The full scope of the renovations is not entirely clear. But Mr. Trump has said that both structural and internal work was needed, noting on Monday that the building’s heating system would be “ripped out in its entirety,” and that new theater seating and new marble would be installed. - The New York Times
The grant was about as large as the school’s annual budget. And like many of the agency’s other recent multimillion-dollar awards, it went to a handpicked recipient, outside the agency’s usual open competitive process. - The New York Times
“The stuff you see on TV is just sort of the tip of the iceberg of what goes on in a lot of these restaurants. And generally, the more vaunted the restaurant, the worse the abuse is going to be.” - NPR
“Security at the ceremony has always been formidable. But this year, in the weeks leading up to Sunday’s event, federal authorities issued a memo warning of a possible retaliatory threat against the West Coast — particularly California — tied to escalating U.S.-Israel-Iran tensions.” - The Hollywood Reporter
He leaves behind an institution that is drastically changed, and in many ways diminished, from a year ago, when Mr. Trump installed himself as chairman and filled the board with loyalists as he moved to put his imprint on the center, including what appeared on its stages. - The New York Times
“As we make our way to two million, there’s the 35,000-foot level where the role for artists to play is quite significant and very much needed. That’s more on the philosophical side: Why arts are a must-have, not a nice-to-have, in my opinion." - Calgary Herald
Caelainn Hogan: “I am a freelance writer who, like most artists, has always had to work outside my creative focus to afford to live. ... As such, the basic income was life-changing. Only months into the scheme, I found out I was pregnant.” - The Guardian
The climate crisis has caused devastated cacao farming in West Africa, causing huge price spikes and volatility in the cocoa commodity market — leading companies like Hershey’s and Cadbury, which manufacture inexpensive chocolate products for ordinary consumers, to start using other ingredients. - The Guardian
Access Fringe program at the Melbourne Fringe Festival is a 10-year partnership with Arts Access Victoria supporting d/Deaf and disabled artists through commissions, mentorships and specialised development programs. The initiative shows how embedding access into every space and conversation can lead to change across the entire cultural sector. - ArtsHub
“It is the largest presentation of American artists in the history of the festival,” says director Nicola Benedetti. The program includes a residence by Wynton Marsalis (Benedetti’s husband). Theatre productions will explore the AIDS crisis and racist lynchings; Clown Show will present a ‘contemporary portrait of America as a falling-apart circus’.” - The Guardian
If your experience of Marseille is limited to certain multicultural central neighbourhoods then it might be easy to assume that this is – and always will be – a leftwing city, an outlier in the far-right bastion that is the wider south of France. But Marseille’s politics have always been contested. - The Guardian
The government of Oregon’s largest city has $8.5 million in money from its (unpopular) Art Tax that has never been spent; this was reported shortly after the city cut arts grants by nearly half. - Oregon ArtsWatch
