AJ Four Ways:
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- What is a cultural institution actually for?
Good Morning,
Four different institutional stories today, all of them answers to the same question: what is a major cultural institution actually for? The Met is absorbing the Neue Galerie — its building and Ronald Lauder’s collection of 20th-century Austrian and German art — beginning in 2028 (The New York Times). Lincoln Center, meanwhile, is committing $335 million to make its fortress-like western edge less of a fortress, with a new 2,000-seat amphitheater anchoring a redesigned Damrosch Park (Time Out New York).
So: two strategies for staying relevant: absorb, or open up. Then there’s CBS News Radio, which after 99 years just signed off for the last time, a national institution dissolving rather than reinventing (CBS News). And the Louvre, where a French Parliament report concludes the crown-jewel theft happened because the museum spent years putting prestige ahead of basic security. Two audits flagged the problem, but nothing got done (ARTnews).
Also: a renowned Georgian opera bass-turned-opposition-leader was sentenced to seven years for organizing a protest against an authoritarian government (OperaWire), and Live Performance Australia reports that the most-performed “classical” music in the country last year was the score from Pirates of the Caribbean (ABC).
All of our stories below.
- The State Museum of Pennsylvania – Director
The State Museum of Pennsylvania (SMOP) seeks a strategic, collaborative leader to serve as its Director.
As a bureau of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), the Museum brings Pennsylvania’s natural and cultural history to life through collections of more than 12 million artifacts spanning cultural history, art, archaeology, geology, paleontology, and natural history.
Over the next several years, the Museum will undergo a $58 million transformation — the largest investment in the complex since 1964. This is a rare opportunity for a mission-driven museum leader to guide a statewide institution through a once-in-a-generation renewal. The Director will shape a reimagined visitor experience, deepen community engagement, collaborate with staff and steward collections through the transition, championing the importance of Pennsylvania’s history now and for the future. PHMC seeks a collaborative, experienced museum leader with a passion for public history who will serve as a visible, compelling spokesperson, sustain engagement during closure, build momentum for reopening, and thrive in the Museum’s public-sector environment.
The Museum has an annual operating budget of approximately $4 million, as well as a planned capital budget of approximately $80 million over 10 years to support continued exhibition development. Salary begins at $115,000 and includes a competitive Commonwealth benefits package. The start date is projected for late summer 2026. The search is being led by Syrah Gunning of the DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management. Learn more and apply at: https://tinyurl.com/SMOPaj
- Remembering “The Pied Piper Of Early Music,” David Munrow, 50 Years After His Suicide
“With all the bravura of the 1960s, David Munrow erupted into the world of early music and transformed what had been a minority interest into popular listening. His … impact lives on in the music he rediscovered and popularised, and the innovative ways in which he presented and performed it.” – The Guardian
- Ontario Starts Crackdown On Ticket Resellers
The Ontario government has begun cracking down on ticket scalpers and resale websites to make sure they’re complying with new rules brought in last month that cap the resale price of tickets at face value, as some ticketing platforms still openly list tickets for well above their original price. – CBC
- The Producer Who Wants To Make Microdramas Which Are Actually Good
“Snow Story Productions CEO Austin Herring said the big hits in microdramas were ‘borderline unwatchable’ when he entered the field in 2024, where salacious and soap opera-level storytelling were the norm. But he remained committed to elevating the production standard.” – TheWrap (MSN)
- Neue Galerie To Merge With The Metropolitan Museum
Beginning in 2028, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will own the Neue’s Fifth Avenue home and the prestige collection of 20th-century Austrian and German art built by Ronald S. Lauder. – The New York Times
- Netflix Becomes An Ad Giant: 250M Subscribers
The streaming titan said Wednesday during its “upfront” presentation to advertisers that its ad-supported subscription tier reaches reaches more than 250 million global monthly active viewers, up from the 190 million it cited in November of 2025. – Variety
