Two researchers of information ecosystems find that the structures and mechanisms of improv theater and the right-wing media ecosystem are surprisingly similar — which explains why the latter's followers become so devoted. - The Conversation
It would have been unfathomable to dig up the famous cathedral before the fire. However, archaeologists now had the chance per a French law on preventative archaeology, which can be used “to detect and undertake the scientific study of archaeological remains. - ARTnews
The gift will enable the museum to establish a endowment that will fund the admission waiver in perpetuity. The gift went into effect the day of the museum’s official announcement on December 3. - ARTnews
His recipe for making blue pigment from the clay soil of Alabama is of one of the few things the great African-American inventor patented. Yet he never commercialized the process. Now, for the art triennial Prospect.6 in New Orleans, Amanda Williams has painted some structures in Carver blue. - CNN
With a crazed sense of humor and geysers of gore, these works demand recognition of simple and obvious facts: that looks aren’t everything and that everyone is going to die. Some will even be lucky enough to grow old. Why keep torturing ourselves to deny the truth? - Washington Post (MSN)
Just as it is with a medical doctor, discretion is part of Suzanne Siano’s business model — she does not reveal to anyone what works she has inspected or conserved. Some of the paintings in the Grand Palais booths were familiar to her as former patients, but she was mum on which ones. - The New York Times
“By suggesting that some works may be construed as hate speech and requiring visitors to sign a waiver, the sign not only misrepresents the purpose of the exhibit but also undermines the intent of the artists and the curatorial process." - Hyperallergic
Lianhuanhua, read by children and adults alike, are palm-sized books with two or three lines of text and one image per page, and they became hugely popular in the early 20th century. But their storylines, often traditional tales, frequently incorporated magic and the supernatural — anathema to Mao Zedong Thought. - History Today
The report concluded that while the AI boom will substantially enrich giant tech companies, creators’ rights and income streams will be drastically reduced unless policymakers step in. - The Guardian
While the people of France supported the effort in the immediate aftermath—within days of the fire, there were donations of more than $900 million—the years that followed were beset by pushback, controversy and outrage. - The Wall Street Journal
Music executives say Swift has raised the bar for the concert industry, not just with ticket and merchandise sales, but conceptual ambition, stage production, wardrobe and news-cycle penetration. - The Wall Street Journal
"People often think of these musical memories as fixed snapshots of the past. But recent research my team and I published suggests music may do more than just trigger memories – it might even change how you remember them." - The Conversation
"They obtain scores and parts, consult with conductors and concertmasters, check the music for accuracy, ensure that page turns are realistic, and make corrections as necessary. … Can you get the mute out fast enough? Who’s going to need more time to turn a page?" - San Francisco Classical Voice
Lynne Charles, artistic director of English National Ballet School, has developed a method she calls 4Pointe. "There are all these methods ... but there’s no pre-pointe teaching ... the balance as you go through your foot. I’ve developed exercises for specific parts of the foot and put them in a specific order." - Bachtrack
