AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Actor Robert Duvall, 95
“(The) Oscar-winning actor … disappeared into an astonishing range of roles — lawmen and outlaws, Southern-fried alcoholics and Manhattan boardroom sharks, a hotheaded veteran and a cool-tempered mob consigliere — and emerged as one of the most respected screen talents of his generation.” – The Washington Post (MSN)
- Good Morning
It was Presidents Day, but the culture wars didn’t take the holiday off. The British Museum has quietly removed the word “Palestine” from its Middle East displays after pressure from a pro-Israel legal group — whoever writes the wall labels writes the history (The Guardian). In Texas, the University of North Texas shuttered an anti-ICE art exhibition without notice; the artist found out when students told him the door was locked (Hyperallergic). And the IMLS now requires grant applicants to align with presidential vision statements — ideological strings on the money that keeps museums and libraries running (Artnet).
Meanwhile, The Atlantic asks what happens when AI systems speak persuasively but bear no liability for what they say. It’s a question worth thinking about — especially as the Louvre discovers a $12 million ticketing scam that went undetected for a decade (NYT). Institutional vulnerability comes in many forms.
And because not everything has to be heavy: a man from Tualatin, Oregon has won Cowboy Poet of the Year — again. A real award that we did not make up (Oregon ArtsWatch).
- Louvre Discovers $12 Million Ticketing Scam
When officials at the Louvre in Paris suspected a couple of tour guides of reusing tickets in late 2024, they did not expect to learn that a broad scamming network had cost the museum nearly $12 million over a decade. – The New York Times
- Tate Modern Serves Frida With a Side of Capitalism
When museums pivot from contemplation to consumption, even revolutionary icons get commodified. Tate’s Kahlo experience trades artistic liberation for lifestyle branding—because apparently unibrows sell better with appetizers. – The Conversation
- University Gets Cold Feet Over Hot ICE Criticism
When your art hits too close to home, apparently even universities develop sudden institutional amnesia about academic freedom. Victor Quiñonez’s immigrant-focused work got the silent treatment—no notice, no discussion, just gone. — Hyperallergic
ISSUES
- Louvre Discovers $12 Million Ticketing Scam
When officials at the Louvre in Paris suspected a couple of tour guides of reusing tickets in late 2024, they did not expect to learn that a broad scamming network had cost the museum nearly $12 million over a decade. – The New York Times
- Tate Modern Serves Frida With a Side of Capitalism
When museums pivot from contemplation to consumption, even revolutionary icons get commodified. Tate’s Kahlo experience trades artistic liberation for lifestyle branding—because apparently unibrows sell better with appetizers. – The Conversation
- University Gets Cold Feet Over Hot ICE Criticism
When your art hits too close to home, apparently even universities develop sudden institutional amnesia about academic freedom. Victor Quiñonez’s immigrant-focused work got the silent treatment—no notice, no discussion, just gone. — Hyperallergic
- African Art Market Caught Between Home and Away
As Middle Eastern buyers flex their newfound muscle, African dealers face the classic dilemma: chase the international money or build local infrastructure first? Turns out you can’t auction your way out of everything. — Artnet
- The Women Of Bauhaus
“The German art school turned political and cultural engine [was] founded in 1919,” and its “principles included absolute equality between male and female participants — or they did at first, at any rate.” – Open Culture
MEDIA
- The British Museum Has Removed The Word Palestine And Palestinians From Its Middle East Displays
“Concerns were recently raised by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLIF), a voluntary group of solicitors, about references to ‘Palestine’ in displays covering the ancient Levant and Egypt, which risked ‘obscuring the history of Israel and the Jewish people.’” – The Guardian (UK)
- Berlinale Defends Jury President Wim Wenders Post-Soundbite About Gaza That Led Arundhati Roy To Withdraw
The festival head said, “Artists should not be expected to comment on all broader debates about a festival’s previous or current practices over which they have no control. Nor should they be expected to speak on every political issue raised to them unless they want to.” – The Guardian (UK)
- What Happens To A City’s Public Space When A Huge Event – Say, A Sports Event – Takes Over?
