“Are race, poverty, and Asian-Americanhood equally diverse? What about language spoken, religion, age, sexual orientation, income, and appearance? A danger exists that diversity loses all meaning as it balloons; the term becomes so lax that everything and anything signifies diversity.”
Are Museum Expansion Projects Worth It?
Depends, of course. Changing tastes demand different ways of serving audiences. Yet expansion-as-vanity-project is highly alluring. Adrian Ellis suggests what’s really at stake in these projects.
Ben Cameron: The Business Of The Arts Is Radically Changing
“The 501(c)(3) model is increasingly challenged and is increasingly limited. Frankly a lot of the most exciting work now—especially among young artists—is not happening in a nonprofit context. We prided ourselves on our “sector purity” when I was growing up, that we were “nonprofit artists.” Young artists want to get the work done, whether it is commercial or nonprofit.”
Why Latvia (Yes, Latvia) Is A Global Choral Superpower
Latvia, with a population of 2m, has some ten youth choirs of international prizewinning calibre. In the 2014 World Choir Games in Riga (awarded to the city after another Latvian youth choir, Kamer, won the top prize in three categories), the host nation won more medals than any other country, followed by China, Russia, the United States and Indonesia.
Why ‘[Weird Pause]’ Is The Most Common Stage Direction In Annie Baker’s Plays
“I guess my experience of the real world is that there are a lot of strange moments in which people don’t know what to say. So that ends up in my plays. But it’s weird, I still find it confusing that I’m known for my pauses.”
Over 40 Years, Apple Has Changed Our Entire Culture
“Although the story of Apple’s design success is often presented in purely aesthetic or technological terms, the company’s innovations in that area had political and cultural dimensions, too: they were, among other things, an attempt to pry computer technology out of the hands of a particular group of men.”
Terry Gilliam Gets One More Try At Seemingly Cursed ‘Don Quixote’ Film
“The Man Who Killed Don Quixote will begin filming in September … The budget has been set at €16m (£12.8m), and the film will feature John Hurt and Unbroken‘s Jack O’Connell in roles originally occupied by Jean Rochefort and Johnny Depp.”
Julio Bocca Steps Down Temporarily From Helm Of National Ballet Of Uruguay
The former ABT star “has announced his decision to take ‘a temporary break as artistic director’ of the National Ballet of Uruguay, a post he has held since 2010.”
St. Petersburg Arts Journalist Found Murdered In Apartment
“[Dmitri] Tsilikin was a well-known culture and arts critic, working on TV and radio as well as for print media such as Kommersant, Vogue and Elle. … [He] was found with multiple knife wounds and it is believed he may have been dead for at least two days.”
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s French HQ: Monstrosity Or Building That Deserves Protection?
“‘It was a failed project from the beginning,’ Lambert said. ‘I just can’t believe some people are trying to protect this tower,’ which the CBC would like to sell or see redeveloped.”
Producing A TV Show: Harder Than It Looks
“It’s much more emotional that I expected, making sure that people are happy and invested in the material. … It’s sort of like raising a child. That level of emotional investment surprised me.”
An Artist, Looking At China’s Rapid Changes (And What Stays The Same)
Cao Fei “grew up absorbing the various influences that flooded her hometown and focused on creating art that examined China’s economic boom. She gained attention early from prominent European curators before being seen at home, thus bypassing some of the obstacles usually encountered by female artists in China.”
A Versatile Editor Explains How Publishing Can Do (A Lot) Better With Diversity
“I went to a reading where a white author cracked a joke at the expense of Asians. Everyone laughed and I looked around and realized I was the only person of color in the audience. Last year I received a manuscript that was so racist I had to look at my calendar to make sure I didn’t accidentally time travel. There have been countless times that people have mistaken me for another Asian editor. I’m telling you this because these are ‘good’ people who ‘mean well’ and yet this still happens.”
A Portland Dance Company Invited Some Of The City’s Famous Non-Dancers To Make Dance
“‘When you rocks are split up by the erosion, don’t look at each other like you’re anticipating it,’ she tells the company. ‘It’s about the awareness two tectonics plates would have.'”
Uganda Deeply Loves Country Music
“The most requested song on Kampala’s Radio One station, from listeners of all ages, is Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colours.”
How The Dance Company Keeps Martha Graham Alive
“‘The dancers here love the work so much,’ said Lloyd Mayor, a member of the company. ‘It’s just like a beautiful precious crystal that we will keep polishing.'”
How Do Parents Talk To Teens About Consent? Young Adult Books Show The Way
“In a world where sex education is often basic, and porn is everywhere, author Christa Desir wants young adult fiction to be a place where kids can find answers and also questions about consensual sex. ‘What do you want? What’s pleasurable for you?’ she asks. ‘And what’s pleasurable for your partner? And how can you be intimate and it not be awkward?'”
China’s Box Office Finally Set To Over Take U.S. Numbers
“China’s mushrooming numbers are also credited to its booming local industry, with incentives in place for cinemas which show domestic rather than Hollywood films. Chinese movies accounted for 61.48% of ticket sales in 2015, with many of the biggest hits – such as The Mermaid, The Monkey King 2 and The Man From Macau 3 – falling into this category.”
Afrofuturism Is A Thing You Should Know About (And It’s Not New)
“This phenomenon has acquired a certain curatorial cachet for museums, conferences, festivals, listicles, and panels: the meme is mother to the making.”
How Technology Is Bringing Contemporary African Art To The Rest Of The World
“Smartphones, tablets and even satellite television have played a role, showing artists that despite the crushing lack of artistic infrastructure across the region — including few strong commercial and noncommercial art galleries, museums not focused on promoting and exhibiting contemporary art and a general lack of curatorial practice, artist residencies and good art schools — there are still ways to reach out and get the attention of art managers, critics, collectors and gallerists across the region and the world.”
Mr. Obama’s Tango Partner: I Wasn’t Supposed To Ask Him To Dance
Godoy said jokingly that the president asked her repeatedly during the dance “When does this end?” but relaxed when he saw his wife enjoying herself as she simultaneously tangoed with Godoy’s partner. “When he saw Michelle, he said, ‘Okay, I’ll keep going.’”
Artist Sues Brazilian Protesters Over Giant Rubber Ducky
“Versions of the same giant inflatable rubber duck designed by Florentijn Hofman have travelled the world since 2007, calling in Japan, New Zealand and Brazil, among many other countries. The version that has appeared in protests in Brazil closely resembles Mr Hofman’s, although it has crosses for eyes.”
Violist Sues Royal Opera House For Damage To His Hearing
In court documents seen by the BBC, Goldscheider claims that in 2012 his hearing was “irreversibly damaged” during rehearsals of Richard Wagner’s thunderous Die Walkure “from brass instruments placed immediately behind him” in the famous “pit” at the Royal Opera House.
Seven Iconic Zaha Hadid Buildings
Early on, Ms. Hadid earned a reputation for her audacious plans — even though her designs went unbuilt for many years.
Another High-Level Sotheby’s Departure – Longtime Head Of Contemporary Art Leaving
Since CEO Tad Smith announced voluntary layoffs in November, more than 80 staffers have left, including David Norman, vice chairman of Sotheby’s Americas, and Henry Wyndham, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe.