“Big Philanthropy is definitionally a plutocratic voice in our democracy, an exercise of power by the wealthy that is unaccountable, non-transparent, donor-directed, perpetual, and tax-subsidized.”
Tag: 06.26.18
Time To Retire Beethoven’s Ninth?
Is Hip Hop The Way Forward For The Arts?
Hip hop culture illuminates a way forward within Canadian cultural institutions’ growth, evolution and vibrancy. It may seem that the spontaneity and improvisation of hip hop — cornerstones of the culture’s innovative core threaded seamlessly throughout dance, djing, rhyming and painting — are structurally and policy-wise an impossibility within cultural institutions. But…
American Shakespeare Center Names A New Leader
Former Shakespeare Theatre Company associate director Ethan McSweeny has been named to run the 30-year-old American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va., beginning next week. The Blue Ridge troupe performs in the Blackfriars Playhouse, a facsimile of the indoor theater used by Shakespeare’s troupe.
Should An Artist Like Anish Kapoor Be Invoking His Copyright Just Because He Doesn’t Like The NRA’s Politics?
“Whether Sir Anish should leverage a law meant to foster and incentivize creativity and debate to instead silence and censor speech is the question before us. Put another way, does US Copyright law grant a copyright owner the sole and exclusive right to control how their copyrighted work is used?”
Stealing Art Is Easy – Doing Anything With It Afterward Is What’s Hard
“‘The main rule is that it’s not that hard to steal art, even from museums, but it’s almost impossible to translate that art into cash,’ says Noah Charney, a scholar and author who’s published multiple books on art theft. Paintings can be quickly cut out of frames, and small sculptures can be tucked into bags — even jewelry can be secreted away — but finding a buyer for your art or diamonds is often impossible. ‘Criminals don’t understand that, because their knowledge of art crime is based on fiction and films,’ Charney says.”
In His Head, He Was Constantly Panning It: When A New Yorker Book Critic Writes A Novel Of His Own
James Wood: “I find I can’t turn off the critical monitor quite how I would like to. … Perhaps I’ve reconciled myself to that inability, but I’ve come to the conclusion that that isn’t such a bad thing, that maintaining a critical consciousness at least enables me to review myself, edit myself, think twice and three times about everything I’m doing. … I found it to be sort of an intensely self-critical activity. So yeah, I was constantly writing my worst possible reviews.”
When A Museum Sells Off Some Of Its Art To Become More Diverse
The Baltimore Museum of Art‘s decision to sell off seven works by white male artists to create a war chest to fund acquisitions of art by women and artists of color drove a traditionally hermetic discussion about museum practices into the mainstream. Now, the museum’s closely watched decision is beginning to bear fruit.
The Untold History Of Sven, The Puppet Reindeer In Broadway’s ‘Frozen’
“[Disney Theatrical Productions] invited its longtime puppetry collaborator, Michael Curry (The Lion King), to experiment with ways the shaggy creature might be represented onstage. He tested two-performer pantomime before deciding to fashion a full-scale figure that could wordlessly engage with the unfolding plot — that could act — when brought to life by a single actor within. The resulting reindeer has become one of the most popular characters in the show, getting entrance applause and even a cameo on the Tonys.”
Dartmouth College’s Hood Museum Will Reopen Next January
“[The Hood] is due to reopen on 26 January 2019 after a closure of nearly three years for an expansion and revamp by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. The $50m project expands the museum’s space by 50% to over 62,000 sq ft, adds six new galleries and renovates the museum’s original 1985 Charles Moore building.”