Ask Los Angeles. “My favorite part was how the plaza was filled with people marveling at very talented graffiti artists making Foot Locker-branded murals in the shadow of the Graffiti Ghost Towers that our leaders say we have to clean up because they’re too offensive to tourists.” – Torched LA
- The Zombie Internet Is Here To Eat, Or Rot, All Of Our Brains
What are the consequences of a “human-free” internet? – Fast Company
- Google’s AI Overviews Don’t Just Hallucinate; They Can Also Scam The Unwary
“The unfortunate victim Googles a company name looking for a contact number, then calls the number thrown up by AI. This doesn’t actually lead to the company in question, but rather to someone pretending to be that company, who then tries to take payment information.” – Wired
MUSIC
- The Machines Are Coming for Your Plot Twists
What seemed preposterous in a 1962 novel—story-writing machines—is now Silicon Valley gospel. As AI churns out narratives, we’re left wondering: who’s really telling the story, and does anyone care about the difference? — 3 Quarks Daily
- IMLS Makes America’s Grants Great Again
Federal cultural funding now comes with ideological strings attached, as museums and libraries discover their grant applications must suddenly harmonize with presidential vision statements. Creative freedom, meet creative financing. — Artnet
- When Words Have No Liability
We now live alongside AI systems that converse knowledgeably and persuasively—deploying claims about the world, explanations, advice, encouragement, apologies, and promises—while bearing no vulnerability for what they say. – The Atlantic
- How Cornwall Shaped British Writers, And British Imagination
Winston Graham of Poldark, Virginia Woolf, Daphne du Maurier, and many other writers drew – and continue to draw – inspiration from the moors, cliffs, rugged coastline, and mines of the rural county. – BBC
- How Many Times Can One Man Win Cowboy Poet Of The Year, A Real Award That We Did Not Make Up?
At least three. “The Western Music Association describes the award as recognizing a person who writes ‘with imaginative power and beauty of thought, with the ability to enable audiences to develop a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the Western lifestyle through performance.’” – Oregon ArtsWatch
PEOPLE
- Actor Robert Duvall, 95
“(The) Oscar-winning actor … disappeared into an astonishing range of roles — lawmen and outlaws, Southern-fried alcoholics and Manhattan boardroom sharks, a hotheaded veteran and a cool-tempered mob consigliere — and emerged as one of the most respected screen talents of his generation.” – The Washington Post (MSN)
- Good Morning
It was Presidents Day, but the culture wars didn’t take the holiday off. The British Museum has quietly removed the word “Palestine” from its Middle East displays after pressure from a pro-Israel legal group — whoever writes the wall labels writes the history (The Guardian). In Texas, the University of North Texas shuttered an anti-ICE art exhibition without notice; the artist found out when students told him the door was locked (Hyperallergic). And the IMLS now requires grant applicants to align with presidential vision statements — ideological strings on the money that keeps museums and libraries running (Artnet).
Meanwhile, The Atlantic asks what happens when AI systems speak persuasively but bear no liability for what they say. It’s a question worth thinking about — especially as the Louvre discovers a $12 million ticketing scam that went undetected for a decade (NYT). Institutional vulnerability comes in many forms.
And because not everything has to be heavy: a man from Tualatin, Oregon has won Cowboy Poet of the Year — again. A real award that we did not make up (Oregon ArtsWatch).
