AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Kennedy Center’s Architect: No Experience Required
Good Morning,
The Kennedy Center’s $257 million renovation has gone to a Minneapolis firm of about 50 people whose most ambitious listed project is a high school, and the center won’t say why (The Washington Post).
The Phoenix Symphony suspends its season Nov. 1 after years of deficits, laying off 66 musicians, and a new $6.5 million gift is now in legal jeopardy (Arizona Republic). The city spent $7 million on its hall this month, and the musicians want to see the budget.
MoMA, the Centre Pompidou and Hong Kong’s M+ will treat their holdings as one collection curated across three continents (ARTnews). The Pompidou, closed for restoration until 2030, gets a long-term gallery at MoMA in 2028.
Two House Republicans want the Smithsonian’s exhibit-review process after Cooper Hewitt, its design museum, showed models of homes destroyed by US-made munitions in Iraq, Syria and Gaza (ARTnews). Congress provides most of the Smithsonian’s funding.
All of our stories below.
- What It’s Like To Be A Professional Scare Actor During Halloween Season
Lyndon Laveaux is one of around 400 scare actors working at the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor in Long Beach. He plays the Captain, the undead master of ceremonies. “I just love it,” he says. “It’s like an adult summer camp and I appreciate the fans, I appreciate this community.” – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
- Horror Books And Bookstores Are Proliferating
Horror book sales are up 39 percent this year over last, according to Circana BookScan. The market is growing: 5.1 million books were sold in 2025, up from 3.2 million in 2021. – The New York Times
- Despite Taliban’s Prohibition, Masters Hope To Keep Traditional Afghan Music Alive
“For many, music is in their blood. It has flowed through their families for generations, and the thought of never playing again is unbearable. Every so often, some pull out their instruments and play in secret. A knock at the door could mean danger. Still, they play.” – AP
- American Pavillion At The Venice Biennale Is $1M Short. Art Transport Now A Problem
Despite months of controversy, the United States managed to get Alma Allen‘s enormous sculptures to Venice for this year’s Biennale. Getting them home, however, is proving more difficult. – ARTnews
ISSUES
- American Pavillion At The Venice Biennale Is $1M Short. Art Transport Now A Problem
Despite months of controversy, the United States managed to get Alma Allen‘s enormous sculptures to Venice for this year’s Biennale. Getting them home, however, is proving more difficult. – ARTnews
- House Republicans Demand Details Of Smithsonian Museum Curation
“The Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency is concerned that the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) does not properly review proposed exhibits in its museums,” says a letter to outgoing Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch III, penned by subcommittee chairman Tim Burchett of Tennessee along with Georgia’s Brian Jack. – ARTnews
- Inside The Books Of The Mega-Galleries
Even for the biggest blue-chip galleries, selling art is a tough business. – Artnet
- “One Shared Collection”: MoMA, Pompidou Centre And Hong Kong’s M+ Announce Unprecedented Partnership
“At the heart of the alliance is an agreement that the institutions will treat their holdings as a shared collection. … This alliance differs from past models such as traveling exhibitions, co-organized shows, and collaborations on specific projects … in that it is a long-term commitment to building programs together from the ground up.” – ARTnews
- Hirshhorn Museum’s Sculpture Garden Reopens After Four-Year Revamp
“The 1.3-acre space was designed by artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto to better integrate with the National Mall, and it includes new works and spaces for education and programming. … It’s the biggest update to the museum since it opened in 1974, almost doubling the number of sculptures on display.” – Axios
MEDIA
- The Kennedy Center’s Perplexing Choice Of Architect For $257M Renovations
