AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Good Morning
Today’s AJ highlights: The occupation of Minneapolis continues but signs of resistance mount. Philadelphia is suing the Trump administration after federal workers removed a memorial to the enslaved people of George Washington’s household from Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, leaving only their names engraved on a wall (Bucks County Beacon). This act of erasure resonates with Salman Rushdie’s warnings from Sundance, where he argued that “for the authoritarian, culture is the enemy” because it represents the complexity that tyranny seeks to destroy (The Guardian).
In the digital realm, the resistance to “synthetic” culture is getting creative. An art student in Alaska explains why he ate a banana-taped-to-wall style AI artwork in protest, calling the machine-generated piece “insulting” to human effort (The Nation). Meanwhile, Wikipedia editors are cataloging the “tells” of AI writing to purge it from the encyclopedia (Ars Technica) , and critics are lamenting the descent of literary coverage into “book slop”—vacuous, list-based content designed for algorithms rather than readers (The Baffler).
Finally, stories about the infrastructure of the arts. The UK has announced a massive £1.5 billion investment to stabilize its cultural sector after years of austerity (The Conversation) , while Portland faces a difficult choice between renovating its seismically unsafe Keller Auditorium or building a new venue, with studies suggesting the city can’t support both (Oregon ArtsWatch). And in a twist of internet fate, Gary Larson’s The Far Side is enjoying a resurgence, driven by viral videos of cows using tools (NPR).
All of the stories we collected below:
- New York Theatre Ballet seeks Managing Director
The Managing Director (MD) serves as the company’s chief administrative and development leader. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the MD ensures that the organization’s activities and its administrative, financial, & operational systems effectively align with and support its mission and values. The MD works in close partnership with the Artistic Director (AD), Finance Director (FD) & Head of School (HS) to develop NYTB’s strategic plan & secure financial resources to implement, sustain, & grow the organization. Qualifications include strong experience in nonprofit leadership or arts administration; demonstrated success in grant writing, prospecting, & institutional fundraising; strong partnership & communication skills, especially in translating artistic/educational goals into compelling fundraising proposals; solid financial literacy; ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, small-team environment; passion for performing arts & commitment to NYTB’s mission.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising & Grant Development (Primary Focus)
- Lead NYTB’s overall fundraising strategy with special focus on researching, identifying, & securing grants (local, state, federal, corporate & foundation levels)
- Work closely with the AD & HS to collect annual data, align program plans, & devise strategy for funding artistic/educational initiatives & projects; translate the AD/HS visions into compelling grant cases to donors & institutions
- Work closely with the AD & HS to conceive & execute a thoughtful, coordinated yearly and long-term fundraising strategy for each program
- Execute the fundraising strategy by building & maintain a comprehensive grant and donation pipeline, including tracking deadlines, eligibility criteria, & reporting requirements; cultivate and develop strong relationships with program officers, foundation staff, government arts agencies, corporations, private philanthropic partners & donors; plan & lead fundraising events; track grant outcomes, reporting, & compliance to ensure all grant obligations are met
- Develop & oversee the company’s earned income strategy, including ticketing, touring & merchandising
Operations & Administration
Manage daily operations of NYTB’s facilities (office/studio, storage units) & vendor relationships
Oversee systems for data management, ticketing, CRM, & donor databases
Spearhead administrative tasks related to productions in NYC and on tour, including theater rentals & relationship with their staff; crew load-in & load-out schedules; hotel & transportation; food & per diems on tour
Help find, schedule, & negotiate NYTB tours
Serve as a spokesperson at public & fundraising events
Manage risk, including overseeing insurance and legal compliancePartnership with FD, AD & HS
• Manage the company’s brand identity, ensuring alignment with the company’s
community outreach, education, access & diversity goals
• Collaborate to align program plans/schedules & needs, advising on budget
implications of programming & helping to develop multi-year financial scenarios
• Cultivate supporters, schools & cultural organizations, major donors, businesses &
other local partners to expand community reach
Support marketing & audience-growth initiatives to increase ticket sales, school enrollment & overall visibility
Oversee external communications, including the company’s website, social channels, online campaigns & public relations, ensuring alignment with brand identity & grant narratives
Hire, supervise, train, & evaluate staff (including administrative assistant, office manager), contractors, interns, & volunteers
• Monitor and evaluate program effectiveness, using data to inform decisions & report
outcomes to funders & the Board
Develop, oversee, & monitor annual operating budget in collaboration with the AD, HS, & FD, supporting effective governance & strategic planning & jointly presenting to the Board & committees as necessary
Build & maintain relationships with Board – preparing materials for presentations & committees to support governance, strategic planning & Board development