- Louvre Discovers $12 Million Ticketing Scam
When officials at the Louvre in Paris suspected a couple of tour guides of reusing tickets in late 2024, they did not expect to learn that a broad scamming network had cost the museum nearly $12 million over a decade. – The New York Times
- Tate Modern Serves Frida With a Side of Capitalism
When museums pivot from contemplation to consumption, even revolutionary icons get commodified. Tate’s Kahlo experience trades artistic liberation for lifestyle branding—because apparently unibrows sell better with appetizers. – The Conversation
- University Gets Cold Feet Over Hot ICE Criticism
When your art hits too close to home, apparently even universities develop sudden institutional amnesia about academic freedom. Victor Quiñonez’s immigrant-focused work got the silent treatment—no notice, no discussion, just gone. — Hyperallergic
PEOPLE
- Actor Robert Duvall, 95
“(The) Oscar-winning actor … disappeared into an astonishing range of roles — lawmen and outlaws, Southern-fried alcoholics and Manhattan boardroom sharks, a hotheaded veteran and a cool-tempered mob consigliere — and emerged as one of the most respected screen talents of his generation.” – The Washington Post (MSN)
- Good Morning
It was Presidents Day, but the culture wars didn’t take the holiday off. The British Museum has quietly removed the word “Palestine” from its Middle East displays after pressure from a pro-Israel legal group — whoever writes the wall labels writes the history (The Guardian). In Texas, the University of North Texas shuttered an anti-ICE art exhibition without notice; the artist found out when students told him the door was locked (Hyperallergic). And the IMLS now requires grant applicants to align with presidential vision statements — ideological strings on the money that keeps museums and libraries running (Artnet).
Meanwhile, The Atlantic asks what happens when AI systems speak persuasively but bear no liability for what they say. It’s a question worth thinking about — especially as the Louvre discovers a $12 million ticketing scam that went undetected for a decade (NYT). Institutional vulnerability comes in many forms.
And because not everything has to be heavy: a man from Tualatin, Oregon has won Cowboy Poet of the Year — again. A real award that we did not make up (Oregon ArtsWatch).
- Louvre Discovers $12 Million Ticketing Scam
When officials at the Louvre in Paris suspected a couple of tour guides of reusing tickets in late 2024, they did not expect to learn that a broad scamming network had cost the museum nearly $12 million over a decade. – The New York Times
- Tate Modern Serves Frida With a Side of Capitalism
When museums pivot from contemplation to consumption, even revolutionary icons get commodified. Tate’s Kahlo experience trades artistic liberation for lifestyle branding—because apparently unibrows sell better with appetizers. – The Conversation
- University Gets Cold Feet Over Hot ICE Criticism
When your art hits too close to home, apparently even universities develop sudden institutional amnesia about academic freedom. Victor Quiñonez’s immigrant-focused work got the silent treatment—no notice, no discussion, just gone. — Hyperallergic
THEATRE
VISUAL
- The Man Who Thinks The Enlightenment Was A Mistake
Rod Dreher emerged from the conservative blogosphere in the 2000s and won fans with his daily stream of testy opinions and unguarded anecdotal writing. He seems almost allergic to ideological consistency, has long had readers on the left as well as the right, and sometimes changes his mind over the course of a single paragraph. – The Atlantic
- How Pokémon Became A Source Of Massive Soft Cultural Power
It’s a card game! It’s an app! It’s a movie! It’s a meme! It’s a stuffie (or a lot of stuffies)! But truly, what is Pokémon? – CBC
- Generative AI Is Pretty Bad At Video Game Worlds
It might never improve enough. “Even in the most ambitious view where AI technology is feasibly able to generate worlds that are as responsive and interesting to explore as a video game that runs locally … there’s a lot more that goes into making a video game.”- The Verge (Archive Today)
- The Ur-Conspiracy Theory, And How To Fight Them In General
“The fundamental problem we face involves the degree to which the truth must now compete with such a vast multiplicity of falsehoods that discovering truth itself becomes unviable.” – Paris Review
- Does Making Art Require A “Writer’s Room”? Or Is It Something Else?
There’s no question that they’ve helped me write. And yet, if I look back over my career as a writer, the value I’ve derived from carefully controlling my environment has paled in comparison to my main source of motivation: scary e-mails from editors. – The New Yorker
