ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

Today’s AJ Highlights

Good morning: One of the biggest changes in the past 20 years in culture has been the evolution of the relationships between artists and audiences. Fan culture has more power than ever, and with some pop culture franchises, fans are not shy about rewarding or shaming creators with each new project. So where’s the balance in who owns artistic work?

Here are more highlights from today’s stories:

  • Michelangelo’s Secret Drawing Unveiled in Florence A previously unknown sketch by Michelangelo has been discovered in Florence’s Casa Buonarroti Museum. The drawing is believed to be a study for his Sistine Chapel frescoes. Read more in The Art Newspaper.
  • Archaeologists Using AI Discover 303 Unknown Geoglyphs in Peru’s Nazca Desert Using AI, archaeologists have discovered hundreds of previously unknown geoglyphs in Peru’s Nazca Desert, adding to the mysteries of ancient civilizations. Read more in El País.
  • Statue of Johnny Cash Unveiled in the US Capitol A statue of music icon Johnny Cash has been unveiled at the US Capitol, making him the first musician to be represented in the National Statuary Hall Collection. Read more in Washington Post.
  • The Debate Over Copyrighting AI-Created Art Reaches a New Level Legal battles continue over whether AI-generated art can be copyrighted, with a recent ruling adding fuel to the controversy. This case has broad implications for artists and creatives in the digital age. Read more in Wired.
  • Fandom Is Increasingly Becoming a Problem Toxic fan behavior has increasingly become a challenge for celebrities, as social media gives fans unprecedented access to their favorite stars, often leading to harassment and toxicity. Read more in Vox.

The rest of today’s stories are below. Have a great day.

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

“& Juliet” — How A Jukebox Shakespeare Musical That Flopped In Britain Became An Unlikely Broadway Hit

“Today, (after almost four years in New York,) the musical is still packing in crowds, a feat for a show that isn’t a revival or a movie adaptation and lacks big stars or Tony wins. It’s ... one of only four new musicals since the pandemic to recoup their...

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