“The seven-story Seiyun Palace in Hadramawt province, currently a museum, fell into disrepair after the country descended into civil war in 2015. That left it vulnerable to the heavy rains and flash floods that hit Yemen this summer, killing dozens of people” and ravaging the medieval mud-brick buildings of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. “An engineer said the [Seiyun Palace] was now ‘dangerous’ and appealed for help.” – BBC
Tag: 10.20.20
“Central to the Museum’s Collection”: Arnold Lehman Blasts the Baltimore Deaccessions
“The fiduciary responsibility of a museum’s board of trustees is not to use its institution’s collection as an ATM, but rather to search out all other means to secure the future, including important changing social dynamics, while protecting the collection.” – Lee Rosenbaum
The Atlantic Magazine In The Confounding Era Of Trump
The Atlantic is a magazine not precisely of the center but rather of a set of liberal civic ideals; more than any other publication, its purpose seems to be the continual renewal of educated Americans’ commitment to high-mindedness. The past four years have severely tested those ideals. – The New Republic
Bubble-Master: The Doctor Who Helps Make Dance Companies Safe
“Bubbling has gained traction in the dance world as companies and organizations try to find ways of bringing artists together to create work in a safe environment. That involves rules, medical protocols, tests and vigilance, and it requires a presiding authority to decide what those should be. Enter Dr. Wendy Ziecheck, a Manhattan internist, who trained with George Balanchine’s doctor and was the medical director for the Rockettes before taking this unlikely new career path.” – The New York Times
Which Native American Writers Get To Do What With Which Native Stories? The Case Of Rebecca Roanhorse
Just two years after her debut novel was published, Roanhorse has been racking up awards and praise in the science fiction/fantasy field, even drawing comparisons to George R.R. Martin and N.K. Jemisin. But she draws on Diné (Navajo) myth and legends as source material, and she herself is Diné only by marriage (her people were from the New Mexico pueblos); while some Diné are thrilled by her work and her success, others have attacked her furiously for appropriation. – Vulture
For The First Time Since 1965: No Charlie Brown And The Great Pumpkin On TV This Year
ABC has been the main home of Great Pumpkin and all the major Peanuts specials for the past 20 years, having snatched them away from their original home on CBS in 2000. But Great Pumpkin is not currently on ABC’s advance programming specials through early November, and while a network rep indicated that could change, it would be odd for ABC not to schedule the specials by now, unless there were contractual issues. – New York Magazine
California Lays Out Rules For When Disneyland Can Reopen (It’ll Be A While)
“All theme parks — which includes Disneyland in Anaheim and Universal Studios Hollywood — may resume operations in Tier 4, Yellow, which is much further down the road. At that point, the guest limit is 25% across the board and indoor dining establishments can only operate at 25% capacity. The announcement drew a swift, negative reaction from executives at Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Legoland and others.” – Deadline
New Director Of Montreal Museum Of Fine Arts Throws Some Shade At His Predecessor (And At France)
Stéphane Aquin, a native Montrealer who is currently chief curator at the Hirshhorn in D.C., takes over his hometown’s flagship museum next month after the ouster of Nathalie Bondil, a prominent Frenchwoman who had raised the MMFA’s profile and reputation overseas. “One thing I’m keen [on] is to establish our relevance in North America,” said Aquin. “We are not a suburb of Paris.” – The Art Newspaper
Sexting Lawsuit Against Ex-New York City Ballet Dancer Gets Even More Lurid
Chase Finlay, the former City Ballet principal who resigned just as news broke that he had shared nude photos of ex-girlfriend Alexandra Waterbury with male colleagues, has now filed an official response to her lawsuit against him. (Waterbury’s suits against the company and the male colleagues were thrown out by a judge last month.) In his filing, Finlay accuses Waterbury of everything from careerism to attempted extortion to assault and battery. – New York Post
Why American Families Are Addicted On “The College Experience”
“That shocking stability is exposing a long-standing disconnect: Without the college experience, a college education alone seems insufficient. Quietly, higher education was always an excuse to justify the college lifestyle. But the pandemic has revealed that university life is far more embedded in the American idea than anyone thought. America is deeply committed to the dream of attending college. It’s far less interested in the education for which students supposedly attend.” – The Atlantic