Support the FD as needed to ensure accurate financial reporting, cash flow planning, compliance with nonprofit accounting standards, & preparing timely & accurate state & federal filings & audits.Inquiries: nytb@kelceycoffin.com
- The Allure Of “Lost” Civilizations
Who doesn’t want to know how a lost civilization got lost, or where it might be hiding? The trouble is that what gets touted as a lost civilization often turns out to have been there all along. – The New Yorker
- The UK Has Announced £1.5B Investment In The Arts. So…
A £1.5 billion investment is welcome news for a sector buffeted by years of austerity and inflation (not to mention the long tail of pandemic shutdowns). But the devil is in the detail, as ever, and the wider context: definitions of “infrastructure” beyond the landmarks, and its relationship to cultural workers. – The Conversation
- Lately We’ve Praised Boredom. But Maybe It’s Not Really The Path To Resetting
You might think that there’s so much at our fingertips now, surely boredom is gonna go away. But what we’re finding is that it’s actually increasing. So one speculation is that our capacity to connect well is diminishing, and as that’s happening, we’re getting more bored. – Nautilus
ISSUES
- Philadelphia Sues Trump Over Removal Of Memorial Of Enslaved People
Workers on Thursday removed the exhibit, which included biographical details about the nine people enslaved by the Washingtons at the presidential mansion. Just their names — Austin, Paris, Hercules, Christopher Sheels, Richmond, Giles, Oney Judge, Moll and Joe — remain engraved into a cement wall. – Bucks County Beacon
- Visual Arts Infrastructure In The UK Has Been Vastly Underfunded For Years
A new, private foundation wants to counter that with some funding. – The Guardian (UK)
- Little Did We Suspect That Viral Animal Videos Would Portend The Return To Prominence Of This Cartoon
Cows. Tools. Gary Larson. Need we say more? – NPR
- The Man Who Ate The AI ‘Art’ Tells Us Why
Graham Granger: “I saw the AI piece and it was just—as an artist myself, it was insulting to see something of such little effort alongside all these beautiful pieces in the gallery.” – The Nation
- Yes, The Super Bowl Has An Official Pop Artist
Charles Fazzino “has been the official artist for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game for more than 20 years. He’s served a similar role for the Olympic Games, two Fifa World Cup tournaments, five Daytime Emmy Award ceremonies and the Grammy Awards.” – The Guardian (UK)
MEDIA
- The UK Has Announced £1.5B Investment In The Arts. So…
A £1.5 billion investment is welcome news for a sector buffeted by years of austerity and inflation (not to mention the long tail of pandemic shutdowns). But the devil is in the detail, as ever, and the wider context: definitions of “infrastructure” beyond the landmarks, and its relationship to cultural workers. – The Conversation
- Salman Rushdie On Violence And Culture
“For the authoritarian, culture is the enemy,” he added. “The uncultured and ignorant and tyrannical don’t like it. And they take steps against it, which we see every day.” – The Guardian
- Portland’s Theatrical Future Thrown Into Doubt After New Study
The 3,000-seat Keller Auditorium is seismically challenged. Should the city rebuild it, support the new Portland State University Broadway-show-size theatre, or make a third choice? A new study says the city’s population can’t support both. – Oregon ArtsWatch
- The Thing Is, Computers Can Only Copy
Software can’t surprise us the way humans can. – Aeon
- Spanish Prosecutors Drop Investigation Into Julio Iglesias For Sexual Assault
“They ruled that Spanish courts had no jurisdiction and were therefore not competent to investigate crimes committed abroad involving complainants who were not Spanish citizens or residents and who had never travelled to Spain with the star.” – BBC
MUSIC
- How Book Reviews Became Book Slop
Lydia Kiesling reflects on how book coverage devolved into bloated, AI-adjacent list culture, tracing her own path through The Millions and the broader media collapse. – The Baffler
- Wikipedia Has Been Cataloging The “Tells” Of AI Writing. Here’s A List
The source material is a guide from WikiProject AI Cleanup, a group of Wikipedia editors who have been hunting AI-generated articles since late 2023. – Ars Technica
- Wikipedia At 25: What The Internet Can Be
Perhaps the greatest compliment to Wikipedia at 25 years old is the fact that, if the fascists can’t buy it, then they’re going to try to kill it. – Anil Dash
- Let’s Keep Talking About What The Abrupt Decline Of Handwriting Is Doing To Us
Writing by hand “allows the cognition of what we’re working with to actually move through the visual processes, move through the physical processes of handwriting, and it allows us to have that time to think about the content that we’re writing about.” – ABC (Australia)
- What To Read Now
At least according to Ali Smith, whose 2024 book Gliff is such a good, terrifying book about the surveillance state that you’ll think it’s nonfiction. (Her comfort read, should anyone be looking for such a thing for some reason, is Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book.) – The Guardian (UK)
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
Today’s AJ highlights: The occupation of Minneapolis continues but signs of resistance mount. Philadelphia is suing the Trump administration after federal workers removed a memorial to the enslaved people of George Washington’s household from Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, leaving only their names engraved on a wall (Bucks County Beacon). This act of erasure resonates with Salman Rushdie’s warnings from Sundance, where he argued that “for the authoritarian, culture is the enemy” because it represents the complexity that tyranny seeks to destroy (The Guardian).
