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- What Might Have Been: Gaudí’s Design For A New York Skyscraper
A supertall skyscraper, no less, topping out at 360 meters/1180 feet. The great Barcelona architect did a speculative design of a hotel complex in 1908 for a pair of Manhattan businessmen. AI artist Thierry Lechanteur has used Gaudi’s surviving drawings to create renderings of the project. – Dezeen
- Have Our Devices Dulled Our Sensory Experiences?
“The way we consume such content, by swiping idly on a glass screen, stands in stark contrast with the content of the content, the skillful manipulation of resolutely tangible material. It’s ironic, and a bit dystopian, this disjuncture, but I’m entranced by the videos anyway.” – The New Yorker
- Movie Theatre Box Office Has Surged This Year. So What Next?
“When we recognized that people want to go out, that they want to be treated with good service in a good theater with good product, when we recognized that and gave them that, they just came back in hordes more than any other generation.” – Deadline
- Gaudí Was A Superstar. Why Didn’t He Have More Influence On Future Architects?
Architectural history and Antoni Gaudí just weren’t headed in the same direction. – Dezeen
- The Obama Center: The Difference Between Libraries And Monuments
There is no question about its monumentality. It is at once colossal, haughty and ultimately inscrutable—as a great monument should be. The question is whether it should have been a monument in the first place. – The Wall Street Journal
- Why All The Conspiracy Movies Right Now?
Is this a trend? Are all these pictures related? Common sense, our trusted friend, tells us that life is random and arbitrary and that we’re mostly making it up as we go along. But the conspiracy theory is like a seductive interloper, sidling up to assure us that, actually, that’s not true at all. – The Guardian
- A New Center For Playwrights On Cape Cod Bay
“Pulitzer-winning playwright Paula Vogel has teamed up with former Huntington Theatre Managing Director Michael Maso and philanthropist Grace Nordhoff on a new center for playwrights and theatrical composers that will open in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, in 2028. Bards on the Bay will be housed in The Nancy Nordhoff Theatre Center.” – Playbill
- Last Remaining Chinese Theatre In America Seeks Emergency Funding
City records describe it as a 410-seat performing arts and film theater and the last remaining Chinese theater in any Chinatown in the United States. The theater at 636 Jackson St. opened in 1925 as the Great China Theater for Chinese opera. Over the decades, it also became a movie house and community gathering place. – San Francisco Chronicle
- Study: Should News Organizations Label AI Use?
Audiences see journalism as a profession that requires specialized training and ethical integrity, making AI seem to some like a “cop out.” One said about the use of AI: “You can do that as an 11-year-old. You don’t need the training for that if you’re going to use AI to generate your entire article.” – NiemanLab
- Why Writers Should Embrace AI
AI may well be terrible news for software engineers, but I think it’s an intriguing development for people who care about language and ideas – precisely the people who currently reject it the most. – Aeon
- Joyce Carol Oates Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
“In one day this May, for instance, she tweeted 36 times about the following subjects: boxing, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, shortened attention spans, Jonathan Swift, Madame Bovary, Jude the Obscure, people who read works of classic literature too quickly, her late husband, the Elizabeth Taylor Cleopatra, the Unabomber, and her cats.” – Vulture (MSN)
- An Expedition To Preserve The Sounds Of Church Organs
The show up at old churches in remote communities, preparing their solar-powered mobile studio, and recording instruments both humble and monumental, whose complex systems of keys, stops, hand cranks, foot pedals, bellows and reeds were designed to vibrate the air around them until it approximates the sound of God. – The Guardian
- High Ticket Prices Are Keeping Fans Away From Concerts This Summer
Post Malone, Meghan Trainor and the Pussy Cat Dolls have all cancelled shows or entire tours in recent months — and while some of them have cited other reasons for doing so, fans have still pointed to their tours as part of the trend. – CBC
- Art Galleries Are Not Okay
What went wrong? The short answer is: The art world expanded wildly, but the art market — the total dollar volume of art sales — did not. In fact, if you read the Art Basel/UBS Art Market Report for 2026 carefully, and adjust for inflation, the data shows that the art market has stagnated. – The New York Times
- So, If The Obama Presidential Center Isn’t A Library Or Archive, Then What Exactly Is It?
