When the city commissioned a permanent version of Wesley Wofford's traveling Tubman statue, objectors demanded the commission go to a Philadelphia artist of color instead. But the city's new RFP calls for a statue of Tubman "or another African American's contribution to our nation's history." - The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Notwithstanding her many roles in a wide range of Hollywood, international and Greek films, including The Guns of Navarone (1961), Zorba the Greek (1964) and Z (1969), Papas always gave the impression that there was an Electra, Antigone or Clytemnestra bubbling beneath the surface." - The Guardian
Museums must be disentangled from national and corporate interests that guide narratives and reproduce dominant social norms. Structural transformation is needed which involves more diverse staff, especially in senior and executive positions. - The Conversation
It "was meant as reference, but also to be savoured. The 11th edition of Britannica (1929) featured Cecil B. DeMille on motion pictures and J.B. Priestley on English literature. It was ‘plausible, reasonable, unruffled, often reserved and completely authoritative’. And sometimes plain wrong. - The Spectator
The new online hub at sfopera.com/firstcentury features recordings from the company’s past, along with rare artist interviews, archival photographs, program articles, oral history excerpts and newly captured conversations among past and present San Francisco Opera creative luminaries. - Gramilano
When we speak of adored artists, we often flash on the first time we encountered their work, a tendency that evokes first love. I was in college when I saw my first Godard film, “Every Man for Himself” (1980), widely considered a return to form. - The New York Times
“This important claim will represent a class of victims of Google’s anti-competitive conduct in ad tech who have collectively lost an estimated £7bn. This includes news websites up and down the country with large daily readerships as well as the thousands of small business owners who depend on advertising revenue." - The Guardian
British philosophers from the 18th century, who were fixated on impressions and ideas, would have taken successful conversations to be those that moved the relevant cluster of ideas from one conversant’s head to another’s. - Psyche
The movie, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (or DDLJ), is about two Indian expats in London: she more traditional, he a Westernized playboy. The musical (directed by the film's director) makes them Harvard students and him WASP. Is that a whitewash? Or a more telling clash of cultures? - The New York Times
The National Opera of Ukraine announced, with "indescribable sadness," the death of Oleksandr Shapoval, one of the company's former principal dancers and a teacher at Kyiv State Choreographic College. - NPR
"The overriding themes of (his) novels ranged widely: murder mysteries, espionage, family secrets and more. He could keep it light or go graphically violent. Yet his novels had a heavy overlay of emotional and moral fog that left the characters ... trying to grope their way ahead." - MSN (The Washington Post)
The movement’s prominence has led to fierce debate in art circles, with some arguing that it creates an “ethical and copyright black hole,” given that A.I.s are trained on databases of real art, i.e., hand-drawn and illustrated works made by humans. - Artnet
Musicologist Imani Danielle Mosley surveys the music that's been used at the obsequies for Queens of England from Elizabeth I (the first to have an Anglican funeral) through Mary II (Purcell), Anne, Caroline (a major anthem by Handel), and Victoria — plus Princess Diana and Prince Philip. - The New York Times
While the dream that was Instagram did once serve artists, many artists have spent years struggling against not just Instagram’s algorithm, but for access across the internet. The rise of moralism online is pushing some artists and creators not just to the sidelines but offline altogether. - Hyperallergic
Calling the company "the world leader in improv-based education and entertainment," Ed Wells, formerly a senior executive at Sesame Street, said "I want to continue scaling the business and see how we can honor the brand," meaning expanding to more cities and establishing "strategic partnerships in the media marketplace." - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
