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- Middle Schoolers Hijacked NPR’s Wild Card Comments
Good Morning,
Middle schoolers barred from most social media turned the Spotify comments under an episode of NPR’s Wild Card into a group chat. Showrunner Dave Blanchard deleted the posts as bot gibberish until one replied, “so it deleted my com” (The Verge).
A new definition of artist? Es Devlin, the designer behind two Olympic ceremonies and two Super Bowl halftime shows, opens a 30-year retrospective at London’s Design Museum on October 2; she took her self-description, “everythingist,” from the Russian designer Natalia Goncharova (The Guardian).
Arts-management professor E. Andrew Taylor lists who was supposed to oversee the Kennedy Center — Congress, the trustees, the IRS, the courts — and finds most of them answering to a president who chairs the board Judge Christopher Cooper called “derelict” in May (The Conversation).
NAZA, a documentary built on 24 anonymous Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers describing Gaza targeting, had its New York premiere with protesters and an LED-screen truck outside, as its directors face Netanyahu’s threat to strip their citizenship (The Guardian). Eight independent bookstores, including Firestorm Books in Asheville, wrote the American Booksellers Association that a memo on “domestic terrorism” could reach them: in the Prairieland protest case, prosecutors called a printer and a book club “material support” (Lit Hub).
The Mighty Sparrow, the “Calypso King of the World,” has died at 91.
- Cantabile Youth Singers – Executive Director
Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley is seeking a collaborative, relationship-driven nonprofit executive to serve as its next Executive Director. Under the artistic leadership of Elena Sharkova, Cantabile has earned an international reputation for artistic excellence, adventurous programming, and innovative youth music education. More than 180 singers, ages 6 to 18, receive exceptional vocal and musical training while developing confidence, leadership, and a lasting sense of community.
Cantabile has commissioned and premiered more than twenty new works since 2014, toured internationally, and will perform a major commission at Carnegie Hall in 2027. The next Executive Director will partner with the Artistic Director and Board to bring the Cantabile experience to more young people and families, grow philanthropic support, and build new relationships throughout the community.
Cantabile has an operating budget of approximately $1 million (70% earned revenue, 30% contributed revenue). The hiring range starts at $125,000 plus a performance-based bonus and a competitive benefits package. The anticipated start date is late 2026. Learn more and apply at https://tinyurl.com/CYSartsjor
- Art Gallery of Alberta seeks Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer
Organization
The Art Gallery of Alberta (the AGA) is dedicated to excellent and innovative practice in programming, stewardship, and presentation of visual arts in Western Canada and throughout the nation. Located in downtown Edmonton, the AGA is adjacent to Sir Winston Churchill Square and City Hall Plaza, home to many world-class festivals and community events. Serving audiences across Alberta and beyond, the AGA creates a welcoming and engaging environment where people are motivated to transform their understanding of the world by connecting with visual arts. It envisions a future in which it will be the creative hub of Alberta, inspiring imaginations, engaging generations, and transforming people’s lives through art. The AGA’s strategic priorities are focused on sustainability, engagement, and inspiration as a destination cultural attraction.
Founded in 1924 as the Edmonton Museum of Arts Association, the organization was established by influential Edmonton citizens who viewed the AGA as a means to “promote the knowledge and enjoyment of, and cultivation of the fine arts and to preserve historical relics.” Over the course of its history, the AGA occupied several locations, including the Hotel Macdonald and Secord House, where it became known as the Edmonton Art Gallery. In 1969, the AGA opened its first purpose-built facility on Sir Winston Churchill Square, designed by Edmonton architect Don Bittorf. The building received national and international recognition and marked a major milestone in the AGA’s evolution as a modern art museum.
As the AGA grew, so did its permanent collection, which expanded through significant acquisitions and donations from artists, collectors, and supporters across Canada. The collection came to include important works by notable Canadian and international artists such as Emily Carr, Lawren Harris, Maxwell Bates, David Milne, Jack Bush, Kenneth Noland, and Frederick Verner, alongside a substantial photography collection featuring both Canadian and American photographers. By the early 2000s, the AGA’s growing collection and aging facilities demonstrated the need for a larger, state-of-the-art building capable of meeting international museum standards and supporting a contemporary vision for public engagement with the arts.
