ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

ISSUES

Cultural Olympiad Of L.A.’s 2028 Olympics Is Way Behind Schedule

“Arts leaders in Los Angeles say that, three years out, (there is) no cultural plan yet announced, just two people assigned to the effort (one of whom is a volunteer), and no dedicated fund-raising for ambitious arts programming.” - The New York Times

So What If Media Companies Aren’t Interested In Culture Criticism Anymore?

Part of the problem is that reviews now float amid millions of other pieces of similar content on the web instead of being part of a bundle that you used to get on your doorstep, which allowed a reader to serendipitously stumble upon a piece of criticism they otherwise wouldn’t have sought out. - New York Magazine

White House Review Of Smithsonian Could Impact History Studies Nationwide

Far beyond museums in Washington, President Donald Trump's review at the Smithsonian could influence how history is taught in classrooms around the country. The institution is a leading provider of curriculum and other educational materials, which are subject to the sweeping new assessment of all its public-facing content. - NBC News

In Greater Paris, The Long-Troubled Banlieue Is Buzzing

“The east, long snubbed by the bourgeoisie of western Paris, has risen, turning the banlieue from Pantin to Romainville into cool, desirable areas. Tourists troop to the Louvre, but the action is no longer on the Seine River — it is on a 200-year-old canal, the Ourcq.’ - The New York Times

Canada’s First Nations Revitalize Festivals That Were Once Forbidden

Confronting the historic trauma of forced assimilation, a wave of artists are rejuvenating hyper-diverse Indigenous cultures in the kinds of festivals that were once forbidden. - The Guardian

Data: How US Arts Are Doing

Both revenue and expenses declined in 2024, with average revenue hovering slightly above expenses. Average total revenue fell 25% while expenses decreased by 23%, leaving organizations with an increasingly smaller cushion between available revenue and spending. - SMU Cultural Data 

Michigan’s House Of Representatives Votes To Zero Out Arts Funding

“The state House’s proposed budget for next year wipes out every cent of the $12.3 million the Michigan government spent on arts and cultural programs this year. The House also said no to the $2 million the Senate proposed for arts and culture facility upgrades.” - City Pulse (Lansing, MI)

The War On Art By, And About, Trans People

“Government websites are stripping away references to trans people, history, and art. Book bans are targeting trans authors in conservative states, eradicating their work from curricula and library circulation.” And then there’s the NEA. - The New Yorker

Actors, Directors Sign Pledge Not To Work With Israeli Film Groups They Say Are Implicated In Genocide

The pledge “claims to draw inspiration from the cultural boycott that contributed to the end of apartheid in South Africa.” - The Guardian (UK)

At Premiere Of Palestine 36 At TIFF, Actors On Red Carpet Call For End To War

“The film's star, Karim Daoud Anaya, posed with a plastic bag, dripping in fake blood, containing a camera and a Palestinian keffiyeh. Other members of the cast and crew held up Palestinian flags and messages reading 'Stop the genocide' at the premiere.” - CBC

West Point Abruptly Cancels Award For Tom Hanks, Who Had Supported Joe Biden

“One former instructor told The Washington Post that the decision appears to have been rooted in avoiding an ‘uncomfortable’ relationship between West Point leadership and the White House. That was not the official reason provided by the alumni association.” - Daily Beast

Amid Worries Over Budget Cuts, Welsh Arts Orgs Get An Eight Million Pound Injection

“The Arts Council of Wales has called for statutory funding for the sector from the Welsh government, saying funding cuts could mean the sector does not exist in a decade.” - BBC

A Fire Engulfs Part Of The BBC’s Former Television Headquarters

“Smoke was still billowing from the rooftop rotunda late on Saturday morning as crews used a drone to help tackle the blaze and crowds gathered on the street to watch and take photos” of the iconic round building. - BBC

Update On Top US Funding Agencies

Work at cultural funding agencies in the United States—the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services —has been quietly picking up, after the administration of US President Donald Trump and its Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) slashed staff and cancelled grants. - The Art Newspaper

What Latin American Literature Tells Us About How Authoritarian Takeover Happens

"To me, the greatest danger that Latin American literature foretells for higher education is the insidious way capitulation to authoritarians changes both individuals and institutions." - The Conversation

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