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“The Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, a tuition-free art school and an active part of Philadelphia’s cultural community, will auction nearly all its remaining artwork [this weekend],” raising as much as $100,000 for the school’s endowment. But the school is stressing that the sale, which will include 50 Russian religious icons and a treasure trove of works by local artists, was not precipitated by budget problems, but by a desire to find a home for the works where they can be seen by the public. The school has no exhibition space of its own, and in fact, the existence of its collection came as a surprise to many in the art world.

Richard Dorment is thrilled by the new Museum of Modern Art. “Everything about the building radiates expensive reticence, conservative good taste. Externally, its sheer façade of subdued black granite, aluminum panels, and white and grey glass gives little hint of the wonders inside. But, when you step over the threshold, something extraordinary happens. Taniguchi’s serenely minimalist architecture draws you gently but inexorably forward with the promise of what I am tempted to call enlightenment.”

The Royal College of Art is holding a secret art sale. “Most of the 2,000-odd works in the show are by RCA students, present or past. Some, however, are by extremely well-known artists – including David Hockney, Bill Viola, Perry and Damien Hirst. All are on sale for £35 – but the catch is that as a buyer you won’t be told whom your work is by until you have handed over the cash. You could be walking away with the most fantastic bargain. Or not.”