Julia Peyton-Jones to Leave Serpentine Gallery

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Julia Peyton-Jones to Step Down from Serpentine | After 25 years at London’s Serpentine Gallery, director Julia Peyton-Jones is to step down next summer. According to Peyton-Jones, who has successfully overseen landmark projects including the opening of the gallery’s new Sackler space, she has decided to step down at ‘a time of strength and success’. The hunt is on for a successor…

Winner Announced for Sobey Art Award | The 2015 Sobey Art Award has been awarded to Toronto-based artist Abbas Akhavan, reports the Globe & Mail. The prize, which was founded in 2002, is intended to raise the profile of Canadian artists under 40 and awards its winner $50,000 CAN. (Elizabeth Grant discusses the award here).

Chicago Approves George Lucas Museum Proposal | Yet more Star Wars related news. According to Reuters, George Lucas’s plans to open a museum of ‘Narrative Art’ on land near Lake Michigan have been approved by Chicago City Council. The project, however, has caused no small amount of controversy over planning issues.

Christo Appointed Commander of Arts & Letters | The French government will honour Bulgarian-born artist Christo with the insignia of the order of arts and letters on Monday. Christo, who is famous for ambitious projects including the self-explanatory Wrapped Reichstag, has a longstanding connection with France. He began his career in Paris in the 1950s, where he met his French partner and collaborator Jeanne-Claude.

MIT Receives Major Grant from Dasha Zhukova | Moscow philanthropist and gallerist Dasha Zhukova has granted $1 million to MIT to establish an artist’s residency at the university. The first announcement will be made for the academic year of 2016–17.

Colnaghi to Merge with Coll & Cortés | 255 year old London dealership Colnaghi has announced plans to merge with Madrid-based gallery Coll & Cortés. Colnaghi will move from its current premises in Old Bond Street to a custom designed new space in St James’s next year. In the meantime, the gallery has made clear, ‘business will continue as usual’.