“Until quite recently, archaeologists mostly thought about the hardware involved in ancient food – the utensils people cooked with and the pots and beakers they ate and drank from – as well as the rituals surrounding a meal. Now there is a growing interest in what people actually consumed. Historical research into ancient diets can tell us about people’s historic tastes, lifestyle, wealth, health, class, gender and culture.” And sometimes actual dishes and meals can be recreated. – 1843 Magazine
Why on-screen representation matters, according to these teens
“Alec Fields, a junior at Forest Hills High School in Pennsylvania, … was one of 144 middle and high school students who were interviewed about seeing themselves reflected — or not — on the screen. PBS NewsHour turned to our Student Reporting Labs from across the country to hear what students had to say a topic that research shows still has room for growth.” – PBS NewsHour
Stolen Gold Toilet Inspires Ad Campaign For Art Insurance
“Arte Generali saw a solid gold opportunity to penetrate the Italian art market, … [with an ad campaign that] features artist Maurizio Cattelan clowning around in the buff with only oversized paper cutouts of his works — including the missing toilet — to protect him.” (includes video) – Hyperallergic
One Of The Secret Weapons In The Struggle Against Apartheid: Zulu Radio Dramas
The cliché is that the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s apartheid-era Radio Bantu churned out nothing but propaganda to bolster the government’s racial separation policies. That was true of the news broadcasts, yes, but the serials and stand-alone dramas in isiZulu were very different. – The Conversation
Here are three bilingual art initiatives that connect with Spanish-speaking Philadelphians
“Of the nearly 22% of the city’s 1.5 million residents who speak a language other than English at home, the largest group are Spanish-speaking. Here are three art initiatives in Philly aimed at serving Spanish-bilingual audiences.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Macron’s Notre-Dame Reconstruction Czar Starts Ugly Fight With Chief Architect
General Jean-Louis Georgelin, a brusque army man appointed by President Macron to oversee the reconstruction of the fire-damaged cathedral, was speaking to the cultural affairs committee of the National Assembly when he said of chief architect Philippe Villeneuve, “Je lui ai déjà expliqué qu’il ferme sa gueule” (roughly, “I’ve already explained to him that he should shut his fat trap”). The genuinely horrified legislators strongly rebuked the general and suspended further meetings on the subject. – Yahoo! (AFP)
The One Bookstore In Venice That Figured Out How To Handle Floods Couldn’t Handle This One
“Keeping a large collection of books in a canal city prone to flooding was always a dangerous idea, which is why Venice’s Libreria Acqua Alta (High Water Bookshop) had decided to store its books inside bathtubs, waterproof bins, and even a full-sized gondola. But … this measure wasn’t enough to save the countless books, magazines and other items crammed inside the famous bookstore when the worst floods in half a century hit Venice this week.” – The Local (Italy)
This Woman Had More Than 70,000 Shows That News Stations Lost, Deleted, And Recorded Over
Marion Stokes, a former Communist activist who turned into a recluse, recorded MSNBC, CNN, FOX News and many other news programs, more than 70,000 of them, on Betamax and VHS tapes. “Stokes began recording around the birth of the 24-hour news cycle. She felt it was an important influence on public opinion and wanted to capture this lens through which people view current events,” according to her son. – WBUR
The 1920s Secret Society Of Women Writers At Oxford
Spearheaded, and named, by Dorothy L. Sayers, the name of Mutual Admiration Society “both captures the spirit of the group and misrepresents it. They supported each other boldly and emphatically: no false modesty or feminine shame here. They were willing to be relentless and did not insist on being liked. … They were critical, and they were at odds. They fell apart and came together again, over the course of decades and remarkable careers that ranged from birth control advocacy to genre fiction, from classrooms to the stage.” – Literary Hub
Music For The Birds
Or actually, from the birds. Composer Diane Moser: “My goal was to become a member of their band, so to speak. I listened deeply to their singing, and carefully infiltrated their ensemble.” – New Music Box
The Neurological Connections Between Gorgeous Landscapes And Our Relentless Desire To Photograph Them
There’s a bit of a problem: At least one study has shown that we remember less about the places and things we photograph. Going outside can combat our phone addictions and calm our brains … but there’s an issue. “Your cortisol levels may decrease when traveling in Banff National Park, but they’ll still increase every time you pick up your phone to take a picture. It’s the great paradox of our globally connected world.” – The Smart Set
Michael Kaiser’s Prescription For Saving The Baltimore Symphony
