Fresno voters approved a ⅜-cent local sales tax, with 12% earmarked for arts and culture, in 2018; the city awards the first grants this summer. But the plan for administering the grants looks, to many arts folk in Fresno, like a money grab by the parks department. - The Fresno Bee
News outlets such as The New York Times and New York magazine are publishing more articles that cover the industry with skepticism. And DEI practitioners themselves are raising concerns about how their competitors operate. - The Atlantic
"Turkey's creative community fears ErdoÄźan could now intensify a long-running crackdown that has intimidated artists, musicians, filmmakers and other cultural activists. Kurdish, female and gay artists feel especially vulnerable." - The Art Newspaper
Even now, in the age of YouTube and TikTok, when you can catapult yourself into fame, riches and recognition for feats of all kinds with nothing more complicated than your phone, the Guinness Book of Records continues, somewhat incredibly, to exist. - The Guardian
"A mysterious patch of fluorescent green water that appeared in Venice's famed Grand Canal Sunday was caused by a chemical commonly used in underwater construction to help identify leaks, environmental authorities say. The chemical – fluorescein – is non-toxic." - CNN
Many people are sick of buying and throwing away everything from clothes to phones. But repairing things with computer chips can be illegal. So, "there's this cultural shift, and then there is the policy work that has to be done. ... They have to go hand in hand." - NPR
Professor Meredith Clark "says preserving Black Twitter will allow for a more accurate and complex retelling of the history of the internet. But it's not a simple task." - NPR
There’s a lot of potential for workers to step outside of the box with the assistance of generative AI, whether it’s improving their daily workflows, or developing long-term projects and goals. - BBC
"In the chest-thumping nationalism that has dominated the country's tightly controlled official and public discourses, the Chinese military occupies a sacred, central place – and any perceived slight can lead to serious consequences." The current crackdown is drawing some comparisons with the Cultural Revolution of the 1970s. - CNN
As we expected, ambassadors and others across the bank began working together, making measurements, targeting data cleanups, and eliminating root causes of error. Then, somewhat organically, ambassadors and regular employees began using methods and tools provided in the training in new ways. - Harvard Business Review
If the mark of 21st-century politics is the ascendancy of culture and identity over economics and class, it could be said to have been born here in Turkey, home to one of the longest-running culture wars of them all. - The New York Times
Nicholas Serota: "Nick suggested that the Arts Council's focus should only be on what he terms the 'professional' arts. … It's a mistake to suggest the skills and vision that bring us the 'best possible' art and culture cannot be found in community practice or in settings across the country." - The Guardian
The recent studies, which have collectively surveyed tens of thousands of researchers worldwide, suggest that scientists’ mental-health struggles are a direct result of a toxic research culture. - Nature
"A new exhibition at the National Museum of Antiquities in the Netherlands has sparked controversy by including a contemporary artwork that depicts the Pharaoh Tutankhamun as Black. 'Kemet: Egypt in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Soul and Funk' pairs Egyptian antiquities … with work inspired by ancient Egyptian culture by African diaspora musicians." - Artnet
"As Disney pledges to enact $5.5 billion in cost-saving measures, Disney Parks Chairperson Josh D'Amaro said his department will also be making cuts, but will not eliminate frontline positions as part of it." - The Hollywood Reporter
