Oxford professor George Garnett announced in 2019 that he had counted 93 penises stitched into the embroidered account of the Norman conquest of England — 88 belonging to horses and five to humans. Historian Christopher Monk now argues that there is a 94th appendage; Garnett insists that that one is a scabbard. - The Guardian
"Too many stations simply serve as passthrough distributors for national content. That model was the only way to distribute content in the 1970s. Today, that model is dated — honestly irrelevant. Most consumers can access what they want whenever and wherever they desire." - Editor & Publisher
London printer John Dunton created the Athenian Gazette, or Casuistical Mercury as a broadsheet answering questions and providing topics for patrons to discuss at coffeehouses. The questions submitted were initially about science, law, or philosophy, but it took only a few weeks for readers to start asking about personal relationships. - Literary Hub
For better and for worse, science today is shaped by strongly human factors: economic value, political priorities, career prospects, cultural trends, and a range of human biases and beliefs. Imagine the science if all that baggage could be abandoned. - Aeon
“That’s kind of one of the other reasons we wanted to build a browser, is we want to get data even outside the app to better understand you. Because some of the prompts that people do in these AIs is purely work-related. It’s not like that’s personal.” - TechCrunch
It is not only that those wistful and innocent longings we all feel when we think of home were once subject to urgent medical intervention and scrutinised as symptoms of a fatal disease. The 17th-century medical-scientific literature possessed a weirdly inhuman and morbid philosophy of the effects of nostalgia. - Psyche
“’English audiences, in particular, expect to come in, understand it, and have a good conversation about it afterwards.’ The Israeli-born, soon-to-be-British choreographer would prefer people to approach contemporary dance ‘more like a concert’ – something you experience ‘through your senses’.” - The Telegraph (UK) (Yahoo!)
Davis wrote for The Atlantic for more than three decades, from 1984 to 2016, and was a contributing editor for much of that time. He also had a high-profile stint at The Village Voice, where he originated an annual jazz critics’ poll that continues today elsewhere and now bears his name. - The Atlantic
When asked whether the fact that the last two Proms festivals in Britain have each featured only eight female conductors — compared with well over 40 males — meant progress had stalled, Alsop replied: “Stalled, that could define the quest for gender equality throughout history.” - The Times
Whether it’s Adobe apps or Figma, AI features are increasingly being built into creative tools that push designers into an era of editing and using AI as a tool, rather than having to create everything from scratch. - The Verge
“In addition to feeding the fandom, the play, written by Kate Trefry, who is also a writer on the Netflix series, is set up as a prequel to the events in the streaming show and may inform some of what’s to come in the next season.” - The Hollywood Reporter
A “view,” in reality, is not a universal metric. It’s not really anything. It is whatever a platform wants it to be, which usually has no actual correlation to whether someone actually encountered and experienced a piece of content. You can just make the views whatever you want! - The Verge
The looting of the Sudan National Museum is the most striking example of the destruction of cultural heritage. Dramatic images of the remains of the temple of Buhen, rescued during the UNESCO campaign and brought to the museum, suggest that they have been damaged. - Apollo
The garden, which was announced during Mr. Trump’s first term, will feature life-size renderings of “250 great individuals from America’s past who have contributed to our cultural, scientific and political heritage,” according to a news release. - The New York Times
“Woman With Eyes Closed was commissioned, completed ahead of deadline, cast and workshopped when the 2020 lockdown canceled Opera Philadelphia’s premiere. The (piece) was dropped again when the ailing company’s 2024 fall festival was put on hold.” The opera finally premieres this weekend — in Pittsburgh. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
“After all, the Kennedy Center is more than a venue, it’s a ‘living monument’ — a place where the story of American culture plays out onstage. Whatever happens at the Kennedy Center becomes part of the history it exists to preserve.” - The Washington Post (MSN)
With Hollywood reeling from a convergence of factors and production moving to less expensive states and overseas, industry leaders and some lawmakers are pushing to expand tax credits for production. Others argue that, with a looming budget crisis and millions of people in need, California can’t afford corporate giveaways. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
