ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

ISSUES

AI As Academic Freedom Issue

AI is here, rather suddenly, pretty disruptively, and in a big way. Different institutions are adopting different stances and much of the adaptation is falling on faculty, in some cases with minimal guidance. - InsideHigherEd

Columbia University’s Capitulation To Trump Is A Threat To Universities

Some say the settlement is unlawful, pointing to the quick investigation, vague allegations and unprecedented way federal funds were retracted before Columbia had a chance to appeal. Some went as far as to compare the executive actions to past power grabs by authoritarian leaders in countries like Hungary, Turkey and Brazil. - InsideHigherEd

Trump Dismisses Concerns Over Copyright And AI

 “You can't be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you've read or studied, you're supposed to pay for,” Trump said. “We appreciate that, but just can't do it— because it's not doable.” - Wired

Publishers Worry Trump Will Gut Copyright For AI

"You can’t be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you’ve read or studied, you’re supposed to pay for. 'Gee, I read a book,' you're supposed to pay somebody," Trump said. - Publishers Weekly

Difference In Arts Funding Between London And North Of England Remains Huge: Study

While the gap has narrowed from that of previous years, the north of England still receives only £28 per capita in arts and culture funding, while London receives £57 per capita. - Manchester Evening News

The Essentialness Of The Traditional Arts Review

Reviews are rooted in the most fundamental unit of the art business—the personal encounter with individual works (or exhibits of many works)—and in the economic implications of that encounter. The specificity of the review is both aesthetic and social. - The New Yorker

Can Burning Man Survive Financial Hardship?

Despite its explosive popularity over the years, in 2024 Burning Man fell short of its fundraising goals and saw a reduction in ticket sales. The organization does not have corporate sponsorships to support its operations, and the sale of tickets, which cost anywhere from $550 to $3,000, do not alone cover those expense. - The Guardian

In Putin’s Russia, Even Internet Searches Could Be Crimes

“Russian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill that punishes online searches for information that is deemed ‘extremist.’ … The official definition of extremist activity is extremely broad and includes opposition groups like (Navalny’s) Anti-Corruption Foundation … and the ‘international LGBT movement’.” - AP

Trump Administration Considers Removing Exhibits On Slavery From Independence Hall In Philadelphia

“The displays were flagged for review in accordance with a Trump administration order directing National Park Service staff to identify language and historical depictions that ‘inappropriately disparage Americans past or living’.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Republicans Propose Renaming Kennedy Center’s Opera House After Melania Trump

The proposal was introduced by Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee as part of a spending bill for the Department of the Interior, environment and related agencies. - The New York Times

Can Trump Really Eliminate The National Endowment For The Arts? Here’s What Experts Say

Opinions differ over whether Trump or any president could make the NEA (or NEH) cease to exist without an act of Congress, but if that happens, it’s clear that smaller, less wealthy places will be the ones most affected. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

Trump Will Pull US Out Of UNESCO For Second Time

“’Continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States,’ State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. (She) Bruce accused the organization of platforming ‘divisive social and cultural causes’.” The withdrawal is effective at the end of 2026. - ARTnews

So Far, While The US Government Is Cutting Arts Funding, States Are Maintaining Theirs

“We’re in an uncertain fiscal environment for state governments overall, but it is encouraging to see that 29 states increased their funding for their arts agencies. Overall, we can say that state legislatures around the country are sustaining their investment in the arts.” - The Art Newspaper

Senate Hears Authors Protesting Wholesale Ingestion Of Their Work By AI Companies

“Today’s hearing is about the largest intellectual property theft in American history,” Sen. Josh Hawley said. - Washington Post

Nonprofit Files International Criminal Court Case Against Russia For Plundering Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage

“For Ukraine, For Their Freedom and Ours!, a French nonprofit, has filed a case with the International Criminal Court (in the Hague), accusing Russia of the ‘systematic, widespread, and organized’ looting of Ukrainian cultural heritage.” - ARTnews

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