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Could A One-Atom-Thick Layer Of Graphene Really Protect Artworks From Fading? Very Likely, Say Scientists

"Graphene is a two-dimensional carbon allotrope whose molecules bind together through a phenomenon called Van der Waals forces. … It can be produced in large, thin sheets; it blocks ultraviolet light; and it is impermeable to oxygen, moisture, and other corrosive agents." - Artnet

Boston Ballet Debuts Free Streaming Platform, Including Virtual Reality

ÜNI, as the site is called, wasn't created to stream the company's live performances: each work on the platform was choreographed especially for digital video, and a few of them includes VR versions that can be controlled by the viewer. - The Boston Globe

Country Music Is Losing Some Devoted Fans As The Culture Wars Rage On

The stereotype of country music lovers being only Southern and Midwestern conservatives isn't really true — yet. As some industry stars take controversial stands on some issues (e.g., vaccines) and keep silent on others (George Floyd and BLM), some fans are turning away. - MSN (The Washington Post)

Former “Hamilton” Cast Member, Black And Nonbinary, Files Discrimination Complaint Against Producers

Suni Reid, who's done the show in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, alleges their contract wasn't renewed because they requested a gender-neutral dressing room. Producers say they supported Reid, financially and otherwise, and withdrew the contract only after learning they were being sued. - The New York Times

Half The PPP Loan Money For Culture Went To Only 228 Institutions. They Still Laid Off A Quarter Of Their Workers.

The purpose of the Paycheck Protection Program was to let businesses hobbled by the pandemic retain their employees. An AFSCME study found that, out of 7,500 eligible cultural institutions, 228 large ones got $771 million, half the total — and let go of 28% of their staff. - Hyperallergic

IATSE Tells Hollywood Studios That Midnight On Monday Is The Strike Deadline

"Unless an agreement is reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in the coming days, 60,000 IATSE film and TV workers will go on strike on Monday, Oct. 18, at 12:01 a.m. PDT." The primary issues are rest periods and minimum pay. - The Hollywood Reporter

Antiquities Dealer Confesses In Court To Selling Thousands Of Forgeries

"Mehrdad Sadigh pleaded guilty to seven felony counts that included charges of forgery and grand larceny. … The prosecution of Mr. Sadigh was something of a departure by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit, which generally pursues people dealing in artifacts that have been looted." - The New York Times

The Crisis In Scientific Publishing

The worry is that scientific processes have been undermined by perverse incentives to the point that it’s difficult to know what to believe. - London Review of Books

Netflix CEO’s Chappelle Memo Is A Masterpiece Of Gaslighting

If the LGBTQ community, including members of your own staff, tells you that — even when couched in calling out racism — 70 minutes of Chappelle insulting gay and trans people is hateful, how can your response be “um, no it’s not”? - Los Angeles Times

The Folger’s Karen Ann Daniels: Reconsidering Shakespeare’s Legacy

"Within the theatre industry itself, and in education, we’ve elevated him as sort of a pinnacle. We have an opportunity to understand why and when we’ve done that—when we’ve done that well, when we’ve done that wrong or we’ve used it to hurt other people." - American Theatre

Australian Theatre In Crisis

COVID-related funding losses have seen drama departments at seven universities either cut completely, or drastically pruned. The loss of these programs will have a devastating impact on future generations of artists and arts educators. - ArtsHub

TV Ads Are Fading. Where Will That Money Go?

Though total TV advertising is set to top $60 billion this year, according to media agency Zenith, the market is expected to shrink by 4 percent in 2021, which creates an incentive to stop digital giants from stealing business. - The Hollywood Reporter

You’re A Budding Choreographer. How Do You Land Commissions, And What Do You Do When You Get One?

A couple of working contemporary choreographers offer ideas about how to get a foot in the door — and then what to consider in order to actually create in the piece in the two or three weeks you'll probably have. - Dance Magazine

Jim O’Quinn, 75, Founding Editor Of American Theatre Magazine

The magazine’s mandate was to cover not only the nation’s nonprofit theatre scene but, as O’Quinn promised in his first editor’s note, to shine a light also on “Broadway, international theatre, and a wealth of related art forms.” - American Theatre

The Most Influential Science Fiction Books In History

Yes, the obvious candidates are here — Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 1984, Dune, Asimov, Bradbury, Octavia Butler — along with some you perhaps didn't know about because they weren't originally written in English and some you might not realize count as science fiction. - Book Riot

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