Tracking art lawsuits: The Urgent Matter database

Court filings and lawsuits have become one of the most consistent sources of real news in the art world. They show how museums, galleries and artists operate when money, rights and reputations are at stake and can reveal much more about art world disputes than the public would normally see.

This database is Urgent Matter’s ongoing record of art-world litigation. While it is not exhaustive, it gathers all lawsuits we have covered and verified through court filings and docket entries.

Each entry below includes the basic facts: who filed the case, where, when, and why, as well as a link to our most recent coverage on any particular case. Updates are added as the cases move through the courts, and entries are retained even when cases close.

This database exists because lawsuits are often the only public evidence of how the art world handles conflict and accountability. By tracking them in one place, it aims to make those processes visible.

Museum and Institutional Lawsuits

George Petrides v. National Hellenic Museum

Filed March 25, 2026, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Status: Ongoing

Summary: George Petrides has sued the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago, accusing it of improperly handling his sculptures to host events that left his sculptures damaged. The traveling show, short-titled “Hellenic Heads,” went on view in the first-floor Calamos Great Hall of the Chicago institution in 2023. During the run of the show, the museum allegedly hosted multiple events, including weddings and corporate gatherings, in the Calamos Great Hall, which required the sculptures to be moved repeatedly. The complaint also alleges the artist repeatedly warned the museum over a period of two years that movement of the works was causing damage. A representative for the museum said it "refutes the allegations."

American Museum of Natural History v. Twin America

Filed March 24, 2026, in New York Supreme Court

Status: Ongoing

Summary: The AMNH has sued a sightseeing pass company, accusing it of racking up more than $548,455 in unpaid admission fees before suspending operations last year. The museum said the passes, which allowed tourists to visit multiple attractions, including the AMNH, were sold in exchange for monthly payments to the museum based on how many were actually used. Cracks in the arrangement began to surface in 2021, when Twin America and Sightseeing Pass first fell behind on payments. But in October 2024, Twin America and Sightseeing Pass allegedly stopped making payments altogether and racked up unpaid invoices before suspending operations in June 2025. The lawsuit accuses the companies of breaching their agreement.

Ezra Iturribarria v. San Francisco

Filed February 20, 2026, in San Francisco Superior Court

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Ezra Iturribarria, a longtime security guard at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit accusing her supervisor, Patrick Smithwick, of making sexually aggressive remarks to her over the past three years. She also named the Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums—which is the parent organization of the De Young Museum—along with the city and county of San Francisco as defendants. Iturribarria alleged that in the last three years she faced unwanted harassing conduct from Smithwick that “was visual, verbal, physical and included unwanted sexual advances.”

Travis White v. Museum of Sex

Filed January 12, 2026, in New York Supreme Court

Status: Ongoing

Summary: The Museum of Sex is facing its second lawsuit over alleged sexual harassment in recent years after Travis White, the former retail manager for the for-profit museum’s flagship location on Fifth Avenue, said he was routinely subjected to unwanted sexual comments and conduct from staff members. He seeks damages and a jury trial.

Norton Museum of Art v. Verity Partners

Filed October 21, 2025, U.S. Southern District Court of Florida

Status: Ongoing

Summary: The museum alleges Verity Partners withheld administrative control of its phone system following a contract dispute, forcing duplicative telecom costs. It seeks injunctive relief and damages. The museum has since filed an amended complaint, while Verity's lawyers have withdrawn over "irreconcilable differences." In December, the Norton Museum filed an amended complaint, adding new statutory and contract claims, as the company’s defense attorneys moved to withdraw from the case over “irreconcilable differences.” Verity Partners has since countersued, seeking early termination fees and denying that it improperly withheld the PIN.

[Withheld] v. Cleveland Institute of Art

Case Dismissed September 30, 2025, by the U.S. Southern District Court of the Northern District of Ohio

Status: Dismissed

Summary: A lawsuit filed by a former student who accused the Cleveland Institute of Art of mishandling her sexual assault allegations against a male student was dismissed on September 30, 2025, by a federal judge, who ruled that the art school adequately investigated and disciplined the male student.

