AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Massive Art Thefts, Massive Recoveries This Week In Italy And Brazil
“The recovered works are Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries, which authorities said was valued at about $7m (£5.2m), Renoir’s Fish, valued at $3.5m, and Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Nick Reiner, Accused Of Killing His Parents, Wants To Access His Trust Fund To Pay His Lawyers
But the so-called “Slayer Statute” prevents the youngest child of Michelle Singer Reiner and Rob Reiner from doing that. – The New York Times
- People are buying culture that’s real
Good morning.
This Week’s Highlights:
In the world of creativity and AI, this week, a crowd of the AI companies made moves to label or ID what’s synthetic. Spotify will tag AI “personas” and pull them from recommendations (TechCrunch). Anthropic says everything its models produce now carries a watermark (TechCrunch). And Suno, facing lawsuits, added watermarks too — then opened a waitlist to press AI songs onto vinyl (MusicBusinessWorldwide). (Vinyl? Really?)
That last one is the tell. The AI company isn’t selling the song — it’s buying the ritual, the scarcity, something you can hold. It has understood something that those rushing to label AI haven’t: people want something they can hold. The physical. The real.
Audience numbers point the same direction. Time now expects to earn half its revenue from live events, up from 28% in 2023 (The Wrap). Public radio’s combined audience is up 9.6% in two years (InsideRadio) after Trump’s funding crisis caused a panic. Poetry is booming through live performance (The Guardian), and neuroscientists keep finding that collective effervescence requires bodies in a room (The Guardian).
Which makes it worth noticing who is buying what. Ari Emanuel’s Mari acquired ATG — seven Broadway theatres, ten in London — for a rumored $6 billion (The Hollywood Reporter). Meanwhile the poor National Symphony is likely to earn half the ticket revenue it had budgeted (if lucky) (Washington Post).
Presence is the scarce good now. Now a rush to consolidate and own what’s making culture.
All this week’s stories below, organized by topic.
- Michael Bobbitt shares the unique strategies behind leading a national arts service organization
Michael Bobbitt, President & CEO of Opera America, shares the unique strategies behind leading an international service organization in the arts.
- Portland Baroque Orchestra seeks Executive Director.
ZRG Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Portland Baroque Orchestra in their search for an Executive Director.
Portland Baroque Orchestra enters this search at an important moment of transition, renewal, and possibility. Following the disruptions of the pandemic years, PBO has made meaningful progress in strengthening its finances, stabilizing its operations, and reconnecting audiences with the distinctive intimacy and vitality of live period-instrument performance. With an ambitious artistic vision taking shape under Artistic Director Julian Perkins, the organization is poised to build upon its proud history while considering how it can reach new audiences, deepen its community presence, and secure a sustainable future.
The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to build upon this foundation while helping PBO define and pursue its next chapter. Audience development, contributed-revenue growth, long-term financial sustainability, organizational capacity, and creative thinking about how PBO serves its patrons and the broader community will be central priorities. This is a compelling opportunity for a leader energized by both challenge and possibility, with the strategic vision and practical skill to translate artistic ambition into enduring organizational strength.
Serving as PBO’s chief administrative officer, the Executive Director will be its primary fundraiser, lead financial strategist, and one of its most visible external ambassadors. Working in close partnership with the Artistic Director and Board of Directors, the Executive Director will align artistic and organizational priorities, cultivate philanthropic and community relationships, and inspire staff, musicians, and volunteer leaders around a shared and ambitious future. The role calls for a versatile and highly engaged leader who is equally comfortable making a compelling case for support to a major donor, interpreting a balance sheet, developing a community partnership, and building the trust and alignment necessary for people to do their best work together.
Throughout this work, the Executive Director will advance PBO’s commitment to broadening who participates in and benefits from the music it makes. The next leader will help ensure that access, inclusion, and engagement are reflected not only in PBO’s public programs, but also in its relationships, decision-making, organizational culture, and vision for the future.
Portland Baroque Orchestra (PBO) brings the music of the Baroque and early Classical eras to life with imagination, immediacy, and extraordinary artistry. Founded in 1984 and based in Portland, Oregon, PBO is one of North America’s leading and longest-established period-instrument ensembles. Performing on historical instruments and carefully crafted replicas, its world-class musicians reveal the distinctive colors, textures, and dramatic possibilities of music spanning centuries. The result is an experience rooted in scholarship yet alive with spontaneity, vitality, and a palpable sense of discovery.
