There has been a concerted campaign to remove artworks from all aspects of life, in an attempt to make society more Islamic, the Taliban have said. In doing so, the group is erasing two decades of craftsmanship that blossomed after the collapse of its first government in 2001. - The New York Times
Hundreds, perhaps more, of artists of all cultural areas have fled. One artist, whose murals have been whitewashed: "The future of art and culture seems bleak. ... It is not possible for the Taliban to live with art." - The New York Times
As an interpretation not only of the founding moment but of the whole of U.S. history the project involved major scholarship. Yet it didn’t emerge from the usual processes for developing historical interpretations. It wasn’t slow, careful, academically curated, peer-reviewed, and opaque to public scrutiny. - Slate
Modern progressivism is in danger of becoming dominated by a relatively small group of people who went to the same colleges, live in the same neighborhoods and have trouble seeing beyond their subculture’s point of view. - The New York Times
So many values and sentiments of identity and belonging are invested in historic heritage. How will we cope with the much more substantial loss that awaits us? - Aeon
Before it happened, we in the sector viewed the prospect of such an outcome as intolerable: a Rubicon we would never allow to be crossed. - Sydney Review of Books
None of this is to say that higher education shouldn’t be vigilant about threats to academic freedom and free speech. But let’s not give in to exaggeration and fearmongering. - InsideHigherEd
Undergraduate enrollment across the board fell by 3.2 percent this fall, echoing last fall’s 3.4 percent decline. Since fall 2019, undergraduate enrollments have dropped by 6.5 percent. - Inside Higher Ed
The Donnelly Foundation surveyed 91 of its grantees (organizations with budgets under $1 million) and found that 44% of them either can't return to in-person performances this season or are unsure if they should. Among the issues: venues too small for social distancing. - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
Gallerists JJ and Anthony Curis have bought the old Good Shepherd Catholic Church in the East Village neighborhood and will reopen it in 2023 as a cultural center with two galleries, a library, workshop space, a sculpture garden, and a skate park. - The New York Times
"The culture sector in England will receive £850m in extra funding from the Treasury in the Budget to be announced this week by Chancellor (of the Exchequer) Rishi Sunak." - The Art Newspaper
The most recent data places the average gross annual income for an Australian artist at $48,400. When adjusted for inflation, average incomes have fallen by 4% since 2009. In comparison, the average salary across all Australians is $90,329. - ArtsHub
When Anne Ewers arrived in 2007, the Kimmel still had $30 million in construction debt. She raised money to pay it off, increased revenue (more Broadway shows, fewer touring orchestras), and oversaw the merger that ended conflicts between the Kimmel and its largest tenant. - MSN (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Washington University in St. Louis saw a 65 percent return. Duke, 56 percent. MIT, 55.5 percent (after completing a $6 billion capital campaign). Brown, 51.5 percent. Dartmouth, 46.5 percent. Yale, 40.2 percent. - Inside Higher Ed
The social media giant "has algorithmically surfaced false information about conspiracy theories and vaccines, and was instrumental in the ability of an extremist mob to attempt a violent coup." But "the Facebook we have in the United States is actually the platform at its best." - The Atlantic