While a few programs (among them the Master of Music in historical performance and, since last year, the acting MFA) are already tuition-free, the goal is to extend that policy to the entire school. $180 million of the $550 million goal has been pledged so far. - The New York Times
“Random House announced that it would publish a hardcover book in July combining the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, followed in November by a hardcover edition of the Federalist Papers. Both books include introductions by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham.” - AP
“A New York City firm known for integrating architecture, art, infrastructure, and landscape will reimagine Kansas City’s premier museum for the next generation of visitors. … The Weiss/Manfredi architecture firm was selected to design a new wing on the west end of its campus.” - KCUR (Kansas City)
For better and for worse, science today is shaped by strongly human factors: economic value, political priorities, career prospects, cultural trends, and a range of human biases and beliefs. Imagine the science if all that baggage could be abandoned. - Aeon
“That’s kind of one of the other reasons we wanted to build a browser, is we want to get data even outside the app to better understand you. Because some of the prompts that people do in these AIs is purely work-related. It’s not like that’s personal.” - TechCrunch
It is not only that those wistful and innocent longings we all feel when we think of home were once subject to urgent medical intervention and scrutinised as symptoms of a fatal disease. The 17th-century medical-scientific literature possessed a weirdly inhuman and morbid philosophy of the effects of nostalgia. - Psyche
Whether it’s Adobe apps or Figma, AI features are increasingly being built into creative tools that push designers into an era of editing and using AI as a tool, rather than having to create everything from scratch. - The Verge
The implicit claim of Abundance is that material abundance not only makes things cheaper, easier, or higher quality, but also makes it easier for people to be better. - 3 Quarks Daily
Conscious perception is the ability of human beings to become aware of the stimuli received by their senses. It is a different state from simply being awake, where sensations are processed automatically and unreflectively. Rather, conscious perception requires a detailed and voluntary analysis of external stimuli. - Wired
The garden, which was announced during Mr. Trump’s first term, will feature life-size renderings of “250 great individuals from America’s past who have contributed to our cultural, scientific and political heritage,” according to a news release. - The New York Times
“After all, the Kennedy Center is more than a venue, it’s a ‘living monument’ — a place where the story of American culture plays out onstage. Whatever happens at the Kennedy Center becomes part of the history it exists to preserve.” - The Washington Post (MSN)
While a few programs (among them the Master of Music in historical performance and, since last year, the acting MFA) are already tuition-free, the goal is to extend that policy to the entire school. $180 million of the $550 million goal has been pledged so far. - The New York Times
Three of the largest arts funders in the United States—the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Doris Duke Foundation, and the Ford Foundation—stopped supporting many components of the arts infrastructure in New York that they helped create. - The New Yorker
Renegotiating the city’s relationship with cars has the power to rejuvenate New York. In the 20th century, automobiles defined modernity. Gridlock represented an excess of urban energy. Today, private cars that go wherever, whenever, are signs of stagnation and retreat. - Curbed
President Trump has announced that The Kennedy Center will play host to an official celebration of his first 100 days in office, with tickets to the event ranging between $175 and $1,000 in price. - The Violin Channel
When asked whether the fact that the last two Proms festivals in Britain have each featured only eight female conductors — compared with well over 40 males — meant progress had stalled, Alsop replied: “Stalled, that could define the quest for gender equality throughout history.” - The Times
“Woman With Eyes Closed was commissioned, completed ahead of deadline, cast and workshopped when the 2020 lockdown canceled Opera Philadelphia’s premiere. The (piece) was dropped again when the ailing company’s 2024 fall festival was put on hold.” The opera finally premieres this weekend — in Pittsburgh. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
“The understudy has landed the starring role. Ryan Fleur, after twice serving as interim leader, has been named president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts, the group announced Wednesday.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
I’m inclined to agree with Adorno on at least some of this. I am allergic to the suggestion that music needs to be attached to claims about something else to be worthwhile – be that its ability to make money, or aid focus (and productivity), or to optimise health. Can’t it just be for...