Portland Baroque Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an annual operating budget of approximately $1.1 million. The Executive Director will oversee a team of six staff including three direct reports. Governed by a ten-member Board of Directors, PBO benefits from the leadership and engagement of volunteers with varied professional and community experience. Its musicians are represented by the American Federation of Musicians, Local 99, and the organization is committed to sustaining a collaborative, transparent, and respectful relationship with its players. Experience working in or alongside a unionized workforce would be valuable. Prior knowledge of period-performance practice is welcome but not required.
Portland Baroque Orchestra will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to PBO, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.
All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of PBO and the responsibilities and qualifications specified in the position prospectus.
The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $120,000. PBO offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance, vision and life insurance, a flexible spending account, generous vacation and personal leave time, and participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching. Additional benefits include pretax parking and transit deductions, paid family and medical leave through Paid Leave Oregon, flexible remote-work arrangements, and seasonal Summer Fridays.
Portland Baroque Orchestra is committed to the inclusion of all qualified candidates. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the selection process, please contact Kim Farr at kimfarr@aspenleadershipgroup.com.
To apply for this position, visit: https://apptrkr.com/9763006
ISSUES
- Massive Art Thefts, Massive Recoveries This Week In Italy And Brazil
“The recovered works are Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries, which authorities said was valued at about $7m (£5.2m), Renoir’s Fish, valued at $3.5m, and Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Celebrating “Other” Washingtons
In Chicago, a lone statue of George Washington is now surrounded by “Other Washingtons,” which take the form of blue flags bearing the faces of Black Americans who bear the same last name. – CNN
- History Is Being Erased In Gaza, Iran And Ukraine
Of international bodies, Unesco is active in keeping a record of the fate of cultural heritage worldwide, but a record is just a record. Its listing of Russia’s and Israel’s devastation of their hated foes is like watching a historic tragedy unfold in real time. – The Guardian
- Eight Matisses Stolen From São Paulo Library Are Found By Brazilian Police
The Matisse illustrations, made for a limited-edition art book, were taken last December from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade, where they were part of an exhibition presented jointly with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art. Also stolen were five engravings by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari; they have not yet been located. – BBC
- Italian Police Recover Cézanne, Matisse, And Renoir Stolen From Private Museum
The Carabinieri have regained possession of Renoir’s “Fish,” Cézanne’s “Still Life with Cherries,” and Matisse’s “Odalisque on the Terrace,” which were stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation near Parma this past March. – AP
MEDIA
- Nick Reiner, Accused Of Killing His Parents, Wants To Access His Trust Fund To Pay His Lawyers
But the so-called “Slayer Statute” prevents the youngest child of Michelle Singer Reiner and Rob Reiner from doing that. – The New York Times
- Visiting The Bullshit Museum In Slovenia’s Capital
“In the heart of old Ljubljana, a mannequin with a bucket on its head welcomes visitors to a new and ambitious project – a museum focusing on the varied and sometimes antagonistic humour of the former Yugoslavia.” – The Guardian
- Making A Pilgrimage To The Now-Thoroughly Commercialized Mecca
“There are few words to describe the whiplash of coming face to face with a Joe & The Juice, a Sephora and a plethora of other shops and hotels and Times Square-style billboards after going through one of the most spiritually charged experiences of my life.” – Aeon
- Former UArts Building To Become Artist Housing In Philly
The news comes after the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded the VIA a $2.5 million grant for the building project and the establishment of on-site arts programming. – Hyperallergic
- UK Universities Warn Of Funding Crisis Amid Collapse Of International Enrollment
University leaders are warning of financial turmoil in British higher education after new figures suggested a collapse in international student numbers would deprive the sector of vital income and undermine its future. – The Guardian
MUSIC
- Publishers Face Increasing Pressure Over AI
“Until AI, there has been the expectation that no matter what is written in a book, It [was] authored by a person, or people. There needs to be new terms in the social contract between reader and writer.” – Christian Science Monitor
- Has Our Literacy Crisis Been Overblown?
