Zhang Wanting spent an entire semester practicing standing on one foot on a three-inch chair handle while lifting her other leg backward and leaning forward with an arched back. And that was maybe the easiest of the tricks she had to learn just with the chair, leaving aside all the other skills necessary. - AP
If nothing else, the new year will likely reveal whether the art world’s pivot to the Gulf, and auction houses’ deepening emphasis on luxury categories, were good choices. - ARTnews
Across the show floor, the car emerged less as a machine and more as a companion as automakers and tech companies showcased vehicles that can adapt to drivers and passengers in real time — from tracking heart rates and emotions to alerting if a baby or young child is accidentally left in the car. - Fast...
“The National Weather Museum and Science Center in Norman, Oklahoma, the only US museum dedicated to weather artifacts, said late last month that it is at risk of closing. The nonprofit, launched in the early 2000s, has relied completely on donations, grants, and partnerships for funding, and receives no federal funding.” - ARTnews
Pugnacious, fearless and disdainful of academia’s more pretentious mores, Professor Carey was a paradoxical figure in the British literary establishment for more than half a century. - The New York Times
“I suppose a composer imagines a certain piece of music for certain instruments; he has a sound picture and wants the things that instrument can do. But that doesn’t negate the situation where you make a new sound picture, perhaps with the same materials. - Early Music America
Effectively, in only three years, the Warner Bros. Discovery merger has validated nearly all the concerns that critics of “market first” policymaking have warned about for years. Once it had a dominant market share, the company started providing less and charging more. - The Conversation
How, in 1894, just when literary interest in Sappho was reviving, Belgian-French author Pierre Louÿs (yes, he was a friend of Oscar’s) invented an ancient Greek poetess called Bilitis, composed erotic poetry he attributed to her (he claimed only to have translated it), and created a classic of lesbian literature. - Aeon
“If I step back and think about what unites the shows, it’s probably they’re all trying to be joy-forward experiences and shows where the audience is acknowledged,” says Alex Timbers, now 47. - AP News
Universal Music India, a division of Universal Music Group, will acquire a 30% equity interest in the Mumbai-based movie studio. In the deal, announced Monday, the companies will work together on forthcoming films, series, music and emerging formats. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
In an age in which information on the internet is so abundant and so low-quality that it’s essentially noise, job number one is to fight our evolutionary instinct to absorb all available information, and instead filter out unreliable sources and bad data. - The Wall Street Journal
“The first lawsuit accusing Perry of leveraging his power to sexually assault aspiring male actors in his orbit was filed in June. Another lawsuit was filed Dec. 26, with the entertainment mogul characterizing claims from both of the accusers as a shakedown. But his legal troubles may just be beginning.” - The Hollywood Reporter
As social divisions grow, they are becoming important forms of social infrastructure where people can encounter different perspectives. In many cases, their roles are also expanding as museums help the public engage with the pressing questions of our time. - The Conversation
“Many teachers are secret revolutionaries and still assign whole books,” said Heather McGuire, a survey respondent who teaches English in New Mexico. I cheer these renegades because I can’t imagine my life – or bringing up my own children – without reading books in print. - The Guardian
“Georgian dance is an art of outrageous virtuosity and athleticism, often meant to indicate prowess at war and in the hunt. The dances are characterized by fiery leaps, sudden drops to the knees, swordplay, spinning jumps and men dancing on the tips of their toes.” - The New York Times
Sandy Shinner, 75, will step down in May from the widely-admired Off-Loop company, which she has run for 13 years. She will remain a member of the group’s ensemble. - Chicago Tribune (Yahoo!)
