Melissa Chiu, who has led the Hirshhorn for more than a decade, is the fourth director of a Smithsonian museum to depart within the last two years, and the most recent to leave amid the Trump administration’s effort to overhaul the organization’s network of 21 museums and other cultural centers. - The New York Times
The reopening of the museum, which draws about 1.3 million visitors each year, is planned for spring 2028, shortly before the Summer Olympics come to Los Angeles. - The New York Times
“Combs’s lawyers repeated claims they made before the trial judge, including an assertion that Combs’ films of sexual encounters between his girlfriends and male sex workers amounted to ‘amateur pornography’ and (were) protected by the First Amendment.” - AP
Entertainment and tech companies have gotten smarter about putting consumers into bastardized flow states that leaves people feeling drained and sad rather than challenged and enlarged as selves. - Derek Thompson
For decades, people in Stanstead were allowed to walk around the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, but last year the U.S. limited access. Instead of walking a few metres, you’d have to drive down the street and go through a border crossing just to get in the front door. - CTV
“One of the world’s most important collections of 20th-century Mexican art, including works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, is set to be exported to Spain under an agreement with Banco Santander, sparking outrage among Mexico’s cultural community.” Everyone involved insists that this is a temporary loan, though many aren’t convinced. - The Guardian
The new LACMA, which opens to members in the coming weeks and to the general public May 4, is momentous not only because of its long and often bumpy road, but because it is seeking to reinvent what an encyclopedic museum means in the modern era. - The New York Times
The studios will kick in $321 million — a record sum — to keep the writers’ health fund solvent. The health plan changes are the centerpiece of the four-year contract reached by the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over the weekend. - Variety
South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced a series of high-profile appointments across its leading arts institutions, led by the naming of conductor and cellist Chang Han-na as the new president and chief executive of the Seoul Arts Center. - Moto Perpetuo
“Scott Guggenheim, who with his wife Shannon Guggenheim owns 3Below Theaters, cited an ongoing landlord dispute as one major factor in what he called a ‘difficult’ decision. ... ‘There were … specific issues — particularly around construction, signage, and commitments — that were not fully realized,' he told the Chronicle.” - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
It’s a phenomenon that has long puzzled psychologists and philosophers alike. Given that we usually dread sadness and strive to avoid it because it feels so bad – from painful conversations to the grief of loss – why do we actively seek it in art? - Psyche
Ghostwriting has an undeservedly bad reputation. Even without AI, some readers feel betrayed if the name on a book’s cover doesn’t tell the whole story. - The Atlantic
While the layoffs are noteworthy, they are a fraction of the size of the cuts overseen by former CEO Bob Iger when he rejoined the company. From 2023 to 2025, multiple rounds eliminated some 8,000 workers, achieving cost savings of $7.5 billion. - Deadline