Paul Crawford v. Penticton Art Gallery Society

Filed October 23, 2025, British Columbia Supreme Court in Penticton

Status: Ongoing

Summary: The Penticton Art Gallery is facing a lawsuit by its longtime curator, who was laid off by the nonprofit in August after 19 years serving the organization. Paul Crawford, the curator, alleges in the lawsuit that he was subject to “significant” bullying, as well as harassment and a toxic and dysfunctional workplace. The lawsuit centers on the legality of the layoff under his employment contract and whether it was intended to be permanent. Crawford considered the layoff a "constructive dismissal" while the gallery said it expected him to return to work in November.

Ty Warner v. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Filed September 16, 2025, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Status: Appealed

Summary: Beanie Babies billionaire Ty Warner claimed the museum violated a 25-year naming-rights deal by removing his name from the Ty Warner Sea Center in 2014, halfway through the term, citing his 2013 tax-evasion conviction. He alleged that the museum kept his $1.5 million donation and later sought more than $50 million for a new naming opportunity. The case reflected growing scrutiny of donor agreements and how museums handle reputational issues tied to past benefactors. The case was dismissed in January 2026 after a judge found Warner’s claims expired seven years before the lawsuit was filed. Warner has since appealed the dismissal.

Andrea Kroksnes v. P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center

Filed October 28, 2025, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Status: Settled and dismissed

Summary: Norwegian citizen Andrea Kroksnes filed a federal lawsuit against the Museum of Modern Art and its Queens affiliate, MoMA PS1, alleging negligence after a large wall-mounted sound panel fell and struck her while she was seated in a screening room during the 2022 exhibition "Jumana Manna: Middle Ghost." The complaint claims Kroksnes suffered an acute concussion and chronic post-concussion syndrome resulting in permanent disability, pain and mental anguish. She is seeking more than $150,000 in damages, plus additional relief, for alleged failures by both institutions to properly secure and supervise the installation. The case was ultimately settled and dismissed.

Art Market & Contract Disputes

Yves Bouvier v. Pascal de Sarthe

This is a Hong Kong case. An application for judicial assistance was filed with a New York federal court on December 3, 2025.

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Art dealer Yves Bouvier has brought legal action against Hong Kong–based dealer Pascal de Sarthe, alleging that 91 artworks valued at approximately $100 million are missing after Bouvier entrusted them to de Sarthe for safekeeping and potential sale. According to Bouvier’s filings, the works were transferred to de Sarthe amid Bouvier’s broader disputes with Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, but were never returned and cannot be located.

The underlying ownership dispute is being litigated in Hong Kong, while Bouvier has also filed an application in the United States seeking court assistance to obtain records from banks and auction houses. He argues the materials could help trace the artworks or related proceeds. De Sarthe disputes Bouvier’s allegations and has argued that Bouvier is not the rightful owner of the artworks.

Separately, a French investigating judge has ordered Bouvier to stand trial in a Paris criminal court over the alleged disappearance of dozens of Pablo Picasso works allegedly belonging to the artist’s stepdaughter, Catherine Hutin.

S.A.R.L. Galerie Enrico Navarra v. Marlborough Gallery

Filed April 16, 2019, in New York Supreme Court

Status: Ongoing

Summary: A New York Supreme Court judge will decide alone whether Marlborough Gallery, once one of the art world’s most powerful galleries, helped torpedo a rival dealer’s multimillion-dollar ceramics project. After nearly seven years in state court, and more than a decade of litigation spanning Manhattan and Paris, the dispute between S.A.R.L. Galerie Enrico Navarra and Marlborough Gallery is headed to a bench trial beginning March 2. By the time this case finally reaches trial, nearly all of the central figures have died.