As part of what they say are cost-saving measures, the federal government of Belgium and regional government of Flanders plan to move the entire collection of Antwerp’s Museum of Contemporary Art to a similar institution in Ghent — which reportedly doesn’t have enough room for the additional artworks. - The Guardian
The 17-time Grammy-winning banjoist said, "Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music. I look forward to playing with the NSO another time in the future when we can together share and celebrate art." - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
Since Congress defunded public TV and radio months ago, an estimated $100 million has been raised from foundations and, notably, from record numbers of listeners angry about the cuts — so-called “rage giving.” That leaves only $435 million to go to replace the funding promised to stations just last year. - Inside Radio
Across the show floor, the car emerged less as a machine and more as a companion as automakers and tech companies showcased vehicles that can adapt to drivers and passengers in real time — from tracking heart rates and emotions to alerting if a baby or young child is accidentally left in the car. - Fast Company
In an age in which information on the internet is so abundant and so low-quality that it’s essentially noise, job number one is to fight our evolutionary instinct to absorb all available information, and instead filter out unreliable sources and bad data. - The Wall Street Journal
Our consciousness roams, it can be focused on the here and now, or maybe the there and then, but it is always focused on something. Yet the experience of lulls in consciousness content challenges this assumption. - Psyche
Truth and trust are often treated as virtues, but they function as conditions: the prerequisites for coherent societies, functional institutions, and stable international systems. Without them, even the most advanced technologies fail to deliver progress. - Time
Domed screens, with comfortable seats and bar food, are actually the present for some (sports) fans. But the test run was “when the domed screen transformed into a high-resolution recreation of Michelangelo’s fresco paintings in the Sistine Chapel.” - The New York Times
“Philosophy allows us to understand the world we live in. But I don’t think that it’s therapeutic, that it’s better to read Socrates than take Prozac. If you want to live better, fall in love, take Prozac or do whatever you want, but don’t turn to philosophy.” - El País English
“The National Weather Museum and Science Center in Norman, Oklahoma, the only US museum dedicated to weather artifacts, said late last month that it is at risk of closing. The nonprofit, launched in the early 2000s, has relied completely on donations, grants, and partnerships for funding, and receives no federal funding.” - ARTnews
After a string of fresh lawsuits and a landmark settlement in 2025, the new year promises to bring a wave of rulings that could define how U.S. copyright law applies to generative AI. - Reuters
“A bipartisan spending package released Monday by House Speaker Mike Johnson includes $32 million for operating expenses at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through Sept. 30, 2027.” - AP
Despite the reported skepticism of higher education, enrollment in four-year colleges and universities is growing. These institutions awarded 2 million bachelor’s degrees in 2023, compared with 1.6 million in 2010, and the fraction of 25-year-olds with a bachelor’s degree has steadily increased for the past 15 years. - The Atlantic
Since Fidesz came to power, governmental actors have gained control of universities, galleries and popular media outlets. The national cultural fund, chaired by the culture and innovation minister, has redirected money from independent unions and periodicals to pro-government journalists and writers. - The Guardian
Zhang Wanting spent an entire semester practicing standing on one foot on a three-inch chair handle while lifting her other leg backward and leaning forward with an arched back. And that was maybe the easiest of the tricks she had to learn just with the chair, leaving aside all the other skills necessary. -...
“I suppose a composer imagines a certain piece of music for certain instruments; he has a sound picture and wants the things that instrument can do. But that doesn’t negate the situation where you make a new sound picture, perhaps with the same materials. - Early Music America
The 17-time Grammy-winning banjoist said, "Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music. I look forward to playing with the NSO another time in the future when we can together share and celebrate art." - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
“Twenty years ago, (Beth) Morrison had nothing in the bank. Just ambition, a belief in opera as theater and a high-flown goal to ‘change this art form.’ Still, she founded Beth Morrison Projects. Since then, she has worked nearly around the clock to shepherd dozens of new operas into existence.” - The New York Times
The orchestra alleges that Hwang, who was sexually assaulted by a senior player in the orchestra in 2017 and 2018, breached an NDA she signed following the incident. - The Violin Channel
“In recent years, covers had been assessed as part of the best recording package category, which considers all physical materials and images. … Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. (said) the split is an effort to recognize the impact of cover art in the digital age.” - AP
If nothing else, the new year will likely reveal whether the art world’s pivot to the Gulf, and auction houses’ deepening emphasis on luxury categories, were good choices. - ARTnews
As social divisions grow, they are becoming important forms of social infrastructure where people can encounter different perspectives. In many cases, their roles are also expanding as museums help the public engage with the pressing questions of our time. - The Conversation
