ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

ISSUES

“Bad Art Is Doing Very Nicely These Days, And The Reason Is That People Want A Message.”

David Bromwich: "In The Importance of Being Earnest, Algernon recoiled from the display of affection by the happily married: 'It is simply washing one's clean linen in public.' A great deal of the admired and well-rewarded art of our time consists of washing one's clean linen in public." - The Nation

Construction Of New Cultural Facilities Has Come Roaring Back: Study

The sixth annual Cultural Infrastructure Index, produced by AEA Consulting, has found that "after a predictable dip in 2020, due to broader pandemic lockdowns, 2021 showed an extraordinarily robust rebound in new buildings and projects." - Artnet

Old Redlined Neighborhoods In New Haven Have Become Havens For Black Artists

"A community of artists — many of color — has blossomed in unassuming districts with names like East Rock, Newhallville and Fair Haven. Most are Yale alumni who chose to stay. … New Haven's appeal over larger cities may not be self-evident, but it makes sense." - T — The New York Times Style Magazine

The Comeback Of Australia’s Country Pub

It's actually quite pleasing for architects - and fans of community spirit as well. "You can gut it and bring all of this modern stuff in … but people love the ‘imagine if walls could talk’ kind of feel."- The Guardian (UK)

At Least One United States Court Understands Comedy

Roy Moore, whom history will remember for putting a marble Ten Commandments monument at the Alabama Judicial Building and being banned from a mall for his interactions with teenage girls, just had his $95 million lawsuit against Sacha Baron Cohen for a "pedophile detector" TV episode tossed. - Washington Post

Making Activist Art A Conduit For Hope In Troubled Times

Andrea Bowers's show opened on June 24, the day that the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe. "When you enter the first gallery, you’re greeted immediately by a big, blinking yellow and red neon sign that reads, 'My Body My Choice Her Body Her Choice.'" - Los Angeles Times

Black Mountain College — The Underfunded, Never-Accredited, Long-Defunct Rural School That Transformed American Arts And Education

It only operated from 1933-1957 in North Carolina's Swannanoa Valley, and its great impact was through its summer program. But to see how important Black Mountain College was, you need only look at the astounding list of those who taught and studied there. - T — The New York Times Style Magazine

What Was (Or What Is) The Chitlin Circuit?

It was a network of theaters, nightclubs, and church halls throughout the US where Black entertainers performed during the segregation era, and where many great musicians and actors got their start.  It still exists, on a smaller scale, as a touring circuit for Black-oriented popular plays and music. - Atlas Obscura

Until The 1880s Anthropologists Researched In Libraries. When They Finally Went Into The Field It Was Eccentric

Instead of sitting in libraries, they began to study “primitive” cultures for themselves, across Africa, Asia and the Americas, living with their subjects for extended periods of time and then reporting back to western readers on what they’d found. - The Guardian

Twitter Sues Indian Government Over Orders To Remove Tweets

"Twitter's suit, filed in the Karnataka High Court in Bangalore, challenges a recent order from the Indian government for the company to remove content and block dozens of accounts. Twitter complied with the order, which had a Monday deadline, but then sought judicial relief." - The New York Times

Japan Is Conflicted About Resuming Tourism

Japan's opening up to mass tourism over the last decade brought an economic boost — a record 32 million tourists visited in 2019 and spent some $38 billion — but that also led to complaints of shoddy behavior at sites such as Kyoto's temples. - Japan Times

Can Cultural Institutions Help Heal Countries Torn Up By Civil War?  Look To Bosnia

"Bosnia and Herzegovina share a painful legacy — yet, today, they live an enduring peace. Cities such as Sarajevo and Srebrenica are now largely reconciled with their history, aided in part by institutions like the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo and the Srebrenica Memorial Center." - The Art Newspaper

Arts Audiences In Australia Are Coming Back, Even As COVID Cases Rise Again

"Venues and organisations are frantically having to deal with a programming backlog and process delayed projects still 'on the books'. And from the visitor's perspective, there is a kind of 'just do it' attitude – the urge to attend events regardless of the semi-expectation of contracting a COVID variant." - ArtsHub (Australia)

What Will Be The New Australian Government’s Arts Policy?

The new Labor government's Arts Minister is also the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations: Tony Burke. He indicates particular interested in job security and insurance for gig workers, but says there will be no formal arts policy until after town hall meetings held all over the country. - Limelight (Australia)

“Disneyfication”: What Has Xi Jinping’s Government Done To The Ancient Silk Road City Of Kashgar?

BuzzFeed's reporters have compared video and photos from 2017 (not long after the current repression campaign against Uyghurs began) and earlier to more recent images taken by tourists to determine what changes have happened in Kashgar. The city has evidently been turned into a heavily surveilled theme park. - BuzzFeed

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