The irony is almost too neat: a college student plans a program of songs from musicals that have faced censorship – and with less than two days’ notice, her university informs her she has to take it off-campus. - Arts Integrity Initiative
Says expert Dr. Ebony Thomas, "People are used to seeing fantasies and fairytales as all-white, particularly in faux-medieval or magical-medieval settings. ... We’re taking them out of the dream space. We’re taking them out of how they imagined it could be." - The Guardian (UK)
"Maus galvanized a generation of comics creators to fill bookshelves with graphic narratives about the Holocaust and its inheritance and inspired a community of thinkers to engage analytically with these stories." Now they're also worried and angry. - LitHub
It’s not as if more money isn’t a goal for these organizations; more often than not, they say, it’s a question of resources and visibility. Seventy-three percent of reportees said that they lacked the staff to apply for grants and cultivate individual donor relationships. - Artnet
"Scolds from the Anti-Defamation League … will never end an ancient prejudice, but they could ruin a good time. … That has made me look closer at the disturbing rise in antisemitism today, Jewish culture and identity, and the implications of what we find funny." - The New York Times
"Venue staff are increasingly on their own, leaving ushers, house managers, security staff and box office managers in the crosshairs of different audience members' diametrically opposed preferences as they deal with the fallout of unclear and inconsistent COVID guidance from government officials." - San Francisco Chronicle
Open Arts was initially founded as a residency program at Facebook. Artists were commissioned to create work along with employees on site at the company’s headquarters, giving Facebook workers insight into the artistic process. - Artnet
"Standard levels of funding of arts and culture in Australia continue to lag behind major world economies and have failed to keep up with inflation or population growth, an analysis of spending shows." - The Sydney Morning Herald
Many historically Black schools are known for their famous alumni in the arts, but donations to HBCUs these days have tended to go specifically toward STEM programs. That's started to change — and if there's one person who deserves credit for it, it's MacKenzie Scott. - The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Kennedy Center’s mission statement says that one of its three pillars is “presenting, producing, and curating world-class art.” In theater, it’s relying these days far more on curating. - Washington Post
Arts Commons sees the new project as a means of engaging a larger set of Calgarians and providing space for everyday gatherings and informal performances, CEO Alex Sarian said in an interview. - The Globe and Mail (Canada)
The researchers at SMU Data Arts have updated their numbers, incorporating information about ticket sales, prices, COVID case rates, vaccination rates, etc.; they have new projections based on two scenarios. The key factor: higher vaccination rates aren't making the same difference in attendance they had earlier. - SMU Data Arts
The name was so popular that over 30 Valentines, not to mention “a few Valentinas,” ultimately achieved sainthood. However, no matter which Valentine you look at, their traditions and texts have nothing to do with love or courtship. - LitHub
Between the 1912 Stockholm Olympics and the 1948 London Olympics, artistic competition was a vibrant part of the summer Olympic games. There were five categories in which individuals could compete, with architecture, literature, painting, and sculpture joining music. - Classical WCRB
