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How Is The Smithsonian Set Up And Funded? Can Trump Really Force Changes There?

“The president has instructed the vice president ‘to eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology’ from the institution’s entities. … But who runs and funds the Smithsonian and can Trump overhaul it like he is the federal government? Here’s what to know.” - The Washington Post (MSN)

Federal Judge Appears Open To Blocking Trump’s “Gender Ideology” Restrictions On NEA Grants

“Senior U.S. District Judge William Smith, during a hearing in Providence, Rhode Island, questioned how such a policy could be reconciled with federal law, ‘which prohibits requiring grant recipients from engaging in essentially government propaganda.’" - Reuters

Last Week’s AI Image Leap Reignites Copyright Fears

OpenAI’s and Google’s latest tools make it easier than ever to re-create the styles of copyrighted works — simply by typing a text prompt. Together, these new AI image features seem to reignite concerns at the core of several lawsuits. - TechCrunch

New Hampshire Lawmakers Consider Eliminating State Arts Funding Agency

A state House committee working on the budget voted in favor of eliminating the state’s Division of Arts. They also considered, but later dropped, a proposal to completely defund the New Hampshire State Library. - New Hampshire Public Radio

As Support For Culture Diminishes In Australia, Artists Look For Alternatives (Like Leaving)

“A lot of our organisations, especially established ones, are talking about cultural maintenance. I’m like, ‘What are we maintaining?’” - The Age

Violations Of Free Speech: Groups Challenge NEA’s Ban On Funding Projects On Gender

The ACLU and plaintiff organisations are challenging the NEA’s implementation of Trump’s order directing that “federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology”. - The Guardian

Kennedy Center Fires Its Social Impact Team

Our work in Social Impact was to widen our cultural radius and to imagine that inspiration itself was a constitutional right afforded to ALL of this nation's people." - NPR

Oregon Arts Commission Does Something That Grant Applicants Dream Of

“The OAC has been funding arts organizations in Oregon for nearly sixty years, and operating support is one of its core programs. With these new changes, they’re exploring an approach that’s still altogether too rare: namely, trusting that the nonprofit itself is the best judge of where that money gets spent.” - Oregon ArtsWatch

Ticket Prices For Popular Shows Are Now Out Of Reach For Most

Tickets for the hottest Broadway shows are now out of reach for many. And the same is true for other sought-after live events, such as pop concerts (which now cost hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars per ticket) and big sports games. - The New York Times

The Real State Of The Kennedy Center (And Its Current Chaos)

The second week of March, when the Kennedy Center typically announces programming for the next season, has come and gone. Across Washington, venues like The Anthem and Shakespeare Theatre Company are fielding calls from artists and organizations looking for somewhere else to perform. - MSNBC

Why Trump Took On The Kennedy Center

It's no coincidence that Trump is staging a putsch in this cultural jewel. It's no coincidence that he spends time there. It's no coincidence that he sees it as a weapon against the left-wing elites, whom he intends to humiliate. For one thing, it's one of the few places where he can act. - Le Monde

Three Out Of Four Members Of A British Punk Rock Band Were Denied Entry To The US

Bassist Alvin “Gibbs, along with bandmates Marc Carrey and Stefan Häublein, were deported back to the UK following their detainment. Only vocalist Charlie Harper had been allowed entry.” - The Guardian (UK)

Did Facebook Mean For Their Gag Order To Create A Bestseller?

“The moment that an arbitrator (requested by Meta) slapped Wynn-Williams with a gag order, banning her from promoting her memoir, Careless People, he handed her the kind of publicity no book party could match.” - Vulture (MSN)

Open AI’s Video Tool Sora Plagued With Racist, Sexist, Ableist Biases, Study Finds

Maybe reconsider that Open AI pitch, Hollywood creatives. "In Sora’s world, … pilots, CEOs, and college professors are men, while flight attendants, receptionists, and childcare workers are women. Disabled people are wheelchair users, interracial relationships are tricky to generate, and fat people don’t run.” - Wired

The Calculations Of Artists Who Haven’t Canceled Their Kennedy Center Gigs

Many of the artists who went through with their appearance agonized over whether to perform. They faced a version of the dilemma that many people in government, business, and civil society have confronted under the first and second Trump presidencies: When does quitting count as resistance, and when is it surrender? - The Atlantic

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