It’s unclear whether this upward shift is unique to UC Berkeley or an indication of a national trend. Arizona State University (ASU) reported a 17% increase in arts and humanities majors between 2017 and 2019, and over 4,000 undergraduate students majored in spring semester 2021. - Hyperallergic
As government health and welfare services shut down or struggled to adapt to the crisis, cultural organisations stepped in to provide vital support – including, in some cases, fundamentals of food and heating – to their networks of participants and audiences whose usual care was falling short. - The Conversation
Yes, that means — for now — no Tchaikovsky or Tolstoy, no Shostakovich or Chekhov or Pushkin. "The context for this rejection has to be understood, though: Ukrainians are emerging from a history in which the Russian empire, and then the Soviet Union, actively and often violently suppressed Ukrainian art." - The Guardian
By attacking a famous and high-value cultural target like Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring — it even starred in its own movie — the protesters are asking us to examine our values. - The Conversation
Art is now viewed as a pretext for collective discourse, raising “issues” that provide the raw material for op-eds, Twitter threads, college seminars, and conference panels, not to mention (dreaded word) post-performance “talkbacks.” But not just any kind of collective discourse. - Salmagundi
Hours after the victim went to the station "to report that Moonves had sexually assaulted her in the 1980s ... LAPD Capt. Cory Palka called a CBS executive to alert him to the existence of the report." - Los Angeles Times
When she was on The Babysitter's Club, the Latina teen got a ton of online hate from people who expected a blonde, blue-eyed character. So she battled back with her own slightly devious, but fun, social media plan. - Los Angeles Times
"Both spots — the 'South Monument site' and the 'Tidal Basin site' — are extremely problematic, would lead to unnecessary expense, and would force architectural and design compromises that would diminish the potential beauty and functionality of the buildings." - Washington Post
Unless something goes viral (probably for the wrong reason), it's difficult for arts writing to get traction - and Twitter was, until two weeks ago, a good way to find an audience. But what now? The L.A. Times' arts and culture writers have thoughts. - Los Angeles Times
"Theodore Farnsworth, the former CEO of parent company Helios & Matheson, and Mitchell Lowe, the former CEO of MoviePass," were charged with deceiving investors about the business model and sustainability of the service. - Variety
Philanthropy to her only replicates the same power dynamics that have created the systemic inequalities she wants to see dismantled, with new tax policies for the super rich an essential aspect of that vision. - The New York Times
Bay Area choreographer Jess Curtis created a consulting company, Gravity Access Services, which aims "to help ... producers bring their work to life to BVI audiences with audio descriptions that describe movement in more expressive ways, beyond play-by-plays of events." - KQED (San Francisco)
Culture minister Claudia Roth: "We are particularly concerned with the preservation of cultural offerings, from cinemas to theaters and concerts, but also to institutions such as museums, which do not have the means to deal with the crisis in their budgets." - Artnet
"We need a better pipeline for Latinos in movies, TV shows and plays. We need a system for our stories and our projects. ... In a perfect world, everyone should be able to play any role. But Latinos rarely get cast, even in our own stories." - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
We spoke to a total of 33 people in the UK, all of whom had felt “called” to music in early life but then abandoned it in favour of other work, only to return to their music later. Rather than being singers, violinists or ukulele players they became IT managers, civil servants and pharmacists. - The Conversation