- Study: People Are Bad At Figuring Out What They Don’t Know (Yet They Think They Can)
People aren’t just bad at remembering things they see all the time, but also in actually knowing how they work. In a 2006 study, many people made significant errors when drawing a bicycle, like putting the chain around the front wheel as well as the back wheel. – The Conversation
- Aszure Barton’s Final Choreography Commission For Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
LubDub is the fourth and final piece of Barton’s three years as Hubbard Street’s resident choreographer. “Asked to discuss the movement vocabulary she employs here, Barton demurred. But when the descriptor ‘unruly’ was suggested, she was quick to embrace it. … (And) there are plenty of quirky, unexpected sights in the piece.” – WBEZ (Chicago)
- How Your Brain Toggles Between The Familiar And Exploration
Research from my team suggests that people balance between exploration and habit – that is, trying something new or sticking with the familiar – when deciding what route to take. Which navigation strategy someone chooses depends not only on their spatial abilities but on their network of brain regions that support navigation. – The Conversation
- Artists In The Age Of AI: Let’s Explore The Labor-Intensive Art Of The Renaissance
Artists have been raiding the toolkits of the Old Masters with new urgency of late, borrowing and reworking Renaissance and Baroque compositional drama, symbolism, and increasingly, their labor-intensive methods. – Artnet
- NYU Students Protest Jonathan Haidt As Graduation Speaker
Student government leaders at New York University are objecting to his selection as the graduation speaker at Yankee Stadium — calling it “deeply unsettling” — and in a letter, asked university officials to reconsider before the ceremony on Thursday. – The New York Times
- Keats’s Rediscovered Love Letters Could Sell For $2 Million
“A once-stolen collection of letters written by the poet John Keats to his fiancée Fanny Brawne will be sold at Sotheby’s New York this June with an estimate of $1.5 million to $2.5 million. The group of eight letters … date from 1819 to 1820, a period when Keats was suffering from tuberculosis.” – Artnet
- The Most-Performed Classical Music Concerts In Australia: Live Movie Music
According to the latest Live Performance Australia data, the most popular classical music performances in 2024 included Star Wars, How to Train Your Dragon, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Man from Snowy River in Concert. – ABC (Australia)
- How The Smithsonian Decided To Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday
“What we landed on were those moments where individuals or communities had fought for recognition and advocated for their own sense of identity and self in their role in creating and becoming a part of the United States. But we also wanted to do the playful.” – The Guardian
- Reconciling The Values Of Silicon Valley
For decades, these ideologies were tolerated as part of a tacit social bargain: A group of intelligent eccentrics were left to their own devices on a patch of land in the Santa Clara Valley, and, in return, American society received an extraordinary set of new technologies. – Liberties Journal
- Louvre Prioritized Prestige Over Security In Period Before Crown Jewel Theft, Says French Parliament Report
“Security, the report revealed, had been ‘relegated to the background,’ despite two audits completed in 2017 and 2019, years before the jewel heist. The 2019 audit prompted a Security Equipment Master Plan, but it was apparently not implemented in a timely fashion by (then-director) Jean-Luc Martinez.” – ARTnews
- A New Raft Of Plays With Invented Dialogue Depicting Real People And Events
“Drama has historically been considered a form of fiction or poetry. Yet as recent plays approach the feeling of reportage, what’s surprising isn’t that so many fail to convince but that several succeed, in the process inventing a new style befitting our time.” – T — The New York Times Style Magazine
- Georgian Government Sentences Renowned Opera Singer-Turned Opposition Leader To Seven Years In Prison
Paata Burchuladze, who had a very successful career as a bass before returning home to participate in the struggle against an increasingly authoritarian government, was convicted of “organization and leadership of group violence,” and “incitement to change the constitutional order of Georgia through violence” for organizing a large election-day protest last October. – OperaWire
- Santa Fe Opera Extends Music Director’s Contract, Appoints New Principal Conductor
