Stories

Artistic Director Of Utah’s Ballet West To Step Down After 20-Year Tenure

Adam Sklute, who came to Salt Lake City in 2007, will depart at the end of next season. His tenure, the longest in Ballet West history, saw the company stabilize its finances, increase its subscriber base, triple its budget, and sextuple its school's enrollment. - KSL (Salt Lake City)

The Americanization Of Tourism

We’re selling vibes, textures. A sunset on the hills in Chianti, riding a bike on an island in Sicily. Imagine us discussing it in parliament with an Italian accent: l’importanza del made in Italy. We use the English expression unironically. It’s aimed at Americans. - The Dial

Ex-San Antonio Phil Conductor Launches New Orchestra For City

As the troubled San Antonio Philharmonic, which has canceled more concerts than it has played this year, appears to edge toward collapse, Jeffrey Kahane, who resigned as the Philharmonic’s music director in February, has announced the founding of a new orchestra and education initiative called Harmonium of Texas. - San Antonio Express-News

Pompidou And Hong Kong’s M+ Strike A Five-Year Deal To Exchange Art

The major exhibition featuring collections from both institutions will be staged first in Paris at the Centre Pompidou, after its five-year renovation, around 2029 or 2030, before being hosted at the M+ with a focus on visual culture in France and China. - South China Morning Post

Cannes Wrestles With AI

The 79th Cannes may go down as the time the world’s grandest film festival for the first time wrestled with the onset of AI — its arrival has been felt like a tsunami on the French Riviera. - AP News

Is Your Name Emily? Free Drinks For You!

Showcase Cinemas has just announced that if anyone called Emily buys a ticket to see the film Finding Emily this weekend, they will receive a free medium-sized Coca-Cola in return. - The Guardian

New York Magazine Investigates Contributor For Alleged Plagiarism

“Ross Barkan, who is a contract writer for the magazine, … has been accused of plagiarism after publishing at least three stories with striking similarities to other published work.” - NPR

Judge Delays Approval Of Anthropic Authors Settlement

Calling out lawyers for requesting more than $320 million in legal fees when each author only expects a $3,000 payout, some objectors asked the court to delay approving the settlement until a more reasonable plaintiff compensation plan is constructed. - Ars Technica

NPR Newsroom Reorganizes, Offers Buyouts

NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher says the network has to fill a gap of $8 million in its $300-million annual budget because of the elimination of federal subsidies for its member stations, which pay NPR to air programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered. - NPR

The Slop Before The AI Slop

In 1962, a programmer at Librascope, a California-based defense contractor, announced that “a computer can be programmed to write meaningful and relevant sentences in proper English.” - The New Yorker

Chicago Arts Groups Are Asking Patrons To Turn Over Their Phones At The Door

“If you want a deep dive into Chicago arts and culture, check your phone at the door: The ‘unplugged’ trend is growing locally among arts groups responding to a collective desire for more phone-free experiences.” - WBEZ (Chicago)

Will Paint For Food?

“If my art isn’t in your budget right now, I’ll accept the following as payment…” the viral posts on Instagram and TikTok read. The caption includes a list of items or services that the artist will trade the work for, ranging from handmade clothes, jewellery and tattoos to accommodation, meals and beauty services.  - The Art Newspaper

UK Music Venues Have Started Giving Their Touring Musicians Places To Stay

A growing number of UK music venues are attempting a simple but potentially transformative fix: giving bands somewhere to sleep. - The Guardian

Why Celebrities Are Trademarking Themselves

So why are celebrities suddenly registering trademarks in a bid to protect their identity? The answer, unsurprisingly, lies with generative artificial intelligence (AI). - The Conversation

The (Current, As Of Last Night) 16 Most Expensive Artworks Ever Sold At Auction

Yes, the maybe-it’s-really-a-Leonardo Salvator Mundi is still number one, more than $200 million ahead of the runner-up, which made the list just last year. Meanwhile, the fourth-ranking piece set its record on Monday night. Fully half the artworks on this list were auctioned since 2020. - ARTnews

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