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Biden Reverses Trump’s Restrictions On Art

"The Biden administration revoked order, reversing Trump’s rule that the Art in Architecture program’s commissions must depict prominent American historical figures, events, and 'ideals upon which our nation was founded.'" The GSA seems relieved. - Hyperallergic

If You Love Toshiro Mifune In Kurosawa Movies, Add These To Your TBW List

The actor made 170 movies, only 16 with Kurosawa. "Mifune might not have been working with his favorite director, but watching these, it’s clear that he still brought his expressive physicality, his quicksilver emotion and his unparalleled charisma to the set every day." - The New York Times

Books By Women Get Different Treatment Than Do Books By Men, Says Canadian Author

Sheila Heti: "It’s been really interesting reading the reviews for Fuccboi and comparing them to my reviews for Motherhood. Critics give him the benefit of the doubt, assume he knows what he’s doing, that he’s made conscious choices. No one’s saying, ' is the author.'" - The Guardian (UK)

Those TikTok Surveillance Videos Asking Amazon Delivery Drivers To Dance Are Actually Horror Movies

Demanding your delivery person dance is, let's say, not great. "Forcing another person to dance for you is a classic villain move rooted in the folklore traditions of many cultures, these customers proceed to shamelessly post the evidence to social media." - The New York Times

The Relatively Short Long Game Of Getting NFT Collectors Interested In Physical Art

Maybe this was the end goal of the (environmentally destructive) infatuation with NFTs? "Catering to the tastes of the crypto nouveau riche has become the frantic obsession of the commercial art world, which is reshaping itself around these new collectors." - The New York Times

What Reality TV Shows Us About How Very Limited People Are About Motherhood

We've got an issue with mothers, and let's note that "the idea that they should be constantly emotionally available to their children, monitor them fully, and occupy them with organized activities is a modern, Eurocentric ideal." - The Atlantic

Reclaiming A More Complex Music History For, And In, Nashville

"Authoritative tellings of Nashville's music history have centered institutions like the Grand Ole Opry and Music Row. ... But that focus neglects a world of activity that went on in the historically Black part of town." Brassville aims to change and reclaim that history. - NPR

What Should A Museum Do With Its Collection Of Vital, Fragile Works On Paper?

Ask the Hammer Museum at UCLA, where not only more study access but a new gallery space will show off, in careful rotation, the collection. "Call it a coming out party for works on paper, as an exceptional collection sees a new light of day." - Los Angeles Times

Dear Museums, Stop Building New Wings, And Build A New Staff Instead

Museum donor money could go someplace it would make a real difference - hiring, and keeping, a more diverse staff. - Fast Company

Meet The Teens Who Formed A Book Club To Read Banned Books

As conservative U.S. adults go on absolute orgies of book objections and attempts to censor and ban books by or about LGBTQIA+ people, Black history and contemporary life, and anything else their joyless brains decide aren't "good" for kids, some teens fight back. - The Guardian (UK)

Boston Has Been Without A Concertmaster Since 2019, And Its Search Is Being Conducted, As Normal, In Secrecy

Boston music lovers are curious because "the Boston Symphony Orchestra has been quietly searching for its next concertmaster. Whomever they appoint to this coveted chair will hold a tenured position occupied by only three violinists over the course of the last century." - Boston Globe

Welcome Rituals And The Meaning Of Land Acknowledgments

Native land acknowledgements may sound to some like newfangled expressions of liberal guilt, but they have their origin in the centuries-old welcoming practices of many Native American cultures, as an offering of thanks and an honoring of relationships. - Oregon Arts Watch

Stephanie Selby, Known To Millions As ‘A Very Young Dancer,’ Has Died

The book that inspired thousands of aspiring dancers caused the subject serious issues. "Stephanie was not just another young woman who decided that the boot-camp-like demands of dance were not for her; she was the heroine of a beloved book." - The New York Times

This 45-Year-Old Album Has Been On The Charts For 926 Weeks

That's right: Fleetwood Mac's Rumours has been selling well for longer than any Millennial has been alive, and now it's selling more copies on vinyl than Ed Sheeran and just slightly fewer than Adele. What gives? - The Guardian (UK)

A Statue Of A Racist Former Governor In Mississippi Is Now Stashed In A Closet, Under A Blanket

Mississippi House Clerk Andrew Ketchings "said he had been bothered by the statue for years 'because of everything he stood for. ... It was way past time to do it. I just read through a lot of his quotes that were offensive.'" - US News And World Report

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