British conductor Harry Bicket, who was appointed the summer festival’s principal conductor in 2013 and music director in 2018, has extended his contract through the 2028 summer season. Meanwhile, Mexican maestro Iván López Reynoso, currently principal conductor at Atlanta Opera, will take the same position at Santa Fe in 2027. – OperaWire
- Lincoln Center Unveils $335 Million Redesign Of Its Western Edge
The project, which aims to make that side of the campus less fortress-like and more inviting, will turn the concrete-heavy stretch around Damrosch Park into a space with gardens, public gathering areas and a new 2,000-seat amphitheater. – Time Out New York
- As CBS News Radio Goes Off The Air, Longtime Staffers Remember Its 99-Year History
Dan Rather: “CBS Radio should be remembered for becoming a national institution. It, for many, many years, was part — and I would argue not a small part — of what held the country together.” – CBS News
- Iran: We Never Dropped Out Of The Venice Biennale, And We’re Still Coming
Earlier this month, Biennale organizers announced that Iran had withdrawn from the event. But a high official in the country’s culture ministry just said in an interview, “(we) neither submitted a withdrawal letter nor stated that we would not attend. Rather, we said we would participate and requested more time.” – Artforum
- Free Speech on Someone Else’s Stage
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports:
Jayson Gillham believes artists have a right to bring their whole selves to the stage.
“I believe that everyone has the right to freedom of expression,” the internationally acclaimed, London-based pianist says.
That’s why the British Australian musician, 39, is suing the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) for discrimination based on political belief, after it cancelled one of his scheduled performances in August 2024.
His recital was cancelled after he dedicated a new piece by Australian composer Connor D’Netto to journalists killed in Gaza at a concert in Melbourne on August 11, 2024.
“Over the last 10 months, Israel has killed more than 100 Palestinian journalists,” Gillham said, introducing the piece, titled Witness.
“A number of these have been targeted assassinations of prominent journalists as they were travelling in marked press vehicles or wearing their press jackets. The killing of journalists is a war crime in international law, and it is done in an effort to prevent the documentation and broadcasting of war crimes to the world.” …
In response to Gillham’s remarks, the MSO apologised for offence and distress caused and added it “does not condone the use of our stage as a platform for expressing personal views”, canning his next scheduled performance.
Within days, the MSO said cancelling Gillham’s concert had been an “error” and committed to rescheduling the recital.
But negotiations between Gillham and the orchestra quickly fell apart. In October 2024, he launched legal action in the Federal Court, saying the MSO had rejected “reasonable requests to remedy the situation”.
“This battle in the Federal Court is about defending everyone’s right to freedom of speech,” he said on Instagram. “It’s about ensuring artists can perform with integrity and without fear of censorship.”
In this piece I am not going to give my own, I think unremarkable, thoughts on conflict in the Middle East. I just want to think about Gillham’s claims about free speech.
If the Melbourne Symphony does not want guest performers making political statements during their concerts, it has every right to say so. If it “does not condone the use of our stage as a platform for expressing personal views”, then probably best to make this clear to any featured performer as they draw up their contract (and I don’t know if that happened in this case). Unless explicitly granted, no artist has complete freedom of speech on stage. An actor cannot decide on their own to interrupt a performance of Twelfth Night with a political dedication. Some performing arts organizations might think such political statements are fine, actually, and they can say so. Or a politically-oriented artist could produce their own shows, as Gillham seems to have moved towards. But if the MSO does not feel that way, there is no “free speech” right that overrides it.
The audience at an orchestra concert (Gillham does not raise the topic of “the audience”) is captive, and deserving of consideration; many of them, like me, might prefer to enjoy their orchestral music neat. To insist that they must be made to listen to the guest performer’s political thoughts, even when the orchestra management has said it doesn’t go in for that sort of thing, is self-indulgence.
