“By comparing outcomes for students who had these art experiences—by chance—with the outcomes of those who did not, we can identify with confidence what the arts do for young people.”
We’ll Never Find A Unified Theory Of Life, The Universe, And Everything
The idea “that behind nature’s manifest diversity there is a simple, unified explanation” goes all the way back to the ancient Greeks (if not farther) and right up to today’s physics labs and philosophy workshops. Theoretical physicist Marcelo Gleiser argues that we probably just have to live with the mystery. (“42” simply isn’t enough.)
Art Museums Have Contentious Histories. Where Is That Preserved?
“I don’t want to see any art museum start to divert its precious gallery space toward display of such ‘ephemera’ as correspondence, records of provenance, histories of patrons, posters of old shows, etc. But if there were a separate museum devoted to that, with changing exhibitions, I’d certainly buy a membership.”
Veteran Arts Reporter Carol Vogel Resigns During The Big New York Times Buyout
“As recently as late July, this past summer, there were reports that Ms. Vogel, who joined the staff of the Times in 1983, had plagiarized the writing of other arts writers in crafting her stories.”
The Beloved Mexican Comedian Who Inspired Millions Of Kids – And The Simpsons’ Bumblebee Man
“News of the death of Gómez — more commonly known by his nickname, ‘Chespirito’ — generated an outpouring of mourning. Murals began materializing in Latin American cities. A South American news anchor teared up as she delivered the news. The Peruvian congress observed a moment of silence. And the Mexican president tweeted condolences — as did such entertainers as the rock band Molotov and pop singer Paulina Rubio.”
Not Even Businesses Want Comcast And Time Warner To Merge
“The Stop Mega Comcast Coalition announced its formation on Wednesday and said it opposed the deal because of the enormous power the combined company would have over the country’s video and Internet infrastructure.”
A Few Problems With The Way The Internet Savages Creative People
“Repressing artists by making it impossible for them to survive as valued members of the working class represses our whole society.”
Open Rebellion At Seoul Philharmonic: Staffers Demand CEO Resign Over Abusive Behavior
A press release from the orchestra’s own offices accuses Park Hyun-jung of “abusive language and sexual harassment” and violating employees’ human rights, hiring the children of her friends, and driving away half of her staff and three-quarters of the SPO’s patron group. (in English)
Japan’s Vagina Kayak Artist Arrested For Obscenity Again
“Megumi Igarashi, who calls herself Rokude Nashiko – offensive slang which loosely translates as ‘reprobate child’ – was arrested in July for trying to raise funds online to pay for the construction of a kayak, using a 3D printer, inspired by her genitals. She was released days later following a legal appeal and after thousands of people signed a petition demanding her freedom.” Now the process seems to be repeating itself.
Are Museums The Best Place to Appreciate Art? Maybe Not, Says The Former Director of the Met
“Philippe de Montebello, the longest-serving director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in its history, discusses how and why we look at art … [and] reflects on the importance of museums, but wonders if they might be the worst possible places to look at art.” (audio)
Ayelet Waldman Throws Another Twitter Hissy Fit (Because She Didn’t Make The NY Times List Of 100 Notable Books)
Here’s one sample from her series of tweets: “I never complain about this shit, but there are MANY books on that notable list with reviews that were NOWHERE near as good as mine.” (includes rant and subsequent self-justification on Facebook)
“Almost Scientific”: What Lena Dunham Learned About Creativity From Her Artist Parents
Creativity is “an ineffable bug that takes you over but also something that you can learn. … My parents taught me that you can have a creative approach to thinking that is almost scientific. You don’t have to be at the mercy of the muse. You need your own internalized thinking process that you can perform again and again.”
Violinist Stuns Audience, Berates Child From The Stage
Kyung Wha Chung took offence at a child coughing during her performance of Mozart’s Sonata In G. “Maybe bring her back when she’s older,” she scolded the parents from the stage. “With one shrivelling put-down, a tetchy atmosphere turned toxic.”
Dancing With Fractals (It Changes The Way You Think About Moving)
“I realized that when I dance I use all the space around me with my arms. But in this case the fractal responded to motion in some parts of space more than others. For example, moving my arms up and down made the fractals change much more than moving them side-to-side.”
The Uncomfortable Questions Technology Is Forcing Us To Ask
“These are ancient questions we have faced since the beginnings of science and philosophy, and today new information technologies, which indeed rapidly change our world, force us to ask them again.”
NY Armory Works On Defining Its Art As It Seeks A New Artistic Director
“Since the Armory’s opening, a number of curators have come and gone in relatively quick succession. The cutting-edge programming originated when the building was home to the Seventh Regiment National Guard and hosted concerts.”
Globalization’s Downside For New Music
“For all their strengths, new music festivals like Tanglewood or the Bang on a Can Marathon can’t attract the same sort of money (and therefore glamour and press attention) as the Whitney, São Paolo, or Venice biennials. Art, through the biennial, can become particularly symbolic of the flow of global capital—often concretely too, as works are bought and sold. Music, as a time-based art form rooted in experiences rather than in objects, cannot attract the same level of capital investment.”
Is Instagram The New Authentic Art Experience?
“I love the idea of finding something that I might not have found otherwise. So I follow one unknown name to another who has “liked” something on another unknown person’s account, who has then “liked” something on another person’s feed, and so on. Linking. Looking. And looking some more. And I have found plenty.”
Can The Atlanta Symphony Survive Its Downsizing?
“Questions remain, and not just about the evolution of the orchestra’s sound as things fall back into place. Can Atlanta pull together to sustain a world-class orchestra, or are we seeing an orchestra in retreat?”
Are Smartphones In The Audience Bad For Stand-Up Comedy?
As Chris Rock puts it, “If you think you don’t have room to make mistakes, it’s going to lead to safer, gooier standup. You can’t think the thoughts you want to think if you think you’re being watched.” Brian Logan observes, “And, let’s face it, they are being watched – by which I mean (and he means) recorded, and apt to be broadcast – out of context, probably, and whether or not their material is ready.”
Why The Backlash Against “Serial” Is Plausible – And Wrong
Conor Friedersdorf grants that “journalism requires its practitioners to delve into unfamiliar subjects, communities, and subcultures. Mistakes happen often and can be difficult for the reporter or audience to discern.” But he goes on to explain, with detailed examples, why the recent “white reporter privilege” objections to Serial, notably in Jay Caspian Kang’s widely-read-critique, simply don’t hold up.
Manchester To Get New £78M Arts Venue Named The Factory
The theatre, built on the site of the old Granada TV studios, will be “‘a large scale, ultra-flexible arts space’ that [will] hold 2,200 people when seated, or 5,000 standing … and provide a permanent home for the Manchester International Festival.”
The Human Brain Is Engineered For Kindness
“In a neat little animated video published yesterday by the University of California, Berkeley, psychologist Dacher Keltner explains that we were essentially built to be nice.”
Florida Caves To Satanic Temple, Will Allow Holiday Display Of Angel In Hellfire
In 2013, calling the idea “grossly offensive”, officials rejected the Temple’s request to put its seasonal display in the State Capitol Rotunda alongside those of Christians, Jews, secular humanists, atheists, and even Pastafarians. So why is this year different? …
Top Posts From AJBlogs 12.03.14
Lessons
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2014-12-02
Barron’s Strange Report On Art Museums
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2014-12-03
Steinbeck And Condon
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2014-12-03
The War on Drugs and Mexico’s 43 Students
AJBlog: CultureCrash Published 2014-12-03
Anne Lamott on Forgiveness
AJBlog: CultureCrash Published 2014-12-03
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