Another way the pandemic has had an impact on the economy is by making people bored. By limiting social engagements, leisure activities and travel, the pandemic has forced many people to live a more muted life, without the normal deviations from daily monotony. The result is a collective sense of ennui — one that is shaping what we do...
The museum in Washington, DC, founded by Duncan and Marjorie Phillips, was a sensation when it opened as a museum of modern art, and it's been a refuge and inspiration since, including, at times, during the pandemic. "Dorothy Kosinski, director of the museum, tells a story: 'I was standing outside of the Phillips in the fall when we were...
At issue: Whether the comedian Mike Ward harmed a disabled teenager by mocking his disability, calling him "ugly," saying that the youth would die soon and if he didn't, the comedian would drown him. Comedians in Canada are not laughing about this case. One asked, "Will I need to have my every comedy routine reviewed by a lawyer, or...
The Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles is the largest Black-majority orchestra in the country. But it doesn't want to be alone. The ICYO founder's mantra "is that there needs to be an inner city youth orchestra in every city where there's an NFL team." - NPR
The disclaimer, which runs on 18 episodes of the show (re-relased on Disney+ last week): "This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future...
As the leader of "NYPopsUp" explains, "This is what I like to call 'social music.' ... You can use music to minister to so many sectors of society." This summer, that means 100 days of scattered, mostly unannounced street performances across the state. - Washington Post
Dalí, art historians say, was "very deliberate" in his art - and sketches of unfinished works also show how he combined complex mathematical calculations with artistic license in his finished paintings. - The Observer (UK)
Di Modica was a "Sicilian-born sculptor best known for Charging Bull, 3.5 tons of bronze belligerence that he illegally deposited in Lower Manhattan one night in 1989." But this wasn't the first time he pulled such a stunt. Disappointed by a lack of interest in his first solo show in 1977, "Mr. Di Modica rented three trucks, and he...
To wit: Cyril and Ruth Harvey, "who played a key role in popularizing the game, lived on Pennsylvania Avenue (a pricey $320 green property on the board); their friends, the Joneses, lived on Park Place. ... The Harveys employed a Black maid named Clara Watson. She lived on Baltic Avenue in a low-income, Black neighborhood, not far from Mediterranean...
Looks like the mystery's been solved - and the writer was (drumroll) ... the artist himself. "The text, 'Could only have been painted by a madman,' isn’t large enough for most people to notice, especially when it’s presented in the museum behind glass, Guleng said. To study it, the researchers needed to use infrared photography to make it more...
Peter Quinn, VFX artist, has been making homemade special effects movies, and posting them online. "The whole quarantine and lockdown aspect, I find that useful because it means I've got all this spare time and I've got the gear, I've got the lights ... all I need is to think of a little idea I can do without leaving...
Sometimes, virtual isn't going to cut it - and certainly won't replace "the interstitial socializing, the sidewalk conversations on the way to the next bar, the hungover confessionals of the diner booth, the 4 am rants about art and life and the absurdities of corporate publishing. … Finding their way through it all, giving it purpose and passion, are...
Pretty much, yes. "Downtown Christchurch isn’t empty because of COVID. It’s empty because of twin catastrophes: Ten years ago an earthquake leveled much of the city—and then the local and national government botched the rebuild, squandering a golden opportunity to transform Christchurch." Here's what happened. - Slate
Juliet Ames couldn't resist decorating her first salt box, back in December. Then she got permission from the city. "In the past two months, more than 100 of the decorated salt boxes have appeared around Baltimore, including more than 25 adorned by Ames herself. The boxes celebrate such iconic Baltimore figures as the filmmaker John Waters, the Natty Boh...
Small arts organizations got caught up in the massive trawler net of Facebook's rush to react to a new Australian law meant to generate funding for news organizations. "By the close of business on Thursday, over 300 arts organizations were impacted by the snap ban. While Facebook worked over the ensuing 24-hours to reinstate a number of pages, irreparable...