Yes, Americans read less than they did forty years ago—not surprising, considering how many other forms of entertainment and information are competing for our time and attention. But does this spell decline or diversification? – The Bulwark
- A Return To Handwriting Letters
Like so many of us, I stopped writing letters as I spent more time online. But in the past few years, I’ve begun to see handwritten letters anew, as a form of resistance against the doom and disconnection of our digital lives. – Psyche
- Emily Wilson’s Translation Of “The Odyssey” Is Now A Bona Fide Hit Bestseller
In fact, several editions of Homer’s epic have seen enormous increases in sales since Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation came out (with an additional boost for The Iliad), but none more than Wilson’s, which was briefly, last month, the second-bestselling title of any kind in the U.S. – Slate
- Publishers In India Join Forces With Police To Bust Delhi Book Pirates
“Last month, Penguin Random House India, working with Simon & Schuster India, Hay House, and a team of investigators, helped facilitate a police raid on two Delhi sites producing and storing pirated books. One was a full print-on-demand production line … and the other was a warehouse with more than 1,600 pirated copies.” – Publishers Weekly
PEOPLE
- Massive Art Thefts, Massive Recoveries This Week In Italy And Brazil
“The recovered works are Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries, which authorities said was valued at about $7m (£5.2m), Renoir’s Fish, valued at $3.5m, and Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Nick Reiner, Accused Of Killing His Parents, Wants To Access His Trust Fund To Pay His Lawyers
But the so-called “Slayer Statute” prevents the youngest child of Michelle Singer Reiner and Rob Reiner from doing that. – The New York Times
- People are buying culture that’s real
Good morning.
This Week’s Highlights:
In the world of creativity and AI, this week, a crowd of the AI companies made moves to label or ID what’s synthetic. Spotify will tag AI “personas” and pull them from recommendations (TechCrunch). Anthropic says everything its models produce now carries a watermark (TechCrunch). And Suno, facing lawsuits, added watermarks too — then opened a waitlist to press AI songs onto vinyl (MusicBusinessWorldwide). (Vinyl? Really?)
That last one is the tell. The AI company isn’t selling the song — it’s buying the ritual, the scarcity, something you can hold. It has understood something that those rushing to label AI haven’t: people want something they can hold. The physical. The real.
Audience numbers point the same direction. Time now expects to earn half its revenue from live events, up from 28% in 2023 (The Wrap). Public radio’s combined audience is up 9.6% in two years (InsideRadio) after Trump’s funding crisis caused a panic. Poetry is booming through live performance (The Guardian), and neuroscientists keep finding that collective effervescence requires bodies in a room (The Guardian).
Which makes it worth noticing who is buying what. Ari Emanuel’s Mari acquired ATG — seven Broadway theatres, ten in London — for a rumored $6 billion (The Hollywood Reporter). Meanwhile the poor National Symphony is likely to earn half the ticket revenue it had budgeted (if lucky) (Washington Post).
Presence is the scarce good now. Now a rush to consolidate and own what’s making culture.
All this week’s stories below, organized by topic.
- Michael Bobbitt shares the unique strategies behind leading a national arts service organization
Michael Bobbitt, President & CEO of Opera America, shares the unique strategies behind leading an international service organization in the arts.
- Portland Baroque Orchestra seeks Executive Director.
ZRG Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Portland Baroque Orchestra in their search for an Executive Director.
Portland Baroque Orchestra enters this search at an important moment of transition, renewal, and possibility. Following the disruptions of the pandemic years, PBO has made meaningful progress in strengthening its finances, stabilizing its operations, and reconnecting audiences with the distinctive intimacy and vitality of live period-instrument performance. With an ambitious artistic vision taking shape under Artistic Director Julian Perkins, the organization is poised to build upon its proud history while considering how it can reach new audiences, deepen its community presence, and secure a sustainable future.
The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to build upon this foundation while helping PBO define and pursue its next chapter. Audience development, contributed-revenue growth, long-term financial sustainability, organizational capacity, and creative thinking about how PBO serves its patrons and the broader community will be central priorities. This is a compelling opportunity for a leader energized by both challenge and possibility, with the strategic vision and practical skill to translate artistic ambition into enduring organizational strength.
Serving as PBO’s chief administrative officer, the Executive Director will be its primary fundraiser, lead financial strategist, and one of its most visible external ambassadors. Working in close partnership with the Artistic Director and Board of Directors, the Executive Director will align artistic and organizational priorities, cultivate philanthropic and community relationships, and inspire staff, musicians, and volunteer leaders around a shared and ambitious future. The role calls for a versatile and highly engaged leader who is equally comfortable making a compelling case for support to a major donor, interpreting a balance sheet, developing a community partnership, and building the trust and alignment necessary for people to do their best work together.
