"When it comes to finding and delighting audiences, I have found the Trend Busters fall into two participation philosophies: a Go Broad approach and a Go Deep approach." - NEA
"I don’t think it can ever be taken for granted. Decisions could be made in a rash manner. I don’t think everyone is pleased that France has such a lively, pluralistic, irreverent culture. ... That’s the strength of a country." - Variety
"The last decade has seen substantial growth in many Texas cities, and with that has come growth in city funding of the arts. However, over the last few months we’ve seen arts organizations in Houston, Lubbock, and Fort Worth affected by city government decisions. ... Who loses when arts funding is cut?" - Glasstire
Why? After Hurricane Helene, “communications continue to be heavily impacted throughout the southeast region of the US. Charts published by the FCC in recent days show that while the situation has been improved, there remain significant outages in some areas.” - The Verge
What gets defined as “art” often reflects a very specific perspective in our culture. Expanding our definitions of art and participation to include nontraditional and emerging forms ensures that a broader spectrum of creative expression is valued and supported. - NEA
Matt Mullenweg “has muddied the boundaries between three essential entities that lead a sprawling ecosystem powering almost half of the web. To Mullenweg, that’s all fine.” - The Verge
“The subject matter is politically fraught, but once upon a time, American film distributors and exhibitors embraced controversy — especially when it came to acclaimed movies whose controversy was inextricably intertwined with their humanity. Are these companies holding back out of budgetary reasons, out of cowardice, out of political disagreement?” - Vulture
“The story began when Spanish pharmacist Leonardo Gutiérrez-Colomer met historian Alberto María Carreño in Mexico in 1946, who told him a secret: the body of the conquistador was hidden in a niche in the Church of Jesús, in the center of the Mexican capital.” - El País
Andy Newbery, season three’s helmer: “Hopefully, shows like this will make it easier for the next generation coming through... to hopefully accept themselves a bit more easily and a bit quicker, and maybe some of that shame won't exist in the same way like it did for a lot of us.” - BBC
Part of the challenge is that such questions aren’t really empirical; they can’t be answered by just by asking Americans about their arts activities. Rather, they’re normative and therefore, inevitably, political. - NEA
Rather than egging on a bull to gore him and then killing it, a competitor in this sport merely annoys the animal by trying to pluck off tokens stuck to its body or forehead. Despite healthy attendance, la course camarguaise now faces financial problems, angry detractors, and badly-behaved spectators. - The Guardian
Renewed interest in Appalachian art, music and culture has been drawing tourists to western North Carolina in recent years. Visitors to Asheville’s Buncombe County spent nearly $3 billion last year, accounting for 20% of the county’s annual economy. - NBCNews
The Lightbox Film Center, a repertory cinema, had been operating for the past five years in one of the UArts buildings on Broad Street in Philadelphia. In the four months since the university's sudden collapse, director Jesse Pires has re-established Lightbox as a nonprofit and scheduled new screenings. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Creative Scotland has postponed announcing its next round of funding grants, which were due this month. The agency says it still can't confirm for itself what its allocation from Scotland's parliament will be; the Scottish government says it must wait until the UK government in London announces its own budget. - BBC