The firm — which employs just 50 people, including eight architects, according to an industry database — generally does work that is a fraction of the scale and expense of the job. One if its most ambitious projects, according to its online portfolio, was a high school renovation completed in 2016 that cost about $40 million. – Washington Post
- Northern Arkansas Has Become A Cultural Destination. The Culture Is Changing
Bentonville’s population has nearly doubled. The town is bursting with new activity: award-winning restaurants, shopping, boutique hotels, condominiums, offices and arguably the most sophisticated bike trail network in the country. But prices are bursting too: A single-family home now hovers around $490,000. The average rent has nearly tripled, to $2,000 a month from about $800. – The New York Times
- “Adapting And Settling”: SMU DataArts 2026 Report On State Of US Nonprofit Arts Sector
“While the sector may be moving past pandemic-era volatility, reduced earned revenue and persistent inflation over the last several years leave fewer resources available to the cultural organizations that bring music, theatre, art, and shared experiences to our communities. Even so, many organizations are maintaining a financial surplus.” – SMU DataArts
- On The Ballot: Philly Voters Will Decide Fate Of City’s Arts And Culture Office
For the first time, we have a chance to free Philly’s office of arts and culture from the whims of the mayor, and make it part of the city charter. – Broad Street Review
- A Humanities Course Has Become Harvard’s Hottest Ticket
Hum 10, as it’s commonly known, has become the surprise hit of Harvard’s academic lineup and something of a campus institution. Demand to get into the class has surged, fueled by word-of-mouth from “Hum Alums” who talk it up on social media. – The Wall Street Journal
MUSIC
- Horror Books And Bookstores Are Proliferating
Horror book sales are up 39 percent this year over last, according to Circana BookScan. The market is growing: 5.1 million books were sold in 2025, up from 3.2 million in 2021. – The New York Times
- Meet The People Who Choose The Poems In New York Subway Cars
Anyone who has taken the subway has likely come across Poetry in Motion, which pairs poems with artwork. … Tina Vaz, the head of the MTA’s Arts & Design team, and Matt Brogan, the executive director of the Poetry Society of America, are the big decision makers behind the Poetry in Motion program. – Literary Hub
- A.S. Byatt’s Papers Are Now Open At The British Library
“The archive allows researchers to follow Byatt as she assembles the raw material of her fiction, tests ideas and repeatedly questions whether they will work.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Life Magazine Will Return To Print Just In Time For Thanksgiving
“Life magazine is making its long-awaited return to print on Nov. 23, exactly 90 years after its landmark 1936 debut, with a $45 quarterly publication that will forgo traditional print advertising as part of a broader push into digital content, video and live experiences.” – TheWrap (Yahoo!)
- One Of Italy’s Largest Daily Papers Expands Into The US, In English
La Stampa, a nationally- and regionally-focused outlet headquartered in Turin, is opening La Stampa USA as an online publication aimed at an Italian-American readership. The newsroom currently has five employees in New York and two in Washington DC and plans to hire contributors around the country. – Press Gazette (UK)
PEOPLE
- Kennedy Center’s Architect: No Experience Required
Good Morning,
The Kennedy Center’s $257 million renovation has gone to a Minneapolis firm of about 50 people whose most ambitious listed project is a high school, and the center won’t say why (The Washington Post).
The Phoenix Symphony suspends its season Nov. 1 after years of deficits, laying off 66 musicians, and a new $6.5 million gift is now in legal jeopardy (Arizona Republic). The city spent $7 million on its hall this month, and the musicians want to see the budget.
MoMA, the Centre Pompidou and Hong Kong’s M+ will treat their holdings as one collection curated across three continents (ARTnews). The Pompidou, closed for restoration until 2030, gets a long-term gallery at MoMA in 2028.
Two House Republicans want the Smithsonian’s exhibit-review process after Cooper Hewitt, its design museum, showed models of homes destroyed by US-made munitions in Iraq, Syria and Gaza (ARTnews). Congress provides most of the Smithsonian’s funding.
All of our stories below.