Throughout this work, the Executive Director will advance PBO’s commitment to broadening who participates in and benefits from the music it makes. The next leader will help ensure that access, inclusion, and engagement are reflected not only in PBO’s public programs, but also in its relationships, decision-making, organizational culture, and vision for the future.
Portland Baroque Orchestra (PBO) brings the music of the Baroque and early Classical eras to life with imagination, immediacy, and extraordinary artistry. Founded in 1984 and based in Portland, Oregon, PBO is one of North America’s leading and longest-established period-instrument ensembles. Performing on historical instruments and carefully crafted replicas, its world-class musicians reveal the distinctive colors, textures, and dramatic possibilities of music spanning centuries. The result is an experience rooted in scholarship yet alive with spontaneity, vitality, and a palpable sense of discovery.
Portland Baroque Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an annual operating budget of approximately $1.1 million. The Executive Director will oversee a team of six staff including three direct reports. Governed by a ten-member Board of Directors, PBO benefits from the leadership and engagement of volunteers with varied professional and community experience. Its musicians are represented by the American Federation of Musicians, Local 99, and the organization is committed to sustaining a collaborative, transparent, and respectful relationship with its players. Experience working in or alongside a unionized workforce would be valuable. Prior knowledge of period-performance practice is welcome but not required.
Portland Baroque Orchestra will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to PBO, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.
All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of PBO and the responsibilities and qualifications specified in the position prospectus.
The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $120,000. PBO offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance, vision and life insurance, a flexible spending account, generous vacation and personal leave time, and participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching. Additional benefits include pretax parking and transit deductions, paid family and medical leave through Paid Leave Oregon, flexible remote-work arrangements, and seasonal Summer Fridays.
Portland Baroque Orchestra is committed to the inclusion of all qualified candidates. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the selection process, please contact Kim Farr at kimfarr@aspenleadershipgroup.com.
To apply for this position, visit: https://apptrkr.com/9763006
PEOPLE
- Massive Art Thefts, Massive Recoveries This Week In Italy And Brazil
“The recovered works are Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries, which authorities said was valued at about $7m (£5.2m), Renoir’s Fish, valued at $3.5m, and Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Nick Reiner, Accused Of Killing His Parents, Wants To Access His Trust Fund To Pay His Lawyers
But the so-called “Slayer Statute” prevents the youngest child of Michelle Singer Reiner and Rob Reiner from doing that. – The New York Times
- People are buying culture that’s real
Good morning.
This Week’s Highlights:
In the world of creativity and AI, this week, a crowd of the AI companies made moves to label or ID what’s synthetic. Spotify will tag AI “personas” and pull them from recommendations (TechCrunch). Anthropic says everything its models produce now carries a watermark (TechCrunch). And Suno, facing lawsuits, added watermarks too — then opened a waitlist to press AI songs onto vinyl (MusicBusinessWorldwide). (Vinyl? Really?)
That last one is the tell. The AI company isn’t selling the song — it’s buying the ritual, the scarcity, something you can hold. It has understood something that those rushing to label AI haven’t: people want something they can hold. The physical. The real.
Audience numbers point the same direction. Time now expects to earn half its revenue from live events, up from 28% in 2023 (The Wrap). Public radio’s combined audience is up 9.6% in two years (InsideRadio) after Trump’s funding crisis caused a panic. Poetry is booming through live performance (The Guardian), and neuroscientists keep finding that collective effervescence requires bodies in a room (The Guardian).
Which makes it worth noticing who is buying what. Ari Emanuel’s Mari acquired ATG — seven Broadway theatres, ten in London — for a rumored $6 billion (The Hollywood Reporter). Meanwhile the poor National Symphony is likely to earn half the ticket revenue it had budgeted (if lucky) (Washington Post).
Presence is the scarce good now. Now a rush to consolidate and own what’s making culture.
All this week’s stories below, organized by topic.
- Michael Bobbitt shares the unique strategies behind leading a national arts service organization
Michael Bobbitt, President & CEO of Opera America, shares the unique strategies behind leading an international service organization in the arts.
- Portland Baroque Orchestra seeks Executive Director.
ZRG Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Portland Baroque Orchestra in their search for an Executive Director.
