ISSUES

South Korea Shakes Up Its Cultural Leadership

South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced a series of high-profile appointments across its leading arts institutions, led by the naming of conductor and cellist Chang Han-na as the new president and chief executive of the Seoul Arts Center. - Moto Perpetuo

Trump Administration Abandons Appeal, Gives Up Attempt To Dismantle Institute Of Museum And Library Services

“A federal court granted the administration’s request to withdraw its appeal of a federal judge’s earlier ruling that struck down Trump’s attempt last year to dismantle the agency” by executive order. However, the fiscal 2027 budget which the White House is submitting to Congress includes no funding for IMLS. - Publishers Weekly

In The Bay Area, Earlier Curtain Times Are Catching On

From ACT in San Francisco to Berkeley Rep to Stanford Live, producers and presenters are moving starting times from 8:00 to 7:30, 7:00 or even 6:30. So far, there have been lots of favorable comments and very few complaints. - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)

The City Of Boston Gets A New Arts Chief

“Many cities are facing affordability crises, lack of access to physical space for creative work, and tighter budgets. It’s more important than ever to have leaders who can engage planning and policy systems and ensure the creative sector is at the table.” - WBUR

Inside The Project To Remake Paris’ Catacombs

Over the past five months, architects, designers, technicians and masons have been renovating this vast tomb — installing new lighting and ventilation systems, restoring the bone walls, and preparing new audio guides. - The New York Times

Alternative Conservative Entrance Exam Gains Traction In US Schools

The CLT stands out because it mainly features passages from noted philosophers, religious scholars, scientists and authors in the canon of Western literature, including Plato, St. Augustine, Dante and Shakespeare. Students can take the test at a traditional testing site or online at home. - Washington Post

Major Arts Institutions In Minneapolis-St. Paul Are (Mostly) Bouncing Back

After some very challenging years, the Walker Art Center, Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and Minnesota Opera have all posted budget surpluses; while the Minnesota Orchestra’s deficit has grown, earned income and attendance are both up. - The Minnesota Star Tribune (MSN)

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Proactively Changed Material After Trump Returned To Office

“Unlike his posture toward the Smithsonian, Trump has not publicly commented on the USHMM’s content. … But two former museum employees who left amid the changes told POLITICO they believed the museum was altering its content preemptively, so as to not draw unwanted negative attention from the Trump administration.” - Politico

Can An Artist Retreat Over Clay Pots Suggest A Direction For AI?

Es Devlin is calling order on a group of artists, AI researchers, spiritual leaders, academics and experts from global tech gathered at the kilns to discuss AI and make pots at the AI and Earth conference organised by the artist and stage designer. - The Guardian

Pepsi Pulls Sponsorship Of UK Festival To Protest Booking Of Kanye West. Now The Prime Minister Has Weighed In

Keir Starmer joined criticism of the festival at the weekend, saying it was “deeply concerning” that West had been booked to perform “despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism”. - The Guardian

When The WPA Placed Art At The Center Of Democracy

The WPA provided for culture workers through Federal One, encompassing the Federal Art, Music, Theatre, and Writers’ Projects. But the social benefits of painting a mural were less obvious than those of planting a tree. - ARTnews

What An Elite College Degree Really Buys

So the people who go to the fanciest colleges tend to have the most successful careers—this is not exactly news. The question of why this is the case, however, is surprisingly tricky to answer. - The Atlantic

Honestly, Who Would Serve On The Smithsonian’s Advisory Board Right Now?

Also, what’s that board going to look like once the president gets finished with it? “Smithsonian officials declined to comment on the appointment process, and offered no explanation for the delays.” - The New York Times

The Increasing Accusations That Everything Is Made With AI

“Solutions like Proudly Human and Not by AI aim to be broader, covering published text, visual art, videography, and music, but the verification processes being used by these services can be questionable.” (Archive Today version here.) - The Verge

PayPal And Other Online Payment Systems Seem To Be Silencing Media Sites They Don’t Like

“Payment services don’t have any incentive to consider the value of controversial and unpopular speech or how it may benefit our society.” - LitHub

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