June 15 | Israeli cultural institutions might see government funding cut

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On Monday, Israeli cultural institutions, including theaters, orchestras and dance troupes, received a form from the Culture and Sports Minister — working for the Israeli government — asking whether they had or hadn’t offered performances last year in the Negev, the Galilee or West Bank settlements.

Under the new criteria established by Minister Miri Regev, institutions that have not offered performances in the settlements will suffer a 33% cut in government funding. More on Haaretz.

Two days in and Art Basel has already delivered strong sales. The first day rounded up impressive results, including the sale of a $7 million Piero Manzoni and a $5.9 million Frank Stella at Dominique Lévy Gallery. Victoria Miro sold all Yayoi Kusama works it had on display, whilst Kamel Mennour has had “fantastic” sales for paintings and sculptures by Camille Henrot. Art Market Monitor has more information.

British artist Damien Hirst has been sued by Canadian jewelry designer Colleen Wolstenholme for copyright infringement. The complaint, filed in New York, alleges that Hirst has “copied and/or created derivative works of Wolstenholme’s works, namely Wolstenholme’s Pill Charms and Pill Charm Bracelet.” Hirst’s bracelets are sold on his e-commerce site Other Criteria for between $15,000 and $35,000 each. More on Art Forum.

Artists Sara Cwynar and Mary Reid Kelley are the recipients of this year’s edition of the Baloise Art Prize, awarded every year at Art Basel. The $31,000 prize is sponsored by European financial services provider Baloise Group. Cwynar won with a video essay titled Soft Film, whilst Kelley was chosen for her tragicomic film This is Offal. Read more on artnet News.

Italian critic, journalist and essayist Angela Vettese has been appointed artistic director of Arte Fiera, Bologna’s annual international modern and contemporary art fair. Vettese will replace Giorgio Verzotti and Claudio Spadoni, who co-directed the last four editions of the fair. Art Forum has more information.

Boston’s Smith College of Art has received a $2.5 million bequest from former student and art collector Charlotte Feng Ford. The donation will fund a contemporary art curatorship as well as research projects. Read more on Art Forum.