Portland Baroque Orchestra enters this search at an important moment of transition, renewal, and possibility. Following the disruptions of the pandemic years, PBO has made meaningful progress in strengthening its finances, stabilizing its operations, and reconnecting audiences with the distinctive intimacy and vitality of live period-instrument performance. With an ambitious artistic vision taking shape under Artistic Director Julian Perkins, the organization is poised to build upon its proud history while considering how it can reach new audiences, deepen its community presence, and secure a sustainable future.
The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to build upon this foundation while helping PBO define and pursue its next chapter. Audience development, contributed-revenue growth, long-term financial sustainability, organizational capacity, and creative thinking about how PBO serves its patrons and the broader community will be central priorities. This is a compelling opportunity for a leader energized by both challenge and possibility, with the strategic vision and practical skill to translate artistic ambition into enduring organizational strength.
Serving as PBO’s chief administrative officer, the Executive Director will be its primary fundraiser, lead financial strategist, and one of its most visible external ambassadors. Working in close partnership with the Artistic Director and Board of Directors, the Executive Director will align artistic and organizational priorities, cultivate philanthropic and community relationships, and inspire staff, musicians, and volunteer leaders around a shared and ambitious future. The role calls for a versatile and highly engaged leader who is equally comfortable making a compelling case for support to a major donor, interpreting a balance sheet, developing a community partnership, and building the trust and alignment necessary for people to do their best work together.
Throughout this work, the Executive Director will advance PBO’s commitment to broadening who participates in and benefits from the music it makes. The next leader will help ensure that access, inclusion, and engagement are reflected not only in PBO’s public programs, but also in its relationships, decision-making, organizational culture, and vision for the future.
Portland Baroque Orchestra (PBO) brings the music of the Baroque and early Classical eras to life with imagination, immediacy, and extraordinary artistry. Founded in 1984 and based in Portland, Oregon, PBO is one of North America’s leading and longest-established period-instrument ensembles. Performing on historical instruments and carefully crafted replicas, its world-class musicians reveal the distinctive colors, textures, and dramatic possibilities of music spanning centuries. The result is an experience rooted in scholarship yet alive with spontaneity, vitality, and a palpable sense of discovery.
Portland Baroque Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an annual operating budget of approximately $1.1 million. The Executive Director will oversee a team of six staff including three direct reports. Governed by a ten-member Board of Directors, PBO benefits from the leadership and engagement of volunteers with varied professional and community experience. Its musicians are represented by the American Federation of Musicians, Local 99, and the organization is committed to sustaining a collaborative, transparent, and respectful relationship with its players. Experience working in or alongside a unionized workforce would be valuable. Prior knowledge of period-performance practice is welcome but not required.
Portland Baroque Orchestra will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to PBO, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.
All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of PBO and the responsibilities and qualifications specified in the position prospectus.
The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $120,000. PBO offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance, vision and life insurance, a flexible spending account, generous vacation and personal leave time, and participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching. Additional benefits include pretax parking and transit deductions, paid family and medical leave through Paid Leave Oregon, flexible remote-work arrangements, and seasonal Summer Fridays.
Portland Baroque Orchestra is committed to the inclusion of all qualified candidates. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the selection process, please contact Kim Farr at kimfarr@aspenleadershipgroup.com.
To apply for this position, visit: https://apptrkr.com/9763006
THEATRE
VISUAL
- The Neuroscience Explanation For Why We Need Concerts
For “collective effervescence” to occur organically, bodies need to be present, in the same space, dancing to the same rhythm. The function is to restore the social bonds and shared beliefs that are eroded by the drudgery of ordinary life. – The Guardian
- An Attempt To Build India’s “Most Livable” City
More than 25,000 people are working at the site on any given day, building a design by Norman Foster, the celebrated British architect. The city is laid out in grids and includes about a five-mile stretch of government buildings. – The New York Times
- Are We Close To Locating Where Consciousness Lives In The Brain?
Most discussions of AI and consciousness ask whether machines can experience anything. But maybe the real mystery is: If consciousness is not fundamentally related to higher cognition, then what kind of phenomenon is it? – Noema
- Do We Lose Our Minds In Big Crowds?
In popular culture and pop psychology, crowds are often associated with strong emotions, excessive emotional expression and the uncritical spread of emotions. Commentators often link that crowd emotion in turn with uncontrolled behaviour and, in some cases, mindless violence. – Psyche
- Unlocking The Mysteries Of Hegel
In both its depth and breadth, Hegel’s philosophy is perhaps rivalled only by that of Aristotle. – Psyche