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Should Struggling Artists And Performers Get Preference In New York City’s Affordable Housing Programs?

After all, large numbers of creatives have been fleeing the city, driven away mostly by the high cost of apartments. But would such a preference be fair to other struggling New Yorkers? - Gothamist

Chaos At One Of San Francisco’s Beloved Indie Performance Venues

“CounterPulse … is in crisis caused by financial strain, leadership collapse and a bitter labor conflict. With just one show on its calendar for all of 2026 and no one at the helm, its predicament raises questions about sustainability, power and labor in small arts organizations.” - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)

New York State Governor Proposes $150 Million Retroactive Extension Of Theater Tax Credits

“(State agency) Empire State Development … currently isn’t accepting applications for the New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit. … The proposed state budget announced today ‘increases the aggregate amount available under the program by $150 million for productions with initial performances on or after December 1, 2025.’” - Broadway Journal

There’s A New Cliburn Competition Coming — This One For Conductors

“The first Cliburn International Competition for Conductors will take place in 2028 in Houston. … The competition will be hosted in partnership with the Houston Symphony and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.” Marin Alsop will chair the jury. - KERA (Dallas)

Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley Public Media Lays Of Half Its Staff

“The Bethlehem-based organization, which includes PBS39, WLVR radio and the Lehigh Valley News website, will lose about half of its workforce, which had stood at 41. It also cut back on some PBS programming ‘to align expenses with sustainable funding.’” - The Morning Call (Allentown, PA) (MSN)

Finally, A Ballet Shoe That Incorporates Athletic-Shoe Technology

Seth Orza, when he was a principal with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, developed plantar fasciitis and couldn’t find a shoe that would give his feet enough support and shock absorption to keep the pain at bay. So he designed one, using features copied from running sneakers. - The New York Times

The Remarkable Art In A Building The Federal Government Has Marked For Sale

What would happen to the murals is an open question, as removing them may prove difficult. Advocates for the building fear that without protections put in place ahead of a sale, the buyer would have no incentive to maintain the historical features inside. - Washington Post

The Erasure Of Paul Robeson

He was once the most famous Black American in the world, and one of the most accomplished: college football and NFL star, a degree from Columbia Law School, a major career as a classical concert singer and film and stage actor. Then Jackie Robinson, the pioneering baseball player, testified against him. - The Guardian

The Wrong Way To Popularize Classical Music

In execution, this theory works very simply: Don’t change the music; change the way you deliver it. Do the opposite of what institutions are doing when they offer radically shortened operas or watered-down symphonies. - The New York Times

The Real Battle For The Smithsonian

Americans argue about the Smithsonian far more than we would if only its possessions mattered. When our museums of record tell us a story, that story matters enormously. - The Atlantic

Science Peer Review Journals Are Being Swamped By AI Slop

For more than a century, scientific journals have been the pipes through which knowledge of the natural world flows into our culture. Now they’re being clogged with AI slop. - The Atlantic

Rarely-Seen Leonardo Da Vinci Mural In Milan Opened To Public For Winter Olympics

For just over five weeks, from February 7 to March 14, visitors will be allowed to climb the towering 20-foot scaffold inside the Sforza Castle’s Sala delle Asse to view conservators at work on a vast, unfinished wall and ceiling painting by Leonardo hidden for centuries. - Artnet

Napa Art Museum Selling Its Estate Because Of Financial Pressures

The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Napa has listed its 217-acre estate for $10.9 million, less than a year after announcing a plan to boost revenue through event rentals. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

Snubs In This Year’s Oscar Nominations

The overlooking of the Good Witch was truly Wicked. Then again, crowd pleaser Wicked: For Good got basically nothing overall, so maybe it’s time to reconsider that shunned Academy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film category …just sayin’. - Deadline

La Scala Finished 2025 With Record Box Office

La Scala closed 2025 with record ticket sales of over €40 million (+7.3% compared to 2024). Added to this is the record revenue of the La Scala Theatre Museum, which reached €3.4 million. - Gramilano

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