Why Abramovich Was Denied a Swiss Passport – The Russian billionaire art collector lost a court battle against newspapers seeking to publish the confidential police information that led Swiss authorities to reject his request for a passport. After a judge granted a Swiss media consortium permission to publish, they revealed that the police had advised authorities to reject his application because of suspicions of “money laundering and presumed contact with criminal organizations.” Abramovich’s Swiss lawyer denounced the claims as “defamatory.” (New York Times)
Staff Files Complaint Against the Mattress Factory – Three former employees and one current staff member have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against the celebrated Pittsburgh institution for its handling of sexual harassment and assault allegations against a museum employee. The women say museum leadership sought to downplay the severity of their accusations and even retaliated against some of its critics. The museum’s board chair says the institution responded appropriately. (NPR)
See Hockney’s Stained Glass Window at Westminster – The artist designed the window using his trusty iPad, which he explained was helpfully backlit, just like a stained-glass window. The composition in the Abbey’s north transept will be inaugurated with a formal dedication ceremony on October 2. The Queen’s Window is David Hockney’s first work in stained glass and depicts a colorful country scene to pay tribute to the British monarch’s affection for the countryside. (Guardian) Read more