The Obama Foundation opted not to have the National Archives and Records Administration, which keeps presidential archives, involved in the Center; it will make Obama’s papers available digitally. So what is the Obama Center? Part museum, part public park, with a branch of the Chicago Public Library. – The Christian Science Monitor
- Iranian Star Sentenced To 74 Lashes Because She Sang Without A Hijab
And she was singing a patriotic song, no less. In a December 2024 video which went viral, Parastoo Ahmadi performed “From the Blood of the Homeland’s Youth” with an uncovered head. For this “vulgar and immoral content,” Ahmadi and her production team have been sentenced to flogging. – The Guardian
- Upheaval At DC’s Dance Place As Artistic Director Position Is Eliminated
A week after artistic director Tariq O’Meally was abruptly dismissed, an unsigned statement was released: “Dance Place has restructured its staffing model and is reimagining its approach to presentation programming in response to a dramatically contracting public funding environment and its commitment to operating with both efficiency and deeper community ownership.” – Dance Magazine
- Court Says Trump Administration May Alter Slavery Exhibit At George Washngton’s Philadelphia House (And Philadelphia May Not)
When the Trump administration removed from the site panels telling the history of the enslaved people who lived with the Washingtons there, the city of Philadelphia sued. A lower-court federal judge ordered the panels restored; a three-judge panel of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed that order. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- Penske Media, Now The World’s Largest Digital Publisher, Buys What’s Left Of Vox Media
Last month James Murdoch bought Vox Media’s flagships: New York magazine and its verticals (Vulture, The Cut, Curbed, Grub Street), the Vox Media Podcast Network, and Vox.com. Now Penske, which already owns (among others) Billboard, Variety, Rolling Stone, and Artforum, has purchased what’s left: Eater, The Verge, PopSugar, The Dodo, and others. – TheWrap
- Czech Government Wants To Scrap BBC-Style License Fee — And People Are Furious (?!)
As with the BBC, Czech national TV and radio are funded by a license fee charged to every household with a television or radio. The current government wants to end that fee and fund public broadcasting directly from the state budget — something many fear would erode the networks’ independence. – Deutsche Welle
- Unknown Bartók Manuscript Discovered In Spain
“(The item was identified by) Hungarian antiquarian bookseller Ádám Bősze, who acquired the document at a Spanish auction where it had been mistakenly catalogued as a simple page from a musical album.” – Moto Perpetuo
- Humans Still Pick The Books
Good Morning,
The Book of the Month Club turns 100 this year, and its growth strategy is almost a provocation: human curation. The service has added members every year since it dropped “Club” from its name, now past 400,000, on a simple premise — “We don’t depend on algorithms to determine your next book” (Publishers Weekly). Houston’s Menil is making a slower version of the same idea, reopening its long-shuttered fresco building for site-specific commissions that will sit for five years each (Houston Chronicle).
The harder question underneath the day is who pays for any of it. The Obama Foundation raised its presidential center on six donations of $50 million or more, then declined federal library status altogether — privately capitalized cultural memory, on the donors’ terms (Chicago Sun-Times). Against that, the public sector is thinning: the Louvre’s director told the French Senate his museum is “running on fumes” (ARTnews), the BBC is cutting 550 jobs (The Hollywood Reporter), and a House committee voted to axe the Education Department’s only arts-education grant (Hyperallergic).
Meanwhile, Trump’s repainted Reflecting Pool came out not flag-blue but Packers-green (The Atlantic). Not quite the look anyone was going for.
All of our stories below.
Doug
- For His First Work Of Performance Art, Ai Weiwei Will Re-Enact His Imprisonment
“From 5 p.m. on July 3 (in Manchester), Ai will enter a replica of his 25.92 square-meter cell, recreated by international architecture firm Hawkins\Brown. Inside, (over 24 hours,) he’ll sleep, eat, exercise, write, wash, and face interrogation on personal, political, and philosophical matters by four famed journalists.” – Artnet
- “Toy Story” Is One Of Disney’s Most Dependable Franchises
Analysts expect the fifth installment of Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise will pull in at least $150 million in the U.S. and Canada, with some predicting as much as $175 million — either of which would set a franchise record, topping the nearly $121-million opening of 2019’s “Toy Story 4.” – Los Angeles Times
- “The Seduction Of Certainty”: Playwright Moisés Kaufman On The Roald Dahl Bio-Play “Giant”
“Most plays about prejudice comfort the audience with clarity. They reassure us that we would have recognized it immediately. Giant offers no such reassurance.” – Observer
- Debating The Color Of The National Mall Reflecting Pool
The Reflecting Pool now evokes the joy of a Green Bay Packers victory. Or a high-school prank. Or St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago.It most certainly is not the gleaming American-flag blue that Trump’s repainting of the pool was supposed to produce. – The Atlantic
- David Hockney Was Working Class. Artists From The Working Class Have A Much More Difficult Time Today
Through policies and schemes, previously unheard-of opportunities for people of his background began to open up, without which he would not have become the success he is considered today. The situation today for aspiring artists from a similar background is much starker. – The Conversation
- What Literature Teaches Us About Neurodivergence
