ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

Today's Stories

Jeff Jarvis Admits He Was Wrong About The Death Of Books

Print books are actually doing pretty well, no thanks to Google. - The Atlantic

When LA’s Batting Cages Were Filled With Actresses

Once A League of Their Own - the movie - started casting, the batting cages of Los Angeles were filled with everyone from Courteney Cox to Laura Dern to Brooke Shields. - LitHub

A Museum For Compton

The museum's founders wanted a place to remember "Compton’s rich history and creativity—the vacant buildings of Compton transformed by the artist collective Communicative Arts Academy in the 1960s and 1970s or Elliott Pinkney’s murals." - Los Angeles Times

A Symphony For Plants

Julie Andrews has a new book out about the time (not so long ago!) when musicians came together in an orchestral hall and played ... for houseplants. - NPR

Studio Ghibli Gets A New Owner And Lease On Life

After Hayao Miyazaki's animator son Goro refused to take over from his now-82-year-old father, Studio Ghibli's future was in doubt. - The Guardian (UK)

Why Authors Are Suing Open AI

Chat bots are trained by millions of hours of human blood, sweat, tears, and typing - and these authors want compensation. - Fast Company

A New Sound For The New World Symphony

The sound is new artistic director Stéphane Denève's French accent, as he succeeds the legendary Michael Tilson Thomas. - Washington Post

The National Cathedral Unveils Two New Stained Glass Windows

Replacing the stain of the Confederate-themed windows that were removed six years ago, the two new windows, designed by Kerry James Marshall, are themed for racial justice. - NPR

Studios Allege They’ve Presented Their Final Offer To Writers

A "best and final offer" before today's meetings may lead to a deal soon, but the writers say this is a management-side leak and that the WGA needs to stay focused and strong. - The Hollywood Reporter

To Keep Kids Interested In Music, It’s Time To Dump The Holiday Concert

Instead, "bring play back into the classroom by instructing students how to hear a melody on the radio and learn to play it back by ear, and encouraging students to write their own simple songs." - The New York Times

The Little Prince Lands In New York

This is surprisingly logical, since Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote Le Petit Prince while living in the city after escaping the Nazi invasion of France. - Hyperallergic

Every Streamer Wants To Be Hulu Now

It's clear why: Streamers make (a lot) more money off of cheap subscriptions ... and the ad dollars that support them. - Fast Company

AI Is Coming For Video Game Jobs Too

Game developers: "The last world we want to live in is the one where the robots get to make all the creative decisions and we don't." - CBC

Meanwhile, In England

Warner Bros. is planning to expand the studios where they shot Barbie - to the tune of 4,000 more workers. - BBC

What’s Up With The Oscars Race In This Very, Very Weird Year?

All the major film festivals are over, and though the writers and actors' strikes continue, some movies are shaping up as awards season contenders (if we have an awards season). - The Guardian (UK)

Little Poems For Giacometti

Wait, why aren't we all writing poems about art? - LitHub

The National Gallery Reneges On Its Agreement About The Corcoran

"When the Corcoran was eviscerated, there was a pretense that somehow it would actually continue to exist — without its art, without its building, without its assets. No one believed that." But it's turned out to be even worse. - Washington Post

Hollywood’s Crew Members Make Candles, Do Tarot Readings To Get By

As the writers' strike passes its 140th day, "crew members have expressed frustration over the slow pace of negotiations." - Los Angeles Times

The Babysitting Nonprofit Helping Parents Go To Broadway Shows

"Helping people in theater take care of their children is part of core mission — an early initiative was hiring babysitters to watch children at auditions. Then the leadership realized that theater artists need audiences." - NPR

Death Of The Literary Feud

Literary feuds were a regular and entertaining occurrence in the British literary scene. When writers argued, the reading public looked on with the grin of schadenfreude. We all know the canonical examples. John le Carré and Salman Rushdie’s 1997 shouting match in the letters section of The Guardian. - The Critic