Aicon Contemporary v. Aicon Art

Filed October 22, 2025, in New York Supreme Court

Status: Ongoing

Summary: A legal war between brothers who once ran one of New York’s best-known galleries for modern Indian art escalated last week, after defendants filed counterclaims accusing their sibling’s gallery of selling forged works while denying claims that they hijacked the family brand.

Prajit Dutta, Harry Hutchison and Aicon Art LLC responded with an answer and counterclaims to a New York Supreme Court lawsuit from Prajit’s brother, Projjal Dutta, and his company, Aicon Contemporary LLC. The dispute centers on the use of the “Aicon” name. It is one of several lawsuits between the people behind the galleries in recent years.

Michaels Stores v. Jordan Nickel

Filed February 3, 2026, in U.S. District Court for Nothern District of Texas

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Michaels, the Texas-based chain of art supply stores, has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago artist Pose amid a dispute over the use of his artworks in marketing materials. The retailer preemptively filed the lawsuit against Pose, whose legal name is Jordan Nickel, in a federal court in Texas after it said it received a cease-and-desist letter from the artist in January 2026—allegedly threatening legal action if Michaels did not stop using his artwork in connection with the sale of spray paint in its stores. Michaels is asking the court to declare that it has not infringed on Pose’s copyrights, has not engaged in unfair competition and has not violated state or federal law.

Beaux Arts Museum LLC v. Allan Baitcher

Filed November 21, 2025, in U.S. District Court for Northern District of Georgia

Status: Ongoing

Summary: A Florida collector has filed a $20 million lawsuit against an Atlanta antiques dealer who allegedly sold him fake artworks purported to have been made by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Salvador Dalí, Jackson Pollock and other artists. The lawsuit was filed by Beaux Arts Museum LLC, a company owned by 92-year-old collector Alvin Malnik, against dealer Allan Baitcher and his firm Peachtree Antiques. The complaint accuses Baitcher of racketeering and running an elaborate scheme that exploited a decades-long personal relationship.

Agorive v. Opera Gallery Holding USA

Filed January 22, 2026, in 11th Judicial Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County

Status: Ongoing; Removed to federal court

Summary: A Belgian company that put $2 million into international art dealer Opera Gallery a decade ago is now suing, claiming it was misled about when it could cash out. According to Opera Gallery, Agorive is seeking a “$6 million windfall” in return. In February 2026, Opera Gallery removed the case to federal court, arguing that the case does not belong in state court.

Marcy Bor LLC v. AM:PM Gallery

Filed January 12, 2026, in Kings County Civil Court in New York City

Status: Ongoing

Summary: The Brooklyn gallery that was sued in federal court in 2025 for allegedly selling figurines bearing rapper Jay-Z’s likeness now faces eviction in a lawsuit filed by its landlord. Marcy Bor LLC accused AM:PM of failing to pay $25,210.72 in rent and late fees since October. The landlord is seeking a judgment for the unpaid rent and a warrant to evict the gallery, as well as costs. Joseph Diaz, the owner of the gallery, filed a response to the eviction lawsuit as a self-represented defendant without a lawyer. In it, he claimed that the rent was already paid to the landlord through an online portal, and that he has the receipts.

Filed March 30, 2026, in New York Supreme Court

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Investor Vladislav Gershkovich and attorney Irina Frolova filed a new judgment-enforcement action seeking more than $3.3 million tied to earlier court rulings involving Shchukin Gallery and related entities. According to the summons with notice, the plaintiffs say earlier judgments remain unpaid and totaled $3,392,203.44 as of March 27, with interest accruing at $526.41 per day.

Labor and Employment Cases

Masterworks v. Hai Min Tran

Filed February 5, 2026, in New York Supreme Court

Status: Discontinued without prejudice

Summary: Masterworks, the art investment platform founded by chief executive Scott Lynn, filed a preemptive declaratory judgment action against its former chief product officer, Hai Min Tran, after allegedly receiving a demand letter threatening employment claims.

