ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

ISSUES

In Rhode Island, Arts Groups Are Fighting For Scraps Of Survival

It’s bad. So “a coalition of nonprofit arts organizations in Rhode Island is calling on the state to use $18 million of the state’s $1.2 billion share of American Rescue Plan Act funding from Congress to help the arts industry recover from the pandemic.” - Boston Globe (MSN)

Philadelphia’s University Of The Arts Is Closing For Good In One Week, Says Its President

The school, which has seen a big drop in enrollment over the past five years, had not notified staff or students as of this afternoon and only alerted its accrediting agency on Wednesday, the first day of the summer term. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Colombia Bans Bullfighting

"The bill calls for ... making the tradition illegal by the start of 2028. The new law now needs to be signed by President Gustavo Petro, who has been a longtime opponent of these events. Bullfighting … is still legal in a handful of countries, including Spain, France, Portugal, Peru, Ecuador and Mexico." - AP

Foundation Plans A 100,000-Square-Foot Arts Campus In A Working-Class Philadelphia Neighborhood

"The Forman Arts Initiative, an arts organization that awards grants to local creatives and arts nonprofits, plans to renovate four buildings on American Street (in West Kensington). The multipurpose space will hold a gallery, performing arts venue, and garden area, in addition to FAI’s offices." - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Artists Add Value, Then Value Goes Up, Then Artists Can’t Afford The Neighborhood. So A Real Estate Solution…

In Chicago, San Francisco and Boston, these groups are adopting unique organizational and financial structures to survive in overheated real estate markets. These arts models give artists more control over their place within these neighborhoods, but also emphasize stability and cooperation over resale value. - Bloomberg

Drag Now Has Its Own National Advocacy And Service Organization

"Qommittee says it hopes, among other things, to connect drag performers and communities lacking in local support to resources including legal aid and therapy. It may also help performers and venues navigate the business." - AP

La Scala’s Departing Superintendent Leaves The House, And Its Opera And Ballet Companies, In Good Shape

Despite beginning the job just as COVID shut down live performance, Dominique Meyer has increased corporate sponsorships to €38 million and has seen both box-office revenue and cash-on-hand rise by 22% over his tenure. Yet, because he's French, Italy's new-ish nationalist government is replacing him. - AP

The UK’s Arts World Is Scrapping Over Funding. It’s A Distraction

The reality is that they are all scrapping over crumbs when the real betrayal is the state’s paltry investment in the arts. This includes the music education that would provide new audiences for orchestras and opera companies. - The Guardian

The Arts In Toronto Are Contracting. What To Do?

The closure and diminishment of so many arts institutions in our city should concern us all. The significant economic threat aside, it makes life here smaller and duller. - Toronto Star

The Art Of Reacting To Bad Reviews

Certainly, a clever riposte like this one written by composer Max Reger from his bathroom after a very negative one, has a satisfying feel to it: “I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. I have your review before me. In a moment it shall be behind me.” - Nightingale Sonata

We Desperately Need A New Copyright Law For AI

In the new, global media ecosystem, AI and user-generated content will interact in a symbiotic cycle of information and transformation. The U.S. should therefore move with urgency to assert a national interest in our communal creative expression. - The Hill

With Its Director Problem Dealt With, What’s Coming For Nashville’s Arts Agency For 2025?

"Freshly under interim leadership, the Metro Arts Commission would receive $5.5 million, … on par with last year's budget. … The release of these dollars is contingent on two things: The commission must submit an annual report on the grant recipients, and Metro Council must approve the commission's award criteria." - The Tennessean (MSN)

Embattled Director Of Nashville’s Arts Funder Pushed To Resign (With $200K Payout)

Daniel Singh, who, over two years as director of the agency Metro Arts, alienated many staff members and presided over an extremely messy round of grant-awarding this past year, accepted a negotiated settlement the night before the Metro Arts Commission met to consider firing him. - Nashville Banner

France’s Post Office Has Issued Scratch-‘n’-Sniff Stamps. They Smell Like Baguettes.

The bread scent comes from microcapsules embedded in the ink. The major challenge was to get the ink onto the stamps without breaking those microcapsules before customers ever got to sniff them. - Dezeen

Sony Chief: Company To Focus On Entertainment Rather Than Devices

Yoshida said the company is now emphasizing the creative process itself instead of prized products of the past like the Walkman portable music player and Trinitron color TVs. He said “synergies” are no longer between entertainment and electronics, but determined by intellectual property spanning animation, music, games and films. - AP

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