ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

ISSUES

Philadelphia Will Host A Five-Week Arts Festival For America’s 250th Birthday

“Dozens of Philadelphia artists across disciplines is meant to present more than 30 original works, staged from late May to July 2026 in venues around Philadelphia, coinciding with the Fourth of July and FIFA World Cup matches as part of the city’s Semiquincentennial events.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

The EU Fined That Site Formerly Known As Twitter 120 Million Euros

“Elon Musk responded with his trademark tact and professionalism by posting ‘Bullshit’ on X in response to the announcement.” Then “Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, accused the Commission of abusing an exploit to boost the reach of the announcement and responded by shutting down its ad account.” - The Verge

The Kennedy Center Under The 47th President: Emptier, Showier, Way More Political

“What is the Kennedy Center now? For one thing, it’s getting a Trumpian revamp. He ordered new marble and the repainting of the exterior columns in austere white. Portraits of the first and second couples now hang in the center’s Hall of Nations.” - Washington Post (MSN)

Dear Ted Sarandos, We Beg Of You Not To Screw This Up

Please, please, please, PLEASE do not screw this up, Netflix. We want HBO to be HBO, Warner Bros. to be Warner Bros. - and we need movie theatres. Cinemas. Big screens … maybe for your movies, Ted. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

As Slop Fills Streaming And Public Media Is Defunded, What Will Happen To PBS Kids?

Parents and researchers are very worried - and rightly so. - Boston Globe

The Sphere May Be The Horrifying Future Of Entertainment For All Of Us

“There is no escape in the Sphere. The walls are screens. The ceilings are screens. The floor, swooping underneath you at an impossible angle, is a screen, too.” - Slate

Performance Professionals Are Learning From Toddlers

“Some artists are … making very young children a part of the choreographic process, or creating music designed to get them moving. They’re considering why these tiny dancers bring us such joy, and what lessons they might have for grown-ups.” - The New York Times

Report: Trump’s Kennedy Center Is Stiffing Artists On The Fees

Representatives for three performers tell THR they’re still waiting on checks months after their shows. - The Hollywood Reporter

This Year’s Kennedy Center Honors Will Be Different

Previous hosts of the Kennedy Center Honors have included Walter Cronkite, Stephen Colbert, Gloria Estefan and Queen Latifah. Trump will host this year, a first for a U.S. president. - NPR

US Federal Grants To Museums And Libraries Restored Following Court Case

“The Institute of Museum and Library Services is reinstating all grants that were previously terminated by the Trump administration. A short statement posted on the agency's website Wednesday reads, ‘this action supersedes any prior notices which may have been received related to grant termination.’” - NPR

London’s Barbican Centre To Get An Overhaul That Might Just Make It Easier To Navigate

It will be a mammoth task, and a necessary one. The 43-year-old Brutalist landmark in central London has never been renovated, and its physical plant is starting to literally crack up. What’s more, the Barbican is notorious for being confusing to get around in, and that will finally be addressed. - The Guardian

Whistleblower Alleges That CEO Of Chicago’s Black History Museum Misused Funds, Abused Staff

The now-former vice president of education and programs at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is suing the institution and its CEO, Perri Irmer, alleging misuse of public funds, harassment and retaliation. - WBEZ (Chicago)

By The Numbers: How Arts Organizations Have Fared In The Past Six Years

Performing arts organizations experienced sharper drops in revenue and staffing in 2024 than museums or community organizations. - SMU Cultural Data

This Major New Arts Center Is Almost Finished, On Time And On Budget. Even So, It May Not Open.

Kanal, on the edge of central Brussels, will feature a large museum, multiple performance venues, and an architecture center. It’s 95% complete and scheduled to open this time next year. Yet, thanks to widely expected budget cuts and a particularly Belgian kind of political dysfunction, Kanal’s prospects are in doubt. - The Guardian

Russia Prepares To Declare Pussy Riot An “Extremist” Organization

“Russia's prosecutor general opened a case against the feminist art group on Friday, November 28. The ‘extremist’ label, commonly deployed by the government as justification for stifling political opposition, would officially ban the collective's activities in Russia.” - Hyperallergic

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