As part of what they say are cost-saving measures, the federal government of Belgium and regional government of Flanders plan to move the entire collection of Antwerp’s Museum of Contemporary Art to a similar institution in Ghent — which reportedly doesn’t have enough room for the additional artworks. - The Guardian
One of the major items in the Louvre–Nouvelle Renaissance renovation plan is the construction of a separate entrance and gallery for the huge number of people who want to see the famous portrait. Workers at the museum are urging management to spend that money on repairing the building’s crumbling physical plant instead. - Artnet
Here's a look at 15 landmark architecture projects scheduled for completion in 2026, including museums, performing arts venues and a face-shaped tower. - Dezeen
“The incident occurred on Monday morning, when the man approached the monument in Paris’s 8th arrondissement — with Joan of Arc dramatically riding a horse in mid-gallop — and committed a crime captured by a security camera.” - ARTnews
How, in 1894, just when literary interest in Sappho was reviving, Belgian-French author Pierre Louÿs (yes, he was a friend of Oscar’s) invented an ancient Greek poetess called Bilitis, composed erotic poetry he attributed to her (he claimed only to have translated it), and created a classic of lesbian literature. - Aeon
“Many teachers are secret revolutionaries and still assign whole books,” said Heather McGuire, a survey respondent who teaches English in New Mexico. I cheer these renegades because I can’t imagine my life – or bringing up my own children – without reading books in print. - The Guardian
According to a YouGov poll released at year’s end, American reading habits stay in the toilet. Four in ten Americans didn’t read a single book during our last spin around the sun. And of the 60% who did venture to a library, most were frugal. - LitHub
To begin the new year at public schools across the state, Utah officials banned three more books. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. - BookRiot
It was not long before people began poking holes in Joan Lowell’s story. But the book didn’t sink—it was a great success, in part for reasons new to her era and familiar to ours. - The New Yorker
Effectively, in only three years, the Warner Bros. Discovery merger has validated nearly all the concerns that critics of “market first” policymaking have warned about for years. Once it had a dominant market share, the company started providing less and charging more. - The Conversation
Universal Music India, a division of Universal Music Group, will acquire a 30% equity interest in the Mumbai-based movie studio. In the deal, announced Monday, the companies will work together on forthcoming films, series, music and emerging formats. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
Since Congress defunded public TV and radio months ago, an estimated $100 million has been raised from foundations and, notably, from record numbers of listeners angry about the cuts — so-called “rage giving.” That leaves only $435 million to go to replace the funding promised to stations just last year. - Inside Radio
“Warner Bros. Discovery’s leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Skydance-owned Paramount’s overtures — and urged shareholders just weeks ago to support selling its streaming and studio business to Netflix for $72 billion. Paramount, meanwhile, has made efforts to sweeten its $77.9 billion hostile bid for the entire company.” - TechCrunch
“While NPR may be staring down a tough couple of years ahead, I think public radio is better positioned in the long run than most American news organizations right now.” - Substack
“The nonprofit charged by Congress with allocating funds to NPR, PBS and other US public radio and television stations … announced on Monday that its board of directors had voted to dissolve the organization after nearly 60 years in operation.” - The Guardian
“Georgian dance is an art of outrageous virtuosity and athleticism, often meant to indicate prowess at war and in the hunt. The dances are characterized by fiery leaps, sudden drops to the knees, swordplay, spinning jumps and men dancing on the tips of their toes.” - The New York Times
One study found that people who danced frequently (more than once a week) had a 76 percent lower risk of dementia than those who did so rarely. - Washington Post
“The New York Times invited cast members of American Street Dancer to demonstrate the fundamentals of Detroit Jit, Chicago Footwork and Philly GQ.” - The New York Times
“The strength required by dance admits vulnerability, and proves that fluidity, not rigidity — movement, progress, exchange — is beauty. It is a courtship of athleticism and physicality from which one emerges revitalized, lofted, ecstatic.” - The New York Times
These dancers, choreographers, directors, and companies are already doing exceptional work, but we’re betting on them to break through in a major way in the year to come. - Dance Magazine
"I do believe they should be separate. And the success of the Kennedy Center, you know, working in a bipartisan way, has been an example of that in a great way." - NPR
“If I step back and think about what unites the shows, it’s probably they’re all trying to be joy-forward experiences and shows where the audience is acknowledged,” says Alex Timbers, now 47. - AP News
Sandy Shinner, 75, will step down in May from the widely-admired Off-Loop company, which she has run for 13 years. She will remain a member of the group’s ensemble. - Chicago Tribune (Yahoo!)
“Shepard would astonishingly make his mark as an avant-garde playwright on the downtown scene with only a few months of networking and no production to his name. … ‘New York was like that in the Sixties,’ he said later. ‘You could write a one-act play and start doing it the next day.’” - Literary...
