ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

This Week’s AJ Highlights

Good morning: We collected 132 stories this week. That’s a lot to sort through, so here are some highlights. Jump down to see all the stories we posted.

  • Man Smashes Ai Weiwei Art at Show Opening in Rome
    A man vandalized a sculpture by Ai Weiwei at an art show in Rome, smashing the piece during the exhibition’s opening. The footage was shared on Ai Weiwei’s Instagram, sparking debates about the motivations behind art vandalism and the role of protest in contemporary art. Read more on Reuters.
  • More Than 10,000 Books Were Banned in the U.S. Last Year
    PEN America’s report revealed that book bans in the U.S. surged to over 10,000 last year. This censorship crisis highlights increasing cultural and political divides over access to literature in schools and public libraries. Read more on The Guardian.
  • World’s First AI Art Museum to Open in Los Angeles
    Refik Anadol, a pioneer in AI-generated art, is opening the first museum dedicated to AI art in downtown Los Angeles, across from Disney Concert Hall. This groundbreaking project marks a pivotal moment in the integration of technology and art. Read more on Los Angeles Times.
  • Extreme Candor: Pittsburgh Arts Council Admits Big Failures
    The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has taken an unusual approach in its new strategic plan by openly acknowledging significant past failures. This transparent move is part of an effort to rebuild trust and foster stronger community support. Read more on WESA.
  • Why Is Executive Leadership in Dance Companies So Difficult?
    Leadership in dance companies remains a major challenge, with executives often cycling through multiple organizations. This ongoing leadership crisis has led to uncertainty and instability in an industry reliant on strong artistic and business acumen. Read more on Dance Magazine.

Till next week.

Doug

Latest Stories

Japanese City Cancels Major Cherry-Blossom Festival Because Tourists Behave So Badly

City officials in Fujiyoshida, not far from Mount Fuji, said residents had been littering, entering private homes to use the bathroom, and even defecating in people’s yards and getting belligerent when confronted. The weeks-long event had attracted about 200,000 visitors each year for the past decade. - The Guardian

How Typists Have Shaped Literary Masterpieces

The typewriter, from its birth, has been tied to a set of assumptions about gender and skill. These assumptions persist to the present and color our cultural understanding of typists’ labor. - Public Domain Review

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