Charlotte Higgins, The Guardian's chief arts writer, comments on how the current Tory administration is applying loyalty tests and generally interfering with every single decision and appointment it can make — and is doing so with remarkable shamelessness. - The Guardian
Tourists from outside the U.S. comprise about 15 percent of Broadway’s audience during a traditional season, said Charlotte St. Martin, the president of the Broadway League. Across the last five seasons at the Metropolitan Opera, international ticket sales have averaged about 20 percent of the total box office. - The New York Times
The threats are widespread. PEN says, "These bills appear designed to chill academic and educational discussions and impose government dictates on teaching and learning. ... The efforts amount to a sweeping crusade for content- and viewpoint-based state censorship." - The New York Times
But that's not the point: "Pushing media companies to live up to their ideals about inclusion and equality is a long game, requiring sustained pressure and constant scrutiny — a much different notion than so-called 'cancel culture.'"- NPR
The shutdown introduced many ordinary people to the precarity that gigging artists have always faced, and the expanded unemployment benefits — with fewer restrictions than usual — may offer an example of how to make sporadic gig work more tenable. - The Brooklyn Rail
A recent study found that a person living in the South received only $4.21 in arts and culture funding from philanthropy, compared to the national average of $8.60 per person. If you’re reading this in New York or Boston, know that Northeasterners receive about $16. - Artnet
"This (finding) contrasted (with) surveys in prior years, which indicated strong visitation growth for history museums — especially small, local ones." - Hyperallergic
Once streaming services like Netflix tore down geographical barriers, the creators say, the country transformed from a consumer of Western culture into an entertainment juggernaut and major cultural exporter in its own right. - The New York Times
The controversy comes as the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities has dramatically reshaped its policies to focus on diversity and equity and to broaden its reach to serve the entire city. Its $38.4 million budget is one of the nation’s largest. - Washington Post
"The 13-building complex opened this weekend (in Mexico City) with around 64,600 square feet of gardens, workshops, and performance and exhibition spaces." Amazingly, the six-year project was completed for less than $1 million. - ARTnews
Taylor Lorenz: "Why aren't internet culture writers, who are primarily women and people of color, seen simply as technology or culture reporters? And do we really need the word 'internet' or 'digital' in front of things in the year 2021?" - Mirror
The European Geosciences Union reports that sea levels could rise three feet by the end of the century — and that's before the seasonal high tides that flood the city every year. What's more, salt from sea water is eating the foundations of Venice's buildings. - The Hill
The initiative will feature more than 350 new works and provide funding to just under 100 organizations. Moreover, ArtworxTO kicks off a 10-year public art strategy that commits to bringing “creativity and community, everywhere.” - Toronto Star