In 2005, Los Angeles-based Randall Stout Architects was selected from an international competition to design the AGA’s new facility. That same year, the Edmonton Art Gallery was officially renamed the Art Gallery of Alberta in recognition of a $15 million contribution from the Province of Alberta. Construction on the new building began in 2007, and the reimagined Gallery officially opened to the public on January 31, 2010. Today, the AGA has approximately 20,000 square feet of exhibition space over six galleries and serves as one of Canada’s premier visual arts institutions housing a collection of more than 6,500 works of art of Albertan origin (40%), Canadian origin (37%), and international origin (23%). Approximately 25% of these works are pre-WWII, 37% from 1946-1980, 31% from 1981-2000, and 7% in the 21st century, and the collection encompasses a wide range of media ranging from paintings & drawings (36%) to printmaking (32%) to photography (25%), among others. The AGA has approximately 3,800 members and presents local and touring exhibitions, educational initiatives, and public programs that engage diverse communities and inspire generations through art.
The AGA has an 18-member Board of Directors led by Co-Chairs Peggy Garritty and Sheila O’Brien, and Catherine Crowston serves as Executive Director and Chief Curator in overseeing approximately 29 full-time employees in addition to a variety of part-time employees and volunteers. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, the AGA reported total operating, endowment, and capital revenues of $8.1 million, with 47% from contributions, membership, and special events; 36% from government grants; 9% from admissions, public programs, retail, art sales, art rentals, and catering; and 8% from investments and other income.
Community
Located in the heart of Treaty 6 Territory, Edmonton (Amiskwacîwâskahikan) is one of Canada’s youngest and fastest-growing cities and serves as the fifth largest in the country. The Edmonton region continues to evolve as a dynamic centre for arts, culture, and innovation, with communities representing Indigenous Nations, long-standing cultural communities, and newcomers from around the world. Edmonton’s diversity is reflected through its festivals, organizations, artists, and major cultural events, including the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, Cariwest, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, and year-round programming led by local arts organizations and collectives.
As Alberta’s capital city and a metropolitan hub, Edmonton offers residents and visitors a wide range of cultural amenities, including post-secondary institutions, museums, galleries, theatres, libraries, and an expansive river valley park system. The city continues to invest in public spaces, creative industries, and community-building initiatives that support quality of life and civic engagement.
Known as “Canada’s Festival City,” Edmonton is home to a vibrant arts ecosystem that spans theatre, music, dance, visual arts, literary arts, film, and multidisciplinary practices. Community arts programs, artist-run centres, festivals, and cultural institutions contribute to a strong sense of belonging and identity across the region. The Edmonton Arts Council serves the entire community to bring art to a public that agrees that arts and culture make communities better places to live. A further 85% of surveyed Edmontonians agree that participating in arts and cultural activities builds a shared sense of community identity.
Sources: edmontonarts.ca; exploreedmonton.com; Edmonton.ca; regionaldashboard.alberta.ca; Photo: benedek
Position Summary
The Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer (Deputy Director & COO) will be an innovative yet practical leader who embraces a vision for the Art Gallery of Alberta (the AGA) that focuses on business enterprise revenue generation, the visitor experience, and operational effectiveness. In close partnership with and reporting to the Executive Director & Chief Curator, the Deputy Director & COO will oversee all financial, facility, technology, marketing, communications, and human resource aspects of the AGA, as well as streamline operational activities that best meet both community and organizational needs. This includes reassessing and reinvigorating retail, restaurant, art sales, art rentals, events, venue rentals, and other revenue generating enterprise initiatives while ensuring the highest caliber visitor experience and market visibility for the AGA. The Deputy Director & COO will also collaborate closely with Exhibitions & Collections, Education & Learning, and Development & Donor Engagement, all of whom report to the Executive Director & Chief Curator, to integrate all areas of the AGA with a unified team that is focused on the AGA’s long-term capital needs embedded in a solid strategic direction.
