The value of culture is hard to measure - everyone's experience is different. But governments' obsession with justifying cultural worth economically gets in the way of its real value. - The Globe & Mail (Canada)
In 2009, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution dropped its arts section altogether, and the region's cultural community was aghast. So a couple of the AJC's laid-off critics decided to launch ArtsATL to fill the gap. Despite one near-death experience, the site's now thriving — and even providing content to the AJC. - Musical America
Who knew that a scene in Barbie would tank the bright pink event in Southeast Asia? But "the film contains a scene that depicts a map with the 'nine dash line,' a representation of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty." - Variety
"'I’ve decided to forbid bigots and homophobes from watching ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘The White Lotus,’ ‘Goodfellas’ or any movie or TV show I’ve been in,' Imperioli wrote. ... 'Thank you Supreme Court for allowing me to discriminate and exclude those who I don’t agree with and am opposed to. USA! USA!'" - Variety
"The Emmy Awards, which are scheduled set to air on FOX in September, could be delayed for months. Reports ... suggest the organizers are discussing various contingency plans if the writers strike isn't resolved this summer. Nominations are still scheduled to be announced Tuesday, July 12." - NPR
"If all of this sounds like a lot of fretting over something as wonky as an API change, it’s not. It’s indicative of a growing new awareness of what constitutes labor on the internet, and how communities can have their work mined for money-making ventures." - Wired
That's the FTC's proposed plan, anyway. Why? Because "there are global businesses dedicated to generating fake reviews for scammers and merchants looking for a shortcut. And the problem threatens to explode in an era of artificial intelligence." - Washington Post
On Friday, SAG-AFTRA agreed to a nearly two-week contract extension. "Despite progress in talks, significant differences remain between the parties, which have sparred over how to measure streaming residuals and secure protections against the abuse of artificial intelligence." - Los Angeles Times
Canada’s zeal for greater population inflows is matched by its determination to recruit the best and the brightest en masse. The country’s points-based immigration system allows individual Canadian provinces to recruit immigrant workers to specific locations. - Noah Pinion
"A 2023 session that began hopefully for the state's arts and cultural industries ended in deep disappointment, with many requests rejected outright or funded far below their target figures. The poor showing is especially disappointing in light of the huge impact of COVID on cultural venues and organizations." - Oregon Arts Watch
"Arts groups say Wisconsin ranks last in the nation in per-capita funding for the arts and want to see some of the state budget surplus used to help them grow. An arts community cultural development leader joins us to look at how the industry gets by in Wisconsin." - Wisconsin Public Radio
V&A director Tristram Hunt: "This is a real problem, and there's a social inequity here because the private sector is not closing its theatres and art studios. ... So we're seeing a horrible disparity emerging between the state and the private sector in terms of provision for cultural education." - The Guardian
The Brooklyn Academy of Music's president, Gina Duncan, "said that the changes were necessary in part to help BAM to 'weather the downturn in charitable giving for the arts, and address an outdated business model that heavily relies on a shrinking donor base.'" - The New York Times
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly changing how we investigate and imagine the world and the urban environment. They can generate a highly "realistic" representation of an urban scene with just a single prompt – but not always for the best. - Dezeen
"Starting in September, the Hermitage Amsterdam will be called H’ART Museum. It has established partnerships with the British Museum, Centre Pompidou and the Smithsonian American Art Museum to bring art to the historic building on the banks of the Dutch capital’s Amstel River." - Seattle Times (AP)
