Stories

Will The Kennedy Center Survive This ‘Open,’ Empty Time?

“What’s left has the air of a ghost ship, as the center’s board prepares to reconsider to what degree the building will remain open. The Kennedy Center declined to comment.” - Washington Post

Emily Wilson Knows From Angry ‘Odyssey’ Bros

“Wilson’s translations of The Odyssey and The Iliad are some of the best-known pieces of contemporary translation, and they’ve turned the University of Pennsylvania professor into both a star and a specter of controversy.” - Vulture

Artist Mickalene Thomas Sued For Copyright Infringement

“Mickalene Thomas, an artist known for her popular paintings and photo-based installations centering Black women, is facing a lawsuit from the photographer Barbara Karant, who alleges that Thomas used her pictures without attribution or permission in works that appeared at an array of museums and blue-chip galleries.” - ARTnews

Frida Kahlo Hadn’t Intended To Be An Artist (A Biographical Refresher)

Because she’s even more ubiquitous than usual this year — a blockbuster show at Tate Modern, a bio-series at Netflix, a fantasy opera about her at the Met, a new record ($54.7 million) for a woman artist at auction — here’s a recap of her life. No mention of the affair with Trotsky, though. - ARTnews

Competition Which Discovered Gustavo Dudamel Awards No First Prize This Year

The jury of the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition, which Dudamel (in his first time leading a fully professional orchestra) won in its inaugural edition in 2004, decided not to name a winner for only the second time in the event’s history. The €20,000 second prize went to 31-year-old Polish conductor Jakub Przybycień. - Moto Perpetuo

Four London Theatres Listed As At Risk Of Closure

Borough Hall, Streatham Hill Theatre, Tottenham Palace Theatre, and the Intimate Theatre have been deemed “at risk of closure, redevelopment, or demolition.” Three of them are being eyed for conversion into churches or other sites of worship. - The Standard (London)

Smithsonian Chief Rebuts Trump Administration Report Accusing American History Museum Of Extremism

In a staff-wide email, Lonnie Bunch wrote that “there will always be room for improvement,” but the report “is not a fair characterization of ... the National Museum of American History. At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy, and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story.” - The Washington Post

Ukrainian Troops Get Handbook On Protecting Cultural Property

“The handbook sets out Ukrainian soldiers' main obligations under international humanitarian law, the different levels of protection afforded to cultural property, the precautions to be integrated into operational planning, and the procedures for identifying, reporting and documenting attacks against heritage.” - The Art Newspaper

“The Pitt”, “Hacks”, “Widow’s Bay” Dominate 2026 Emmy Nominations

“The Pitt leads all nominees with a total of 25, followed by Hacks with 24 (a record for a comedy series for noms in a single year) and Widow’s Bay with 19 (leading all new shows).” Connor Storrie scored the only nomination he was eligible for — for guest-hosting Saturday Night Live. - The Hollywood Reporter

Trump’s Name Must Stay Off Kennedy Center While Appeals Proceed, Rules Panel

“A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit … rejected the administration’s argument that the removal was damaging the arts institution’s finances.” - The Guardian

Man Sentenced For Theft Of Rare Chinese Manuscripts From UCLA Library

Jeffrey Ying, a 39-year-old resident of Fremont, Cal., gets a year of house arrest and three years of probation for a scheme in which he reserved and checked out, under false names, several 17th-century manuscripts, then returned fake dummy copies. - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)

Aboard A Cruise Ship With 20 Celebrity Impersonators

“Near the exit, with his blue eyes and sensible sandals, was Boy George, who swanned over to double-cheek kiss Sharon, then peck the forehead of Martha Stewart, and  —  skipping over Jeff Bezos  —  the tip of Fran Drescher’s nose. Sinatra (A), by the banquette, had just politely pumped the hand of Sinatra (B) ...” - N+1

ABC, Fighting Back Against The FCC, Says That ‘The View’ As A News Show Is Long-Settled Law

“The F.C.C.’s focus on The View plays on longstanding grudges held by the president against the show and some of its hosts, and thrusts a talk show started by the ABC journalist Barbara Walters as a breezy kaffeeklatsch into a molten national debate.” - The New York Times

British Businessman Fined In First Russia Art Sanctions Conviction

“The U.K. banned the export of luxury items such as cars, jewelry, art, and antiques valued over £250 ($330) to Russia in April 2022. Breaching the law is considered a criminal offense,” but the businessman was fined $37,000 instead. - Artnet

The UK’s New Children’s Laureate Is Neither White Nor Dead

Patrice Lawrence "has a practical vision for her laureateship. ‘To change policy you need evidence,’ she says. ‘We say stories work, let’s show how they work.’” - The Guardian (UK)

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