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After Nearly Three Weeks, The Philadelphia Museum Of Art Workers’ Strike Is Over

Tentatively, that is - the workers in the union still must vote to ratify the new contract. "Management compromised on all five of the demands that prompted the strike," and workers vote today (Sunday). - Hyperallergic

Why Bad Catholics Make Great Literature

"Smells, bells, blood, guts, spectacle, and of course, bodies, bodies, bodies. Catholicism is a deeply theatrical religion based in provocative stories." - The Millions

Robbie Coltrane, Who Played Harry Potter’s Hagrid, Has Died At 72

In a 20th reunion special, Coltrane - who knew he was dying - said, "You could be watching in 50-years time, easy. I’ll not be here, sadly, but Hagrid will, yes." - Variety

Climate Activists Throw Tomato Soup On Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

Or rather, on the glass protecting it. "'What is worth more, art or life?' said one of the activists. ... 'Is it worth more than food? More than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?'" - The Guardian (UK)

London’s Frieze Show Thrives Despite UK Challenges

Britain’s premier contemporary art fair seemed to demonstrate, by sheer weight of numbers, that London’s contemporary art trade is alive and thriving, despite Brexit, a domestic economy in turmoil, a new rival fair in Paris and other challenges. - The New York Times

How The Insufferably Bland Barney Became A Cultural Sensation

The love and togetherness wasn’t “Barney” ’s problem. The character himself was uniquely unnerving—more Grimace than T. Rex, somehow dopey and condescending at once—and some of the outrage, I suspect, came from viewers’ impassioned feelings about what good educational TV should be. - The New Yorker

LACMA’s New Home Is Halfway Done

The museum also announced Thursday that its $750-million fundraising campaign has reached the $700-million mark. The public-private partnership includes $125 million in Los Angeles County taxpayer funds. Eighty percent of the funds, the museum said in the announcement, will be paid for by private donations. - Los Angeles Times

Is There A Formula For Winning A Booker Prize?

In past years it has proven so unpredictable that even one of its winners likened the literary award to “a chicken raffle”. Referring to an Australian custom of raffling poultry as a fundraising activity, the phrase suggests luck, rather than talent, is key to scooping the prize. - The Conversation

What Proust Thought About The Telephone

Initially, Proust likens telephone exchange operators to supernatural beings, capriciously presiding over the ‘miracle’ of telephony, but then he develops a more sombre analogy between speaking to a loved one on the telephone and communicating with the dead. - Psyche

The Nude That Artemisia Gentileschi Painted For Michelangelo’s House Was Covered Up By Prudes

"Visitors to Florence's Casa Buonarroti can watch a team of experts as they work to restore Artemisia Gentileschi's Allegory of Inclination, using technology to determine how it would look without the prudish draperies that have censored the artist's nude woman for hundreds of years." - Artnet

Technology Is Changing The Ways Theatre Artists Develop Ideas

"A lot of artists have digital records now online and the quality might not be great but you can to see just a little bit of where things originated. And that’s so important given how ephemeral theatre is." - ArtsHub

Netflix For $7 A Month (Plus Ads) Is Coming

"The ad-supported service is scheduled to debut Nov. 3 as Netflix tries to reverse a drop in subscribers. It will cost $7 per month in the U.S., a 55% markdown from Netflix's most popular $15.50-per-month plan, which is ad-free." - AP

Will TikTok Shake Up The Music Streaming Business?

Music streaming would be integrated into its existing short video service. ByteDance already has a music streaming service in Resso, which is currently available in India, Brazil, and Indonesia. The plan, according to the report, is to expand to several more countries, rebranded as TikTok Music. - Ludwig Van

Parkour Dancers In Paris Have Become Anti-Light Pollution Activists

"Groups of young athletes practicing Parkour ... have been swinging around big French cities switching off wasteful shop signs at night, in a bid to fight light pollution and save energy." And with Europe facing an energy crisis, their work is more timely than ever. - The New York Times

TikTok Has Taken Over The Internet. It’s Worth Reflecting On How

TikTok’s website was visited last year more often than Google. No app has grown faster past a billion users, and more than 100 million of them are in the United States. The average American viewer watches TikTok for 80 minutes a day — more than the time spent on Facebook and Instagram, combined. - Washington Post

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