Tran, through a lawyer, allegedly threatened to sue the company, claiming he was unlawfully terminated upon returning from paid family leave.

According to the complaint, Masterworks alleged that Tran voluntarily resigned from his role in 2024 ahead of relocating to the West Coast and reducing his hours following the birth of his second child.

The company said it let him take paternity leave and later discussed the possibility of part-time contract work if projects became available.

Masterworks denied that any termination occurred and sought a court declaration that Tran resigned voluntarily and is therefore barred from bringing those statutory claims. The company also sought attorneys’ fees and costs.

In March 2026, it filed to voluntarily discontinue its claims.

Court Documents: Masterworks Sues Ex-CPO Over Leave Dispute

Records from the New York Supreme Court.

Urgent MatterAdam Schrader

John Bonafede v. Museum of Modern Art

Filed January 22, 2024, in New York Supreme Court

Status: Ongoing, partial appeal

Summary: Performer John Bonafede brought the lawsuit against MoMA in January 2024 under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, accusing the museum of failing to protect him from repeated sexual abuse by museum visitors despite knowing it was happening. Bonafede alleged that while performing nude as part of Marina Abramovic’s 2010 exhibition “The Artist Is Present,” he was sexually assaulted seven times by five different visitors.

In December 2025, Justice James d’Auguste ruled against the museum in its motion to dismiss the case—keeping Bonafede’s case alive as it works its way through New York state courts. The museum has since appealed the judge's order to again seek the dismissal of the case, which has not yet gone to trial.

Sasha Suda v. The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Filed November 10, 2025, Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia

Status: Moved to arbitration

Summary: Sasha Suda, the former director of the Philadelphia Art Museum, who was ousted earlier this month after the institution’s controversial rebrand, has filed a lawsuit claiming she was fired “without a valid basis.” Her filing details claims of board interference, “sham investigation,” and breach of contract. She is seeking damages “in an amount to be proven at trial” that would likely include two years of severance pay as promised in her contract, lost benefits, harm to reputation, and other financial losses caused by her alleged wrongful termination. In December 2025, she asked a Philadelphia judge to keep her case in court, where she seeks a jury trial. She argues that her employment contract explicitly allows court litigation, rather than private arbitration, when the museum violates its non-disparagement obligations. A judge in January sided with the museum in its request to move the case to arbitration rather than open court and a jury trial.

Amanda Lea v. The Barstow School

Filed October 16, 2025, Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri

Status: Ongoing

Summary: A former art teacher at a private school in Kansas City has filed a lawsuit after she was purportedly fired for telling her students that far-right political activist Charlie Kirk was shot.

Racquel Chevremont v. Mickalene Thomas

Complaint filed October 27, 2025, New York Supreme Court

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Collector and curator Racquel Chevremont, who also starred in Real Housewives of New York, alleges that she was subjected to domestic violence, years of verbal abuse and financial exploitation by her ex-fiancée, the artist Mickalene Thomas. The bulk of the case serves as an interesting study in the business challenges artists can face when blending their personal and professional lives. It centers on allegations regarding their work together at MT Special Projects, a company they formed to handle their artistic collaborations. Thomas has since sought to have the case dismissed.

Jupiter Contemporary-Various Lawsuits

Multiple cases filed in courts in New York and Florida

Summary: Jupiter Contemporary, an art gallery in New York and Miami Beach, faces numerous lawsuits involving unpaid rent, disputes with artists over sales and missing works, and a claim over a damaged sculpture that has been settled. Because the gallery is facing multiple ongoing lawsuits in varying jurisdictions, updates to these cases will be tracked separately from this tracker.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

Stephen Thaler v. Shira Perlmutter

Petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court October 9, 2025

Status: Supreme Court declined to hear case.

