“Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins speaks to Tom Wicker about mourning Toni Morrison, his love for London and how his play Appropriate – being staged at the Donmar – has become more relevant post-Trump.” – The Stage
Is Art Facing A Crisis Of Beauty?
“I realize that the various arts councils see art as a communications strategy, a way of encoding statements of moral good in visual form. Long ago they surrendered any faith in the aesthetic. What’s so much worse is that many artists seem to share this. But I think I understand. Adorno believed that aesthetic experience was rooted in experiences of natural beauty. If nature is threatened, so too is aesthetic experience. Hence the looming loss of faith.” – Momus
Throw Out the Bathwater and Keep the Baby: How to Stage Racially Problematic Works from the Western Canon
Phil Chan, co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface: “What is emerging is a series of best practices that any performing arts organization can employ when staging works from the Western canon which may contain outdated representations of race. Many of these ideas can be applied and shared across performing art forms.” – Americans for the Arts
David Howse on ArtsEmerson’s efforts to reflect the city’s diversity on its stage — and in its audience
“When ArtsEmerson, the professional presenting theater organization of Emerson College, launched a decade ago, it was created with a mission to let the city see itself reflected on stage. ‘We wanted to figure out if we could actually create a space where everyone, even those who have not always traditionally felt welcome, could own these spaces and really belong here,’ [executive director David] Howse says. But being represented on stage is not the same as having diversity in the seats. Howse talks about the effort to create ‘authentic relationships’ and ‘meaningful invitations,’ with communities throughout the city.” (video) – The Boston Globe
Beyond the ‘dead white dudes’: how to solve the gender problem in Australian classical music
“While the ‘greatest hits’ of the canon are by men – due, largely, to women traditionally not having the same opportunities – the future need not follow the same pattern. ‘It sounds so simple, but program it or commission it. With one in three Australian composers being women, there’s an abundance of repertoire to choose from,’ insists [Sydney-based composer Holly] Harrison.” – The Guardian
The Complicated History Of “This Land Is Your Land”
“As the author of three books on Woody Guthrie, I sometimes wonder how the folksinger would respond to the criticism of “This Land Is Your Land” for its omissions. While we can’t know for sure, a glance at some of his unpublished writings and recently discovered recordings can offer some clues.” – The Conversation
Is The World Turning Against Calatrava And His Projects?
His sleek designs are notoriously high maintenance, over budget, and prone to failure. Here’s a short list of his debacles. – D Magazine
Blackface Opera Controversy In Verona This Summer
Tamara Wilson: “Operas like Aïda and Turandot were written for and performed by white European singers in, what was at that time acceptable, theatrical makeup to make them appear African or Asian. In theatre history, the terms blackface and yellowface would be applied, but today, especially in the U.S., these terms also have historic racist connotations. It is more and more difficult for opera to navigate this line between depicting race versus negative stereotype because they are viewed differently depending on where you are in the world and the individuals in the audience.” – Forbes
The Artist-Architects Who Thought Their Buildings Could Help Their Inhabitants Live Forever (By Driving Them Nuts)
“Madeline Gins and her husband, Shusaku Arakawa (who went only by his last name), 1960s New York conceptual artists and amateur architects who are regarded as a bridge between the Dada and Fluxus movements, … posited that buildings could be designed to increase mental and physical stimulation, which would, in turn, prolong life indefinitely. An aversion to right angles, an absence of symmetry and a constant shifting of elevations would stimulate the immune system, sharpen the mind and lead to immortality.” – T — The New York Times Style Magazine
New York City May Keep Limits On Vendors Selling Art In Manhattan Parks, Rules Appeals Court
“In a 5-0 decision, the appeals court rejected artists’ contentions that the limits covering Central Park south of 86th Street, Battery Park, High Line Park and Union Square Park violated their free speech and equal protection rights under the state constitution, and amounted to illegal discrimination.” – Reuters
What The Music Presidential Candidates’ Play Says About Them
The music booms as people enter the rallies, and then candidates take the stage to a “walk-up” song that can become associated with their platforms. The New York Times analyzed playlists used by nine Democratic candidates and President Trump to see how they help set the tone for each campaign. – The New York Times
Study: Republicans Are Turning Against Higher Education
As the Pew Research Center finds in a new survey, there’s been a sharp increase in dissatisfaction with America’s colleges and universities among Republicans in recent years, and it makes perfect sense for right-of-center policy makers to want to do something about it. – The Atlantic
Kennedy Center’s New “Reach” Is Great Counterpoint To The Original Building
Justin Davidson: “The Kennedy Center’s new complex is not just more fluid, usable, and versatile than we had any right to expect — it is also the rare project that improved on its way from concept and digital renderings to final construction.” – New York Magazine
Going Through The Archives With Bill T. Jones
Reporter Michael Cooper joins the choreographer as he examines photos from the history of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company and tells stories of the time Robert Mapplethorpe photographed the diminutive Zane carrying the very large Jones on his shoulder, why he had to change the title of one of his most famous works from the original Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin Featuring 52 Handsome Nudes, and the evening he told an Italian audience, “Tonight, I am the Pope” and got denounced by the Vatican the next day. – The New York Times
MCA Denver Gets New Director
Nora Burnett Abrams, 41, will step in to replace Adam Lerner, the director and chief animator who stepped down this June after leading the museum since 2009. The Denver museum saw its attendance grow by 200 percent over the last five years, under his leadership, and has become a gathering place for the city’s teenagers. – The New York Times
Protest In Moscow Is Becoming ‘Celebritized’
After weeks of Sunday protests in the Russian capital against the disqualification of opposition candidates for the city council, on August 10 famous actors, artists, and rappers started to join the demonstrations. While the participation of well-known artists in protests is hardly unknown in Russia (e.g., Pussy Riot), some observers say that there’s a new level of “celebritization” indicating that demonstrations against the Putin government are becoming fashionable. – The Moscow Times
Belgian Festival Could Be Removed From UNESCO Cultural Heritage List For Use Of Blackface
A character called Le Sauvage, covered in black face makeup, is featured on one of 22 floats in a traditional parade as part of the Ducasse d’Ath, held in late August in a small town in Wallonia. A letter from 14 anti-racist groups as well as academics and activist asking UNESCO to de-list the festival describes Le Sauvage as “adorned with all the humiliating signs that our racist societies have projected on to black people throughout history.” Some locals in Ath are reportedly puzzled, as they consider the character one of the parade’s most popular. – The Guardian
Relationships Checkup
As with most really good ideas, it’s not terribly complicated. It’s simply a ‘note to self’ to check in on all past engagement relationships on a regular (at least annual) basis. This simple habit has the ability to accomplish a wide variety of good things. – Doug Borwick