And I doubt most artists would agree with a blanket “free speech” right at invited gigs anyway. Suppose a featured violinist, before their performance, said “I dedicate this performance to those who died, and their families, in the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, and support Israel’s right to self-defense and to bring justice to those who committed this heinous crime”. Would Gillham think that free speech deserves protection? Suppose a guest artist wanted to talk about other political issues, or value-added taxes, or the Westminster parliamentary system, or that Vegemite is an abomination? Suppose a guest artist addressed the audience with racist opinions on Australia’s Indigenous people, or made a grossly homophobic joke. The ABC story the next day would not be about “free speech”, but about demands that the musician never be invited back.
Here in the United States, there is an ongoing cycle in the discourse between “campuses need to allow free speech” and “no, not like that”. But to my mind the “no, not like that” people are in the right – for an institution to function, there will always need to be some boundaries.
Note the Gillham case is different from artists expressing political views in a separate forum from their contracted performance. The ABC story goes on to say,
It’s a cultural context that has seen the recent scrapping of a children’s book by an Indigenous author lead to a mass boycott of a celebrated publisher and the dis-invitation of a Palestinian Australian author causing the collapse of a writers’ festival.
But this is not the same situation as political statements being a part of the work or performance, and they shouldn’t be confused – the “cultural context” is quite different. To take their first case, the scrapping of the children’s book had nothing to do with the author, nor the fact that she is Indigenous (why even mention that?), nor the content of the book, but that the illustrator of the book had posted a viciously antisemitic article on Substack in the wake of the terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach (I won’t link to it, but you can find it in this story in The Guardian). Whether that was a good or bad decision by the publisher I leave as an exercise for the reader, though I do think it is up to them (and remember there have been protests over not scrapping books by notorious figures). If someone had written a brilliantly researched and presented account of the geological features of the Dampier Peninsula in Western Australia, and then made horribly misogynist statements on social media, what would the reaction be to a university press going ahead and publishing it anyway? I have written before that if a publisher, or an orchestra, or a gallery, contracts with an artist whose politics are well-known, then there’s an obligation to stick with them, even in the face of protest (and any politics is going to draw at least some sort of protest from somebody). My university’s last-minute cancellation of an exhibition of the work of Samia Halaby remains a stain on its reputation. But I would grant that something new coming to light might warrant a reconsideration.
What the Gillham case is about is not “free speech”, but that he thought his speech, addressing his cause, at a Melbourne Symphony performance, ought to have been permitted. He can negotiate such an arrangement, but he can’t claim it as a matter of right.
Cross-posted at https://michaelrushton.substack.com/
- It’s Your Turn Now.Write, speak out, enact your own scene change. That would be the best birthday present ever.
- Lead Event Technical Director
Position Status: Full-Time
Exemption Status: Non-Exempt
Reports to: Director of Production
Pay Rate: $36/hourCore Values
Inclusion, Creative Excellence, Innovation, Collaboration, Purposeful ServicePosition Overview
The Lead Event Technical Director is a key member of TPAC’s Production team, responsible for leading technical operations and ensuring the safe, efficient, and professional execution across TPAC venues. This role requires advanced skill and hands-on experience in theatrical carpentry, rigging, and stage operations with a strong focus on crew leadership, client interaction, and safety compliance.
Working closely with visiting productions, internal departments, and local crews, the Lead Event Technical Director develops and oversee technical schedules that prioritize human relations, ensuring adequate rest periods between shifts and minimizing consecutive long-day cycles to maintain crew safety, work-life balance, and morale. The Lead TD will act as a bridge to advocate for sustainable work hours, including a commitment to a projected monthly overtime cap of 20 hours for all TDs, including this Lead TD role. This position oversees technical logistics, verifies scenic and rigging integrity, and ensures all backstage operations reflect TPAC’s core values.
Serves as lead in audio and electrical departments for up to 10%-15% of annual work schedule (approximately 200-300 annual hours). Lead TD must demonstrate system level proficiency in theatrical power distribution and digital audio networking.
