The practice of public philosophy is thriving today in a surprising number of forms. Different approaches give rise to meta-level questions about the nature of philosophy in general and the nature of public philosophy in particular. - 3 Quarks Daily
"Some changes over the years have been dramaturgical, and some political, but all have been motivated by the belief that Show Boat is worth reviving not just for some good tunes, but because it has always, and may always, have something important to say." - The New York Times
In the audio-visual world, they have a name for the phenomenon depicted above – where rival platforms repeatedly increase their prices, inspiring their competitors to do the same. They call it streamflation. - Music Business Worldwide
Universal Ads, as the new venture is called, was announced Monday as a collaborative effort to combat the domination of Google, Meta and other tech giants when it comes to “SMBs,” the trade term for small and mid-sized businesses. - Deadline
"The Chronicle sought multiple sources of data over time, including the number of theaters and shows, the amount of work for artists, theaters’ tax documents and reports from consultants and foundations. Taken together, these sources do suggest a contraction, albeit with bright spots." - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
"Even as the platform gains influence, it raises questions: Is Substack empowering writers to build sustainable careers, or is it just the latest iteration of pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps optimism? Ironically or not, Substack itself thrives on this ouroboros-like discourse." - Quartz
"Dancing between art, philanthropy and activism, For Freedoms addresses issues including racism, misogyny, violence and free speech, most visibly by commissioning artists to make billboards. They hope their imagery will provoke questions in people who see them." The results of the election have them reassessing their efforts. - The New York Times
The star dancer has resigned as artistic director of Columbia (SC) Classical Ballet, at whose school he first studied dance and which he helped recover from the city's 2015 floods. His decision came in the wake of an abrupt 50% cut in funding from the city of Columbia. - Free Times (Columbia, SC)
Though they depict no sexual activity, Mann's nude portraits of her young children have attracted controversy ever since they first appeared 35 years ago. This week five of them were taken down from a group exhibition at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth after a complaint was filed with police. - Glasstire
"Ushers at the Kimmel Center, the Academy of Music, and Miller Theater have struck a tentative deal on a new labor contract. If approved, the contract would give the members of the union a 23% raise over five years." - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
"Voting for the nearly 10,000 Academy members opened Jan. 8 and was originally set to close on Jan. 12. Deadline is now Jan. 14. The nominations announcement, originally scheduled to be announced on Jan. 17, has moved to Jan. 19." - BBC
"In (The Life of Herod the Great), Hurston looked to redefine the legacy of Herod, who reigned as king of Judaea from 37 BCE to 4 BCE. … Following Hurston's death, the unfinished manuscript sat in a trunk that was nearly consumed in a fire. Luckily, a neighbor intervened with a hose." - NPR
Colin Furze demonstrates that in certain corners of the creative economy an individual with minimal overhead can work on select attention-catching projects and earn a generous upper-middle-class income. Beyond this relatively modest scale of activity, however, the returns on additional investment rapidly diminish. - The New Yorker
"How can we reconcile the apparently gung-ho socialist sentiments expressed in Symphonies No. 3 and 4 with the bitter disillusionment and sarcasm that explode in Symphonies No. 13 and 14? Should the issue of Shostakovich’s political convictions (or lack thereof) change the way we listen to his music anyway?" - San Francisco Classical Voice
If we take art to be something that is beautiful and consciously created – and animals consciously create things that look like art – shouldn’t we accept these productions as art, too? As Edgar Degas put it, “art is not what you see, but what you make others see”. - The Conversation