Summary: Stephen Thaler has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case stemming from his pursuit to receive copyright protections for the artwork A Recent Entrance to Paradise, which was created using artificial intelligence. The Justice Department in January 2026 urged the Supreme Court to reject the case. Thaler has since told the high court that the government is defending a copyright rule not found in copyright law. He urged the justices to reject the government’s request to block review of his case. The Supreme Court ultimately decided not to hear the case on March 2, 2026.

August Image v. AM:PM

Filed November 20, 2025, in U.S. District Court in New York

Status: Ongoing

Summary: The New York photo agency August has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of one of its photographers against art gallery AM:PM for alleged copyright infringement. The issue stems from a photograph of rapper Jay-Z, taken and owned by August photographer Timothy White. August has accused AM:PM of selling figurines called “Jaybois” using Jay-Z’s likeness during White’s photoshoot in violation of his copyright.

Justin Bua v. [Various Foreign Entities]

Filed November 19, 2025, in U.S. District Court for Northern District of Illinois

Status: Ongoing

Summary: The artist Justin Bua, known for his paintings of hip-hop culture and as an art-world media personality, has filed a federal copyright lawsuit against dozens of China-based online retailers. The lawsuit accused each of 50 listed internet stores and marketplace accounts based in China of selling bootleg products that violate his registered copyrights for his works Piano Man IV, The DJ 2 and Funk ‘N Groovin’.

Allan Salas v. Rod Wave

Filed December 11, 2025, in U.S. District Court for Central District of California

Status: Ongoing

Summary: The rapper known as Rod Wave is facing a federal copyright lawsuit over the use of a photograph for the cover of his 2024 album “Last Lap." Photographer Allan Salas filed the lawsuit against the rapper, whose legal name is Rodarius Marcell Green, in a federal court in California. The lawsuit said Salas expected his damages to exceed $150,000, citing the commercial success of the album and tour and alleging willful and bad-faith conduct. The dispute stems from a photograph Salas took of Green on August 24, 2024, while the rapper was performing at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Salas was authorized to be at the arena to take photos of Green during this concert, but never transferred any rights and was never paid for the photograph used for the album cover, he alleged in the lawsuit. The album was then released with the photo used as the cover on October 11, 2024.

Auction Houses

Cushman & Wakefield v. 1334 York Avenue LLC / Sotheby’s

Filed April 9, 2026, in New York Supreme Court

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Cushman & Wakefield sued over Sotheby’s sale of its former York Avenue headquarters, alleging the auction house failed to pay a $10.2 million commission tied to the 2025 sale of the property to Weill Cornell Medicine for $510 million. The brokerage said it had secured a 30-year lease for Weill Cornell in 2023 and that its agreement provided for a 2% commission if the building was sold during the lease term. The firm said it learned of the sale through news reports rather than direct notice, then invoiced Sotheby’s in October before receiving a December response disputing that the commission agreement applied. Cushman seeks the commission along with other damages, fees and costs, while Sotheby’s has called the lawsuit baseless.

Susanne Zacke Beratung & Handel GmbH v. Roland Antiques

Filed February 18, 2026, in New York Supreme Court, Nassau County

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Austrian auction house Galerie Zacke has sued Long Island auctioneer Roland Auctions after a Tibetan Buddhist sculpture it won for $375 was later withheld due to an alleged clerical error, even though the buyer had already paid for the piece. The dispute centers on a 19th-century Tibetan Buddhist sculpture sold in a November 2025 estate sale held at Roland’s Glen Cove auction house. When the hammer fell, the sculpture was allegedly knocked down to Galerie Zacke with a successful bid of $375. But after the payment was made, Roland Auctions allegedly notified the buyer that the sculpture had not actually been sold to Galerie Zacke and had instead been awarded to another bidder because of a “clerk error."

