The graduating MFA class of 2020 at the Oregon College of Art and Craft has, to put it mildly, been through some things. But they may be the only graduating MFA class in the country to have had a thesis show this year. – Oregon ArtsWatch
Tag: 07.14.20
Who’s Making Money Off Of Cheap Language Instruction?
It’s not the language teachers, especially the English-language teachers from places like the Philippines, who are getting paid poverty wages. And what of apps? Uh … “Language ‘learners’ on Duolingo are actually just performing the free labor—or even paying for the privilege—of helping the company improve its proprietary algorithms.” – Boston Review
The Line Between Cancel And Unpopular
There’s a difference between a harassment campaign and suffering the consequences of hateful behaviour. Clearly, we all understand that there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, a point in which a person should no longer be in a position of power and influence. The problem is that we disagree on where, exactly, that line is. – Forbes
Smithsonian’s National Museum Of African Art Accused Of ‘Culture Of Racism’
A two-page letter sent by former employees and board members to Smithsonian secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III “alleges that more than 10 former or current Black employees have ‘reported or experienced incidents of racial bias, hostile verbal attacks, retaliation, terminations, microaggressions and degrading comments,’ all of which have been ignored by management when raised formally. … The letter’s signatories are calling for the resignation of the NMAfA’s deputy director and chief curator Christine Mullen Kreamer.” – HuffPost
Key Figure In Islamic Extremist Occupation Of Timbuktu Now On Trial In The Hague
The man who functioned as the chief of police for the Ansar Dine extremists who took over the historic Malian city in 2012, destroying medieval shrines and manuscripts and terrorizing the city’s inhabitants, has been formally indicted at the International Criminal Court. Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoude declined to enter pleas on 16 charges. – BBC
Is “The Sublime” An Outdated Romantic Idea?
The Romantic poet William Wordsworth wrote of ‘the sensation of sublimity’ as ‘a comprehensive awe’. Psychologists refer to the sublime as an awe-like aesthetic emotion. Without the positive affect, there is no experience of the sublime. But even if the sublime has to be felt, it is still a response to something about the object, such as its rare vastness or daunting power. It’s a bit like how colour is both response-dependent and objective at the same time. – Psyche
A Third Of All UK Arts Freelancers Say They May Leave The Field
A quarter of freelance theatre workers have been unable to access emergency income of any kind and a third are considering leaving the industry, according to a survey of more than 8,000 participants. – The Stage
Offer To Buy Old Vic Theatre Rejected
Asked about reports that ATG had attempted to acquire the theatre, a statement sent to The Stage from the Old Vic said ATG – which owns 32 venues in the UK – “did approach the Old Vic some weeks ago, but this offer was declined immediately and definitively”. – The Stage
How Cancel Culture Is Driven By Capitalism
It is strange that “cancel culture” has become a project of the left, which spent the 20th century fighting against capricious firings of “troublesome” employees. A lack of due process does not become a moral good just because you sometimes agree with its targets. We all, I hope, want to see sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination decrease. But we should be aware of the economic incentives here, particularly given the speed of social media, which can send a video viral, and see onlookers demand a response, before the basic facts have been established. – The Atlantic
On Opera Over The Phone, Just For Me
It wasn’t quite like being in a recital hall, but it did give me a chance to enter another romantic world in real time with a real person on the other end of the phone line. – NPR