By Topic

Inside The Science Of Figuring Out Crowds

Crowd science has long been working to understand how throngs can turn dangerous. It has borrowed from psychology and epidemiology, and now is also incorporating complex systems theory, physics, and physiology, combined with plentiful empirical data coupled with computer modeling. Scientists have even started turning their eyes toward the dangerous dynamics of virtual crowds. - Nautilus

Take The Money And Run: Museum Sues Artist For Submitting Empty Frames After Being Commissioned For The Art

The museum provided about 532,000 krone (£61,500) from its reserves to recreate artworks as well as an artist’s fee of about 40,000 krone. But when staff unpacked the newly delivered works, they found two empty frames with the title Take the Money and Run. - The Guardian

Southern Kids Have Lost Their Accents

We're all West Coasters now: "This same accent that Gen Z has, which sounds a little bit like California English, to be honest, has shown up in places like California, Raleigh, Detroit and Boston." - NPR

Something Weird Is Going On With Men And The Roman Empire

This might be one area where it's perfectly appropriate to blame video games and movies. - Wired

The NYT Says Video Games Should Be Covered Like Theatre

"We review every single play or musical that opens on Broadway," says Jason Bailey, an NYT culture editor. "We review hundreds of movies a year. ... That means we should also be reviewing and criticizing the biggest video game releases." - The New York Times

The Art Inspired By The Webb Telescope

“We designed the telescope to wow the scientists,” Mike Menzel agreed. Now, he said, “We’re here in an art show, watching some images that we helped produce becoming things that are almost iconic.” - The New Yorker

Studios Allege They’ve Presented Their Final Offer To Writers

A "best and final offer" before today's meetings may lead to a deal soon, but the writers say this is a management-side leak and that the WGA needs to stay focused and strong. - The Hollywood Reporter

AI Is Coming For Video Game Jobs Too

Game developers: "The last world we want to live in is the one where the robots get to make all the creative decisions and we don't." - CBC

Is This Very Popular French Theme Park Selling A Reactionary Version Of French History?

"Puy du Fou has been voted the best amusement park on Earth despite having no rides, just swashbuckling re-enactment shows with fireballs, sword fights, shipwrecks and chariot races that draw millions in France, … despite criticism from some ... that its traditionalist framing of history is spurring rightwing culture wars." - The Guardian

City Of Baltimore Tops Up Its Support Of The Arts

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced additional investments in the arts through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for a combined total of $6.25 million focused on supporting arts and cultural institutions led by diverse artists and groups. - CBS News

Southbank’s New Leaders Have A Plan

Mark Ball and Aaron Wright are eager to recapture that past glory and make new connections with a programme in which established artists, rising stars and rebels rub shoulders, and different, hybrid modes of presentation are celebrated. - The Stage

California Will Provide Money To Help Small Arts Groups Comply With New Employment Law

"Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a budget trailer bill allocating an estimated $11.5 million to small performing arts organizations to help them recover from the pandemic and comply with AB5, the 2019 law requiring more workers to be paid as employees instead of independent contractors." - MSN (San Francisco Chronicle)

A Symphony For Plants

Julie Andrews has a new book out about the time (not so long ago!) when musicians came together in an orchestral hall and played ... for houseplants. - NPR

A New Sound For The New World Symphony

The sound is new artistic director Stéphane Denève's French accent, as he succeeds the legendary Michael Tilson Thomas. - Washington Post

To Keep Kids Interested In Music, It’s Time To Dump The Holiday Concert

Instead, "bring play back into the classroom by instructing students how to hear a melody on the radio and learn to play it back by ear, and encouraging students to write their own simple songs." - The New York Times

Connections Between Classical Music And Heavy Metal

“Speaking broadly, I think both traditions value virtuosity and virtuosic display. Both traditions value advanced musicianship and instrumental ability, and don't mind openly showcasing those abilities.” - Van

Cassette By Cassette, One Pakistani Man Is Working To Preserve Afghan Musical History

In a small audio repair shop in Peshawar, across the Afghan-Pakistani border in Peshawar, refugee Mohammed Hasan Zamri collects old commercial cassettes and sometimes makes his own recordings of escaped musicians — protecting Afghan musical heritage from the destructive zeal of the Taliban. - The Guardian

