In fact, that’s what it was created to do. Installed in response to neighbors’ noise complaints following the opening of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport’s fifth runway, the Buitenschot Land Art Park was designed by landscape architects and acoustical engineers to dampen the noise from passing airplanes. – 99% Invisible
Tag: 12.13.19
Post-Alicia Alonso, New Director Promises To Modernize National Ballet Of Cuba
Viengsay Valdés: “I will always defend classical technique as the artistic base for a good dancer, and from there one can grow into other types of choreography. What we must do is enrich what we have today, develop what we have. Without studying the past we can’t progress and, yes, we have to modernize.” – Yahoo! (AP)
Dance Critic Don McDonagh Dead At 87
“[He was] a fervent supporter of experimental choreographers as a dance critic for The New York Times and the author of critical biographies of George Balanchine and Martha Graham … [as well as] managing editor of the quarterly Ballet Review from 1969 to 1995.” – The New York Times
Citing Months Of Unpaid Wages, Workers At Mexico City’s Major Museums Walk Out
Staffers at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura, the organization that oversees the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Museo Mural Diego Rivera, and Museo Tamayo, shut down buildings and set up picket lines last Wednesday to protest up to seven months’ worth of missing paychecks. – Hyperallergic
Are The Arts In Crisis Or Is This A Great Opportunity?
While some have reacted to this trend with protests of ‘art for art’s sake’, perhaps we should view the increasing focus on the usefulness of the arts as an opportunity. The cultural sector now has the chance to define how it would like to be valued. Perhaps having to prove “relevance” will seem a light touch when compared to metrics like gross value added or wellbeing adjusted life years. – Arts Professional
Homecoming: Simone Young Is Next Chief Conductor Of Sydney Symphony
“She will take up the position at the start of 2022 when the orchestra returns to its home at the Sydney Opera House following the two-year closure of the Concert Hall for a major upgrade, including an acoustic refurbishment. In 2021, she will be the orchestra’s Chief Conductor Designate as she puts the 2022 program in place.” – Limelight (Australia)
How this nomadic music group is bridging cultural divides
“The band Tinariwen hails from the deserts of Mali in North Africa. Its sound blends ancient Saharan instruments with electric guitars, and has earned the band devoted fans around the world. During a recent U.S. tour,however, band members experienced a darker side of America. Before a North Carolina show, they received a barrage of Islamophobic comments on social media. But as producer Ali Rogin reports, the city of Winston-Salem banded together to give them a warm welcome.” – PBS NewsHour
After Years Of Upheaval, The American Jazz Museum Hires A Director
The Jazz Museum in Kansas City has had financial and leadership struggles during the past couple of years, but it’s clearly hoping that Rashida Phillips (a performer herself) will right the ship. – Kansas City Business Journal
The Justice Department Is Preparing A Lawsuit Against Live Nation For Ticketing Practices
And literally no one who has ever bought a ticket through them is sad. But more seriously: “The impending civil action… is expected to claim that Live Nation violated terms of its 2010 settlement with the government that allowed it to complete its controversial, $889-million merger with Ticketmaster.” – Los Angeles Times
Lowrider, A Magazine That Will Shutter This Year, Shaped California Culture
The magazine, an icon of culture, “played a critical role in forming the culture and image of lowriding, its lifestyle and aesthetics. Particularly popular among Mexican Americans, the magazine was as much a statement about Chicano identity as it was about the long, ground-hugging vintage cars.” – Los Angeles Times