Bronx Museum of the Arts to open new space in downtown New York

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Bronx Museum of the Arts to open new space in downtown New York | The Bronx Museum of the Arts has announced that in 2019 it will open a new 4,500 sq ft space at 80 White Street in New York’s TriBeCa. The location will house AIM (Artist in the Marketplace), a forty-year initiative that offers fellowships, residencies and professional training for emerging artists.

Dealer Ezra Chowaiki sentenced to 18 months for $16m fraud | Dealer Ezra Chowaiki was sentenced to 18 months in prison at federal court in Manhattan on Thursday. After his gallery Chowaiki & Co declared bankruptcy in November 2017, Chowaiki faced accusations of wire fraud and transporting $16m worth of artworks under false pretences, to which he pleaded guilty in May this year. He has agreed to forfeit 25 artworks and pay $12.9m in restitution.

Mattress Factory director on temporary leave after alleged mishandling of sexual harassment claims | Michael Olijnyk, executive director of the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, has been placed on temporary paid leave after five accounts of sexual harassment involving an unnamed former employee. The claims came to light when the radio station WESA reported on a complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board by four of the museum’s employees. The complaint states that, when faced with a claim of sexual harassment in February of this year, Olijnyk continued to employ the accused staff member because they had ‘completed workplace harassment training’.

Holly Shen to join San Jose Museum of Art as deputy director | Holly Shen is joining California’s San Jose Museum of Art as deputy director this November. Shen was previous in charge visual arts activity at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and is the founder of Forward Union, a coalition-building initiative.