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Staffers At Ukraine’s Largest Art Museum Scramble To Protect Collection In Case Of Attack

"In one partially empty gallery of the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum (in Lviv), employees placed carefully wrapped baroque pieces into cardboard boxes. A few meters away, a group walked down the majestic main staircase carrying a giant piece of sacred art, the 18th century Bohorodchany iconostasis." - AP

Is Tourism Bad For Us?

Tourism is attractive because it underwrites a desire that, when we go overseas, stuff doesn’t get too strange, risky or foreign. Increasingly, we travel not to decentre our worldviews or challenge our sensibilities, but to chillax and populate our Instagrams. - The Guardian

Can The New Bandcamp Save Indie Music?

 Bemused gamers and tech experts, meanwhile, wondered what possible uses a company such as Epic – itself 40% owned by Chinese gaming megacorp Tencent – might have for the direct-to-fan marketplace for MP3s of niche musical genres like vaporwave and chiptune. - The Guardian

This Artist Lost A Decade Of Work To Fire Just Before The Pandemic Caused A Lockdown

But the artist says the aftermath has made him calmer, and more focused on different goals. "I’ve been attempting to make paintings which speak to connection, reaching towards empathy. The noise of previous work gave way to something quieter." - The Guardian (UK)

Peak Subscribe: Are You Paying For Too Many Subscriptions?

The maturity of the subscription market varies by industry, but in some of the categories best known for these kinds of services, there are indicators that the ceiling is close, at least in the United States. - The Atlantic

Netflix Quits Russia

Earlier this week, the streaming service had announced that it would pause all future projects and acquisitions from Russia, joining a growing list of companies that have cut ties with the country. - Variety

Meet The Russian Oligarch On The Guggenheim’s Board (Until Last Week)

“Vladimir Potanin has advised the Board of Trustees of his decision to step down as Trustee effective immediately,” the museum said. “The Guggenheim accepts this decision and thanks Mr. Potanin for his service to the Museum and his support of exhibition, conservation and educational programs. - Hyperallergic

How The Hermitage Artwashes Russia

According to the 2021 State of Artistic Freedom Report by Freemuse, Russia detained 17 artists in 2020, a number exceeded only by Cuba. Artists are regularly fined, detained, and sentenced to prison, usually for political dissent or falling foul of the notorious “gay propaganda” law passed in 2013. - Hyperallergic

International Arts Organizations Scrutinize Russian Artists

Institutions are demanding that artists who have supported Mr. Putin in the past issue clear condemnations of the Russian president and his invasion as a prerequisite for performing. Others are checking their rosters and poring over social media posts to ensure Russian performers have not made contentious statements about the war. - The New York Times

Kyiv Dancers Quit To Fight In Ukraine Military

Images have circulated online of a principal dancer and ballerina at the National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv, in camouflage holding weapons. - ClassicFM

More Expensive Tickets For ‘The Batman’ May Mean More Expensive Tickets Forever

Sure, AMC raised prices over The Batman's opening weekend, but Regal and Cinemark had already started raising prices with another blockbuster - Spider-Man: No Way Home. (But good news for indie fans: Those movies aren't on the price increase list.) - Variety

The Difference Between An Indie Bookstore And An Amazon Bookstore

A physical bookstore "requires superb customer service, dedicated staff who provide knowledgeable advice about what to read, an inviting environment in which to browse and shop, and literary activities. ... Most of all, it demands a deep commitment to the local communities that sustain us." - Washington Post

Conductor Of Bolshoi Quits Rather Than ‘Clarify’ Stance On Putin

"A prominent Russian conductor said on Sunday that he would resign from his positions with two orchestras — at the storied Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and in Toulouse, France — after facing intense pressure to condemn" the invasion of Ukraine. - The New York Times

Do These Rock Art Paintings Show Human Interactions With Ice Age Mammals?

Or are the painting actually not very old at all? "Where Dr. Iriarte’s team sees potential giant ground sloths and Pleistocene horses, Dr. Urbina and Dr. Peña see modern capybaras and horses." - The New York Times

Kennedy Center, Other Monuments Light Up In Colors Of Ukraine’s Flag

It's not simple: "Creating these immense light installations isn't a matter of changing some lightbulbs. The Kennedy Center Production Department used 48 sheets of lighting gels and a 67-foot lift to place the gels over 144 lights." - NPR

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