Interviews with 25 people, including current and former Kennedy Center executives, board members, longtime employees, recent hires, industry leaders and Trump administration officials, revealed a Washington institution in crisis. - The New York Times
For years, Britain’s leading cultural figures have warned that substandard arts provision in schools is devaluing the sector and creating an increasingly elite industry. But the government’s proposed shake-up of the national curriculum, … has been met with overwhelming positivity, with one figure saying it could end ‘the madness of the past decade’.” - The Guardian
“(Mayor Brandon) Johnson’s proposed budget allocates just north of $62 million for (the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events) for next year. That’s a 15% decrease from the nearly $73 million allocated in last year’s budget.” - WBEZ (Chicago)
… in effect, “no comment.” Of 21 organizations WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times approached, only seven completed the survey. One answered part of it, three sent statements, and ten declined to participate or simply didn’t respond. - WBEZ (Chicago)
Common Crawl has opened a back door for AI companies to train their models with paywalled articles from major news websites. And the foundation appears to be lying to publishers about this—as well as masking the actual contents of its archives. - The Atlantic
The former Logan Theatre, a 1923 movie palace on Broad Street in North Philadelphia which has been empty since 1992, will undergo a $10 million dollar renovation. The venue will include a 2,650-seat theater for plays and musicals, a 200-seat restaurant with live jazz, and a 4,000-square-foot gift shop. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Harvard administrators have released a statement saying that grade inflation has crossed a catastrophic threshold. Many Harvard undergrads treated the statement as a catastrophe in itself. (Yes, tears were shed.) Yet, writes Ian Bogost, there are pressures on both students and instructors which just about guarantee grade inflation. - The Atlantic (MSN)
Without warning, a note appeared on the website of the Newark School for the Arts that it is “closed until further notice.” Founded in 1968, the school's mission was to provide training in the performing and visual arts to students of all ages and financial backgrounds. - The Violin Channel
Some might be wondering why anyone should care if, for example, the number of Harvard history Ph.D.s drops from 13 to five. Although these cuts might not look important, they signify something far darker for higher education. - Harvard Crimson
Merely nine months in, the Trump administration is poised to become the most consequential, effective arts presidency in American history—peerless in impact since at least Johnson, whose pillars this administration has toppled with surgical efficiency. - Artnet
Rockstar Games fired a bunch of folks last week. “According to the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), all of the employees fired were part of a private trade union Discord chat and were either already union members or attempting to organize a union at Rockstar.” - The Verge
Coogan: “I noticed the University of Leicester’s website carries Richard Taylor’s statement in full, but not any of my statements. I’m sure that’s just an oversight.” - The Guardian (UK)
According to SCAD, the Applied AI program will prepare students for professions including AI product developer, AI design strategist, AI story engineer, autonomous agent designer, and “ethical design strategist.” SCAD is also offering a minor in Applied AI that’s open to students across all majors. - Fast Company
“Nearly nine months after Trump became chair of the center and more than a month into its main season, ticket sales for the Kennedy Center’s three largest performance venues are the worst they’ve been in years. … Tens of thousands of seats have been left empty.” - The Washington Post (Yahoo!)
