Andrea Smardon: “To answer these questions, I talked with innovative producers who are working on projects that attempt to bridge political and cultural divides. This work is going on across public broadcasting — at local stations, by independent producers and at national organizations such as NPR and StoryCorps. Few journalists view themselves as ‘healers,’ but everyone I talked with agreed that public media does have a unique role to play in this moment.” – Current
Tag: 06.14.19
Richard Lariviere Has Steered Chicago’s Field Museum Through Some Pretty Rough Waters
When he became CEO of the city’s natural history museum in 2012, it was in enough financial trouble that its debt was on the verge of being downgraded. Then there was the “cringeworthy” Native North America Hall. Now that hall is being reworked with input from Native Americans, the debt is steady, attendance is up, and the endowment has grown by 45% to $435 million. – Crain’s Chicago Business
National Academy Of Design In New York Will Not Be Reopening Its Museum
“After years of financial crises, shifting leadership and painful internal debate about its future, the National Academy closed its museum, separated from its school and began selling off its Manhattan properties in 2016.” Says one of the organization’s co-chairs, “The National Academy became the thing that devoured itself. The museum and school were draining all the resources. There wasn’t any money for the programmes that would actually improve the academicians’ lives.” – The Art Newspaper
The Poetry Slam Comes To Dubai
Two Dubai-resident Sudanese who met at a poetry event in Abu Dhabi (because there was no such thing in Dubai) have joined forces to open Blank Space, where they’ve basically created a spoken-poetry scene in the city. – Gulf News
At This Ballet School, They Are Empowering Their Students With Important Life Skills
“The after-school program at the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet in South Miami … provides ballet, reading, math and etiquette classes along with access to mental health professionals. The program delivers professionally taught dance classes in multiple genres, at little or no cost to 500 students ages 5-11.” – Miami Herald
Brazilians Face The Fact That Their Greatest Writer Was Black
“The traditional historical photo of [Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis] shows a man whose skin is nearly as light as his crisp white dress shirt. … Machado was known to be the descendant of freed slaves, but the new rendering, which shows him as a black man, has shaken Brazilians, prompting some to reconsider how they previously read his work and angering others who feel his legacy had been whitewashed.” – The New York Times
Once Again, An Errant Tweet Is The Last Straw: Director Of Berlin Jewish Museum Resigns
“Pressure had been mounting against the director, Peter Schäfer, over what critics said was an inappropriately political stance for the head of a cultural institution tasked with explaining Jewish traditions, history and art. … But it was a post by the museum’s Twitter account last week that sparked the backlash that Mr. Schäfer could no longer withstand.” – The New York Times
Edinburgh International Festival Faces Big Cuts
The proposal would mean the EIF has taken a 19.4% cut in its funding since 2015/16. EIF director Fergus Linehan questioned the lack of a strategic plan for the festival, which took £3.8 million in ticket sales in 2018. Linehan told The Stage: “There has been 10 years of decline and now this is accelerated decline. So what is the plan?” – The Stage
Addicted To Your Phone? Unlikely – It’s Likely Social Norms…
The distinction is critical: Whereas addiction is something people experience mostly as individuals, social norms are shared mental states shaped by the views and beliefs of other members of the society and by our subjective perceptions of those beliefs. – Fast Company
Baltimore Symphony’s Financial Situation Was Much Worse Than Outsiders Knew
Financial documents obtained by The Baltimore Sun and interviews with three of the symphony’s key decision-makers reveal that the organization’s efforts were predicated on the thinnest of margins — and wishful thinking. – Baltimore Sun