Aesthetic attention
Arts organizations are in the business of aesthetic experience. I hope this isn’t a radical statement, but an obvious point. Whether the organization is fostering work by artists, connecting that work to audiences, or preserving … read more
AJBlog: The Artful Manager Published 2016-02-17
Black History Week (2) — Black Classical Musicians in Philadelphia
Here’s an indispensable book — Black Classical Musicians in Philadelphia: Oral Histories Covering Four Generations, by Elaine Mack. It brings to life what once was a thriving community of classical musicians in the Philadelphia black … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-02-17
The Met’s New Logo
It’s a disaster, as I predicted here last June in “The Met’s Coming Rebranding: A Puzzlement.” In fact, it’s worst than I had heard. Justin Davidson posted this image on New York magazine’s Vulture site… … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2016-02-17
Buried Child Surfaces in New Revival
Sam Shepard recently referred to Buried Child as “the same clunky play” it always was, rewrites notwithstanding. That’s Shepard being candid. That’s Shepard being Shepard. Never mind that awkward dramaturgy and a little too much… … read more
AJBlog: Straight|Up Published 2016-02-17
Vigée Le Brun: Flattery Got Her Everywhere, Including the Met (with video)
At about the halfway point in the 80-work Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum (to May 15), I ran into the museum’s new president, Daniel Weiss, who asked me the dreaded … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2016-02-17
Portland Bound
Shortly, I am going to head south, turn right, drive west through the Columbia River Gorge – shown above – and spend the next few days in one of my favorite former hometowns at the Portland Jazz Festival … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-02-17
Fire and Ice Mate – Can That End Well?
The Kathryn Posin Dance Company performs at 92Y. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2016-02-17
Nelson Algren’s Walk Through Appalachia
I have always loved the way A Walk on the Wild Side begins. Show me a more perceptive opening of an American novel with its historical tracing of an Appalachian clan … read more
AJBlog: Straight|Up Published 2016-02-17
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