“A bipartisan spending package released Monday by House Speaker Mike Johnson includes $32 million for operating expenses at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through Sept. 30, 2027.” - AP
Despite the reported skepticism of higher education, enrollment in four-year colleges and universities is growing. These institutions awarded 2 million bachelor’s degrees in 2023, compared with 1.6 million in 2010, and the fraction of 25-year-olds with a bachelor’s degree has steadily increased for the past 15 years. - The Atlantic
Since Fidesz came to power, governmental actors have gained control of universities, galleries and popular media outlets. The national cultural fund, chaired by the culture and innovation minister, has redirected money from independent unions and periodicals to pro-government journalists and writers. - The Guardian
“Beyond the loss of tangibles (job, income), I think what we’re collectively grieving most is a sense of hope. Los Angeles runs on hope the way Boston runs on Dunkin.” - Vulture
The current political climate isn’t helping. “Women in the film industry now find themselves in uncharted territory. … Hollywood has never needed permission to exclude or diminish women, but the industry now has it.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
Brian King Joseph wrote on social media, "Getting fired or getting blamed or shamed or threatened or anything like that, simply for reporting sexual misconduct or safety threats at work, is not OK.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
The new state law also requires cinemas “to clearly identify those screenings in their advertising.” Those who aren’t in the Deaf or hard of hearing communities but are used to captions as they stream (and use, er, second screens) will benefit as well. - Seattle Times
Schwartz, who wrote English texts for Leonard Bernstein's Mass at the opening of the Kennedy Center in 1971, said, “Appearing there has now become an ideological statement. … As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there.” - The New York Times
The White House is expected to invite past Trump appointees to rejoin the Commission of Fine Arts, according to three people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss those plans. - Washington Post
Led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Democrats on the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee say they’ve obtained documents suggesting that the Center is being operated as a “slush fund and private club for Trump’s friends and political allies”, resulting in millions of lost income and a departure from its statutory mission. - The Guardian
“The new (2,000-seat) theatre will allow Canberra to host major national and international theatre productions that currently don’t visit Canberra because our 1965-built Canberra Theatre stage is too small and with only 1,200 seats, it just isn’t commercially viable for most touring shows,” wrote Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Andrew Barr. - Limelight (Australia)
These were the economic and political forces shaping culture in 2025. From the decline of the middle-class musician and the digitization of art to critical reassessments of literary heavyweights and political cinema... - The Walrus
Richard Grenell’s letter argues not only that Redd has harmed the Center’s finances, but that his withdrawal constitutes an “act of intolerance” driven by “the sad bullying tactics employed by certain elements on the left.” Grenell vows, “We will not let them cancel shows without consequences.” - The Atlantic
“The current bylaws, obtained by The Washington Post, were revised in May to specify that board members designated by Congress — known as ex officio members — could not vote or count toward a quorum. Legal experts say the move may conflict with the institution’s charter.” - The Washington Post (MSN)
It is formally named the Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center, but absolutely everyone calls it The Egg. The Albany landmark will soon reopen following a $19.5 million renovation, and executive director Diane Eber wants to make it a forum for immersive works — as she puts it, an “art vortex.” - Gothamist