The Event Technical Directors will report directly to the Lead Event Technical Director.Primary Responsibilities
Management of Event Technical Directors:
- Manages the staff of 3 Event Technical Directors.
- Fosters a team-based culture focused on respect, communication, inclusivity, and collaboration.
- Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance management for Event Technical Directors ensuring clarity of expectations and efficiency of workflow.
- Oversee scheduling and workload distribution, maintaining balanced staffing across all venues.
- Conduct regular one-on-one check-ins, mid-year check-ins, and annual evaluations to support staff growth and long-term retention.
- Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, and training for new employees.
- Address employee relations concerns in conjunction with Director of Production, SVP of Operations, and Human Resources team as necessary.
- May serve as the primary point of contact for Broadway show arrivals, ensuring local prep meets the rigorous demands of National Touring standards.
Event and Client Coordination:
- Serve as the primary technical liaison for assigned events, coordinating schedules, technical logistics, equipment usage, and load-in/load-out operations.
- Prior to load-in, thoroughly review advance details and technical notes to create an actionable plan in conjunction with technical operations team and external clients.
- Provide real-time problem-solving during rehearsals and performances, maintaining calm, professional communication under pressure.
- Oversee preparation and restoration of spaces for all scheduled events.
Carpentry, Rigging, & Stage Operations:
- Lead and participate in scenic construction, stage builds, rigging installations, fly rail operation, soft goods, and automation elements as needed.
- Inspect and approve all flown elements, chain hoists, truss configurations, ground support systems, and scenic installation to ensure compliance with industry safety standards.
- Maintain constant, professional, and solution-focused communication with crew members, visiting productions, and internal departments.
- Support event-related department head responsibilities that may include stage management, lighting, audio, carpentry, or other areas of support as needed.
- Serve as a department lead in the audio and lighting departments as needed.
Administration and Reporting
- Prepare accurate post-event billing including labor and equipment charges.
- Document pre and post event notes, maintenance logs, and incident reports.
- Attend organization-wide, departmental, and advance meetings as required.
- Respond to internal and external communications in a timely, professional manner.
Crew Supervision and Safety:
- Communicate expectations clearly to all crew members at the start of each call, including safety priorities, workflow, and client-specific needs.
- Act as crew lead or steward, assign tasks to stagehands ensuring efficient workflow.
- Enforce TPAC’s safety protocols including fall protection, weight ratings, and emergency procedures.
- Coordinate with building security and local authorities in emergency response or audience evacuation situations.
Facility & Equipment Management:
- Primary manager of rigging and scenic maintenance projects year-round.
- Primary manager of backstage workspaces, technical systems, tools, and inventory. Proactively identify and complete repair or improvement projects.
- Assist with identifying long-term planning for technical equipment upgrades and capital improvements.
The responsibilities listed above are not all inclusive. Other related duties may be assigned.
Skills and Knowledge
Required:
- Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience) in one of the following fields:
- Technical Theatre / Theatre Production
- Theatre Technology or Design
- Stage Lighting / Sound / Production Design
- Theatre Arts with technical concentration
- 3 to 5 years of supervisory experience of a 7-to-10-person technical staff.
- Experience managing union crews, and interpreting collective bargaining agreements, is required.
- Flexible full-time availability, including evening, weekend, and possible holiday hours.
- Demonstrated knowledge/ expertise in theatrical carpentry and rigging (minimum of 3 years of professional experience).
- Proven hands-on expertise in both theatrical audio systems and lighting/electrical systems, including system design, installation, operation, and troubleshooting.
- Knowledge of rigging hardware, load limits, bridles, truss, and fly systems.
- Daily email access.
- Consistent professional and neat presentation.
- Customer service experience.
- Ability to work well in a group.
- Ability to solve problems and remain calm in stressful situations.
- Clear, calm, communication.