Julie Halston, who’s playing Parker in mid-January: "Theater is my church and in its noblest form, theater is a service. It is a place to learn, to connect with others, and to experience joy as a performer and an audience member.” - The New York Times
“Midtown marquees were packed with famous names from prestige cable (including more than one Succession sibling) and popular franchises. ... As theater continues to recover from the pandemic, luring audiences off the couch with faces they recognize from the screen has proved a lucrative strategy.” - Washington Post (Yahoo)
“Everyone was afraid of the telephone, everyone was afraid of television,” Harrison said. “It’s just going to march on. And we’ll acclimate.” - The New York Times
Pugnacious, fearless and disdainful of academia’s more pretentious mores, Professor Carey was a paradoxical figure in the British literary establishment for more than half a century. - The New York Times
“The first lawsuit accusing Perry of leveraging his power to sexually assault aspiring male actors in his orbit was filed in June. Another lawsuit was filed Dec. 26, with the entertainment mogul characterizing claims from both of the accusers as a shakedown. But his legal troubles may just be beginning.” - The Hollywood Reporter
For opera singers, the challenges are unique. I’m going to have to figure out how to deal with giving up a life’s work that has asked for my whole heart all the time. - The New York Times
“Tarr became internationally in the ‘90s and ‘00s as his films” — among them Sátántangó and Werckmeister Harmonies — “were shown more widely, partly because of their inordinate length and partly because of what appeared to be his definitive expression of middle-European black-and-white miserablism.” Yet he insisted his movies were comedies. - The Guardian
In 1987, the choreographer and ballet teacher “founded Dances Patrelle, for which he created over 50 works, blending dancers from his ensemble with guest performers from prominent companies like the American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem.” - The New York Times
Earn your Master’s in One Year. Northwestern University’s MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises (MSLCE) program develops leaders across Entertainment, Media and the Arts.
“Tarr became internationally in the ‘90s and ‘00s as his films” — among them Sátántangó and Werckmeister Harmonies — “were shown more widely, partly because of their inordinate length and partly because of what appeared to be his definitive expression of middle-European black-and-white miserablism.” Yet he insisted his movies were comedies. - The Guardian
Domed screens, with comfortable seats and bar food, are actually the present for some (sports) fans. But the test run was “when the domed screen transformed into a high-resolution recreation of Michelangelo’s fresco paintings in the Sistine Chapel.” - The New York Times
“Resistance was easy. Uncomplicated, too. Like so many who have grown skeptical of AI, I value my life. I don’t want AI-generated music taking a moment of it away from me.” - Washington Post (MSN)
In disguised artist Róis’s 2025 Irish-language album, she merged “experimental, electronic production with traditional singing ... drew inspiration from ancient mourning practices." - BBC
“Singers are tested by every performance, year after year. We are trained to make it look easy. It is never easy. We live through sacrifice, isolation and self-doubt. ... Constant travel (if you’re lucky), fatigue and stress take an emotional and physical toll.” - The New York Times
Led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Democrats on the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee say they’ve obtained documents suggesting that the Center is being operated as a “slush fund and private club for Trump’s friends and political allies”, resulting in millions of lost income and a departure from its statutory mission. - The...
“This would be a more effective way to attract young people, and it also happens to be true. When literature was considered transgressive, moralists couldn’t get people to stop buying and reading dangerous books. Now that books are considered virtuous and edifying, moralists can’t persuade anyone to pick one up.” - The Atlantic (MSN)
The Vondelkerk, a 154-year-old Gothic Revival church which had been deconsecrated and run as a concert and events venue in recent years, ignited shortly after midnight. The flames were fanned by strong winds, and the tower and roof of the building collapsed. - The Telegraph (UK)
Choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall lays out the half-dozen movements which were most important to the film’s dance sequences — and recounts how those movements changed on the fly during shooting. - Vulture (MSN)
“The current bylaws, obtained by The Washington Post, were revised in May to specify that board members designated by Congress — known as ex officio members — could not vote or count toward a quorum. Legal experts say the move may conflict with the institution’s charter.” - The Washington Post (MSN)
She beguiled audiences for seven decades, toggling between ballet and modern dance, film and television, concert stage and nightclub. Her noble bearing, high cheekbones, sinuous torso and impressive wingspan revealed a wide portfolio of characters experiencing torment or ecstasy. - The Washington Post (MSN)
