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Did Shakespeare Really Smoke Weed? The Answer Is Yes.

Some clay pipe fragments dug up from his backyard garden in Stratford-upon-Avon and dating from the time he lived there were found to contain cannabis residue. Okay, technically this evidence is circumstantial: there’s no proof that Shakespeare himself left those pipes there. (Maybe they were planted by the Earl of Oxford.) - Literary Hub

Does It Matter if That Art You Liked Was Fake?

 I wondered what it meant if the Greek water jar I had been so moved by, depicting a woman who may have been Sappho bent over a scroll, had in fact been a worthless copy. Did that make the experience any less real? - The Guardian

The Bayeux Tapestry Was Too Fragile To Move. So Now It’s Visiting England? What Changed?

The shift in tone may seem stark, but the Bayeux Museum said it had carried out tests – including a dress rehearsal with a model – that persuaded its experts that the tapestry could be sent to the UK without excessive damage. - The Guardian

The Avignon Festival Copes With Ever-Increasing Temperatures

Days over 100°F are no longer rare, with serious effects on audiences and workers. … Recent changes include eliminating performances between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m., the hottest hours, … (and) a new rule for international artists: If you’re coming from overseas, you must have other touring dates in Europe. - The New York Times

Scrappy Indie Publisher John Martin, 94

Martin, an adventurous independent publisher who brought out the raucous work of the poet Charles Bukowski, as well as the writing of other offbeat literary rebels like Paul Bowles, John Fante and Wyndham Lewis, died on June 23 at his home in Santa Rosa, Calif. - The New York Times

Casing The Joint: Homeland Security Descends On Chicago’s National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts

According to the museum, officers told staff that they were there in an attempt to assess places where undocumented immigrants might enter and leave the museum at upcoming events. - Artnet

Oakland Eliminates Its Top Arts Manager Position

The Oakland City Council passed a budget on June 11 that eliminated its Cultural Affairs Manager position, citing budgetary concerns. But critics say money-saving justifications haven't been made in good faith. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

Remember The Collective That Sold Pieces Of A Damien Hirst Painting Dot By Dot? Look At What They’re Up To Now.

“Billed as a ‘financial trust fall,’ the project” — a sculpture of an infant, built to be taken apart and divided, which the collective MSCHF has titled King Solomon’s Baby — “invites collectors to take the plunge (and buy a piece), hoping others will follow suit in a reverse pyramid scheme that’s artfully self-aware.” - ARTnews

How Ancient Water Clocks Changed Our Notions Of Time

As ancient civilisations began to need more reliable timekeeping mechanisms, the technology took an extraordinary leap forward with the advent of dependable water clocks, which would remain the best technology available for the next 1,800 years. - Aeon

Museums Are Rethinking The Environmental Costs Of Collection Climate Controls

These decades-old guidelines determine the temperature and relative humidity at which museums maintain their collections, but implementing them comes with high energy costs and carbon footprints. - The Art Newspaper

How Slow-Motion Became The Movies’ Go-To Effect

The “slow-mo effect,” is retrospective, a trick of memory. Still, it indicates a remarkable theatricality, a cinematic flair, on the part of our brains. “We might experience almost everything in some form of slow motion if we thought that we were always dying." - The New Republic

Afghan Seen In Documentary “Retrograde” Was Killed By Taliban; His Family Sues Filmmakers

“Omar, (an) Afghan minesweeper tasked with protecting Green Berets, … was allegedly tracked down from a scene in Retrograde. … The estate accused the documentary’s producers of exploiting Omar’s identity for ‘commercial gain while knowingly placing him in grave danger’.” The producers say they’re protected by the First Amendment. - The Hollywood Reporter

Gen Zers Are Flocking To NYC Art Schools

The surge comes as many young adults grapple with fears about the impacts of artificial intelligence, a sense of internet overload and a desire to reconnect with the physical world. - Gothamist

How Trump’s BBBill Will Impact Non-Profits

Provisions in the new law raise unsettling questions about how the nonprofit world will be affected — and the answers may not be known for months or years. - Chronicle of Philanthropy

Creative Tree Of The Year?

Ten nominees have been chosen to meet this year’s theme of “rooted in culture”, which seeks to highlight how trees inspire creative minds and become ingrained in the cultural landscape. - The Guardian

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