- What It’s Like To Be A Professional Scare Actor During Halloween Season
Lyndon Laveaux is one of around 400 scare actors working at the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor in Long Beach. He plays the Captain, the undead master of ceremonies. “I just love it,” he says. “It’s like an adult summer camp and I appreciate the fans, I appreciate this community.” – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
- Horror Books And Bookstores Are Proliferating
Horror book sales are up 39 percent this year over last, according to Circana BookScan. The market is growing: 5.1 million books were sold in 2025, up from 3.2 million in 2021. – The New York Times
- Despite Taliban’s Prohibition, Masters Hope To Keep Traditional Afghan Music Alive
“For many, music is in their blood. It has flowed through their families for generations, and the thought of never playing again is unbearable. Every so often, some pull out their instruments and play in secret. A knock at the door could mean danger. Still, they play.” – AP
- American Pavillion At The Venice Biennale Is $1M Short. Art Transport Now A Problem
Despite months of controversy, the United States managed to get Alma Allen‘s enormous sculptures to Venice for this year’s Biennale. Getting them home, however, is proving more difficult. – ARTnews
PEOPLE
- Kennedy Center’s Architect: No Experience Required
Good Morning,
The Kennedy Center’s $257 million renovation has gone to a Minneapolis firm of about 50 people whose most ambitious listed project is a high school, and the center won’t say why (The Washington Post).
The Phoenix Symphony suspends its season Nov. 1 after years of deficits, laying off 66 musicians, and a new $6.5 million gift is now in legal jeopardy (Arizona Republic). The city spent $7 million on its hall this month, and the musicians want to see the budget.
MoMA, the Centre Pompidou and Hong Kong’s M+ will treat their holdings as one collection curated across three continents (ARTnews). The Pompidou, closed for restoration until 2030, gets a long-term gallery at MoMA in 2028.
Two House Republicans want the Smithsonian’s exhibit-review process after Cooper Hewitt, its design museum, showed models of homes destroyed by US-made munitions in Iraq, Syria and Gaza (ARTnews). Congress provides most of the Smithsonian’s funding.
All of our stories below.
- What It’s Like To Be A Professional Scare Actor During Halloween Season
Lyndon Laveaux is one of around 400 scare actors working at the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor in Long Beach. He plays the Captain, the undead master of ceremonies. “I just love it,” he says. “It’s like an adult summer camp and I appreciate the fans, I appreciate this community.” – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
- Horror Books And Bookstores Are Proliferating
Horror book sales are up 39 percent this year over last, according to Circana BookScan. The market is growing: 5.1 million books were sold in 2025, up from 3.2 million in 2021. – The New York Times
- Despite Taliban’s Prohibition, Masters Hope To Keep Traditional Afghan Music Alive
“For many, music is in their blood. It has flowed through their families for generations, and the thought of never playing again is unbearable. Every so often, some pull out their instruments and play in secret. A knock at the door could mean danger. Still, they play.” – AP
- American Pavillion At The Venice Biennale Is $1M Short. Art Transport Now A Problem
Despite months of controversy, the United States managed to get Alma Allen‘s enormous sculptures to Venice for this year’s Biennale. Getting them home, however, is proving more difficult. – ARTnews
THEATRE
VISUAL
- Major Culture Shift: Private Equity Is Buying Up Small Businesses
Deal by deal, ownership is being extracted from the thousands of communities where businesses were built to the handful of cities where capital is already concentrated. – The New York Times
- How Our Brains Cope With Uncertainty
Systems fail; unanticipated difficulties occur; things break or rot. To cope with this reality, philosophical and religious traditions such as Buddhism and Stoicism have long focused on transience, unpredictability, and the inevitability of change and loss. – Scientific American
- Don’t Forget: Technology That Serves Creativity
We live in a golden age of digital creativity. Forget A.I.: you, yourself, can record an album from your sofa, or curate a photo-essay on the train. In that spirit, here are some of my favorite creative digital tools. – The New Yorker
- Why Is There So Much Beauty In The World?
“There’s too much beauty to be accounted for by simple utility,” argues Nicholas Humphrey. – MIT Press Reader
- The V&A’s Argument Against AI Slop
Why are humans so driven to make things? In our age of A.I. slop, the V. & A.’s devotion to physical objects is a tonic. And if two new buildings seem like overkill, think of all those data centers. – The New Yorker