Roles and Responsibilities
Ideation, Strategic Direction, and Implementation
- Serve as a thought leader and collaborative partner to the Executive Director & Chief Curator, Board, and senior leadership team in assessing, recommending, and implementing clear short- and long-term plans that balance strategic objectives, capital needs, team cohesion, financial outcomes, and community impact.
- Reassess and reinvigorate admissions, memberships, and revenue generating enterprises based in a welcoming and inclusive visitor experience, market visibility, and active destination.
- Engage in a collaborative and comprehensive change management process where all voices are welcomed, heard, and included in a cross-functional leadership team and community-focused organization.
- Focus on a visitor-centered plan in thoughtful dialogue with curatorial, education, marketing, and other senior leaders to support increased attendance and brand awareness.
- Cultivate partnerships and opportunities that expand revenue opportunities, both earned and contributed, that build financial resilience for ongoing programs, education activities, facilities, and the visitor experience.
- Nurture authentic local and provincial relationships with Indigenous peoples, settlers, and newcomers by including them in equitable organizational practices and policies.
- Ensure the vitality of a strategic plan that attains the vision to drive responsible growth, achieves sustainable financial success, and meets visitor expectations.
- Embrace other ideation, strategic direction, and implementation responsibilities as needed.
Human, Financial, Technological, and Facilities Vibrancy
- Oversee financial operations, including the preparation of the annual operating and capital budgets in collaboration with the Executive Director & Chief Curator, Head of Finance & Administration, Board Audit & Finance Committee, and senior leadership team.
- Monitor operating, endowment, and capital revenues and expenditures, as well as their impacts on the balance sheet and cash flow, and guide delivery of regular updates to Board and department leaders to ensure the most effective use of financial, human, and technological resources.
- Oversee the writing and reporting of grants for departments and operational areas (i.e. capital, building, technology, human resources) with support from Finance and Administration, Executive Director & Chief Curator, and other departments as needed.
- Develop appropriate facility repair and replacement plans, in collaboration with the Head of Facility Operations and Head of Finance & Administration, and communicate those priorities to the Head of Development & Engagement, as well as the Board’s Building and External Relations Committees.
- Deliver transparent, comprehensive, concise, relevant, and timely information to the Executive Director & Chief Curator and the Board, so that they can effectively fulfill their policy-setting and community ambassadorship responsibilities.
- Manage Human Resources, ensuring that the overall staffing, structures, policies, systems, and procedures are in place, equitably distributed, and reviewed for effectiveness within a positive organizational culture.
- Inspire, mentor, evaluate, and guide a high-performing team that supports a culture of inclusion, growth, and continuous improvement in alignment with the AGA’s values.
- Advocate for digital innovation and strengthen the IT and financial infrastructure of the AGA and capabilities to ensure effective and efficient operations.
- Embrace other human, financial, technological, and facilities vibrancy responsibilities as needed.
Mission-Oriented Partnerships, Public Visibility, and Community Engagement
- Develop an active community presence and build strong, positive relationships with business, university, tourism, and civic leaders to foster opportunities for ongoing support, new initiatives, and partnerships throughout the community.
- Guide Enterprise & Visitor Experience team with engaged alignment and increased revenue opportunities that benefit those who interact with the AGA in person, virtually, or otherwise.
- Oversee Marketing & Communications in developing and executing a comprehensive plan that will raise public visibility, engage the community, define the brand proposition, build trust, enhance reputation, and deepen loyalty.
- Commit to Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, including integrating Indigenous knowledge systems and practices into organizational frameworks and resource allocations.
- Deepen and refine all aspects of communication to support and strengthen the AGA’s brand and visibility.
