As the 230-foot-long, 950-year-old embroidered cloth is returned to England for the first time since it was completed, here’s an explainer with all the basic facts — when and where it’s from, what it depicts, why it’s important — that you once learned in history class and perhaps have forgotten. - Artnet
American Public Media Group, MPR’s parent organization, warned last month that between 5% and 8% of staff would see their jobs eliminated; the arrived-at figure is 6%, or 30 employees. No newsroom positions were cut; affected departments are data journalism, IT, YourClassical, The Current, and national distribution. - The Pioneer Press (St. Paul) (Yahoo!)
“Musicians routinely wrestle with interpreting oblique, ambiguous and outright surreal markings as they try to bring a composer’s idea to life” — from Satie’s direction “light as an egg” to the poetic instructions of Anna Thorvaldsdottir to the circular staves of George Crumb and beyond. - The New York Times
“Intense rainfall Aug. 9 and 10 left the relatively new facility (in Wauwatosa) under three feet of water. … (Executive Director Chad) Bauman described the situation as close to ‘a total loss.’ Because that rainwater was mixed with sewage, many of the items immersed in that water can't be salvaged.” - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“The executive director of Boxcar Theatre in San Francisco resigned Sunday, the organization said, after anonymous internet vigilantes accused him of attempting to meet up with someone who had posed online as a 14-year-old boy.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
Organizers have decided to “pause” the Polari Prizes after multiple nominees and two judges withdrew in objection to the inclusion on the longlist of the novel Earth by John Boyne, who once wrote an article supporting the controversial views on transsexuality of J.K. Rowling. - BBC (MSN)
“His six decades in the business were peppered with highlights, including his touching portrayal of the transsexual Bernadette in 1994’s The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. … But it will be his portrayal of Zod in 1978’s Superman and its sequel Superman II that most people associate with Stamp.” - AP
Major changes of all kinds are undoubtedly coming in our future, but they won’t arrive with a firework display or a Hans Zimmer score. They’re much more likely to creep in over time and pile up against all the stuff that currently fills our lives. - The New York Times
The secret to the sound isn’t merely Steinway’s skilled craftsmen but the specialized wood they use for the soundboards. It comes from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, and it gives Steinway pianos the highest quality of tone, pitch, clarity and consistency. Unfortunately, a broken promise from the federal government will soon stop the music. - The Wall Street...
In cities like New York and Los Angeles, dedicated spaces that once buzzed with foot traffic and formal openings are now struggling with rising rents and changing expectations. The old model, where a gallery does everything for its artists, feels like it’s falling apart. - Hyperallergic
Oklahoma’s public education superintendent, Ryan Walters, told USA Today and CNN that the 50-question certification exam – which is reportedly set to roll out in the coming days – will ask about topics such as the “biological differences between males and females”, freedom of religion and US history. - The Guardian
“Skibidi”, “tradwife” and “delulu” are among the new words to have made this year’s Cambridge Dictionary in a selection that confirms the increasing influence of the TikTok generation on the English language. - The Guardian
Across the state and the country, this and thousands of other brightly painted street crossings would be paved over under guidance recently issued by the administrations of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and President Donald Trump. The dual directives call for the erasure of “asphalt art.” - Washington Post
Three years later, the AI transformation is just about complete. By the spring of 2024, almost two-thirds of Harvard undergrads were drawing on the tool at least once a week. In a British survey of full-time undergraduates from December, 92 percent reported using AI in some fashion. - The Atlantic
With high-end sales softening and galleries shuttering, mega-galleries are looking downmarket, encroaching on price points once dominated by younger dealers. The result? A reshuffling of the traditional artist career arc, as big players chase younger talent and collectors prioritize long-term gallery relationships over buzzy names and six-figure price tags. - Artnet
