It's the largest donation in the Smithsonian Institution's history, and $70 million of it will go toward the museum's ongoing renovation, while the remaining $130 million will fund a new education center. - AP
Arguably the most prestigious division of the Penguin Random House conglomerate, Knopf has been without a leader since Mehta, who held the job for 32 years, died in late 2019. The new boss is Jordan Pavlin, whose current title at Knopf is editorial director. - The New York Times
The New South Wales state government announced $75 million (Aus) in funding to compensate arts organizations that have had to close their doors again. - Limelight (Australia)
ANA pushes the sector further towards a policy model where it delivers ‘returns on investment’ via quantifiable targets. It’s a form of technocratic neoliberalism wildly out of touch with the current COVID-cum-post-COVID reality. - ArtsHub
"Many people working in culture have been forced to take a time out of the day-to-day and reflect on the big stuff. And there is no bigger stuff than the environmental crisis." - BBC
Dubbing is a brilliant tool for film censorship. Sound films began to appear in the early 1930s, a time when many countries were falling under the sway of totalitarian regimes. - The Conversation
The contemporary art world is, more often than not, represented as a ridiculous shell game in which empty provocation is propped up by canny marketing and rampant financial speculation. - ARTnews
His baton technique was, er, idiosyncratic; he couldn't conduct complex meters; he could be cruel. And after 44 years as music director, seemingly everyone was relieved to see him retire. Yet he and the Philadelphia Orchestra became worldwide legends together. - Classical Voice North America
Almanacs are an anomaly in the 2021 literary landscape, a choose-your-own adventure of print culture. So much of reading, especially online, is about seeking: looking for a fact, an image, a bit of information. - Los Angeles Review of Books
"EdiliziAcrobatica's team has rock-climbed up and abseiled down some of Italy's most significant historic monuments. … Suspended from ropes, the acrobatic technicians can perform a whole range of tasks, from the waterproofing of roofing to welding." - Apollo
Matthew Gardiner takes over the 32-year-old company, which operates two performance spaces in Arlington’s Village at Shirlington, at a tumultuous inflection point. - Washington Post
The kinetic, flamboyant, arm-waving dance style was born in the Black and Latino gay nightclubs of L.A., spread via the TV show Soul Train, faded away after the 1980s, and found a long-term home in East Asia. - The Guardian
55% of U.S. organizations plan to host performances before October 2021. U.K. arts and culture organizations are even more optimistic, with 83% planning a return to performance before September 1. - TRG