Four Days After Abruptly Canceling Its Season, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Closes Down

The organization's entire board of directors has resigned. "This means," said a statement, "that the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony will cease all operations as of today, and will not return for any future seasons." - Waterloo Region Record (Kitchener, Ontario)

A Museum For Compton

The museum's founders wanted a place to remember "Compton’s rich history and creativity—the vacant buildings of Compton transformed by the artist collective Communicative Arts Academy in the 1960s and 1970s or Elliott Pinkney’s murals." - Los Angeles Times

The National Cathedral Unveils Two New Stained Glass Windows

Replacing the stain of the Confederate-themed windows that were removed six years ago, the two new windows, designed by Kerry James Marshall, are themed for racial justice. - NPR

The Little Prince Lands In New York

This is surprisingly logical, since Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote Le Petit Prince while living in the city after escaping the Nazi invasion of France. - Hyperallergic

The National Gallery Reneges On Its Agreement About The Corcoran

"When the Corcoran was eviscerated, there was a pretense that somehow it would actually continue to exist — without its art, without its building, without its assets. No one believed that." But it's turned out to be even worse. - Washington Post

The Louvre’s First Female Leader Wants To Give That “Giant Ocean Liner” An Overhaul

Yes, she wants to make the world's largest museum more welcoming, relevant, and diverse. She also wants to carve an entirely new second entrance into the building (for the people who want to see more than the Mona Lisa), and that will be a serious challenge. - The New York Times

When AI Models Disagree: Two Different Verdicts On Whether A Painting Is By Raphael. Which to Believe?

“I am concerned that this situation could potentially undermine the progress we have made in the past five years in establishing A.I. as a mainstream method for authenticating art." - Artnet

Jeff Jarvis Admits He Was Wrong About The Death Of Books

Print books are actually doing pretty well, no thanks to Google. - The Atlantic

Why Authors Are Suing Open AI

Chat bots are trained by millions of hours of human blood, sweat, tears, and typing - and these authors want compensation. - Fast Company

Little Poems For Giacometti

Wait, why aren't we all writing poems about art? - LitHub

Death Of The Literary Feud

Literary feuds were a regular and entertaining occurrence in the British literary scene. When writers argued, the reading public looked on with the grin of schadenfreude. We all know the canonical examples. John le Carré and Salman Rushdie’s 1997 shouting match in the letters section of The Guardian. - The Critic

Booker Prize Shortlist: Only One UK Author Gets On

None of the six authors have been shortlisted for the prize before. - The Guardian

Why Two Big AI Companies Are Hiring Poets And Fiction Writers

"A string of job postings from high-profile training data companies, such as Scale AI and Appen, are recruiting poets, novelists, playwrights, or writers with a PhD or master’s degree. Dozens more seek general annotators with humanities degrees, or years of work experience in literary fields." - Rest of World

When LA’s Batting Cages Were Filled With Actresses

Once A League of Their Own - the movie - started casting, the batting cages of Los Angeles were filled with everyone from Courteney Cox to Laura Dern to Brooke Shields. - LitHub

Studio Ghibli Gets A New Owner And Lease On Life

After Hayao Miyazaki's animator son Goro refused to take over from his now-82-year-old father, Studio Ghibli's future was in doubt. - The Guardian (UK)

Every Streamer Wants To Be Hulu Now

It's clear why: Streamers make (a lot) more money off of cheap subscriptions ... and the ad dollars that support them. - Fast Company

Meanwhile, In England

Warner Bros. is planning to expand the studios where they shot Barbie - to the tune of 4,000 more workers. - BBC

What’s Up With The Oscars Race In This Very, Very Weird Year?

