South Carolina Artist Aldwyth Dies-And More Art News

A New York federal jury has awarded the Morgan Art Foundation $102.2 million in damages in a long-running dispute over the final years of Robert Indiana's life and the handling of his work. The case, which has stretched on for eight years, centered on allegations that art publisher Michael McKenzie isolated Indiana near the end of his life and created unauthorized versions of his art.

Indiana, the American artist born Robert Clark in 1928 and best known for the stacked sculpture spelling“love,” died in 2018 at 89. The litigation has also involved accusations of elder abuse, forgery, and copyright infringement, placing questions of authorship and stewardship at the center of one of the most closely watched estate battles in recent art law.

Luke Nikas, a lawyer for Morgan, said,“The isolation and exploitation of Robert Indiana in the last years, months, and even days before he died was a tragedy, and Michael McKenzie was the mastermind.” McKenzie's lawyer said he was considering an appeal.

The verdict landed alongside news of the death of South Carolina artist MaryAldwyth Dickman, known as Aldwyth, who died at 90. Aldwyth was recognized for intricate collages made from found objects and printed material, often assembled in containers and compared to Joseph Cornell's work. Her assemblage“We regret to inform,” made from her early rejection letters, became one of her most pointed statements about artistic persistence and institutional gatekeeping.

The broader roundup also noted that The Box in Los Angeles will close after 19 years, while Venice and London are preparing major projects by JR and Lawrence Abu Hamdan. Taken together, the developments point to a season in which legacy, preservation, and the politics of visibility are all under renewed scrutiny.

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