Jacksonville University will cut music and theater programs from its curriculum in a reorganization that will affect about 100 students and cost 40 faculty members their jobs. The cuts, an effort to save $10 million, are intended to align the university’s courses with the needs of today’s working world. - Jax Today
“The annual Kronos Festival … introduces the Bay Area to the quartet’s latest incarnation, with violist Ayane Kozasa and violinist Gabriela Díaz taking over chairs held, respectively, by Hank Dutt and John Sherba for more than four decades.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
Oxford professor George Garnett announced in 2019 that he had counted 93 penises stitched into the embroidered account of the Norman conquest of England — 88 belonging to horses and five to humans. Historian Christopher Monk now argues that there is a 94th appendage; Garnett insists that that one is a scabbard. - The Guardian
The looting of the Sudan National Museum is the most striking example of the destruction of cultural heritage. Dramatic images of the remains of the temple of Buhen, rescued during the UNESCO campaign and brought to the museum, suggest that they have been damaged. - Apollo
“A New York City firm known for integrating architecture, art, infrastructure, and landscape will reimagine Kansas City’s premier museum for the next generation of visitors. … The Weiss/Manfredi architecture firm was selected to design a new wing on the west end of its campus.” - KCUR (Kansas City)
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS ) has terminated two grants for Black history and culture that were awarded to the Whitney Plantation, a former plantation in Louisiana that focuses on the truths of slavery and the experiences of people who were enslaved. - The Guardian
Chicago History Museum Workers United formed in February with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. It was the latest in a wave of unionizing efforts at several of Chicago’s cultural institutions all part of AFSCME’s nationwide Cultural Workers United campaign. - Chicago Sun-Times
“A judge in New York ruled on Wednesday that the Art Institute of Chicago must surrender a 1916 drawing by Egon Schiele to investigators who plan to return it to heirs of a Jewish cabaret entertainer from Vienna who was murdered in a Nazi concentration camp in 1941.” - The New York Times
London printer John Dunton created the Athenian Gazette, or Casuistical Mercury as a broadsheet answering questions and providing topics for patrons to discuss at coffeehouses. The questions submitted were initially about science, law, or philosophy, but it took only a few weeks for readers to start asking about personal relationships. - Literary Hub
“Random House announced that it would publish a hardcover book in July combining the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, followed in November by a hardcover edition of the Federalist Papers. Both books include introductions by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham.” - AP
“According to the report, nearly half (46%) of U.K. adults say they struggle to focus on reading due to distractions around them. That figure rises to 55% among respondents ages 16-24 and 35-44, and to 52% for respondents ages 25-34. One in three adults revealed that they multitask while reading.” - Publishers Weekly
Beyond the masthead and issue date, no set typography has ever been allowed, maintaining a unique wordless space in magazine publishing where only an image connotes the idea. The absence of copy is arresting, the silent core of what the solely visual can communicate. - The Conversation
“What was until the 14th century the primary language of Scotland was, in the 2022 census, spoken by 2.5% of the population (up from 1.7% in 2011). Ever-greater numbers of people are learning the language in school or through apps …, but the shift to English is at an advanced stage.” - History Today
While the International Booker might have heralded a rise in the status of literary translators, is there a commensurate deepening of appreciation for, and understanding of, translation itself? While translators are being made more visible, is translation being made more invisible? - Sydney Review of Books
"Too many stations simply serve as passthrough distributors for national content. That model was the only way to distribute content in the 1970s. Today, that model is dated — honestly irrelevant. Most consumers can access what they want whenever and wherever they desire." - Editor & Publisher
A “view,” in reality, is not a universal metric. It’s not really anything. It is whatever a platform wants it to be, which usually has no actual correlation to whether someone actually encountered and experienced a piece of content. You can just make the views whatever you want! - The Verge
With Hollywood reeling from a convergence of factors and production moving to less expensive states and overseas, industry leaders and some lawmakers are pushing to expand tax credits for production. Others argue that, with a looming budget crisis and millions of people in need, California can’t afford corporate giveaways. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
“The exit of 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens in the face of Trump administration pressure has roiled CBS News and alarmed journalists, fueling speculation about where the organization goes from here, especially if there are further concessions to clear the path to parent Paramount Global's merger with Skydance Media.” - TheWrap (MSN)
While a few dramatic events aren’t credible (for instance, Sister Agnes wouldn't be poking around while the cardinals are sequestered), experts say the film is very well-researched. Said one historian of Catholicism, “It was remarkable the way that they took something that’s secret and really got a lot of it right.” - The Guardian
Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, admitted as much during more than ten hours of testimony, over three days last week, in the opening phase of the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust trial against Facebook’s parent company, Meta. - The New Yorker
“’English audiences, in particular, expect to come in, understand it, and have a good conversation about it afterwards.’ The Israeli-born, soon-to-be-British choreographer would prefer people to approach contemporary dance ‘more like a concert’ – something you experience ‘through your senses’.” - The Telegraph (UK) (Yahoo!)