In the digital realm, the resistance to “synthetic” culture is getting creative. An art student in Alaska explains why he ate a banana-taped-to-wall style AI artwork in protest, calling the machine-generated piece “insulting” to human effort (The Nation). Meanwhile, Wikipedia editors are cataloging the “tells” of AI writing to purge it from the encyclopedia (Ars Technica) , and critics are lamenting the descent of literary coverage into “book slop”—vacuous, list-based content designed for algorithms rather than readers (The Baffler).
Finally, stories about the infrastructure of the arts. The UK has announced a massive £1.5 billion investment to stabilize its cultural sector after years of austerity (The Conversation) , while Portland faces a difficult choice between renovating its seismically unsafe Keller Auditorium or building a new venue, with studies suggesting the city can’t support both (Oregon ArtsWatch). And in a twist of internet fate, Gary Larson’s The Far Side is enjoying a resurgence, driven by viral videos of cows using tools (NPR).
All of the stories we collected below:
- New York Theatre Ballet seeks Managing Director
The Managing Director (MD) serves as the company’s chief administrative and development leader. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the MD ensures that the organization’s activities and its administrative, financial, & operational systems effectively align with and support its mission and values. The MD works in close partnership with the Artistic Director (AD), Finance Director (FD) & Head of School (HS) to develop NYTB’s strategic plan & secure financial resources to implement, sustain, & grow the organization. Qualifications include strong experience in nonprofit leadership or arts administration; demonstrated success in grant writing, prospecting, & institutional fundraising; strong partnership & communication skills, especially in translating artistic/educational goals into compelling fundraising proposals; solid financial literacy; ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, small-team environment; passion for performing arts & commitment to NYTB’s mission.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising & Grant Development (Primary Focus)
- Lead NYTB’s overall fundraising strategy with special focus on researching, identifying, & securing grants (local, state, federal, corporate & foundation levels)
- Work closely with the AD & HS to collect annual data, align program plans, & devise strategy for funding artistic/educational initiatives & projects; translate the AD/HS visions into compelling grant cases to donors & institutions
- Work closely with the AD & HS to conceive & execute a thoughtful, coordinated yearly and long-term fundraising strategy for each program
- Execute the fundraising strategy by building & maintain a comprehensive grant and donation pipeline, including tracking deadlines, eligibility criteria, & reporting requirements; cultivate and develop strong relationships with program officers, foundation staff, government arts agencies, corporations, private philanthropic partners & donors; plan & lead fundraising events; track grant outcomes, reporting, & compliance to ensure all grant obligations are met
- Develop & oversee the company’s earned income strategy, including ticketing, touring & merchandising
Operations & Administration
Manage daily operations of NYTB’s facilities (office/studio, storage units) & vendor relationships
Oversee systems for data management, ticketing, CRM, & donor databases
Spearhead administrative tasks related to productions in NYC and on tour, including theater rentals & relationship with their staff; crew load-in & load-out schedules; hotel & transportation; food & per diems on tour
Help find, schedule, & negotiate NYTB tours
Serve as a spokesperson at public & fundraising events
Manage risk, including overseeing insurance and legal compliancePartnership with FD, AD & HS
• Manage the company’s brand identity, ensuring alignment with the company’s
community outreach, education, access & diversity goals
