Fort Worth Opera Fires Its General Director

Scott Cantrell writes: “By any measure, Woods has transformed Fort Worth Opera from a struggling local company to one attracting national and even international attention for creative boldness and increasingly sophisticated productions.” FWO board chair Mike Martinez told Cantrell, “To be able to focus on development, business management, fundraising beyond Tarrant Country or North Texas – we just need somebody else in that regard.”

Chinese Curators Of Anselm Kiefer Show Are Fighting With His Dealers

Anselm Kiefer: Coagulation was organized by the Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum, where it ran at the end of last year as part of a four-city China tour. Kiefer himself says that the exhibition is happening without his consent, and the galleries that represent him are objecting as well; the show’s (German) chief curator calls this an attack on her curatorial freedom and says that commerical interests are trying to interfere.

Top Posts From AJBlogs 02.14.17

Communities as Resources
Too often (far, far too often), work that is thought of as engagement work views the arts organization or arts professional as the exclusive bearer of resources. … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2017-02-14

Merce in Nancy
CCN – Ballet de Lorraine presents three works from its repertory at the Joyce Theater. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2017-02-14

 

Why Sad Music Is So Compelling

There’s an inherent humanity in relating to each other when we’re at our weakest—it allows us to feel less alone, regardless of our circumstances. Music’s ability to tap into the human experience and both good and bad emotions is the universal connecting thread between songwriter and listener, according to Kenneth Aigen, music therapist, author and associate professor of music therapy at New York University.

Celebrate Good Design! (But Define What It Is First)

Thinking about the potential gap between design that’s good and design that succeeds raises the obvious question: What is “design,” anyway? This is a question that has been picked over for decades. Advocates of the profession—critics, curators, designers themselves—insist that the work is underestimated, if not flat-out marginalized. Design (they are forever pointing out) is not merely an exercise in superficial aesthetics or styling, as the public may assume. It is, rather, a far more serious matter of problem-solving and experience-shaping, driven by a uniquely rigorous approach to the human-made world in all its dimensions.