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Venice’s New Day-Tripper Tax Is Bringing In A Pile Of Money. That Means It’s Working, Right?

The mayor said that the €5 entrance fee was expected to bring in about €700,000 on the trial dates so far, but the total collected was €2.43 million. However, his opponents say the fee's stated goal is to reduce the number of tourists, so clearly it's too low. - The New York Times

Britain Is So Far Behind Europe In Arts Funding That It’s A “Crisis”: Study

"The findings of the academic 'crisis' report, ... by the University of Warwick and the Campaign for the Arts pressure group, … (show) that while Britain has cut back its total culture budget by 6% since 2010, Germany, France and Finland have each increased their spending by up to 70%." - The Observer (UK)

The Library Of Congress Has 175 Million Works. How Does It Decide What To Collect?

There are three principles: The first is that we should have everything that Congress needs to do its work. The second is that we should possess the materials that cover the life and achievement of the United States. And the third is that we’re not in a vacuum, and we need stuff from the rest of the world. - Scientific...

Long Before The Trial Was Tossed Out, Jurors Had Doubt About Alec Baldwin’s Guilt

One juror: “'Alec Baldwin is an actor, right?’ she said, adding that she would not have expected him to know a lot about gun safety. ‘I think he would have trusted the people, you know, on the set to do their job.’” - The New York Times

Four Disneyland Unions Vote To Authorize A Strike

That doesn’t mean one will happen, but it might. Last week, a thousand people "protested outside Disneyland’s entrance in support of park employees advocating for changes like fair wages and a 'fair attendance policy.’” - Vulture

To Make His Films, This Georgian Director Risks Everything

“Making queer-themed work in a country like Georgia is a perilous affair,” the writer-director says. “For And Then We Dance, his production had to lie about the plot in order to secure locations. … When details got out, the crew received death threats.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

University Of The Arts Unions File Labor Complaint

The complaint, filed with the National Labor Relations Board, alleges that the school declined to “furnish information” following attempts the negotiate severance pay and other matters in the wake of the school’s closure this past June. - ARTnews

Why It’s Okay, Even Good, To Be An Adult Who Loves Disney’s Theme Parks

"Disneyland is often said to be 'fun' or 'an escape,' but I wanted ... to ask those who have thought critically about theme parks why these spaces matter, why millions are drawn to them and what, if any, emotional benefit they provide. One word kept coming up: play." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Artists Have Been Priced Out Of Seattle

In the survey, creatives of all stripes, success and income levels say that — faced with rising housing prices, inflation and a weakened local art infrastructure — making a living as an artist in King County is now a Sisyphean endeavor that leaves them stressed out, exhausted and, in some cases, contemplating leaving the region. - Seattle Times

What Does It Look Like To Give Guaranteed Income To Artists?

It seems like such a basic thing: paying working artists a living wage. But it’s not something that most arts organizations, particularly smaller ones, find easy to do.  - Seattle Times

Nashville’s Arts Funder Agrees To Restore Grants It Clawed Back From Minority-Led Arts Groups

The Metro Arts Commission had rescinded the funds in 2023 on advice from the city's attorneys that, because commissioners had discussed race in awarding the grants, and consequent to a Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, those awards might be unconstitutional. - The Tennessean (Nashville) (MSN)

Spanish Residents Protest Mass Tourism

Some popular locations are struggling with the crush of visitors. Tens of thousands of Spanish residents have taken to the streets in Málaga and the Canary Islands to protest mass tourism and rising housing costs, as more units convert into short-term rentals. - The Wall Street Journal

Taxonomy Is Our Superpower (And It’s In Dire Shape)

Taxonomy, the science of naming and classifying organisms, is the foundation for conserving disappearing plants and animals. Yet the field — often viewed as an archaic, dusty tradition that harks back to intrepid 19th-century botanists describing the plants of newly colonized lands — is dying. - The New York Times

Minority-Led Arts Groups In Chicago Are Getting More Money From Donors

"Major arts donors nearly doubled their funding to Chicago groups with diverse leaders and audiences over the past three years, but the authors of a new report worry that support is eroding. Historically, Chicago’s (BIPOC) arts organizations received significantly lower foundational support than majority white organizations." - WBEZ (Chicago)

Nicholas Serota’s Plan For The UK Arts Sector In The New Era

The plan includes putting culture and creativity at "the heart of education" and advocating "for the role culture can play in local renewal", as well as strengthening freedom of expression among creatives. - The Stage

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