ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

Today’s AJ Highlights

Good Morning: What happens when you make things easy? Getting any music you want. News traveling in rivers of stories. Distraction to fill in every available crack in your day. Do we value the music, the news, the distractions more because its easy to get? Or because it’s so ubiquitous do we lose investment in seeking out music or news or movies? Or valuing the artists and reporters that created it? And if it’s so available and, conversely, easily dismissed with a click or a swipe, do we develop any relationships with the art or artists? Turns out, the right kinds of friction in an experience can make it richer and deepen your relationship with it. Read more here in the Guardian.

  1. Threat To Our Future? An Empathy Gap “People find it easier to empathize with a single individual than with groups, plausibly because individuals are easier to conjure in one’s imagination. Therefore, the difference in empathy toward a present person and future others in general is likely even greater than what we’ve found.” – Psyche
  2. How WH Auden Used Culture To Reconsider His Place In The World
    “His work of this period combined a proclamation of the value of microcultures with a commitment to an intellectual cosmopolitanism. He celebrated the ‘local understanding’, but what bound the members of that salon to one another was the combination of cultural and national diversity with moral sympathy.” – Hedgehog Review
  3. When Classical Music Forgeries Pass As The Real Thing, What Does That Say About Us? This thought-provoking piece examines the history of classical music forgeries and how our perception of authenticity shapes the value we assign to art. – The Guardian
  4. How AI De-Aged Tom Hanks In His New Movie Exploring cutting-edge AI technology, this article reveals the processes behind digitally de-aging Tom Hanks in his latest film, underscoring AI’s growing role in filmmaking. – Wired
  5. Major Neurological Study Looks At How Our Brains Respond To Live Dance A pioneering research project investigates the neurological response to live dance performances, blending neuroscience and choreography to uncover how we experience movement. – The Guardian

As usual, jump below to see all the stories we collected in the past day, arranged by art form. If you know someone who might be interested in AJ, send them here to subscribe, or forward this newsletter so they can sign up. See you tomnorrow.

Doug

Latest Stories

An Evening In The Life Of A “Drunk Shakespeare” Star

“Marissa Chaffee starts her shift by housing a Five Guys burger with pickles, mustard and ketchup. … Later tonight, she’ll chug (a "Witches' Brew") potion while half-dressed in Spider-Man underwear and knee-high boots in front of 85 theatergoers. The test is … whether she can remember her iambic pentameter.”...

The Coachella Experience Has Declined. An Identity Crisis?

The livestreams haven't calmed the complaints about Coachella's lacklustre audiences — many who watch online have commented that the crowds aren't as hype as they believe they would be if they were in attendance. - CBC

Ambient Music? An Online Archive Of Soundscapes From The Environment

“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. -...

Premium

Executive Director – Portland Symphony Orchestra

Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) invites dynamic and enterprising leaders with a passion for music to apply for the role of Executive Director.

Old Models Are Broken — Which New Models Are Surging? 3 Arts Conferences

Join us in Toronto, June 24-25; San Francisco, July 22-23; or New York City, August 5-6. Sign up by May 2 to get 3-for-1 registration!

Fall 2025 + Winter 2026 Applications Open for MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises

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.

Classifieds

Director of Marketing & Sales- Texas Performing Arts

The Director of Marketing & Sales leads Texas Performing Arts’ marketing, ticketing, and communications functions.

Managing Director – Texas Performing Arts

Texas Performing Arts (TPA) in Austin, Texas has initiated a search for a Managing Director.

Payroll Administrator, Mark Morris Dance Company

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

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra seeks President & CEO

The President & CEO will partner with the Music Director in a co-equal reporting...

Director of Marketing and Communications

The Mark Morris Dance Group is seeking a Director of Marketing and Communications to strategically advance our visibility, reputation, and audience engagement.

Executive Director, Greenwich Historical Society

Company: Greenwich Historical SocietyLocation: Cos Cob, CTDate Posted: March 24, 2025 (Please download PDF for...

Call For Entries: 18th International ARC Salon Competition

The largest competition for representational art in the world with $130,000+ in cash awards and publication, exhibition, and sale opportunities.

PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER NEW MUSIC USA

A leading national nonprofit organization supporting the music of our time in all its forms—invites nominations and applications for the President & CEO role.

Assistant Director of Digital and Lifelong Learning

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.
function my_excerpt_length($length){ return 200; } add_filter('excerpt_length', 'my_excerpt_length');