Stories

What King Charles’ First Portrait Is Meant To Convey About Him

It’s worth putting this into the context of “self-fashioning” in portraiture, succinctly described by the literary scholar Stephen Greenblatt in 1980 as a process where identity is constructed as a pastiche of carefully selected details. - The Conversation

Will Machines Replace Us? Naw — We Colonize A Different Space

This is simultaneously a misplaced conceit and misconceived fear: There are varied environmental niches to exploit and to dominate even in ecosystems with an apex-predator competitor.  - Hedgehog Review

The Line Between Fine Art And Craft Is Blurring

In many ways, it is obvious that furniture could be a direct expression of human thoughts and feelings. There is its closeness to the human body and its place at the heart of our domestic, social and political lives. - Aeon

How Gian Carlo Menotti And Carlisle Floyd Defined Mid-20th Century Opera

As a composer, Menotti was consigned to the bittersweet status described by Somerset Maugham to characterize his own fiction—“in the first rank of the second rate.” Maugham’s self-deprecating remark is no insult. - Hudson Review

Why Did A Portland Suburb’s Innovative Public-Private Gallery Suddenly Close Last Month?

"It’s hard to think of another artist-run institution that simultaneously featured publicly open studio spaces for working artists, an art sales gallery connected to the studios, and classrooms for beginning and advanced fine arts instruction for children and adults." - Oregon ArtsWatch

The Cartoon That Has Inspired Protestors Across The Globe

The 1969 cartoon of a perpetually 10-year-old boy known as Handala is by artist Naji Al-Ali. After 1973, Ali "depicted Handala with his back turned, a gesture that transformed him into a silent witness of the horrors and outrages going on around him." - The New York Times

Why Musician Biopics, Including The New Amy Winehouse Movie, Are So Awful

For one reason, “the voice is a powerful and mysterious thing, maybe the most primal creative instrument that human beings possess. We’re drawn to great singers because of the intricacies and capacities of that instrument and its connection to actual, singular people.” Actors can’t fake it. - Slate

It’s Not ‘TV Week’ Anymore

Netflix and Prime joined broadcast channels for the traditional week of wooing advertisers - and for good reason: “Streaming video now makes up 37% of U.S. television viewing, better than either broadcast or cable TV, according to Nielsen data.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Behind The Scenes Of Twelve Opening Nights (Or Matinees) In Nine Days

"I suggested to the Culture desk’s editors that it might be interesting if we sent a reporter and photographer to every opening, chronicling these moments of hope at a time of challenge. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.” - The New York Times

These Devices Changed Our Homes Forever, But They’re Not Working Anymore

Plus “it’s very hard to get spare parts,” says the principal curator at London’s Science Museum. So the show is going to storage, where “if a historian is doing research on the impact of the vacuum cleaner on everyday life,” it will be available - just not functional. - The Guardian (UK0

Despite Rising Ticket Sales And Donations, Minnesota’s Guthrie Theatre Is Running A Deficit

Artistic Director Joseph Haj: "While I believe that the Guthrie is faring well in relative terms … it is important to acknowledge that the Guthrie is not immune to these industry-wide challenges.” - MPR

The Academy Museum Took Heat For Ignoring The Jewish History Of Many Founders Of Hollywood

And now it’s trying to fix that mistake with a new exhibition. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

In Britain, A Dance Star Says He Wants To Clear His Name

Giovanni Pernice, a professional dancer on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, said “he is ‘surprised’ by media reports about his teaching methods and rejects ‘any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour.’” - BBC

Rhinebeck, The Little New York Town Where New Musicals Start Their Big Journeys

"At a moment when regional theatres and foundations are cutting funding, particularly for new-work development, Rhinebeck has become a beacon of just how much is still possible with limited resources.” - American Theatre

Canada, That Sexy Travel Destination

You too might fall for Canada if you’re reading the right romances - and not just the (surging) hockey genre, either. - CBC

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