The settlement allows Anthropic to avoid going to trial over claims that it violated copyrights by downloading millions of books without permission and storing digital copies of them. The company will not admit wrongdoing. - Washington Post
The landlord of the Bruns Amphitheater, where Cal Shakes performed from 1991 until it closed last year, is negotiating a 15-year lease with a new organization called Siesta Valley Amphitheater, which plans a “far more robust” slate of programming with concerts and film screenings as well as theater. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
Work at cultural funding agencies in the United States—the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services —has been quietly picking up, after the administration of US President Donald Trump and its Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) slashed staff and cancelled grants. - The Art Newspaper
"To me, the greatest danger that Latin American literature foretells for higher education is the insidious way capitulation to authoritarians changes both individuals and institutions." - The Conversation
By 1937, the 16th-century portrait of King Herod’s stepdaughter with the head of John the Baptist was considered “unbearable for refined people,” so a Cologne gallerist separated Salome’s upper half to sell separately and returned the severed-head-on-a-plate to its previous owner. Now the restored bottom section and the top have been reunited. - Artnet
Scientist Ludwik Fleck is credited with first describing science as a cultural practice in the 1930s. Since then, understanding has continued to build that scientific knowledge is always consistent with the cultural norms of its time. - The Conversation
Blame it on the excitement over the $85 million renovation of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, or the yearlong hiatus that it prompted. Blame the star-studded “Twelfth Night” production, featuring Sandra Oh, Peter Dinklage and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o. But whatever you do, get in line early. - The Wall Street Journal
“Grosvenor gained acclaim in New York during the 1960s when he showed his work alongside famed Minimalists. … But the sculptures made by Grosvenor in the following decades diverged from Minimalism, even though these works, too, were spare and made from industrial materials.” - ARTnews
Arts educators and advocates successfully killed a proposed move in Arizona's Peoria Unified school district to bar arts educators from renewing memberships in their professional associations. - Playbill
“When I left the Smithsonian, a number of organizations reached out, and they were all different types,” Sajet told The Washington Post, adding that the Milwaukee Art Museum — whose collection contains more than 34,000 works, from antiquities to modern and contemporary art — felt like “a really good fit." - Washington Post
Ticket sales are so poor, the Stuttgart Ballet will be performing for an Opera House between 4 and 19 percent full when the German company comes to Washington early next month. BodyTraffic, the Los Angeles troupe booked for the smaller Eisenhower Theatre October 29 and 30, is at 12 percent capacity. - Washingtonian
“Amazon-backed (firm) Showrunnner announced a new AI model designed to generate long, complex narratives — ultimately building toward feature-film-length, live-action films — for its platform. … Over the next two years, it’ll be utilized to re-create Welles’ follow-up to Citizen Kane, a chunk of which was lost after studio executives burned the footage.” - The Hollywood Reporter
The job losses, totaling nearly 100, include the layoff of 34 current staffers and the elimination of more than 60 vacant positions. The move is another response to the rescission of funding for public broadcasting by the Trump administration and Congress. - Deadline
“Books Inc. is seeking bankruptcy court approval to be acquired by Barnes & Noble for $3.25 million. The privately held company, which filed for voluntary Chapter 11 reorganization in January, announced B&N’s interest (this week). If the acquisition goes through, Books Inc. intends to keep nine out of its 10 locations open.” - Publishers Weekly