Far from being a modern phenomenon, neurodivergence has a long history. In other words, people whose ways of thinking, sensing or behaving differed from social expectations have always existed. Members of my research project have described discovering these historical figures as like finding neurodivergent ancestors. – The Conversation
- Why The New Obama Presidential Center Is Not Officially A Library
It isn’t a presidential library if it isn’t run by the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Obama Foundation had two big reasons for deciding not having NARA involved. So President Obama’s papers and archives will be made available to the public digitally while the Obama Center serves other functions. – Chicago Sun-Times
- Ballmer And Bezos And Benioff: Mega-donors To The Obama Library
The foundation collected six donations of $50 million-plus, including one anonymous contributor. – Chicago Sun-Times
- The Woman Trying To Rebuild Oakland’s Arts Program
Oakland currently allots its entire arts community only $300,000 in grants — in contrast to the combined $29 million that Grants for the Arts and the San Francisco Arts Commission apportioned across the bay last fiscal year. – San Francisco Chronicle
- The Meanings Of David Foster Wallace
The Bible warns that “all craftsmen who make idols will be humiliated.” American culture, perhaps in an effort to stave off potential embarrassment, often creates idols only to later destroy them. – Liberties Journal
- In Its Centennial Year, The Book Of The Month Club Has Become Kind Of Cool
Since its rebrand as Book of the Month (no more club) a decade ago, the subscription service has grown every year and now has over 400,000 members. Its strength, says chairman John Lippman, is human curation: “We don’t depend on algorithms to determine your next book.” – Publishers Weekly
- Director of Production, The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)
Req # 10004174
About the Department:
The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is dedicated to advancing the study, creation, performance, and exhibition of the arts, acting on the strong belief in their transformative influence on individuals and societies. The College honors the values of great traditions in the arts while actively engaging in the creation of new works and ideas. This distinctive fusion of the academic and the professional, the campus and the community, the past and the present, defines the college as it engages new art forms, communities, and ways of working to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.
The Hylton Performing Arts Center (HPAC) stimulates and transforms the cultural and economic vitality of our region by presenting diverse performances and programs of high quality and artistic excellence to inspire, educate, enrich, and enhance the community. The Hylton Center’s vision is to nurture artistic excellence and engagement, as we strive to be the creative commons of this dynamic region, inspiring the community to express its voice by participating in the Center’s work as artists, audiences, and lifelong learners.
About the Position:
As a member of the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s senior leadership team, the Director of Production provides executive-level strategic leadership, operational direction, and organizational oversight for all production and technical services across a complex, multi-venue performing arts center.
This position is responsible for aligning production systems, staffing structures, and technical capabilities with institutional priorities, artistic excellence, and revenue-generating activities, serving as the Center’s primary authority on production strategy, infrastructure planning, and operational performance.
The Director of Production plays a critical role in:
- Driving institutional excellence in production delivery;
- Advancing revenue growth through rentals and partnerships;
- Leading capital planning and lifecycle management of technical systems; and
- Ensuring HPAC remains a competitive, innovative, and nationally recognized performing arts venue.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership, Fiscal Administration & Organizational Management:
- Directs, develops, and mentors a complex, multidisciplinary production team (lighting, audio, carpentry, stage management, video) supervising 6 FTE, 4 indirect reports, and a 20+ wage workforce;
- Establishes, evaluates, and optimizes organizational structures, staffing models, and workflows aligned with institutional strategy;
- Develops, tracks, and manages comprehensive production budgets, including permanent labor, operating expenses, equipment rentals, and capital improvements;
- Ensures full fiscal accountability and return on investment;
- Oversees overhire workforce strategy, contract execution, and payroll administration in compliance with institutional and labor standards;
- Manages vendor relationships, procurement strategy, and technical purchasing processes;
- Serves as the senior production leader, aligning facility capabilities with university, artistic, and community priorities; and
- Fosters a collaborative, inclusive, service-driven, and safety-focused culture.
Production Excellence & Stakeholder Engagement:
- Provides executive-level oversight for all technical production activity across multiple venues and event types;
- Leads all production advancement strategy, including interpretation and execution of complex technical riders;
- Translates artistic and technical requirements into fully executable, resource-efficient production plans;
- Ensures seamless delivery in venues with advanced production systems, including large-scale rigging and theatrical infrastructure;
- Maintains proactive communication and alignment across production staff, administrative leadership, academic departments, and external clients and partners;
- Serves as the final escalation point for high-risk or complex production and personnel issues; and
- Conducts contract and rider review (“redlining”) to ensure compliance with university and Commonwealth requirements.