- Embrace other mission-oriented partnerships, public visibility, and community engagement responsibilities as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Deputy Director & COO will be an innovative and resourceful leader who is motivated by achieving visitor experience and revenue results, advancing organizational priorities, and maximizing the impact of the AGA with and for Indigenous communities, settlers, and newcomers alike. They will embody integrity and respond quickly to evolving operational, capital, and strategic needs while maintaining a strong focus on accountability.
Highly interactive and collaborative, the Deputy Director & COO will thrive in a visible leadership role that requires frequent communication, relationship-building, and cross-departmental coordination while contributing to a supportive and team-oriented environment. The Deputy Director & COO will be receptive to new ideas and adapt comfortably to changing circumstances. Embracing new ideas and guiding others to understand the importance of new opportunities, they will bring a forward-thinking approach with data-driven information and instinctive knowledge in their decision-making. The Deputy Director & COO will draw upon experience, insight, and sound judgment to navigate complex situations and support the AGA’s continued growth and community impact.
Other key competencies include:
- Visitor, Donor, and Community Focus – The dexterity to anticipate, meet, and/or exceed a broad range of stakeholder and rightsholder needs and expectations in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
- Professional and Personal Accountability – The integrity to be answerable for personal and professional actions while readily modifying and adapting to change with resiliency, flexibility, and humility.
- Project, Priority, and Time Management – The capacity to manage, prioritize, and deliver upon complex goals, align competing yet complementary priorities, mobilize team and financial resources, and achieve desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
- Self-Starting – The ingenuity to be creative, take initiative, analyze complex aspects of a situation, and make consistently sound and timely recommendations.
- Leadership and Teamwork – The ability to inspire and build trust, lead with confidence, act with integrity and authenticity, respect team members’ perspectives, and make equitable decisions.
Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) with at least 8-10 years of demonstrable senior management experience in revenue generating enterprises, finance, facilities, and operations in a multi-faceted visitor- and community-facing organization is needed. Candidates from cultural institutions, galleries, destination-based tourism organizations, or businesses with similar enterprise businesses are encouraged to apply. Strong financial management experience, including budgeting, analysis, and reporting that enables timely data-driven decision making with limited risk, is essential. A track record of decisive decision-making and effective judgment in complex organizational settings, including both internal and external interfaces, is a plus.
Experience with strategic planning, retail operations, rentals, food services, process improvement, and organizational culture building is desired. Expertise with capital projects, as well as building relationships with government entities, universities, business, tourism, and commerce partners, is preferred. A proven mindset of continuous improvement, relying upon knowledge of evolving contemporary organizational practices and industry standards, both functional and sector specific, is appreciated. A candidate who does not meet all the qualifications but possesses transferable or equivalent skills, relevant leadership experience, and/or education is encouraged to apply.
Compensation and Benefits
The AGA provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with an estimated base salary in the range of $160,000 to $200,000. Benefits include having access to extended health and dental coverage, life and disability insurance, travel assistance, and a range of wellness support options, including paramedical services and mental health resources. The plan also includes access to online health and wellness tools through EquitableHealth.ca and coverage options that support employees and their families through all stages of life and work.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume, including demonstrable initiatives and accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit here.
The Art Gallery of Alberta is committed to promoting diversity and representativeness within our organization. We strive to provide and maintain a fair and equitable environment for all by valuing and respecting individual differences for our enrichment and that of the community we serve. The AGA respectfully acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 Territory, the traditional land of diverse Indigenous peoples, including the Cree, Nitsitapi / Blackfoot, Metis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Ojibway/ Saulteaux/Anishinaabe. We also acknowledge all the Indigenous, Inuit, and Metis peoples who make Edmonton their home today. The Art Gallery of Alberta is an equal-opportunity employer serving diverse communities.
