted from CISA/DHS

The JCDC Planning Office is pleased to share the third edition of New and Noteworthy – a publication designed to keep critical infrastructure stakeholders and key partners informed of planning efforts underway to update the National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP) 2024. This edition contains important information about the upcoming public comment period as well as other recent engagements and outreach activities.  On Monday, December 16, CISA will announce the request for public comment on the draft update of the NCIRP. Developed in close partnership with the NCIRP core planning team (CPT) and Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), CISA invites stakeholders from across public and private sectors are invited to review and share their perspective, provide feedback on findings, and contribute to this revision.  Please visit the Federal Register to submit comment by January 15, 2025. Federal Register: Public Inspection: National Cyber Incident Response Plan.  In the spirit of public-private collaboration, we encourage partners to disseminate this newsletter across their respective communities to ensure broad awareness of efforts underway and ways the critical infrastructure community can get involved.

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Reposted from AMM

 Join us where the arts and culture scene flow like the mighty Mississippi!
 We’re thrilled to announce that the 97th conference of the Association of Midwest Museums will take place in the Quad Cities (Illinois and Iowa) in summer 2025!  With 30+ museums of all shapes and sizes proudly working together to boost this 400,000-person bistate metro region along the Mississippi River, the Quad Cities are giving big creative energy with small town vibes. AMM 2025 sessions and events are sure to delight and inspire! PLUS the Quad Cities are a short drive (or flight) from many Midwestern cities, making it an easy destination for a retreat to connect with your peers and fill your well!
Save the Date!
We'll kick off the conference with a virtual day on July 23. Then, we'll gather together in-person at the RiverCenter in Davenport, IA, from July 30-August 2 for sessions, hands-on workshops, and time with our peers. Of course, we'll also get out and explore arts and culture destinations across this multi-city region!
In the coming weeks, we'll share more exciting news about this year's partners, conference theme, and the Call for Proposals. Stay tuned!
Member museums in the Quad Cities welcome you!
Your peers in the Quad Cities want you to come see the magic they’re making happen!
There are many ways for local museums and service providers to get involved in the planning process and get featured in the program. If you're interested in learning more, contact Charity Counts, executive director of AMM.

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Reposted from CISA/DHS

Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Australian Signals Directorate Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD ACSC) and other U.S. and international partners published, Choosing Secure and Verifiable Technologies. This guide assists senior leaders in understanding the threat environment and highlights the areas in pre-and post-purchase procurement of digital products and services that should be considered. To help organizations understand the risks with technology procurement, this guide outlines several possible attack vectors or actions used by threat actors to compromise networks.  Along with these risks, recommended mitigation strategies are provided for organization to implement to protect their networks. With an understating of the risks and mitigation strategies, organizations will find themselves empowered to demand evidence from manufacturers that their software development process aligns to Secure by Demand principles. The guide provides several key indicators, consequences, and questions to ask manufacturers that help organizations assess whither the product is secure and verifiable or outside their risk tolerance. Procuring organizations must establish, document, and understand the predetermined security requirements they need in a product or service. Organizations are encouraged to review and implement the recommended actions into their procurement process. An executive summary is also provided.

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Reposted from AAM

In addition to saving on the Annual Meeting, AAM members enjoy year-round benefits, including:

Access to a members-only resource library

Discounts on professional development programs and resources

Subscription to Museum magazine and weekly updates

Join AAM today and unlock the savings, support, and resources that will help you and your museum thrive.

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Reposted from AAM

November/December 2024 Preview

Widening The Circle-Explore the expanding influence of DEAI and its implications for museums in this issue’s timely articles. Learn how DEAI programs are reshaping museums’ internal systems so that their policies and programs more authentically reflect the communities they serve, fostering a positive impact.

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Reposted from AMM

How are you navigating "Crosscurrents"?

In the same way that the turbulence caused by crosscurrents in a river have an impact on navigation, the changes taking place in our broader culture and society have ripple effects in the everyday work of museums.

During AMM 2025, let's engage in discussion and debate around the intersecting and sometimes conflicting viewpoints that are shaping our landscape, informing our practices, and influencing our policies (whether we like it or not). We will draw inspiration from the amazing cultural organizations in the Quad Cities, whose efforts to build bridges across a geographical and political divide have been a success, and unpack what it means for museums to be trusted spaces now and moving forward.

Bring your perspective and experience to the conversation as a presenter!

We welcome proposals for sessions, workshops, posters, and conversation stations that focus on navigating the “crosscurrents” that are shaping the landscape for every aspect of museum operations, programs, and community initiatives. (Proposals with connections to the theme are ideal but not required. All ideas are welcomed!)