Facilities, Equipment & Safety Management:
- Leads long-term capital planning and lifecycle management of technical systems and production infrastructure;
- Partners with facilities and campus leadership on preventative maintenance strategy and execution;
- Ensures compliance with OSHA, ESTA/ANSI, and industry safety standards; and
- Mitigates institutional risk through rigorous safety oversight and compliance practices.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
- Generally, ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience in technical production or live event management within a major performing arts center, academic presenting organization, or comparable multi-venue environment;
- Demonstrated experience operating within a multi-venue facility, including spaces exceeding 1,000+ seats and concurrent event management;
- Proven experience managing large-scale productions across multiple technical disciplines (lighting, audio, video, rigging, carpentry, and stage operations);
- Generally, a minimum of five (5) years of experience managing full-time staff, indirect reports, and part-time/hourly workforce;
- Direct responsibility for departmental budgets, including labor, overhire payroll, and operational expenditures;
- Demonstrated expertise in production advancement, contract interpretation, and execution of complex technical riders and negotiation;
- Knowledge of advanced theatrical production systems across multiple disciplines;
- Advanced operational knowledge of counterweight and motorized fly systems (75+ line sets), digital audio networks (Dante/AVB), and advanced theatrical lighting systems and protocols;
- Skill in leading large, multidisciplinary production teams in complex environments;
- Skill in financial management, budgeting, and resource planning;
- Exceptional interpersonal and diplomatic communication skills with ability to work effectively across diverse stakeholder groups;
- Ability to align production operations with strategic, financial, and institutional goals;
- Ability to manage high-pressure, multi-event environments, and resolve complex issues;
- Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders; and
- Proven ability to serve as the final escalation authority in high-risk, time-sensitive environments.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in related field;
- Experience with large-scale counterweight rigging systems and fly systems in proscenium theaters;
- Experience integrating production with academic programs, including student engagement and experiential learning;
- Experience with venue management software, scheduling systems, and production databases;
- Knowledge of university policies and procedures, including HR, procurement, and compliance requirements;
- Advanced knowledge of concert hall acoustics, orchestral production, and touring production standards;
- Advanced knowledge of strategic planning and operational alignment within complex performing arts or multi-unit environments;
- Knowledge of cost recovery, procurement practices, and revenue-generating venue operations;
- Knowledge of multi-venue operations and varied event types across presenting, academic, and rental activity;
- Advanced knowledge of safety standards and regulatory practices (e.g., OSHA, rigging, electrical systems);
- Knowledge of production management systems, scheduling tools, and technical databases;
- Skill in long-range planning, including capital planning, equipment lifecycle management, and long-term infrastructure strategy;
- Skill in leading and developing multidisciplinary teams, including full-time and part-time workforce models;
- Skill in supporting interdisciplinary collaboration and integration with academic programs;
- Skill in communicating complex technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences;
- Ability to evaluate and implement emerging production technologies, including hybrid and streaming systems;
- Ability to make data-informed decisions regarding resource allocation and investment priorities;
- Ability to represent the organization as a senior production authority in high-level artist and client engagements;
- Ability to develop staffing strategies and foster a collaborative, inclusive, high-performance culture;
- Ability to implement and maintain comprehensive safety and risk mitigation programs;
- Ability to lead adoption of technology-driven workflows and operational innovation;
- Ability to build consensus, resolve conflict, and influence decision-making at senior levels; and
- Demonstrated ability working with a diverse population of artists, students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Instructions to Applicants:
For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Director of Production at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.
Mason Ad Statement
George Mason University is a nationally ranked R1 research university committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world. With 40,000 enrolled students, George Mason is the largest and most diverse public research university in Virginia, offering degree programs at the master’s, doctoral, and professional level, along with certificates and credentials.
George Mason fosters an All Together Different environment for students, faculty, and staff, driven by our core beliefs. We believe in inclusivity over exclusivity; we believe in advancing our mission by being willing to take risks, not avoiding them; and we believe our best work is possible when we apply our diversity of origin, identity, circumstance, and thought.
George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.
- The Philosophical Consequences Of Simulations
Students tend to have a low tolerance for fanciful hypotheses and abstruse thought experiments. All but the most philosophically inclined roll their eyes at Descartes’s famed “evil demon” scenario in which the reader is meant to reflect on whether any of her beliefs couldn’t have been presented as a deception of a malevolent spirit. – Hedgehog Review
