“Reconciling one’s dance and racial identities can be a complicated, emotional process, especially since the dance world is so slow to embrace change. But as the overdue push for diversity in dance becomes stronger, many dancers are embracing their racial and ethnic backgrounds in ways that were previously frowned upon — from wearing tights that match their skin color to rocking natural hair onstage. Dance Spirit spoke with four dancers of color about their experiences.” – Dance Spirit

“These are the works of Mario Moore, a 32-year-old Detroit-born artist who recently painted a series of portraits honoring the African American service workers on the Princeton campus, where he has just completed a year-long fellowship. The project was inspired by Moore’s father, a former security guard at the Detroit Institute of Arts who had a ‘hard-working, industrial belt-type of mentality,’ according to Moore.” – artnet

“Theatre artist Michael Cotey was in rehearsal at the Goodman Theatre when the news of the devastating Parkland shooting broke. ‘I started thinking about ways theatre artists could respond to this,’ he recalls. Partly inspired by Tectonic Theater Project’s The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later reading series, in which he was involved, Cotey created the #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence initiative as a way to galvanize a nationwide dialogue around gun violence. Throughout 2020, #ENOUGH plans to provide a platform for middle and high school students across the country to create 10-minute plays exploring the impact gun violence has on their lives and communities.” – American Theatre

“On a walk through the Met’s galleries with Artnet News, he pointed out various works that inspired his own. But while the works in the Met’s collection tend to present an image of Native people as shrinking and doomed, while picturing North America itself as a vast wilderness ripe for the taking, Monkman offers an alternative story.” – artnet

Lawrence Ware: “I’d argue that the 2010s were the most important decade for black film in America. We see dramas (12 Years a Slave), comedies (Girls Trip), horror (Get Out, Us) and documentaries (13TH and O.J.: Made in America) all being taken seriously critically, and most were successful financially. So, the question I’d like to consider is a rather simple one: What were the best black films of the past decade? Here are my answers, in alphabetical order.” – The New York Times

“Founded by Joseph in 1994, the Foundry, which produced artistic offerings, community programs and activist conferences on issues ranging from genocide to economic inequality, created a model that proved a theater company could examine its relationship to the world while upholding the most rigorous aesthetic standards. Playwrights Horizons has been quite simply the most important crucible for contemporary playwriting in America. … But does the theater have a sensibility today? Certainly, the old taunt (Gay Whites Horizons) no longer resounds now that the programming has become more widely inclusive.” – Los Angeles Times

As artist, activist, and writer Coco Fusco said, “Without his efforts and his vision, we would all still be operating in a racist and Eurocentric art world.” – artnet

“Artists-in-residence programs have become popular at institutions ranging from Google to CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Now, they are coming to government agencies, too. Next month, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office will become the first agency associated with law enforcement to launch an artist-in-residence program. James ‘Yaya’ Hough, the artist chosen for the job, will be tasked with introducing a fresh dose of creative thinking to the 600-member staff — with a side of empathy.” – artnet

“In the United States the use of dark makeup evokes the painful legacy of racism and minstrel shows, in which performers darkened their skin with burnt cork to play characters that perpetuated racist stereotypes about African-Americans. But while the practice is increasingly rare in North America … it persists in parts of Europe and Russia.” And a recent Instagram post by Misty Copeland, showing Bolshoi Ballet dancers in dark makeup for a performance of La Bayadère, “[has] led to weeks of debate among ballet fans, highlighting a growing geographic divide on questions of race and representation.” – The New York Times

“Through multi-sensorial installations, Alan Michelson holds genocidal colonizers accountable and affirms the continued survival of Indigenous people.” – Hyperallergic

“While studying automotive science, Rose B. Simpson built a moving piece of art: Maria, a black, refurbished 1985 Chevrolet El Camino named for famed Pueblo potter Maria Martinez. … Simpson, who comes from a long line of Pueblo potters, is putting a contemporary spin on the traditional art of her ancestors.” – PBS NewsHour

“I felt moved and buoyed by the idea that I could write something that didn’t exist, and that there’s a little girl right now still living on the short end of the street in New Orleans East where I grew up. And I wrote it for her, so that there could be some history already in existence. And, you know, one of the striking things about New Orleans East is the way in which it doesn’t always appear on a map of New Orleans. So I wanted to quite literally put New Orleans East on the map.” – PBS NewsHour