Author: ArtsJournal2

Flor Silvestre, Mexican Singer, Actress And Musical Matriarch, 90

Silvestre married musical icon Antonio Aguilar after she was already a star, and the two had vital careers apart – “but transformed into a supernova when they worked together in 20 films and dozens of songs that get screened and streamed to this day. More important, Silvestre and Aguilar created a traveling rodeo that toured across the United States and Mexico for decades. Part musical revue, part horse show, part comedy act, and all about a wholesome night out for the family, their espectáculo played from small towns in the Midwest to six straight sold-out performances at Madison Square Garden.” – Los Angeles Times

The Musician Taking Wedding Gigs To Survive The Pandemic

Survive monetarily, that is. And psychologically. “There’s definitely a part of me that puts myself in these risky situations just to feel some sense of normalcy. My sister, a Ph.D. clinical psychologist, agrees. She says the damage this apocalyptic Groundhog Day is doing to performers’ psyche is as bad, if not worse, than the financial hardships we’re facing. After all, for many of us professional entertainers, our work is also intertwined with our social lives. It’s much more than just a paycheck.” – Slate

Hollywood Is Lost And Wandering, And Wondering How To Survive

Sure, Hollywood has been predicting its own demise since TV made it big. Every subsequent innovation – larger TVs! color TVs! The internet! DVD rentals! Streaming! – has the industry thinking it will die soon. But this time, well. “In the 110-year history of the American film industry, never has so much upheaval arrived so fast and on so many fronts, leaving many writers, directors, studio executives, agents and other movie workers disoriented and demoralized — wandering in ‘complete darkness,’ as one longtime female producer told me. These are melodramatic people by nature, but talk to enough of them and you will get the strong sense that their fear is real this time.” – The New York Times

American Museums Are, Finally, Going Through An Identity Crisis

Perhaps, as one museum director claims, we’re “at a moment for complete reimagination of museums,” but it’s a painful one with the pandemic shutdowns mixing with a long overdue racial reckoning. “Museums are caught in a disheartening dilemma: They’re facing growing calls for diversity, equity, and inclusion, but without the funding they need they’re more likely to close than to be able to meet those demands.” – The Atlantic

Not Even A Pedophilia Scandal Can Crack France’s Legendarily Clubby Literary World

On the prize committees, those who should feel disgraced give a shrug. Why should they care? “François Busnel, the host of La Grande Librairie, France’s most important television literary program, compared prize juries to the southern Italian mafia. ‘It’s a camorra, particularly the Renaudot,’ he said in a recent interview.” – The New York Times

Slightly Correcting The Scales By Adding A Portrait Of One Woman To Britain’s Royal Society

Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered a new type of star – the pulsar – when she was in grad school. A Nobel Prize for its discovery went to her male PhD supervisor. Now her portrait is going into the Royal Society at its headquarters in London. “‘I’m sure that will upset a few fellows,’ she said, chuckling, when told by the Guardian of her position at the top of the grand staircase. ‘It is really prominent I must say, I’m surprised at that.'” – The Guardian (UK)

The Era Of The Blockbuster May Be Over, For Now Or Forever

Or perhaps that’s just in the U.S. and other countries that can’t seem to get the coronavirus under control. “Up until now, Hollywood has refused to show its biggest movies first to audiences in Asia, Australia and New Zealand – where many cinemas are open again – partly due to piracy fears … [but] Wonder Woman 1984 will have a full theatrical release in China a week before the film is released in the U.S.” – BBC