There is an important difference between a building that is “open to the public” and a public building, and that distinction may explain the palpable sadness among art lovers on social media after news of the sale broke. - Washington Post
“So I’m going to be brutal and say that I obtained a prize I never wanted. The Nobel prize fell upon me. It fell into my life like a bomb. It was an enormous disruption; since winning it, I cannot write and the act of the writing was always my future." - The Guardian
According to the final technical report, more than 95% of participants reported some benefits to their well-being after visiting a museum and 85% indicated positive effects in all four areas. - The Art Newspaper
The Black American playwright was inspired to adapt Lennon's In His Own Write by her son's Beatlemania. To her initial surprise, Kenneth Tynan picked up the play, and she watched the first performance next to Olivier, her hero. Most of the rest of the experience, though, was more dispiriting. - The Guardian
In recent decades, numerous studies have shown that kids who study music outperform their peers in a variety of realms. The problem is it is difficult to discern whether these benefits are the result of the lessons themselves or if kids who choose to study music are simply sharper than their nonmusical schoolmates. - San Francisco Classical Voice
"Despite the different time periods and languages used, the content of insults hasn't evolved: They're still highly personal barbs about people's courage (or lack thereof), status, competence, appearance, hygiene, sexual prowess and lineage." - The New York Times
"So are we on the cusp of major studios forcing Meryl Streep into a sequel by casting her digital double? Not quite. It's not that studios wouldn't want to. But, unions aside, A.I. can't replicate top-notch acting from scratch. Just yet." But here are four things it's already doing. - Slate
The Lebanese creative scene has never been more prosperous and vibrant: it has kept on blooming like an unlikely flower on a volcano’s crater. Painters, sculptors, poets, dancers, photographers, musicians, novelists, designers, playwrights, chefs, performers … these are the superheroes of our country. - The Guardian
Dance is far rarer than other art forms in prison arts programs: it "goes against prison-culture codes of masculine behavior." But two inmates decided to start what was, at first, an informal class — and they ended up working with Dimitri Chamblas, dean of dance at CalArts. - The New York Times
An Italian court has ruled in favor of Florence’s Gallerie dell’Accademia in its lawsuit against the publishing house Edizioni Conde Nast, which used an image of Michelangelo’s David without permission. - Artnet
A Safeway in San Francisco has been playing classical music from a speaker in a parking lot security tower for months in order to deter loitering. For some reason the company hasn't explained, the volume was turned as high as possible last weekend, drawing countless complaints. - MSN (San Francisco Chronicle)
In addition to knowing art history and being a good administrator and fundraiser, a museum director these days may have to address diversifying her curators, identifying and returning looted artworks, workers who are unionizing for the first time, and scrutiny of board members' wealth. - The New York Times
"Tim Sheader …, who currently runs Regent's Park Open Air theatre, will take over from Michael Longhurst in March 2024 and will also be the Donmar's joint chief executive alongside executive director Henny Finch." - The Guardian
"A colorful collection of wooden slats woven into a fence along the Richmond Parkway near the Chevron refinery, titled 'Fencelines: A Collective Monument to Resilience,' 'has been completely disappeared,' the sponsors announced in a statement." - MSN (San Francisco Chronicle)
The Amsterdam Avenue façade of the campus has always seemed sterile and forbidding, the tall, blank walls of the building giving the feeling of a fortress blocking out the neighbors (including the public housing across the street). This renovation aims to open the campus up. - The New York Times