Charles Cahn v. Sotheby's

Filed November 19, 2025, in New York Supreme Court

Status: Discontinued with prejudice

Summary: A collector who bought a painting by Amedeo Modigliani from Sotheby’s in 2003 filed a lawsuit after the auction house raised authenticity concerns in a 2016 appraisal and allegedly ignored his requests to resell it under a later agreement. Charles Cahn, the collector, filed the lawsuit in New York Supreme Court over Modigliani’s 1917 painting Portrait de Leopold Zborowski, which he purchased for nearly $1.6 million in 2003. But when Cahn sought an appraisal from Sotheby’s in 2016, the auction house itself said that the painting failed to satisfy certain criteria, putting its authenticity into question. The case has since been permanently ended without a ruling or public explanation.

Logan Paul v. Heritage Auctions

Filed September 24, 2025, in Dallas County District Court

Status: Dismissed

Summary: YouTuber-turned-boxer Logan Paul has dropped a lawsuit he filed in September against Heritage Auctions, in which he claimed the auction house prevented him from evaluating the authenticity of an item signed by basketball legend Michael Jordan. But after the auction, Paul discovered “serious issues” with the accuracy of the item as described on Heritage’s website and filed suit the following month. He sought a temporary restraining order and injunction to prevent the Dallas-based auction house, also known for selling blue-chip art and historical artifacts, from returning the item to the consignor or selling it to another buyer until he could investigate its authenticity. Earlier this month, he moved to dismiss the lawsuit. It was not immediately clear why Paul had decided to drop his complaint.

Other

Sara Duvall v. City of San Diego

Filed February 20, 2026, in U.S. District Court, Southern District of California

Status: Ongoing

Summary: San Diego artist Sara Duvall, who was fined for selling her work in a public park, has filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing officials improperly classified her art as “handcrafts” under local sidewalk-vending rules. She said the fines came after San Diego enacted changes to local ordinances in early 2024 that created separate rules for expressive activity and sidewalk vending. Duvall alleged she “has been singled out from other artists” in Balboa Park, with her work being considered a “handcraft” and not art, which comes with more rigid permitting in order to sell artworks, and other restrictions.

Harry Hutchison v. Projjal Dutta and Aicon Contemporary

Filed October 22, 2025, in New York Supreme Court, Kings County

Status: Ongoing

Summary: In a parallel case to the Aicon v. Aicon lawsuit, Harry Hutchison—who co-owns Aicon Art with Prajit Dutta, the brother of Aicon Contemporary owner Projjal Dutta—filed a lawsuit accusing Projjal of assaulting him at the Manhattan building where both businesses operate. Projjal denies the allegations and, in court filings responding to the complaint, accused Hutchison of attacking him and making false statements to police that led to Projjal’s arrest days after the incident.

Amy Taylor v. Jamie Nelson

Filed December 22, 2025 in U.S. District Court, Central District of California

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Australian punk singer Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers has filed a federal lawsuit in California against photographer Jamie Nelson, alleging the photographer improperly sold and promoted photos taken for a Vogue Portugal editorial as “fine art prints” and other commercial products without her permission. Taylor says she agreed to the shoot only for the magazine’s use, repeatedly rejected Nelson’s attempts to monetise the images, and has now sued for damages under publicity and trademark laws.

Nelson later filed counterclaims, reviewed by Urgent Matter, accusing Taylor and others connected to the band of copyright infringement. In a response to the counterclaims, Taylor acknowledged posting images from the shoot on social media but argued the posts were permitted under an implied license or constituted fair use. She asked the court to dismiss the counterclaims.

Separately, Nelson sought a civil harassment restraining order against Taylor in Los Angeles Superior Court, but a judge declined to issue the order earlier this month. She has said she is the copyright holder of the images and that there was no written agreement restricting her ability to sell prints of her work.

Carol L. Wolchok v. Margot Samel Gallery

Filed March 9, 2026, in New York Civil Court

Status: Ongoing

Summary: A New York landlord has filed a non-payment eviction petition against Margot Samel Gallery in Tribeca, alleging more than $26,000 in unpaid rent and other charges. Samel said the filing related to a reconciliation of certain building access and service charges connected to renovations undertaken at the gallery and that the gallery was in discussions with the landlord to resolve the matter.