One historical site was blown to bits, but most performance spaces came out with only some roof and water damage. Yet the performers themselves are reeling: the storm and the Delta variant coronavirus killed the first chances they've had to work in months. - The New York Times
Some museums, like the Whitney, learned the hard way (during construction, Superstorm Sandy dumped six million gallons of water into the basement); others (like the Pérez in Miami, right alongside Biscayne Bay) see the danger and build in flood defenses. - Artnet
He proudly (extremely proudly) donated millions to the Met, Covent Garden, Kennedy Center, and others, his name prominently displayed — until the tech stocks he invested in crashed, he reneged on widely publicized pledges, he was caught defrauding clients, and spent years in prison. - The New York Times
The June 4 Museum, as it's called, had been closed to the public (presumably on Beijing's orders) since June. This morning, police were seen entering the building and carting away display and exhibition materials. - The Guardian
"It's a bit of a hipster thing, the organ in its day was the technological marvel that the computer is today, and there's a fascination with old things." - CBC
"The bank informed me that it was terminating my account in Switzerland. They did this, they wrote, in accordance with a new policy of closing all accounts with people who have had criminal records. - BBC
Amid Taliban rule, shocking visuals have been reported from Kabul's National Music Institute as the Taliban has reportedly destroyed musical instruments including piano and drum set. - RepublicWorld (India)
Conventional wisdom has it that cultural divisions now matter most, and that plenty of people feel they have nothing in common with liberal, supposedly “globalist” elites. Yet that idea is far from the truth. - New Statesman
Ever since the prize was first mooted in the early 1990s, many have wondered whether the prize is necessary, patronising, or even fair. A common position amongst its detractors is that the prize is sexist and discriminatory. - The Conversation
"A large community of TikTok users have carved out a corner called 'BookTok'. BookTok influencers are predominantly teenagers and young women, … (and) when a book catches on among users (a common hashtag on BookTok videos is #TikTokMadeMeReadIt), the real-world results can be impressive." - Publishers Weekly
Unlike the then-popular CSI-style investigative American cop show, The Wire embraces the cold-hearted nature of ancient Greek tragedy. - The Conversation
"As Broadway rolls out its return, costumers are again busy with the meticulous, mess-making handiwork that makes the industry sparkle onstage. … 'When you need a costume for Hamilton, … you can't just buy it from the 18th-century clothing shop down the street.'" - The New York Times
The phenomenon of self-publishing is often linked to online book production methods. However, there is a much richer history of self-publishing that goes further back than its digital counterpart. - The Conversation
"Artist Bill Fontana is currently working to record the sounds that the (cathedral) 'hears' through its ten monumental bells, with plans to livestream the audio at IRCAM in Paris next year, and hopefully at museums and cultural sites around the world in the future." - The Art Newspaper
