“[Considering] this great variety of materials and uses that define books over some 5,000 years and in every part of the globe, … how adventurous can we be in attributing to material objects — from clay to digital tablets — the characteristics which make them books? … And as forms of print and print in conjunction with script and illustration increased in complexity, how catholic does our definition of ‘book’ become? Do we include maps and sheets of music, fold-out panoramas, and gathered-together illustrations and prints?” – Literary Hub
Tag: 10.01.20
Smithsonian Lays Off 237 Staff
The layoffs are the first permanent staff cuts made by the world’s largest museum organization since it was forced to close its sites March 14 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Smithsonian lost $49 million — from store and restaurant revenue as well as canceled ticketed events, classes and tours — between March and September, spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas said. – Washington Post
‘Confederate Monuments’ In The Arts: What Do We Do With Once-Admired Works That Now Seem Unacceptable?
“Simple public [statues are] one thing. Real art is complicated. An artwork, such as a film or play, an opera or a pop song, can contain many ideas, some that we may endorse wholeheartedly, others that we might argue about, and still others that we might all find repellent, offensive or even painful. Thus, [ten Chronicle writers] look at some of the ‘Confederate monuments’ in various arts disciplines and ask: What should be our response?” – San Francisco Chronicle
Joffrey Ballet Cancels All Of Its 2020-21 Season
“The Joffrey said that the decision, sparked by the COVID-19 crisis, will cost the non-profit institution in excess of $9 million at the box office. … [The company] also announced a new virtual programming initiative, the Joffrey Studio Series, … [and] said it was beginning a new ’25 for 25,’ a year-long series of ‘free performances, programs, and partnerships with peer organizations’ from around the city, celebrating 25 years since the company arrived in Chicago.” – Yahoo! (Chicago Tribune)
Whitney Biennial Postponed Until 2022
The enormous contemporary art show that had been planned for next spring was put off for the sake of the artists themselves (the pandemic has interfered with their access to materials and studio space) as well as to make room in 2021 for the major shows — of work by Julie Mehretu, Salman Toor, Dawood Bey, and the Kamoinge Workshop — that had been scheduled for this year and for the big Jasper Johns retrospective. – The New York Times
World’s Biggest Film Industry Will Finally See Its Theaters Reopen
After seven months of pandemic shutdown, “India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has decreed that cinemas and multiplexes can reopen [on Oct. 15] at 50 percent of their seating capacity, a full month before the all-important Diwali holiday, which in normal times is a box office bonanza.” – The Hollywood Reporter
Here’s An Antidote To COVID Grief: Studying Indian Classical Dance Via Zoom
In which Sejal Shah reconnects with Rathna Kumar, with whom she took master classes in South Indian dance three decades ago, and joins “Vintage Kuchipudi Divas,” Kumar’s WhatsApp group for middle-aged former students who take video dance classes together every week. – The Guardian
$5 Million From Mellon Foundation To Support Black Theaters
“The initiative, known as The Black Seed, is described as the first national strategic plan to provide financial support for Black theaters across the country. It is backed by a $5 million lead gift from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; … according to a news release, [it] is the largest-ever one-time investment in Black theater.” – The New York Times