• Collaborate to align program plans/schedules & needs, advising on budget
implications of programming & helping to develop multi-year financial scenarios
• Cultivate supporters, schools & cultural organizations, major donors, businesses &
other local partners to expand community reach
Support marketing & audience-growth initiatives to increase ticket sales, school enrollment & overall visibility
Oversee external communications, including the company’s website, social channels, online campaigns & public relations, ensuring alignment with brand identity & grant narratives
Hire, supervise, train, & evaluate staff (including administrative assistant, office manager), contractors, interns, & volunteers
• Monitor and evaluate program effectiveness, using data to inform decisions & report
outcomes to funders & the Board
Develop, oversee, & monitor annual operating budget in collaboration with the AD, HS, & FD, supporting effective governance & strategic planning & jointly presenting to the Board & committees as necessary
Build & maintain relationships with Board – preparing materials for presentations & committees to support governance, strategic planning & Board development
Support the FD as needed to ensure accurate financial reporting, cash flow planning, compliance with nonprofit accounting standards, & preparing timely & accurate state & federal filings & audits.Inquiries: nytb@kelceycoffin.com
- The Allure Of “Lost” Civilizations
Who doesn’t want to know how a lost civilization got lost, or where it might be hiding? The trouble is that what gets touted as a lost civilization often turns out to have been there all along. – The New Yorker
- The UK Has Announced £1.5B Investment In The Arts. So…
A £1.5 billion investment is welcome news for a sector buffeted by years of austerity and inflation (not to mention the long tail of pandemic shutdowns). But the devil is in the detail, as ever, and the wider context: definitions of “infrastructure” beyond the landmarks, and its relationship to cultural workers. – The Conversation
- Lately We’ve Praised Boredom. But Maybe It’s Not Really The Path To Resetting
You might think that there’s so much at our fingertips now, surely boredom is gonna go away. But what we’re finding is that it’s actually increasing. So one speculation is that our capacity to connect well is diminishing, and as that’s happening, we’re getting more bored. – Nautilus
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
Today’s AJ highlights: The occupation of Minneapolis continues but signs of resistance mount. Philadelphia is suing the Trump administration after federal workers removed a memorial to the enslaved people of George Washington’s household from Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, leaving only their names engraved on a wall (Bucks County Beacon). This act of erasure resonates with Salman Rushdie’s warnings from Sundance, where he argued that “for the authoritarian, culture is the enemy” because it represents the complexity that tyranny seeks to destroy (The Guardian).
In the digital realm, the resistance to “synthetic” culture is getting creative. An art student in Alaska explains why he ate a banana-taped-to-wall style AI artwork in protest, calling the machine-generated piece “insulting” to human effort (The Nation). Meanwhile, Wikipedia editors are cataloging the “tells” of AI writing to purge it from the encyclopedia (Ars Technica) , and critics are lamenting the descent of literary coverage into “book slop”—vacuous, list-based content designed for algorithms rather than readers (The Baffler).
Finally, stories about the infrastructure of the arts. The UK has announced a massive £1.5 billion investment to stabilize its cultural sector after years of austerity (The Conversation) , while Portland faces a difficult choice between renovating its seismically unsafe Keller Auditorium or building a new venue, with studies suggesting the city can’t support both (Oregon ArtsWatch). And in a twist of internet fate, Gary Larson’s The Far Side is enjoying a resurgence, driven by viral videos of cows using tools (NPR).