“I do not believe in board retreats,” Kaiser said. “I believe we make a mistake by trying to engage everyone equally in developing a quality plan. Good plans are not written by committees. Good plans are vetted by committees. – Baltimore Sun
Anish Kapoor: On The Artist’s Voice
“So there are two different things that happen. One is, this is what I am as an artist. I have nothing to say as an artist. I let the work do its thing. The other is, of course I have a voice, and I will use it as best I can, and fight for causes as a citizen and as a human being, alongside compatriots of all kinds. I’ll use my voice as best I can. I feel they’re important but they’re different from each other.” – Artnet
Idagio Launches Free Classical Music Service
The Berlin-based startup says the free tier will prominently feature its ‘Mood Player,’ which generates a playlist based on a person’s selected mood, as well as playlists curated by staff or well-known artists, including Lang Lang. There are also radio stations specific to composers and artists. – Billboard
Disney+ Is Attaching Warnings To Its Classic Movies About “Outdated Cultural Depictions”
Users of the service have seen the warnings attached to some of the company’s best-known animated films, such as Dumbo, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp, with text that reads: “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.” – The Guardian
The Latest Jobs Program For Actors? Anti-Sexual Harassment Training Videos
“New or expanded laws mandating sexual harassment training in states like New York and California, as well as a nationwide awakening to a very real problem, have fostered a market for workplace training videos and for actors who can bring #MeToo to life, usually in roles lasting just a minute or two.” – The New York Times
A Theory About Being A Jerk (Yes, We’re Talking About You)
“No one is as right about everything as the jerk thinks he is. He would learn by listening. And one of the things he might learn is the true scope of his jerkitude.” – Lithub
Mo’Nique Sues Netflix For Gender And Racial Discrimination Over Lowball Pay Offer
The Oscar-winning actress and comedienne alleges in her court filing that, in offering her $500,000 as a talent fee for a stand-up comedy special, the company “offered or paid [Chris] Rock, [Dave] Chappelle, [Ellen] DeGeneres, and [Ricky] Gervais forty (40) times more per show … and it offered [Amy] Schumer twenty-six (26) times more per show than Mo’Nique. In short, Netflix’s offer to Mo’Nique perpetuates the drastic wage gap forced upon Black women in America’s workforce.” – NBC
Detroit Symphony To Give Free Instrument And Lessons To Any Detroit Child Who Wants Them
“Detroit Harmony, as the project is called, represents a bid to dramatically expand music education throughout the city, one that hopefully will generate demand for an entirely new workforce of music teachers and craftsmen to repair and refurbish used instruments. … [The program] will be open to any K-12 student in public, private and charter schools throughout the city.” – The Detroit News
Attempt To Steal Rembrandt Paintings Stopped By Police
“One or more intruders broke in to Dulwich Picture Gallery in south London late on Wednesday and removed two paintings from the Rembrandt’s Light exhibition. Police were called and following a search of the area officers challenged a suspect running from the scene. … Neither painting left the gallery grounds and remain in the gallery’s care.” – The Guardian
Venice Floods: No Damage To Artworks, Say Museums
“Though Italy is gearing up to declare a state of emergency over the flooding that has engulfed Venice in the past two days, many of the city’s art institutions have somewhat miraculously reported that their artworks are unscathed, with minimal damage to building infrastructure. The Venice Biennale, in particular, fared remarkably well.” – artnet
Can Movies Help Preserve Indigenous Languages?
For decades, elders, activists, and linguists have sought to save North America’s indigenous languages, of which about a hundred and sixty-five remain. (There were around three hundred spoken on the continent when Europeans first arrived.) In recent years, film has proved especially fertile ground for this work. – The New Yorker
Why People’s Choice Awards Mostly Get It Wrong
Why, as every failed political candidate has been prompted to ask their pillow, are the people always so darn disappointing? Well, in part it’s a sobering reminder that most people are not specialists in cultural fields and typically pick the best-known and best-marketed thing in any given cultural category. – Chicago Tribune
Why Curtis Institute May Have Been Ripe For Abuse
“The stakes are so high to land some kind of a career, and the stature of a teacher is incredibly intimidating even if your teacher is respectful and kind. You are going to feel vulnerable because you want to play music after you graduate so badly, and most of the teachers at Curtis are celebrities.” – Philadelphia Inquirer
LACMA’s Fundraising For New Building Has Stalled
LACMA’s crumbling infrastructure is a genuine predicament. But weak philanthropy, a longtime but misleading L.A. stereotype, is not the reason the museum’s funding campaign has stalled. Instead, the weakness is in a poor idea that has met escalating costs. – Los Angeles Times