A set of young New Yorkers seems to have decided that the Met is cool. Sure, many of them appear more interested in the dress-up-drink-Champagne-and-be-fabulous aspect than in the art, but that's been true for centuries — and others are finding they like opera. - The New York Times
The Madrid regional government has given the painting of the scourged Christ official bien de interés cultural status, which legally requires the current owners to give the government the right of first refusal to purchase the work. - The Guardian
Following the lead of the Netherlands and Denmark as the Omicron coronavirus spreads, Belgium is ordering theatres, concert halls, and cinemas to close beginning Monday, Dec. 26. - Variety
The essence of selfhood is neither a rational mind nor an immaterial soul. It is a deeply embodied biological process, a process that underpins the simple feeling of being alive that is the basis for all our experiences of selfhood. - Nautilus
Their rules require all visitors to be fully vaccinated while on-site (excluding those under 16 years), and to wear masks while in the theatres and indoor spaces (except when eating and drinking and excluding those under 12 years). - ArtsHub
Nifty Gateway was quick to tout Pak as the most expensive living artist, surpassing Jeff Koons. Still, the Merge sale indicates that there is no shortage of demand for NFTs—and that, if anything, demand is only growing. - ARTnews
2022 will be a chapter marked not only by bilateral friction between the two superpowers, but by the Chinese film industry’s decoupling from the broader global film industry as a whole, as the country turns inward under President Xi Jinping. - Variety
The reversal of fortunes in China has begun to accelerate in the past year. In 2021, just 25 U.S. movies were released theatrically in the country, many of which were minor indie titles instead of studio tentpoles. By contrast, some 45 Hollywood movies were shown on Chinese screens in 2019. - The Hollywood Reporter
The program will support four new fellows each season by the year 2025, making it one of the larger fellowship opportunities in the country. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Cervantes knew that after the terrible, dogmatic reality in which he lived, there would be imagination. But" — having spent years in Algiers — "the power, beauty, humor, and eloquence of Islamic Spain wasn't something he had to imagine." - Public Books
The number of performances had the largest upside effect on ticket sales in September, with a 20% increase producing a 9% increase in ticket sales. The price effect also increased a bit, with a 20% price discount increasing ticket sales by 7%. We expect these trends to continue. - SMU Data Arts
2021 is the 300th anniversary of the six extraordinary works. Mark Swed looks at the slew of recordings marking the occasion, from a spectacular period-instrument account to a reissued version from 86 years ago to a set of six new companion pieces. - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
"Religion and sincerity go hand in hand, and neither one is particularly associated with Andy Warhol, whose name is synonymous with ironic, detached irreverence. But you don't have to dig very deep in Warhol's biography or catalog to find plenty of both." - Artforum
It's a trend at professions offering noneconomic benefits, a sense of mission at a nonprofit or the cachet of working in book publishing or television production. They rely on young employees toiling for meager wages and a chance to make it in a prestigious field. - The New York Times
The larger issue is the years-long attempt by (mostly conservative) federal and state governments to make funding of arts groups contingent on corporate-style board governance rather than leaving control in the hands of artists. - ArtsHub (Australia)