- Middle Schoolers, Blocked From Most Social Media, Turn Comments On An NPR Podcast Into A Hangout Spot
“When Glass asked one of the kids why they picked this particular podcast, they said, ‘We just, like, looked for podcasts that didn’t have many comments.’” Ouch. But also, creative as heck. – The Verge
- An Ohio School District Cancels A Popular Play, And The Fallout Is Ongoing
“Copley Superintendent Aimee Kirsch said the play was canceled not because of its gay themes but because the proper vetting procedure wasn’t followed.” Unh-hunh. The students cast in the canceled She Kills Monsters were offered parts in the newly approved Alice in Wonderland. – Akron Beacon Journal (Yahoo)
- Former Disney CEO Bob Iger On Creativity
A culture of creativity is also a culture accepting of failure. Creativity is not a science. You can’t possibly bat 1,000. There are inevitable failures, and it’s really important to know as a culture how to process failure so that when you do, it doesn’t destroy people’s ability to continue to create. – Harvard Business Review
- Paramount Boss David Ellison’s Big Challenge: Winning Over Hollywood
The Paramount Skydance chief executive will have to work hard to repair badly frayed relations with Hollywood talent who fiercely opposed the consolidation of two historic studios as a bad deal for workers. – Los Angeles Times
- Why America Looks The Way It Does
It would be hard to overstate how ignorant the Founders of the United States were about their own country. The main map they’d used to negotiate the postwar peace with Britain was woefully inaccurate. – The New Yorker
- The Glenn Gould Of Imagination
The first thing anyone notices about Gould’s playing is the precision of his articulation, and that articulation is so precise that you might—not that you should, but you might—think of him as mechanical, if you didn’t also see him. – Hedgehog Review
- Why Viewers Love To See What People Will Suffer For Money
Beast Games does not provoke debates about who can or should win and how. Rather, it stages a demonstration of what money can make people agree to. – The Conversation
- AI And The Flattening Of Creative Aesthetic
Like the coffee shops of 2016, widespread AI adoption is generating a massive amount of content and products that share an eerie sameness. – Noema
- Congress Considers New Tax Breaks To Save Hollywood
The bill provides a tax credit of at least 20 percent on the wages of the vast array of workers who create movies and TV shows. That includes actors and directors as well as camera operators and makeup artists. – The New York Times
- Theatre As A Public Good
To me, Theatre as Public Good argues that the convening power of theatre, and the belonging and connection it creates, is essential, and should therefore be classified as a public good. – Karthik Subramanian
- Untamed Pledge for the 2026 Elections<a href="https://www.artsjournal.com/herman/2026/09/untamed-pledge-for-the-2026-elections.html" title="Untamed Pledge for the 2026 Elections” rel=”nofollow”>An article
- The Checks And Balances That Could Have Saved The Kennedy Center Failed
Even as these and other construction-related lawsuits are pending, the Trump administration has proven its willingness and ability to build, renovate or destroy federal landmarks without clear authority to do so. – The Conversation
- The NAZA Filmmakers Defend Themselves And The Film At Its NY Premiere
“’These crimes that you saw are ongoing,’ Abraham said. ‘They’re ongoing because it’s what our country is doing, and because of what your country is supporting and funding.’” – The Guardian (UK)
- What Will Westminster Do With Banksy’s Flag Statue?
“The council said it had spent almost £60,000 on safety barriers, administration and for a security guard to keep watch over it.” – BBC
- Booksellers Are Sounding The Alarm About A Presidential Memorandum
“The presidential security memo issued last year specifically targets what the regime sees as leftist ideas in books, zines, and other publications, which is a major concern for all of us that care about books and freedom of expression.” – LitHub
- When Hallmark Movies Have Something In Common With Concrete
It’s all about attention to mundane detail. The new The History of Concrete fits Hallmark “because that’s the kind of living proof that this rhythmic cyclical way of storytelling is actually soothing and attractive to people over long periods of time.” – Los Angeles Times (MSN)
- If You’re A Northern Irish Actor, You’ve Probably Been In A Show About The Troubles
Lola Petticrew wasn’t just in one show about the Troubles before she left Northern Ireland; she starred in – and was acclaimed for – two. “A lot of the questions that were raised were questions that I, as a young adult, have about how we heal and move on,” she said. – The New York Times
- What Happens To Your Art When You Become The Set Designer For Everything, Including The Olympics?
