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The Baby Blimp Of The U.S. President Will Be Memorialized At The Museum Of London

The crowd-funded helium balloon made its first appearance during the 45th president's first UK state visit in 2018, and has since made something of a world tour. The creators: "We hope the baby’s place in the museum will stand as a reminder of when London stood against Mr Trump – but will prompt those who see it to examine...

Ireland Is One Country That’s Done Well For Classical Music Online

Or so says pianist Finghin Collins, who's also artistic director of Music for Galway and the New Ross Piano Festival. Collins: "Ireland has done extremely well in the arts, in the sense that many, many classical music organisations, and others, have pivoted very quickly into the online space. If I speak to my colleagues in France, Germany, Switzerland, continental...

Dealing With The Legacy Of Abuser, Murderer, And Music Producer Phil Spector

Long before he murdered Lana Clarkson, it was clear Phil Spector (who died over the weekend) was not a good guy. "Ronnie Spector’s 1990 autobiography Be My Baby laid bare the full horror of their marriage: the house surrounded by barbed wire and guard dogs; the threats to kill her, either himself or via a hitman; the gold-plated, glass-topped...

A Bold Proposal For Galleries

Cancel them. No reform. Abolition. "Why are horror stories of racism, sexism, and abuse in art galleries open secrets that remain unaddressed? The dominant agents of the commercial art world — galleries, auction houses, PR firms, and dealers — hold an obscene amount of power over images and their narratives. ... Employers are beholden to profit, and artists turn...

Oh, Netflix, Why Couldn’t You Make A Better Ballet Show?

The plot has issues. The characters have issues. The filming of dance itself has issues. "Then there are the voice-overs, each more overwrought than the next. 'There’s a wicked paradox in ballet,' one intones. 'Great flexibility is expected to blossom in a rigid world. The brutal rules and endless isolation, the messing of your mind, it somehow contorts your...

We Have So Many Conspiracy Theories Because They’re Stories, And Stories Are How We Live

This is not great. "We are condemned to navigate the Space Age world with Stone Age minds; because of this inherent biological anachronism, man is the ape that imitates, tells stories, and morally condemns others." - LitHub

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Director Has Some Things To Say About The Issues Facing The Festival

For one thing, there was a pandemic last year (and this year), which canceled darn near everything. Then, in November, came the fire that destroyed the Doris Duke Theatre. Pamela Tatge: "We all want to make as much dance as possible happen for our artists and our audience, so, to lose one of our primary spaces was devastating. ......

Canada Gets A 24/7 Inuit-Language TV Channel

The new network's executive director sounds hopeful. "As our elders pass away, we are fighting against time to keep Inuit culture and language alive for our children and grandchildren. TV in Inuktut all day every day is a powerful way to keep a living language for future generations." - CBC

During The Pandemic, Art Going To Museums Needs Special Help

Art couriers can't ride in trucks with art, or ride in follow cars with other people, or generally do everything they used to do in order to get art where it needs to go - and to help mount it. What's happening now? Robots. (Well, iPads on wheels.) - NPR

If You’re Feeling Unmotivated Right Now, You’re Not Alone

Hello, extremely upfront journalist: "I’m writing this article because, to be honest, the piece I need to read most right now is why it’s completely okay to feel sort of hopeless and disconnected from the joys of life." - Fast Company

Motion Picture Academy Changes, And Expands, The International Shortlist

The Academy concluded that there was no way to keep the larger executive committee's deliberation process secure on Zoom or other platforms - so the "preliminary committee," a smaller group, is now the only arbiter of what movies will be nominated for Best International Feature. Unrelated (or so they claim), the shortlist has expanded from 10 to 15. -...

The Essential Octavia Butler

Of course, if you've already read Parable of the Sower, much of the last four years might have felt a little too eerily familiar. But moving on: "Butler was an observer and ponderer. The probing mind that animates her novels, short stories and essays is obsessed with the viability of the human enterprise. Will we survive our worst habits?...

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Is Getting Some Covid Relief Funds

Along with other arts groups in the city, the BSO is seeing some funding for its workers. The BSO's CEO "said the money will help the organization make up for revenue lost from having to close its physical doors. He added that it will help BSO pay staff and musicians, while supporting the community through its music". - Baltimore...

Perhaps You Need Some Help This Week Recognizing Right-Wing Iconography And Dog Whistles

Here's a crash course in the iconographies of hate groups that have coalesced around the current president of the United States. - Hyperallergic

Why Do Some Of This Era’s Photos Look So Much Like Renaissance Paintings?

It's not an accident. Ask Reddit. "These comparisons, while often funny, also come across as shockingly honest. They push aside the veneer of the present and the sense that what we are experiencing is unique to the time we live in. What’s left are raw emotions, echoing through centuries." - Washington Post

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