What One Red State Will Lose When The NEA Is Gone

“If any state knows the value of publicly financed art, it may be South Dakota: One of its biggest tourist attractions, Mount Rushmore, is, among other things, a colossal federally funded sculpture. … [The NEA’s] generally small grants can have a bigger impact here than they would at the Metropolitan Operas of the world.” Michael Cooper visits the Coyote State to see in action some of the arts programs funded by the agency the Trump administration proposes to eliminate.

Top Posts From AJBlogs 04.25.17

Combining Cultures
This year, Ballet Hispanico will celebrate its 47th anniversary. I know, I know. In the performing-arts world, we only go all out for a year that ends in zero or five. But what’s immodest about a company being proud of its achievements in other years? … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2017-04-25

“Moral Obligation”: My Chat with Cleveland Museum of Art’s William Griswold (plus Benjamin & Rub)
William Griswold has no interest in leaving the directorship of the Cleveland Museum for Art any time soon – not even for the top spot at the beleaguered Metropolitan Museum (for which I had presumptuously nominated him). … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2017-04-25

Ella Fitzgerald At 100
It is impossible to find the perfect performance by which to remember Ella, … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2017-04-25

 

Why Linda Winer Is Quitting Her Job As A Theatre Critic After 30 Years

“Winer’s beef, it should be clear, is not with her employers, about whom she had nothing but kind words in a brief interview today. She’s instead stepping down in protest over (or surrender to) the apparent collective indifference of readers to arts criticism, as a chill wind of click metrics has blown through the profession and shriveled word counts even for the most venerable of critical voices. After nearly 50 years on the aisle, Winer made clear, groveling for clicks is not how she wants to spend the rest of her life.”