What gets defined as “art” often reflects a very specific perspective in our culture. Expanding our definitions of art and participation to include nontraditional and emerging forms ensures that a broader spectrum of creative expression is valued and supported. - NEA
Matt Mullenweg “has muddied the boundaries between three essential entities that lead a sprawling ecosystem powering almost half of the web. To Mullenweg, that’s all fine.” - The Verge
“The subject matter is politically fraught, but once upon a time, American film distributors and exhibitors embraced controversy — especially when it came to acclaimed movies whose controversy was inextricably intertwined with their humanity. Are these companies holding back out of budgetary reasons, out of cowardice, out of political disagreement?” - Vulture
“The story began when Spanish pharmacist Leonardo Gutiérrez-Colomer met historian Alberto María Carreño in Mexico in 1946, who told him a secret: the body of the conquistador was hidden in a niche in the Church of Jesús, in the center of the Mexican capital.” - El País
Andy Newbery, season three’s helmer: “Hopefully, shows like this will make it easier for the next generation coming through... to hopefully accept themselves a bit more easily and a bit quicker, and maybe some of that shame won't exist in the same way like it did for a lot of us.” - BBC
Part of the challenge is that such questions aren’t really empirical; they can’t be answered by just by asking Americans about their arts activities. Rather, they’re normative and therefore, inevitably, political. - NEA
Rather than egging on a bull to gore him and then killing it, a competitor in this sport merely annoys the animal by trying to pluck off tokens stuck to its body or forehead. Despite healthy attendance, la course camarguaise now faces financial problems, angry detractors, and badly-behaved spectators. - The Guardian
Renewed interest in Appalachian art, music and culture has been drawing tourists to western North Carolina in recent years. Visitors to Asheville’s Buncombe County spent nearly $3 billion last year, accounting for 20% of the county’s annual economy. - NBCNews
The Lightbox Film Center, a repertory cinema, had been operating for the past five years in one of the UArts buildings on Broad Street in Philadelphia. In the four months since the university's sudden collapse, director Jesse Pires has re-established Lightbox as a nonprofit and scheduled new screenings. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Creative Scotland has postponed announcing its next round of funding grants, which were due this month. The agency says it still can't confirm for itself what its allocation from Scotland's parliament will be; the Scottish government says it must wait until the UK government in London announces its own budget. - BBC
"A band with 12 Sudanese members now lives with thousands of refugees in Egypt. The troupe, called Camirata, includes researchers, singers and poets who are determined to preserve the knowledge of traditional Sudanese folk music and dance to keep it from being lost in the ruinous war." - AP
The neighborhood of galleries, music venues, artist studios, breweries, and other businesses was completely inundated by the clay-brown waters of the French Broad River after more than a foot of rain fell on the North Carolina city. - Hyperallergic
Yearslong decreases in corporate charitable giving and overall charitable giving made The Chronicle of Philanthropy ask, in January, “Has the giving crisis reached the point of no return?” Similarly, Vox wondered in July, “Are we actually in the middle of a generosity crisis?” - Esquire
Kris Nelson, a Canadian national currently based in London, is well-known for his transformative work as the Artistic Director and CEO of the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT). - Limelight