“In the 30 years since she won the Linbury prize for stage design in 1995, Es Devlin has established herself as a go-to set designer for highbrow theatre, international opera, global pop …, official celebrations …, fashion runways and public sculpture.” – The Guardian (UK)
- When Collecting Becomes Nearly A Blood Sport
Well, a bot sport, anyway. Bots are doing so much online work that regular collectors just can’t keep up – and are getting excluded from the things they love as a result. – The Verge
- The Mighty Sparrow, One Of The Last Great Calypso Singers, Has Died At 91
“A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Sparrow — his given name was Slinger Francisco — was renowned for his sonorous voice, unremitting energy and extraordinary command of the verbal prestidigitation and sly double-entendre that are among the hallmarks of calypso lyrics.” – The New York Times
- Survivor’s Host And Producer May Work At Paramount, But He’s Not Abandoning Diversity
Jeff Probst doesn’t care about the Trump-loving network owners. Instead, he says, he cares about story. “Our stories are so much more interesting now because we have people from completely different walks of life.” – Variety
- Dolly Parton’s Estate Is In Shambles Over Accusations, Lawsuits, And Restraining Orders
“While the family appeared to be putting on a united front, behind the scenes, things were far from harmonious. Employees were afraid to come to work and some were allegedly quitting.” Then there was the security guy’s threats. – Vulture
- Meta’s New Surveillance Mascot Looks Like A Toy
It’s supposed to be for adults only, but it looks like a Tamagotchi. Will the cuddliness cause us all to forget the deep, deep creep factor? – Wired
- Rose Tremain Knows Her Generation Of Novelists Is Dying, But She’ll Keep Going As Long As She Can
“Contrary to what publishers hope and expect, serious writers don’t think obsessively about readers, or even about sales, royalties and prizes. What we talk to each other about, what we dream of, what we can’t live without is the work itself.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Ashland, Oregon, Is Known For Its Shakespeare Fest, But Now It’s Got A Murder Fest As Well
OK, you could argue that Shakespeare is a murderfest of his own, but “Mystery Fest has given cozy mystery fans a new reason to discover Ashland, attracting readers who might not otherwise have put the city on their travel list.” – Oregon ArtsWatch
- Beckett Is Only Bleak If You Have No Sense Of Humor
“I think Irish actors and directors have an innate advantage in dealing with Beckett. They get his humour.” – Irish Times - The Strike Is Over In Cleveland
“In a deal reached late Saturday night and ratified Sunday by the union, the two sides agreed to a three-year contract that includes a 5 percent annual raise for each of the three years, according to the orchestra.” – The New York Times
- The All-Night Song And Dance Parties Of Veracruz
“This syncopated, jubilant folk music is a melange of European, Caribbean and Indigenous influences. While fandangos — where folks gather to play their instruments, sing and dance — are more than 300 years old, their popularity is now spreading around the world.” – NPR
- In Leipzig, Ousted Boston Symphony Orchestra Director Andris Nelsons Feels The Love
“When he conducts, he does not think in English or German or Latvian, even if that would be his own. But he thinks directly in music, and this is so direct. … Sometimes in a concert you have suddenly a new gesture never seen before, that everybody understands.” – Boston Globe
- Major Social Media Platforms Are All Turning Down Paid Advertising For The Documentary About Elon Musk
No one will be surprised that X (formerly Twitter) won’t take the ads for Alex Gibney’s award-winning movie, but what’s up with TikTok, YouTube, and Meta? – The Hollywood Reporter
- Sylvester Stallone Finally Reckons With Decades Of Trauma
“When I look at that footage, I look distorted. I was gone for a few seconds. Sometimes in acting or painting or writing, you just subliminally lose yourself. You do not know where you are. … What was that?” – The New York Times
- Action Films Use To End Just As Happily As Any Rom-Com
Basically, “the heroes are still winning, but it’s costing them a whole lot more.” But why? – The New York Times