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Reposted from ArtNet News

Jackson Green was sentenced to 18 months in prison and group leader Donald Zepeda was hit with 24 months in prison.Two activists with the group Declare Emergency have been sentenced by a federal judge after acts of vandalism at the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives in support of climate change measures.Jackson Green, one of the two activists, pleaded guilty to the charge of destruction of National Gallery of Art property for an incident in November 2023 in which he wrote the words “Honor Them” in washable finger paint next to The Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial. He also pleaded guilty to destruction of government property for an incident at the National Archives in February 2024 in which he sprinkled red powder on the case protecting the U.S. Constitution. Green was sentenced to 18 months in prison at FCI Butner or FCI Morgantown, court documents obtained by Artnet show. He was ordered to pay restitution of $706 to the National Gallery of Art.

The group’s leader Donald Zepeda pleaded guilty to a single charge of destruction of government property for the February 2024 incident but was hit with a steeper sentence of 24 months in prison at FCI Loretto, likely because he filmed an earlier protest in April 2023 in which other activists smeared paint on the case holding Edgar Degas’s Little Dancer. The men have been collectively ordered to pay restitution of $58,607 to the National Archives at College Park in Maryland and will also be required to submit to two years of supervised release after their time in prison, court documents show. Joanna Smith, one of the activists who was involved with the Little Dancer incident, was sentenced to 60 days in prison after pleading guilty, as well as two years of supervised release and 150 hours of community service. The other, Timothy Martin, is scheduled for a jury trial slated to start on January 6, 2025. In remarks to the court, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson—who is presiding over all the cases—noted that there are differences in the cases against Smith and Green which led to her have a leaner sentence. She said Smith was older and is a single offender.

Declare Emergency released a statement before the sentencing, claiming that the judge “berated” Green during his final court appearance “despite lack of evidence that any damage was done” in either incident in which he was involved. The judge called the protests “ineffective” and said “eco-vandalism is not heroic or brave.” “I have come to realize that in addition to causing direct harm to individuals, destructive protest actions like the ones I carried out can lead to the opposite of our intentions by creating a negative response—turning people off from climate activism and creating further discord,” Green wrote in a statement read to the court.

Carmen Ramos, the chief curatorial and conservation officer at the National Gallery of Art, prepared a victim impact statement for the court’s consideration before the sentencing in which she urged Jackson to consider the government’s role in protecting cultural heritage and the fact that the same protesters had targeted the institution previously with the Degas attack. Judge Jackson was also assigned to that case. “Again, the impacted gallery had to close. Again, facilities and maintenance workers had to clean up the paint. Again, staff members were devastated and angry,” she said in her statement. “We work so hard to care for, preserve, and display the nation’s collection—held in public trust—only to be the victim of such disrespect and disregard for what all of us value so deeply and protect for future generations.”

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Reposted from Jamaica Observer

Two family members of late renowned Jamaican painter Barrington Watson say thieves broke into their house on Saturday evening and stole 10 paintings worth tens of millions of dollars. The robbery has left Watson’s former wife and son — who asked not to be named — rattled and worried as it was committed while they were at home and had fallen asleep after smelling a strange odor. A few of the stolen paintings — including one that was featured in the Bob Marley movie

One Love — were done by Watson, who died in 2016.

The stolen works, the former wife said, were not insured. “My son and I were here. I was out on the verandah until about 5:00 pm, then I went inside. I locked the grille to the house. The main gate entrance was opened because my son was going to lock it later in the night. I was watching TV in my room, and he was in his room. When he came out at about 7:00 pm, he came into my room and said I didn’t lock the entrance grille. I came out and looked and I saw the chain and padlock on the ground. It was frightening,” she told the Jamaica Observer on Monday morning.

“We started looking around and we saw that paintings were missing. One was right here on this verandah wall. Everything else other than the painting remained the same — untouched,” she said, pointing to the wall and stating that the painting is too large for one person to lift.

“They lifted off the painting on the verandah, which two people have to lift. Then they went into the foyer and took another big one off the wall. Stacked close to that one was several other smaller paintings on the ground,” she added. “From the start of the hurricane season we just took down most of the paintings that were hanging out here and put them inside,” she explained. The mother said that what has worried her most is the fact the robbers struck at a time when she and her son were at home and before the time they would normally go off to bed. “We could be dead,” she said, sharing that the thieves must have seen her as she had fallen asleep watching television. She told the Observer that she recalled a strange odor in the air before she fell asleep.

“They could see me from where they were taking off the painting off the wall. I was sitting in my chair. One interesting thing is that I smelled something funny… I went to see if my bedroom window was opened, but it was closed… They definitely could see me because my night light was on as well as the TV light,” she said. “I never heard any car drive in, and I usually hear everything out there from my bedroom,” the woman added. “We called the police, and the detectives came from Matilda’s Corner, and they were given photographs [of the stolen paintings]. About three or four paintings were from Barrington Watson, one was by Lois Lake-Sherwood, and others were from other painters. I don’t think they really went into any other part of the house. I think they came specifically for those paintings,” she said. “The very big one that they took was in the Bob Marley movie. It was nicely framed. We have had it for donkey years. It is called Orange Park, and it is a painting of where we used to live in Yallahs,” she told the Observer.

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