All the major film festivals are over, and though the writers and actors' strikes continue, some movies are shaping up as awards season contenders (if we have an awards season). - The Guardian (UK)

Hollywood’s Crew Members Make Candles, Do Tarot Readings To Get By

As the writers' strike passes its 140th day, "crew members have expressed frustration over the slow pace of negotiations." - Los Angeles Times

A Pair Of New Artistic Directors At Louisville Ballet

"Lexington-native Mikelle Bruzina and Harald Uwe Kern were named Louisville Ballet's new artistic directors after former artistic director Robert Curran's abrupt resignation earlier this year after nearly 10 years with the ballet." - Yahoo! (Louisville Courier Journal)

Melissa Barak Puts Her Stamp On Los Angeles Ballet

"I want people to see that LAB is on the road to … becoming one of the country's leading dance companies," she said. "Over the next few seasons people (will) really see that strong sense of a more established company, a company that Angelenos can call their own." - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)

A NY City Ballet Dancer Grapples With Retirement

On Sunday, I will retire from New York City Ballet after 16 years with the company. I have spent over a year preparing myself, and I am ready. But I know that I am about to give up one of my primary ways of being me. - The New York Times

Dance Critic Laura Bleiberg, 65

A native of Los Angeles, Bleiberg earned an undergraduate degree in history at Scripps College and a master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern University. Her stories have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, L.A. Weekly, Zocalo Public Square, GQ Magazine, Orange Coast Magazine, CalArts magazine The Pool and other publications. - CultureOC

The Highly Unusual Dance Career Of Choreographer Trajal Harrell

"This late starter — he turned to dance after graduating from Yale in the 1990s — has never taken formal classes in the techniques that have most influenced him, which include vogueing and Japanese Butoh. Instead, he observed them from the outside, and took from their 'theoretical underpinnings,' he said." - The New York...

Minnesota Dance Theatre Director Steps Down After 30 Years

After nearly 30 years as artistic director of Minnesota Dance Theatre, Lise Houlton is passing the reins. And it will be kept in the family. - The Star-Tribune (Mpls)

The Babysitting Nonprofit Helping Parents Go To Broadway Shows

"Helping people in theater take care of their children is part of core mission — an early initiative was hiring babysitters to watch children at auditions. Then the leadership realized that theater artists need audiences." - NPR

Female Comics Say Russell Brand Is The Tip Of The Iceberg In Comedy

Six years on from the #MeToo movement, they say there remains a culture of misogyny and male privilege in the comedy industry that emboldens predators and prevents women from speaking out. - The Guardian

After Going Dark This Year, Cal Shakes Will Be Back In 2024 For Its Golden Anniversary

"California Shakespeare Theater plans to produce a show of its own in 2024, after operating exclusively as a rental house this year. The production, As You Like It, ... will mark the company's 50th anniversary and run Sept. 12-29 at the Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda." - MSN (San Francisco Chronicle)

The Eddie Redmayne “Cabaret” Will Be Broadway’s Most Expensive Revival Ever

The budget is $24.25 million, and the box office will have to take in $1,2 million a week just to pay running costs — an intimidating prospect even for a Kander & Ebb revival, and their shows (e.g., Chicago) tend to do very well on Broadway. - Broadway Journal

The Critic Who Was Repeatedly Bopped On The Head With A Playbill (And Other Tales Of Audience Members Acting Out)

In yet another article pegged to Lauren Boebert getting thrown out of Beetlejuice: The Musical in Denver this month, former Chicago Tribune critics Nina Metz and Michael Phillips trade anecdotes and offer don't-do-this behavior tips for patrons. - Yahoo! (Chicago Tribune)

Second City Will Open Its New York Outpost This November

"The improvisational comedy enterprise … will house its new nearly 12,000 square-foot entertainment complex in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Set to open on Nov. 16, the venue will feature two cabaret-style live theaters, seven Training Center classrooms, and a full-service restaurant and bar." - The Hollywood Reporter

More Former Employees of David Adjaye Decry Working Conditions

“David would yell at and berate the people he found responsible for executing his vision. Only senior leadership would be directly bullied by him, but they would offload that anxiety on the rest of us." - Artnet

Bollywood Star Wins Indian Court Case Over AI Use Of His Image

"Anil Kapoor (filed suit) because of the large number of morphed videos and emojis bearing his likeness going around as well as his iconic phrase 'jhakaas', first used in 1985 film Yudh. The phrase, which translates roughly as ‘awesome’ or ‘wicked,’ is now protected by the court order." - Variety

