As New York City’s major museums prepare to reopen, the experience of the the first major U.S. art museum out of the re-starting gate — the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which intrepidly invited its public back three months ago — is an object lesson on how it might (or might not) work for others. – Lee Rosenbaum
Tag: 08.20.20
Why Are There So Few Black Directors In The Criterion Collection?
“In such an expansive catalog, encompassing films from more than 40 countries, the relative absence of African-American filmmakers stands out. There are, for example, more directors in the Criterion Collection with the last name Anderson than there are African-Americans.” Criterion president Peter Becker acknowledges the problem: “There’s nothing I can say about it that will make it OK. The fact that things are missing, and specifically that Black voices are missing, is harmful, and that’s clear. We have to fix that.” – The New York Times
How Hollywood Reacted To Women Getting The Vote 100 Years Ago
This early promise of a more equitable industry didn’t last. Once the studio system kicked into gear, women were largely muscled out of positions of authority. There are exploding opportunities for women in TV and streaming today, but film writing and directing are still overwhelmingly dominated by men, and white men at that. – Variety
A Viral Video Puts Spotlight On Tiny Community Dance Company In Lagos, Nigeria
“In the beginning, people kept saying, ‘What are they doing?!’” Mr. Ajala said. “I had to convince them that ballet wasn’t a bad or indecent dance, but actually something that requires a lot of discipline that would have positive effects on the lives of their children outside the classroom. I always say, it’s not only about the dance itself — it’s about the value of dance education.” – The New York Times
Newspaper Newsrooms Are Shutting Down Across America. What That Means For News
Like office workers across the United States, journalists have been pushed by the coronavirus to retreat from communal spaces and into remote work. Now some are confronting the very real possibility that they may never again work in a physical newsroom — a touchstone of journalism — and what that could mean for the future of their profession. – Washington Post
What Animals Have To Say
Humans have spent decades trying to teach other animals our languages—sometimes for convenience or amusement, sometimes out of scientific curiosity—but we’ve made little effort to learn theirs. Today, as a virus from another species upends human society, the usefulness of communicating with animals on their own terms is suddenly more imaginable. – New York Review of Books