"A century ago, samba becoming synonymous with Brazil's cultural identity would have seemed impossible. In the early 20th century, Rio's ruling elite were ashamed and afraid of the rhythm, which was linked to African-Brazilian cults. Samba faced police persecution: musicians were frequently arrested, their instruments confiscated or destroyed; gatherings were abruptly shut down. It might not have lasted were...
"A functioning market required transparency, a mutual understanding of exchanges and a shared moral framework. And, as Rana Foroohar puts it in this brief animation for the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), surveillance capitalism – pioneered by Google, and now, to varying degrees, ubiquitous worldwide – comes up short on all three fronts." - Aeon
More than a year after it began its search for a new president and chief executive, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is expected to announce on Thursday that it has found a new leader on the opposite coast: Gail Samuel, president of the Hollywood Bowl and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. - Los Angeles Times
"When young children make art together with their caregivers, they share a new experience which can reinforce bonding. Creativity is an extension of babies’ natural desire to share and communicate." - The Conversation
Back in 2014, when the EU passed a law allowing people to petition Google to de-index old news stories about them (e.g., criminal convictions or embarrassing incident from youth that became public), American newsrooms were dead-set against the idea. Now, The Boston Globe, The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and some other papers have begun to institute...
"Zhang and his co-authors reported high levels of statistical significance for their finding, but the reported differences in the effects of violent games versus nonviolent games were too small for that high statistical significance to be possible." - Science
"Despite being indoors (a red flag), the sort of behavior engaged in at the movies is, relatively speaking, benign. Patrons who can and should wear a mask for the duration of their visit face the same direction and don't chatter much. … movie theaters in the age of the coronavirus have placed an almost disconcerting emphasis on safety."...
"In picking , the orchestra looked west, to one of the most successful American orchestras of recent years" — the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where she is COO — "for its choice to succeed Mark Volpe, who led the Boston Symphony for 23 years. Samuel will be responsible for steering the organization out of one of its most dire crises,...
"For the last year, Michael Phelan — a contemporary artist who has lived in Marfa full time since 2014 — has been quietly planning another destination within miles of both sites: Marfa Invitational, an interdisciplinary, year-round arts and cultural foundation, set on five acres of high desert." - The New York Times
Yes, it's because of Brexit: a statement from a company spokesperson said that "the potential additional costs for visas and current uncertainty around social security contributions mean regrettably it is currently not financially viable. We hope that in future we'll return to tour in Europe. However, that will not be possible until we have further clarity on these points."...
"After a renovation of a storied gallery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Cy Twombly Foundation has claimed that a monumental ceiling painting by the late artist has been permanently altered, thanks to a new paint job on the surrounding walls and a change in lighting. … is demanding that the Salle des Bronzes be returned to...
Says managing director Sarah Hopwood, "We are determined to present a festival this summer in whatever form is possible. We consider this essential to protect the livelihoods of our staff and freelance artists we employ and to continue to engage with our audience." Audiences will be limited to 50% of capacity, and other COVID safety measures will be in...
"Museumgoers took to social media to complain about the institution’s failure to implement effective social-distancing measures in some of its most popular spaces last weekend, in particular those decorated with frescoes by Raphael and his workshop. … In an open letter to museum management posted on Facebook, that he was 'deeply ashamed and embarrassed' that he had led...
"We are sorry. We have made mistakes. We have let you down. We are ashamed of Newfields' leadership and of ourselves," the board said in a statement announcing the departure of Charles Venable in the wake of heavy criticism over a very unfortunately worded job listing. This was the latest in a series of controversies over Venable's leadership and...
YouTube is planning an official rollout for “Applause,” a feature—already in testing—that lets viewers make cash payments to their favorite creators by initiating an on-screen clapping effect. Like existing features such as Super Chat, “it’s a token of my appreciation of some monetary value.” - Fast Company