Things Emily Dickinson Collected — Now Online

Last week, a public database cataloging all those family objects—more than 8,000 of them—went live. The unparalleled collection has been assembled by the Amherst-based Emily Dickinson Museum and stored in an undisclosed warehouse in Western Massachusetts. - The Atlantic

Stephen Gould, One Of The World’s Leading Heldentenors, Dies Two Weeks After Announcing Cancer Diagnosis

"The (61-year-old) singer withdrew this summer from the Bayreuth Festival, where he was scheduled to perform (three different leading roles). He said he made the announcement after the Festival ended last week because 'I did not wish anything to cloud this year's achievements.'" - AP

Roger Whittaker, “Wandering Minstrel” Pop Star Of The 1970s And ’80s, Is Dead At 87

"(He) sold an estimated 50 million albums worldwide, becoming a staple of easy-listening charts while cultivating a sunny and often sentimental folk-pop sound. Although he was considered a one-hit wonder ('The Last Farewell') in the United States, he had a devoted fan base across Europe." - MSN (The Washington Post)

The Consequences Of The Russell Brand Sexual Assault Allegations Have Started To Hit

Not only have promoters postponed the remainder of his current standup tour, his agent and publisher have dropped him. Perhaps even more damaging, YouTube has cut him off from income from his videos on the platform, where he has 6.6 million subscribers. - AP

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Studios Allege They’ve Presented Their Final Offer To Writers

A "best and final offer" before today's meetings may lead to a deal soon, but the writers say this is a management-side leak and that the WGA needs to stay focused and strong. - The Hollywood Reporter

The Babysitting Nonprofit Helping Parents Go To Broadway Shows

"Helping people in theater take care of their children is part of core mission — an early initiative was hiring babysitters to watch children at auditions. Then the leadership realized that theater artists need audiences." - NPR

Inside The Science Of Figuring Out Crowds

Crowd science has long been working to understand how throngs can turn dangerous. It has borrowed from psychology and epidemiology, and now is also incorporating complex systems theory, physics, and physiology, combined with plentiful empirical data coupled with computer modeling. Scientists have even started turning their eyes toward the dangerous dynamics of virtual crowds....

Orchestra In Ontario Cancels All Performances And Practices

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, founded in 1945, abruptly canceled its youth events on Saturday - and then deleted everything off its calendar for 2023-24. - CTV Kitchener

In Germany, Right-Wing Threats Lead To Museum Police Protection

The Zeche Zollern "wanted to create a space for visitors 'affected by racism' where they could experience the museum while 'protect themselves from further (even unconscious) discrimination,'" but the backlash is so intense there are now armed guards. - Hyperallergic

And Just Like That, Drew Barrymore Puts Her Show Back On Hiatus

The new Instagram video: "I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over." - The New York Times

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Board Removes Former Rolling Stone Editor

Jann Wenner, a founder of the Hall of Fame, was removed after an interview in which he said "said that Black and female musicians 'didn’t articulate at the level' of the white musicians featured in his new book." - Variety

Report: Majority Of US Museum Workers Want To Quit

Two-thirds of museum workers are thinking about leaving their jobs, if not the field altogether, according to a survey out this month. The top reasons? Burnout and low pay. - The Art Newspaper

Oscar-Winning Writer Of “Moonlight” And “Choir Boys” Named Geffen Playhouse’s Artistic Director

"An ensemble member of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company," Tarell Alvin McCraney "is professor of playwriting at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University and has earned a reputation as a passionate mentor. He will continue to teach at Yale while leading the Geffen Playhouse." - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)

Evidence For A Putin War Crimes Trial In A New Report On Destruction Of Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage

"(The briefing) by the NGO Blue Shield International has tentatively made the claim that the Putin regime has premeditatively, systematically — and provably — targeted heritage sites in Ukraine. If the report is correct, the critical legal threshold needed to prosecute Putin for a war crime is now significantly closer." - The Art Newspaper

Is Google Search Now Just Sneaky, Janky Ad-Filled Spyware?

Possibly! The trial starts Tuesday. - Wired

Streaming Is Over

It is, obviously, a victim of its own success - but viewers are hurting too.- The Atlantic
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