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- Is It Time To Privatize The Smithsonian?
The surest way for the Smithsonian to free itself from the unwanted attentions of the current administration or any future one would be to adopt a business model that doesn’t involve government funding. – The Wall Street Journal
- Science Videos Have Become Big Hits On YouTube
“YouTube … has evolved into a home for sophisticated STEM programming that can attract audiences in the tens of millions. They’re the type of programs traditional media companies used to produce, but now individual creators have taken the baton.” – TheWrap (MSN)
- Author Annie Dillard Is Dead At 81
“With the publication of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek in 1974, Ms. Dillard, just 28, was recognized as a major new voice in American letters. … In the years to come, she would publish essays, meditations on religion, poems, a theory of literature, two novels, journalism, (and) a best-selling autobiography.” – The New York Times
- San Francisco Opera Cancels More Performances As Orchestra Strike Continues
“San Francisco Opera has canceled all performances through Sunday, Sept. 20, as its orchestra musicians remain on strike, putting the opening stretch of the company’s 2026-27 season on hold.” – San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
- Former Assistant Conductor Sues Rochester Philharmonic And Eastman School
Jherrard Hardeman says he got two years of high praise from management; then, last September, he was abruptly told by the CEO to resign and Eastman barred him from its premises. Only later, he says, did he hear “rumors” accusing him of inappropriate conduct with minors, a charge he strongly denies. – WROC (Rochester)
- Louvre Looks To Asia For Donors To Help Fund Its Very Expensive Renovation
The overhaul, badly needed to ease overcrowding, remedy deferred maintenance, and improve security, is expected to cost well over €1 billion (US$1.2 billion). Christophe Leribault, who became the museum’s director in February, went to Tokyo and Hong Kong to talk about the necessity of the project. – South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
- Barnes & Noble Buys Another Distressed Indie Bookseller
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, which has two locations in metro Cincinnati, is the third independent retail business that B&N has acquired in three years. The chain bought Denver’s Tattered Cover in 2024 and the Bay Area’s Books Inc. last year; both companies had filed for bankruptcy. – Publishers Weekly
- Unions At The Whitney, Brooklyn Museum, And American Folk Art Museum Vote To Strike
“In a statement on behalf of the unionized staff, Local 2110 UAW said all three museums must raise their minimum pay rates, noting that average wages for their staff fall below … the minimum required for a single adult to afford to live in New York City.” – ARTnews
- Dancing while the bombs fall
Good Morning,
Alexei Ratmansky and his wife Tatiana went to Kyiv to make ballets with the Ukrainian National Ballet during one of the worst stretches of the war, rehearsing between runs to the bomb shelter (The New York Times).
The Kennedy Center board voted to shut the building indefinitely after a phone call from the President that one member described to CNN in terms we can’t print (The New Republic). The resolution itself cites “certain fiscal collapse within weeks” (Washington Post). Kyiv dances through air raids; the national cultural center closes over a board meeting.
Two stories about what buildings are for. Japan has 77,000 temples, and 17,000 of them no longer have a resident priest — the structures outlived the practice, and the question now is what a sacred space becomes next (Deutsche Welle). And Josh Goldblum on why museums increasingly have difficulty presenting complexity (Josh Goldblum).
A look inside how Washington’s theatres assembled their 2026–27 season partly by sharing productions across companies — a constraint turned into collaboration (Washington City Paper).
Burning Man is 40, and so are the Burners: 40% over 40 last year, 10% in their twenties (The Guardian). The counterculture is having a demographic problem like everyone else.
All of our stories below.
- Ed Sheeran Tour In Shambles After Supporting Musicians Pull Out After Macklemore Ouster
- Trump Calls In To Kennedy Center Board Meeting, Rants, And Board Votes To Shut Down Indefinitely
An unnamed board member described Trump’s phone call as “fucking crazy” to CNN, while another source told the news outlet that Trump screamed throughout the call. – The New Republic
- Nearly Intact Pre-Inca Tomb Discovered, Complete With Funerary Treasure
The burial chamber was found at Chan Chan, once the capital of the Chimú people, whose culture flourished on what’s now Peru’s northern coast from the early 10th century CE to 1470. Because the tomb was never looted, researchers will be able to learn more about Chimú society than ever before. – Smithsonian Magazine
- Bookstores Warn Of Threats To Publishers Of Left-Wing Literature
The criminalization of left-wing literature and those who publish or distribute it, the booksellers said, should also concern mainstream bookstores, which should be able to carry “a broad range of viewpoints without fear of government scrutiny or interference. – Publishers Weekly
- Burning Man Is Now Middle-Aged — In More Ways Than One
It’s not just that the festival itself has been happening for 40 years, or that people have been complaining that it’s not what it used to be for decades. It’s that Burners themselves are older, with 40% of them over 40 last year and only 10% of them in their 20s. – The Guardian
- Arkansas Public Television Has Flourished Since It Left PBS
Arkansas TV gained half as many new donors between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 compared to the previous year. The percentage of repeat donors from the 2025 to 2026 fiscal years dropped from 87% to 78%. – Arkansas Advocate
- How To Repurpose All Those Centuries-Old Japanese Temples?
