I learned a lot about myself as a critic while live-tweeting, and a lot about criticism: about how and when opinions are formed, and about the effort we critics often put into shaping our initial reaction into more polished and professional forms. - American Theatre
The Ahiamwen Guild of artists and bronze casters says it wants to change the terms of the debate by giving the British Museum contemporary artworks, untainted by any history of looting, that showcase Benin City’s modern-day culture. - Reuters
Only the fifth person to serve in this capacity, Debra Lew Harder follows in the footsteps of former legendary voices of the Met, Milton Cross (1931-1975), Peter Allen (1975-2004), Margaret Juntwait (2004-2015), and, most recently, Mary Jo Heath (2016-2021). - Broadway World
The company's certainly had opportunities before: William Grant Still submitted scores in 1919 and 1935; both were casually dismissed. So Terence Blanchard was astounded to get a call from Peter Gelb asking to stage Fire Shut Up in My Bones after its 2019 premiere. - The New York Times
It's that humor, a sense of optimism and her beloved piano that have buttressed and comforted this centenarian through an often difficult life. Maze has just released her sixth album at the age of 107. - NPR
Archaeologists report that the destruction, circa 1650 BC, of the city of Tall el-Hammam was caused by a large meteor disintegrating in the atmosphere — a blast, 1,000 times larger than Hiroshima, that would have fit the Biblical description of fire raining on the evil cities. - Smithsonian Magazine
At least five companies — including, controversially, one major museum — have stepped up with immersive exhibits based on the life and work of the famous Dutch painter. Nearly 40 different Van Gogh rooms have opened (or will soon) across the U.S. so far. - Bloomberg
"Looking at Johns's work, I sometimes almost no longer feel like a person. I wonder if I have died in the instants between synapses of looking, knowing, then not knowing again. I step outside myself and become more than one person seeing in different ways." - New York Magazine
The album represents a moment in time when everything about Seattle culture changed. The very words “Seattle music” meant something different afterward, both in the Northwest and in the world. - Seattle Times
The script, along with 100 pages of unusually detailed notes for the actors, comes from the pre-Broadway New Haven tryout in the fall of 1947. - Gothamist
As sloppy as AAMD’s new rule is, being born of a rattled, anxious moment, it’s clear who it’s intended to help, and it’s not the museums that house big modern and contemporary collections with hot brand names. - National Review
"The event was held at the National Theatre of Somalia, whose history reflects the tumultuous journey of the African nation. It has been targeted by suicide bombers and used as a base by warlords – and until Wednesday it had never screened a Somali film." - The Guardian (AFP)
"(The delta variant surge has) worsened a host of additional issues, like technology and language barriers and pandemic-stoked xenophobia. Community organizations fear that the diminished patronage and insufficient government support will force many longstanding businesses to close, which could accelerate gentrification." - Slate
DNA evidence at the crime scenes, museums in suburban Amsterdam (van Gogh's The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring) and Leerdam (Hals's Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer) led investigators to a previously convicted thief. The artworks have not been recovered. - The New York Times
The new work, which will replace windows depicting Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson which were removed in 2017, will be Marshall's first in stained glass. The windows, accompanied by a poem by Elizabeth Alexander etched on stone tablets, will be installed in 2023. - The Washington Post