All of the stories we collected below:
- New York Theatre Ballet seeks Managing Director
The Managing Director (MD) serves as the company’s chief administrative and development leader. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the MD ensures that the organization’s activities and its administrative, financial, & operational systems effectively align with and support its mission and values. The MD works in close partnership with the Artistic Director (AD), Finance Director (FD) & Head of School (HS) to develop NYTB’s strategic plan & secure financial resources to implement, sustain, & grow the organization. Qualifications include strong experience in nonprofit leadership or arts administration; demonstrated success in grant writing, prospecting, & institutional fundraising; strong partnership & communication skills, especially in translating artistic/educational goals into compelling fundraising proposals; solid financial literacy; ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, small-team environment; passion for performing arts & commitment to NYTB’s mission.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising & Grant Development (Primary Focus)
- Lead NYTB’s overall fundraising strategy with special focus on researching, identifying, & securing grants (local, state, federal, corporate & foundation levels)
- Work closely with the AD & HS to collect annual data, align program plans, & devise strategy for funding artistic/educational initiatives & projects; translate the AD/HS visions into compelling grant cases to donors & institutions
- Work closely with the AD & HS to conceive & execute a thoughtful, coordinated yearly and long-term fundraising strategy for each program
- Execute the fundraising strategy by building & maintain a comprehensive grant and donation pipeline, including tracking deadlines, eligibility criteria, & reporting requirements; cultivate and develop strong relationships with program officers, foundation staff, government arts agencies, corporations, private philanthropic partners & donors; plan & lead fundraising events; track grant outcomes, reporting, & compliance to ensure all grant obligations are met
- Develop & oversee the company’s earned income strategy, including ticketing, touring & merchandising
Operations & Administration
Manage daily operations of NYTB’s facilities (office/studio, storage units) & vendor relationships
Oversee systems for data management, ticketing, CRM, & donor databases
Spearhead administrative tasks related to productions in NYC and on tour, including theater rentals & relationship with their staff; crew load-in & load-out schedules; hotel & transportation; food & per diems on tour
Help find, schedule, & negotiate NYTB tours
Serve as a spokesperson at public & fundraising events
Manage risk, including overseeing insurance and legal compliancePartnership with FD, AD & HS
• Manage the company’s brand identity, ensuring alignment with the company’s
community outreach, education, access & diversity goals
• Collaborate to align program plans/schedules & needs, advising on budget
implications of programming & helping to develop multi-year financial scenarios
• Cultivate supporters, schools & cultural organizations, major donors, businesses &
other local partners to expand community reach
Support marketing & audience-growth initiatives to increase ticket sales, school enrollment & overall visibility
Oversee external communications, including the company’s website, social channels, online campaigns & public relations, ensuring alignment with brand identity & grant narratives
Hire, supervise, train, & evaluate staff (including administrative assistant, office manager), contractors, interns, & volunteers
• Monitor and evaluate program effectiveness, using data to inform decisions & report
outcomes to funders & the Board
Develop, oversee, & monitor annual operating budget in collaboration with the AD, HS, & FD, supporting effective governance & strategic planning & jointly presenting to the Board & committees as necessary
Build & maintain relationships with Board – preparing materials for presentations & committees to support governance, strategic planning & Board development
Support the FD as needed to ensure accurate financial reporting, cash flow planning, compliance with nonprofit accounting standards, & preparing timely & accurate state & federal filings & audits.Inquiries: nytb@kelceycoffin.com
- The Allure Of “Lost” Civilizations
Who doesn’t want to know how a lost civilization got lost, or where it might be hiding? The trouble is that what gets touted as a lost civilization often turns out to have been there all along. – The New Yorker
- The UK Has Announced £1.5B Investment In The Arts. So…
A £1.5 billion investment is welcome news for a sector buffeted by years of austerity and inflation (not to mention the long tail of pandemic shutdowns). But the devil is in the detail, as ever, and the wider context: definitions of “infrastructure” beyond the landmarks, and its relationship to cultural workers. – The Conversation
- Lately We’ve Praised Boredom. But Maybe It’s Not Really The Path To Resetting
You might think that there’s so much at our fingertips now, surely boredom is gonna go away. But what we’re finding is that it’s actually increasing. So one speculation is that our capacity to connect well is diminishing, and as that’s happening, we’re getting more bored. – Nautilus
THEATRE
VISUAL
- The Allure Of “Lost” Civilizations
Who doesn’t want to know how a lost civilization got lost, or where it might be hiding? The trouble is that what gets touted as a lost civilization often turns out to have been there all along. – The New Yorker
- Lately We’ve Praised Boredom. But Maybe It’s Not Really The Path To Resetting
You might think that there’s so much at our fingertips now, surely boredom is gonna go away. But what we’re finding is that it’s actually increasing. So one speculation is that our capacity to connect well is diminishing, and as that’s happening, we’re getting more bored. – Nautilus
- Adults Should Maybe Use Their Phones Less? It’s Really A Matter Of Culture
Ultimately, this is an issue not of screens versus humans, but of how families navigate connection in a world where attention is mediated by devices in every age group. – The Atlantic
- Good Decisions Are About Culture (Which AI Doesn’t Have)
The most consequential decisions in business have never been about processing information faster or detecting patterns more efficiently. The most salient concerns are questions such as what kind of enterprise a firm should aspire to be, what culture it should embrace. – The New York Times
- We Can’t Really ‘Unwind’ With Screens
“Although many people turn to screen-based activities to wind down, these activities may have the opposite effect biologically.” – The Conversation