There are around 77,000 temples across the country, but as many as 17,000 no longer have a full-time resident priest as congregations have shrunk — particularly in rural districts experiencing rapid depopulation — and financial pressures have taken their toll. – Deutsche Welle
- Making Dance In Kyiv Between Bombing Runs
The Ratmanskys’ arrival coincided with one of the worst periods of the war, a time of constant attacks on the capital that sent them and others scurrying to bomb shelters multiple times a day. “It is difficult in every sense,” Tatiana said, “mental, physical.” – The New York Times
- Lawsuit Alleges International Racket In Fake Andy Warhols
“(A family of art collectors) is suing more than a half-dozen individuals and companies across Florida, Philadelphia and Peru, whom they claim served as ‘suppliers, fake authenticators and distributors’ in an elaborate and far-reaching forgery scheme.” – The Wall Street Journal (MSN)
- Why It’s Increasingly Difficult For Museums To Tackle Complicated Topics
Donors underwrite celebration. Nobody endows a wing to say “it’s complicated.” That’s why the critical museum barely exists as a category. I’d rather build a Howard Zinn People’s History Museum than rehash a heroic retelling of our glorious past, but I have no idea how that gets funded. – Josh Goldblum
- Inside How Theatres Plan Their Seasons
Whatever their circumstances, at the end of the day, all theaters have to program a season that affirms their mission. Each has to do it while working within its limitations—or joining forces with others to do something greater. – Washington City Paper
- Paramount’s Threat To Leave Hollywood Has LA On Edge
Paramount floated shifting its home base to Tennessee or Texas in July, hoping to deter California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta from waging a legal battle to block Paramount’s $111-billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. – Los Angeles Times
- England Gives Local Governments Power To Levy Hotel Taxes
Scotland was the first to allow this: the law passed two years ago, and the first “visitor levies” were collected this summer in Edinburgh. Welsh localities will have the authority to charge this tax starting next year. Andy Burnham’s government just announced plans to extend this power to English local governments. – The Independent (UK)
- Writers Are Going To Extreme Lengths To Prove Their Work Is Human
As AI-generated writing floods the internet, more people are trying to detect which creators are using such tools to spin up copy. That means writers penning all their own work—and people who acknowledge using chatbots for help—are trying to master something they never worried about before: how to sound human. – The Wall Street Journal
- Read The Proposed Kennedy Center Resolution To Shut Down
With certain fiscal collapse within weeks, the board seeks to determine what recognition and acknowledgement will comply with the Court’s decisions in Beatty v. Trump et al. and with its statutory obligations, and wishes to explore additional options to present that recognition in a concrete and public fashion. – Washington Post
- How The Smithsonian Will Choose Its Next Leader
The process to select a successor to Mr. Bunch, who the Smithsonian said would stay through the end of the year, will offer Mr. Trump his best chance to exert control over the Smithsonian. Here is what to know about how the institution might choose its next leader. – The New York Times
- Alabama Moves To Force Its Public Libraries To Keep Books About Trans Issues Away From Young People
“Under the amended administrative code, books that discuss gender-transition procedures or ‘gender ideology,’ or that ‘promote’ the existence of more than two biological genders, must be removed from youth sections and relocated to sections for adults.” Noncompliant libraries will lose their state funding. – The Advocate
- Once-Prominent French Artist Claude Lévêque To Stand Trial For Sexual Assault Of Minors
“More specifically, Lévêque is charged with sexual assault involving violence, coercion, threat, or surprise, as well as indecent assault on a minor under the age of 15 by a person in a position of authority. … The victims are listed as being between eight and 18 years old (at) the time.” – ARTnews
- The Problem With Philadelphia Ballet’s New Home
Architecture critic Inga Saffron observes that, if the company wants to be welcoming to the community and engage potential new fans, their new headquarters does exactly the wrong thing. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- North American Tour Of “The Lion King” Will Close While Julie Taymor Retools It
The current touring production, which dates from 2002, will close on August 15 of next year, allowing director Taymor and the rest of the creative team to reimagine and update elements of the staging. – Playbill
- New Philadelphia Orchestra Contract Will Take Musicians’ Pay Past $200K Mark
“Musicians and management of the Philadelphia Orchestra have struck a tentative agreement on a new three-year labor deal. The pact … would, if ratified, put the base minimum salary of orchestra members at $200,008 annually by the end of the contract.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- Both Its Stars Having Pulled Out, West End’s “Sunday In The Park With George” Is Called Off
There was a lot of excitement when Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey (who co-starred in the Wicked films) confirmed they would headline a London revival of the musical next summer. Without them, the producers have evidently concluded there’s no way forward. – The Hollywood Reporter
- “Widow’s Bay,” “The Pitt,” And “DTF St. Louis” Dominate 2026 Emmy Awards
“Apple TV’s new horror comedy Widow’s Bay led the way, … winning a leading 14 trophies out of 19 nominations. … HBO’s medical drama The Pitt followed with seven awards out of 25 nominations, the most for any series this year. … In the limited series race, DTF St. Louis also led with seven wins.” – Variety
- Ready to Lead What’s Next in the Creative Industries?
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- San Francisco Opera Musicians Strike Opening Night Just As Curtain Was Supposed To Go Up
At 7:25 p.m., leaders of the opera walked onstage and told the patrons settling into their seats for an 8 p.m. performance that the opera had been canceled. An outdoor performance set for Sunday at Golden Gate Park, part of the opening festivities, was also called off. – The New York Times
- This Year’s Emmy Nominees Are In
The full list here. – Television Academy