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Was King Charles Actually Right About Modern Architecture?

"If you read his 1984 'carbuncle' speech in full, what follows might come as a surprise. Far from issuing a decree for more Corinthian columns and pumped-up pediments, he outlines principles that are now found in practically every best-practice design guide." - The Guardian

Inside One Of America’s Last Two Piano Factories

Not long ago, piano factories like this were one of America’s largest and most formidable industries, employing tens of thousands of workers. Today, only two remain: Steinway & Sons in New York, and this place — Mason & Hamlin. - The Hustle

How The Inventor Of Television Got Screwed Over By Corporate America

More specifically, the Radio Corporation of America (you know it as RCA), whose boss, David Sarnoff, stole some of Philo T. Farnsworth's technology, and then, when Farnsworth declined to sell his business to RCA, harassed the poor guy with lawsuits until he was a broken man. - Salon

A Museum Hosted A Family-Friendly Drag Show At An LGBTQ+ Exhibit. Then The Proud Boys Showed Up — With Guns

Said one employee at Memphis's Museum of Science and History, "Whether the police couldn't or just wouldn't do anything about them, I don't know. All I know is we had 30 armed bigots trying to break in, and that was when our director made the decision to evacuate." - Hyperallergic

When Right-Wingers Targeted Drag Queen Story Hour At A Montana Bookstore, The Community Rallied

"Local bartenders, retirees, restaurant workers and marketing professionals joined other Pride-goers to create a buffer around the store's entrance. Someone started playing music from a mobile speaker, kicking off sporadic dancing under the early afternoon sun." The right-wingers ended up outnumbered 10-to-1. - The Guardian (Montana Free Press)

The Crash Is Here: NFT Sales Have Fallen By 97% In Nine Months

"In January 2022, $17.2 billion was traded on the NFT market, a stunning high that eclipsed 2021's NFT mania. ... But since the start of this year, the market has slowed down significantly. ... As a result, once-thriving NFT businesses have been dissolving or downsizing." - ARTnews

Two Years After Being Sued, Brown Paper Tickets Still Owes A Lot Of Arts Organizations Money

In 2020, the attorney general of Washington state ordered the Seattle-based ticketing service to pay what grew, six months later, to a total of $9 million owed to 45,000 event producers and ticket buyers.  But Washington-based entities were first in line, and many out-of-staters are still out-of-pocket. - San Francisco Chronicle

“It Was Unfinished Business”: The Revamped David Geffen Hall Is What Deborah Borda Came Back To The New York Philharmonic For

She ran the orchestra in the 1990s, and left partly because she saw no real will to fix the Phil's long-problematic venue.  After 17 triumphant years running the Los Angeles Philharmonic, she returned when the will and the money to rebuild the auditorium were finally there. - The New York Times

World’s Second-Largest Cinema Chain Says Attendance Won’t Be Back To Normal For At Least Two More Years

"Exhibition giant and Regal owner Cineworld Group, which recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S., predicted on Friday that cinema admissions in 2023 and 2024 would remain below levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic." - The Hollywood Reporter

Canadian Museums Issue Guidelines To Decolonize Museums

The Association urges legislation to support the repatriation of Indigenous belongings and remains of ancestors, and dedicated funding for the repatriation process. It was funded by the Heritage Department and responds to a call by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to review museum policies. - Toronto Star

How A Texas Court Ruling On First Amendment Could Break The Internet

A state compelling social-media companies to host all user content without restrictions isn’t merely “the most angrily incoherent First Amendment decision I think I’ve ever read.” It’s also the type of ruling that threatens to blow up the architecture of the internet. - The Atlantic

The Vocabulary Problem (And What Makes Language Fun)

The problem arises because people use different words for the same thing. Your wallet is stolen, and you’re going to google what to do. But what term should you use? Police or support? Theft or security? Security, it turns out, is the answer, as you find out after time wasted in several futile guesses. - American Scholar

Russia Won’t Submit Entry For This Year’s International Oscar

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Russian films have not seen much travel to the west, particularly as those made with state funding have largely been unwelcome at major festivals. Tchaikovsky’s Wife, by Russian dissident Kirill Serebrennikov, however was selected in competition at Cannes. - Deadline

Christie’s New NFT Platform Is Called Christie’s 3.0

“This is a platform for us to more rapidly scale our digital art offerings and do more frequent emerging artists auctions and work with a more diverse array of artists and collectors.” - ARTnews

Wendell Pierce Is Broadway’s First Black Willy Loman, A Role He Never Knew He Was Perfect For

"Even though Pierce has enjoyed a robust career, which includes long stints on prestige television shows and an Obie award for sustained excellence of performance, the questions that obsess Willy — questions of attainment, opportunity, legacy — are questions that obsess him as well." - The New York Times

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