“Officially called the West End Concourse, the corridor has a lot going for it: It’s easily accessible, the floors are spacious and smooth, and there are public restrooms, a rarity in New York City. It’s a ready-made stage for all sorts of group and partnered dance. … The biggest draw? It’s free.” - The New York...
Each April, hundreds of hopeful leotard-clad dancers travel from all over to the Big Apple to audition for a coveted spot on the famous kickline — founded in 1925, halfway across the country in St. Louis, Missouri, by choreographer Russell Markert. - New York Post
“Capezio is changing hands after more than a century of family ownership. On Thursday, Argand Partners LP, a New York-based middle-market private equity firm, revealed its acquisition of Ballet Makers Inc., the parent company of the venerable dance brand.” - WWD
At opening night of New York City Ballet’s spring season, as the dancers performed Balanchine, a woman began yelling from a balcony, “We’re in a climate emergency. Our country has become a fascist regime, and we are enjoying this beauty.” - The New York Times
The company that former artistic director Li Cunxin turned into a powerhouse with an international reputation is now “beleaguered”, as one headline put it. - InDaily (Australia)
“In addition to feeding the fandom, the play, written by Kate Trefry, who is also a writer on the Netflix series, is set up as a prequel to the events in the streaming show and may inform some of what’s to come in the next season.” - The Hollywood Reporter
“We got word that André (Bishop) wanted to schedule Floyd for his final production and the very same week we (got) a theater for Redwood. When I first got the two schedules, they opened the same week. I fought for four days off between Redwood opening and the start of Floyd.” - Vulture (MSN)
The Tobin Center has redefined what a nonprofit performing arts center can be—operating without government funding, a Broadway series, or an endowment. With a lean full-time staff, a vast volunteer network, and an entrepreneurial spirit, the Tobin is not only surviving in the post-Covid world, but thriving. - TheatreMania
“Based on recent ticket sales and Visitor Center website traffic, … the formula has proven to work in Philadelphia. … While Philly tourism and theater attendance have been down compared to 2019, Amy Murphy, Arden Theatre’s managing director, said TKTS is already paying dividends.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
We should cherish the miracles that happen on stages all over the country every night, even as we question why theatre needs miracles, when actually a very small amount of investment would enable it to produce lasting wonders, both artistically and in how it serves communities. - The Stage
Davis wrote for The Atlantic for more than three decades, from 1984 to 2016, and was a contributing editor for much of that time. He also had a high-profile stint at The Village Voice, where he originated an annual jazz critics’ poll that continues today elsewhere and now bears his name. - The Atlantic
“(Her) bold paintings of male nudes challenged ideas about feminism, art and sexuality — although, like many of her peers, she was not recognized as a pioneer until her later years.” - The New York Times
For more than 200 years it has been believed that Shakespeare left his wife in Stratford-upon-Avon when he travelled to London and that a decision to leave her almost nothing in his will meant he probably felt bitterness towards her. - BBC
Since 2020 there have been 32 exhibitions of his work, staged everywhere from the National Gallery in London to Washington DC, Tokyo, California, Ontario, Istanbul and across Europe. The world is currently Hockney mad. - New Statesman
Artist Ogechi Chieke sued under New York City’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, filing the day before the window closed. The suit claims that Wiley committed a “crime of violence motivated by gender” which “would not have occurred if Plaintiff was male.” (Wiley is an openly gay man.) - Artnet
“(He was) known for his thick applications of paint and his furious brushstrokes … (and) an uncompromising personality; (his) paintings depicted scenes like Noah’s Ark breaking apart in a storm and a huge candy-cane-colored funnel cloud looming over a rural landscape.” - The New York Times
Northwestern University’s MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises (MSLCE) program develops leaders across Entertainment, Media and the Arts. Earn your Master’s in One Year.
