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How George Balanchine Made Classical Ballet American

Jennifer Homans: "He was absorbing modernism from Europe and interest in the motorcar, the airplane, the train, the speed, ... the idea that there (would) be a transformation of society. He took everything from the Russian Revolution to Bauhaus to Diaghilev to Weimar culture. Then in America, he absorbed popular culture." - The Nation

AI-Created Art — Democratizing Creativity Or Replacing Artists?

A reasonable reaction to generative AI is concern; if not even the imagination is safe from machines, the human mind seems at risk of becoming obsolete. - The Atlantic

“Flimsy, Paper-Thin Architecture Held Together With Tape”: The Guardian’s Architecture Critic Has At The New Orange County Museum Of Art

"The ruptured, splintered aesthetic goes beyond the sculptural moves alone. Sheets of buckled steel are screwed crookedly against the edge of the undulating façade, hastily cut tiles have been fitted with wonky abandon, while other parts of the building are literally held on with tape." - The Guardian

Artists Revolt Against AI Images On Artist Platform

To many artists on ArtStation, the juxtaposition of AI-generated images with their own work is degrading and undermines the time and skill that goes into their art. - Vice

Every Autumn, Madrid Is Littered With Sculpture Knockoffs Of “Las Meninas”, And Madrileños Are Sick Of It

"The fifty figures scattered throughout the city include a Menina Wonder Woman, a military Menina, a Menina painted with skulls, another wrapped in aluminum, another adorned with the Visa logo, and still another representing Volvo.  ... For many Madrid residents, the yearly project is a source for ubiquitous scorn." - ARTnews

Is The Familiar Cable TV Model Simply Reorganizing Itself Around Streaming?

Short for “free, ad-supported television,” FAST is a live, linear and growing area of the streaming universe that has emerged as a complement to on-demand offerings. The multibillion-dollar sector is inhabited by an eclectic range of purveyors, content owners and connected-TV players. - Deadline

For The First Time, There’s Sondheim, In Spanish, In Spain, Courtesy Of Antonio Banderas

In 2019, in his hometown of Málaga, Banderas founded a nonprofit company called Teatro del Soho to produce musicals more serious than the blockbuster fare usually seen in Spain. And he's now fulfilled a longtime dream, directing a Spanish-language Company and starring as a 50-year-old Bobby. - The New York Times

Library Acquires Archives Of The Famously Secretive Thomas Pynchon

The archive includes correspondence relating to the publishing process, the library said, but no private letters or other personal material. And no, there are no photographs of Pynchon either. - The New York Times

Lula Brings Back Brazil’s Culture Ministry, Which Bolsonaro Dissolved, And Appoints A Musician To Lead It

Jair Bolsonaro, the mercurial right-winger whom President da Silva succeeds, abolished the culture ministry on his first day in office.  Lula wasted no time in restoring the department, and he's appointed as minister renowned singer Margareth Menezes, who founded a major cultural nonprofit in her home state of Bahia. - Artnet

Despite Its Paralyzed Box Office, The Met Opera Keeps Going, And Audience Members Keep Coming

A week after the cyberattack which has paralyzed its ticketing and payroll operations, the company has not missed a single performance.  And with its offer of any unsold seat for $50, fans come flocking.  The resulting scene is, despite the difficulties and necessary improvisation, rather orderly. - The New York Times

The Long HarperCollins Strike Will Have A Real Effect On What Books People Get To Read

"The outcome of the strike, which began Nov. 10, ... may have a ripple effect on jobs across the publishing industry. Its impact may be seen in the quantity and diversity of books that are published for years to come." - MSN (The Washington Post)

Warner Bros. Discovery Expects To Write Off $3.5 Billion-With-a-B In Content Costs

"The company said it now expects to incur total pre-tax restructuring charges" — that is, charges related to the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery — "of $4.1 billion to $5.3 billion. ... The new estimate includes $2.8 billion to $3.5 billion of content impairment and development write-offs." - Variety

France’s Top Book Prize Has A New Offshoot, With The Winner Chosen By Prison Inmates

"Some prisons have organized their own literary prizes, but the inmates' Goncourt" — Goncourt des détenus, as it's called in French — "is unprecedented in size and reach, with about 500 people detained in 31 prisons taking part. It is also prominently backed and promoted by the French government." - The New York Times

English National Opera Will “Definitely” Move Out Of London, Says CEO

Following the stern directive from Arts Council England, the government funder, to leave the capital, "(Stuart) Murphy said he had been contacted by MPs or mayors in about 10 locations to express an interest in hosting the ENO's new headquarters, but declined to reveal where they are." - BBC

Could Cleveland Become America’s First Big “15-Minute-City”?

“We’re working toward being the first city in North America to implement a 15-minute city planning framework, where people—not developers—are at the center of urban revitalization. - Fast Company

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