- Leadership & authority without ego.
- Collaboration & artistic empathy.
- Emotional intelligence & conflict management.
- Organizational maturity & big-picture thinking.
- Teaching, mentorship and staff development.
- Professional judgement & discretion.
- Adaptability & change management.
Preferred:
- Experience in a Broadway touring house, regional theatre, or performing arts venue.
- ETCP or comparable rigging certifications (arena or theatre).
- Advanced knowledge of lighting, audio, or stage management.
- Forklift, aerial lift, or OSHA safety certifications.
- First Aid/CPR certified; bilingual a plus.
Software and Services Used:
ADP Workforce Now, Microsoft Suite, Concur, Momentus Elite, Connecteam
Frequent Functions and Working Conditions:
Standing and being stationary for long periods of time. Pushing/pulling. Ascending and Descending flights of stairs and ladders. Face to face contact. Working in the dark with loud noises and flashing lights. Basic math skills. Analysis, problem solving/decision making. Lifting and moving equipment up to 50 lbs.
Occasional Functions include:
Bending and Stooping. Ability to work outside in all weather conditions including hot and cold temperatures. Working at a high elevation.
- The Various Things British People Mean When They Say “Sorry”
“In the UK, ‘sorry’ is not simply an apology, it’s a cultural reflex – a five-letter pressure valve used to soften requests, smooth over awkwardness, fill conversational gaps and avoid the national horror of seeming rude. … For visitors, the puzzle is … working out what ‘sorry’ actually means.” – BBC
- Leading Paris Gallery Goes Bankrupt After 36 Years, Closes
Air de Paris, a leading French gallery, will close its doors and declare bankruptcy after 36 years in business, the gallery’s cofounders, Florence Bonnefous and Edouard Merino, tell Cultured. – ARTnews
- Harvey Weinstein Is On His Third Trial For This Rape Case — And This Time Nobody’s Paying Much Attention
The disgraced movie mogul was first tried for the alleged assault of Jessica Mann in 2020; he was convicted of third-degree rape, but the verdict was overturned in 2024 over prosecutors’ missteps. Weinstein’s 2025 retrial had a hung jury, and the current retrial is drawing little interest from media or spectators. – Vulture (MSN)
- The (Mis)Understanding Of Joan Didion
The places and events that Didion samples in the late Sixties—a time of unpopular foreign involvements, identity-based unrest at home, and a divisive, enigmatic national government—make right now an instructive time to read Slouching. – Hedgehog Review
- Is Capitalism Forever? Or…
No matter how one defines capitalism, the concept has served its critics well. Capitalism named an enemy, gave it a shape, and showed that it was on the march, threatening everything in its path. It still does. Scholars, by contrast, have often blanched at the term, dismissing it as political or polemical. – The Nation
- without my interference<a href="https://www.artsjournal.com/herman/2026/05/without-my-interference.html" title="without my interference” rel=”nofollow”>the world slips by gently
- Radical Reinvention Won’t Save Orchestras. Maybe Another Way?
Fruitful change in classical concert-going isn’t going to happen via a revolution. Change can only happen in a piecemeal, gradual way, building on what already exists. So, rather than throwing out the overture-concerto-symphony as a tired old relic, why not repurpose it? – The Telegraph (MSN)
- Australia Announces A$1.1 Billion Arts Funding Budget
“The government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a $1.1 billion (just under US$800 million) arts and culture package in the 2026–27 Federal Budget, headlined by increased (money for funding agency) Creative Australia, targeted support for national collecting institutions and new investment in cultural infrastructure projects across the country.” – Limelight (Australia)
- PRX Leans Into Innovation In Public Media Crisis
PRX works with 900 stations across the U.S., distributing more than 20 public radio shows like “The Moth” and “Latino USA.” They reach 5.3 million U.S. listeners each week — growth that PRX acknowledges bucks the trend of declining public radio audiences. – Inside Radio