The Mark Morris Dance Group is seeking a Director of Marketing and Communications to strategically advance our visibility, reputation, and audience engagement.
This role will be directly responsible for the timely and accurate processing of payroll and independent contractor fees for approximately 200 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees
The Lifelong Learning Program brings the performing arts to older adults, ensuring that excellence in education reaches students wherever they are, with the belief that development is not limited by age.
“Officially called the West End Concourse, the corridor has a lot going for it: It’s easily accessible, the floors are spacious and smooth, and there are public restrooms, a rarity in New York City. It’s a ready-made stage for all sorts of group and partnered dance. … The biggest draw? It’s free.” - The New York...
Then the Academy, apparently not fearless, censored the lecture. "I did not want to cause them trouble. I did, however, feel it was essential to make the point that the pursuit of wisdom is impossible without engaging with (and challenging) uncomfortable ideas.” - The New York Times
“The president has gone beyond rhetoric, moving to challenge or seize control of history-related federal cultural institutions including the Smithsonian, the National Park Service and the National Endowment for the Humanities.” - The New York Times
Marketing, campus planning, and the entire social media team - gone as of Friday. “Kennedy Center staff members ... spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Most former employees had to sign non-disparagement agreements.” - Washington Post (MSN)
“The Sonic Heritage project is a collection of 270 sounds from 68 countries, including from famous UNESCO-designated sites such as Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal, … a monarch butterfly sanctuary, … wind turbines, rare whales and the Amazonian dawn chorus.” Also, sea lions who sound like drunk frat boys. - The Guardian
A visit to the headquarters of Just Born Quality Confections in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where some two billion Peeps are made each year (along with Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike, and Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews). - The Philadelphia Inquirer
“There is perhaps no institution on earth whose opening has been as wildly anticipated, or as mind-bogglingly delayed. ... Its construction has been such a fiasco — mired by funding lapses, logistical hurdles, a pandemic, nearby wars, revolutions (yes, plural) — that it begs comparison to that of the pyramids.” - The New York Times
“The slow collapse of the postwar avant-garde’s underlying tenets (no figuration! no storytelling! no obvious skill!) has allowed many to admit that Wyeth was onto something specific and powerful …, (and) I find it tends to overwhelm most reservations. What he was onto, in short, was mortality.” - The Washington Post (MSN)
“In this excerpt, adapted from Seller’s memoir, Theater Kid (out on May 6 from Simon & Schuster), the producer lays out the musical’s long road from dispiriting workshop to its simultaneously triumphant and tragic first preview performance.” - Vulture
“Vargas Llosa, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010, gained renown as a young writer with slangy, blistering visions of the corruption, moral compromises and cruelty festering in Peru.” - The New York Times
A spokesperson wrote that the Obama portrait was simply moved. “Last month, the Trump administration and the Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted a portrait to the president. It is unclear whether the portrait now hanging in the White House was a gift from Putin.” - Hyperallergic
"The Irish Times used the phrase 'freak pictures’ in a review, and Russell again had a field day, referring to their work as ‘artistic malaria.’ It all weighed heavily on them both.” - The Guardian (UK)
