ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

ISSUES

What’s At Stake For So-Called ‘Background’ Actors?

"'I am sure that the feeling is unanimous among background actors that being scanned and having our likeness used in perpetuity for a one-time payment of approximately $200 is horrifying,' said Christopher Cosmo, a New York-based background actor." - HuffPost

Don’t Settle, Hollywood Actors Urge Canadians

"Stars including Elliot Page, Martin Short and Tatiana Maslany are among the 74 Canadian actors who signed a July 10 open letter calling for on- and off-screen colleagues in B.C. to vote down the deal they say uses them as 'a bargaining chip.'" - CBC

A Ukrainian Nonprofit Collects The Graffiti Invading Russian Soldiers Have Left Behind

"The cultural nonprofit Mizhvukhamy is documenting these findings in Wall Evidence, an open archive created for future research (on) the Russian invasion." Some samples: "It was an order. Sorri." "I'll burn other people's villages with a smile." "Sorry for the mess, but it’s okay, Americans will help with cleanup." - Hyperallergic

To Elevate Its Reputation, Miami Beach To Spend Nearly $100 Million On Arts And Culture

"The $97.6 million in bonds will be backed by property taxes, which surged in recent years as the city became a magnet for the wealthy. The sale is part of a broader effort by the barrier-island city to ditch its reputation as a spring-break destination." - Bloomberg CityLab

Misbehaving Audiences, A History

"As far back as the ancient Greeks people like Plato were complaining about what he called a vicious theatrocracy, where audiences who were previously happy to sit quietly suddenly wanted to use their tongues and start cheering and screaming. - BBC

Why Has The Hong Kong Arts Centre Been Hemorrhaging Staff?

"Management’s attempt to overhaul the Hong Kong Arts Centre has triggered a mass walkout at the 46-year-old non-profit institution, with former employees reporting that at least half of its staff have left since the previous executive director stepped down in August 2022." - South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)

The Shed Hires A Separate CEO: Meredith Hodges Of Boston Ballet

"The position was initially held by Alex Poots, who founded the Manchester International Festival and served as the artistic director of the Park Avenue Armory. But he gave up the title in January, when the organization said he would solely focus on his role as artistic director." - The New York Times

Another Culture War Over Spain’s Bullfights — And This One’s Not About The Bulls

This particular struggle is over the tradition of comic bullfights, often before the main corrida, featuring performers with dwarfism. Traditionalists see it as Spanish culture worth preserving; many liberals consider it demeaning, backward, and, now, illegal; the performers want to keep their jobs. - The New York Times

The First Bank Of The United States (Yes, The One Founded By Alexander Hamilton) Will Become A Museum Of The U.S. Economy

"(It) was built in 1797 in Philadelphia to be the central hub of Hamilton's national banking system. The Independence National Historical Park (INHP) will soon begin a $50 million renovation to turn this building" — closed to the public since the 1970s — "into a museum of the American economy." - WHYY (Philadelphia)

An Arts Funding Crisis In The UK

As it stands, organisations across the regions are facing critical decisions—or, worse, closure. Levelling up is widely considered to have failed. - The Art Newspaper

UK Study: An Artist Income Crisis

Notably, the surveyed artists' professional practice represented just 33% of their overall income, with many having to rely on additional ways to bring in money. Just 12% of surveyed artists said that their practice represented their sole means of income. - The Art Newspaper

Frustration As Italy Starts Charging For Entrance To The Pantheon

The equivalent of about $5.50 might be a small price to pay to see one of the world’s most iconic monuments — where the painter Raphael is buried — but the new fee has been accompanied by stumbling blocks. - The New York Times

Arts Groups Are Aghast At The Possibility Of Tearing Down San Diego Civic Theatre

"If it goes away" as part of a major downtown redevelopment proposed by City Hall, "so too does the prospect of seeing, within county limits, Broadway productions, world-class ballet and premier opera performances, say theater groups who are sounding the alarm about what's at stake." - MSN (The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Overrun By Tourists, The Acropolis Imposes Limits On Visitors For The First Time

"Unprecedented queues at the foot of the site ... and unruly scenes at the gateway to the sanctuary have spurred the Greek government to take action. … A time-slot system, fast-lane entry points for organised tourist groups and electronic ticketing are among the steps officials say will alleviate congestion." - The Observer (UK)

Sarah Silverman Sues OpenAI Over Copyright

Their lawsuits each contain six counts of various types of copyright violations, negligence, unjust enrichment, and unfair competition. The authors are looking for statutory damages, restitution of profits, and more. - The Verge

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