The Kúpula se Mueve (Kúpula Moves) festival has been held without incident in previous years, but city councilors rejected three different applications for permits this year, claiming that the event would cause noise complaints and public disorder. Organizers say, “We’re convinced we’re being discriminated against on ideological grounds.” - The Guardian
“It’s a mystery how things can be this difficult for an industry that works on such large margins—up to 50 percent for most galleries, for inventory that they don’t have to buy, invest in or manufacture." - The Observer
The evolving plan to build two Portland-owned performing arts centers capable of staging touring Broadway shows has cleared two early hurdles. - Oregon Arts Watch
Julianna Slager, artistic director of Chicago’s Ballet 5:8, crunched the numbers and realized that using the dancers to do administrative office work which had been done by part-time non-dancing employees would be no more expensive and, since benefits would be included, would make a huge difference in the dancers’ lives. - Dance Informa
For two decades, Ms. de Menil was a costume designer for the avant-garde theater director Robert Wilson, who died on July 31. An art collector herself, she was a patron of Willem de Kooning as well as the choreographer Twyla Tharp. She introduced the Los Angeles architect Frank Gehry to New York. - The New York Times
Wikipedia has lost a legal challenge to new Online Safety Act rules which it says could threaten the human rights and safety of its volunteer editors. - BBC
Performers are delighting crowds with bubble blowing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, using a mixture of dish soap, water and lube — and occasional acrobatics. - The New York Times
“The sculpture Agora — a striking work composed of 106 nine-foot-tall iron human figures — has been a fixture on the southern edge of grant park for nearly 20 years. But the artwork might have to take a hike next August.” - Chicago Sun-Times
Today’s analysis indicates that the performing arts have surpassed pre-pandemic levels of revenues and impact on GDP (i.e., the levels in 2019), neither of which was the case in my analysis last year. However, after adjusting for inflation, neither total revenues nor impact on GDP have reached pre-pandemic levels. - Statistical Insights on the Arts
Writers in Los Angeles? To the East Coast, such a notion was ridiculous. And yet, I was to discover, there was a freedom in the fact that nobody seemed to be paying attention. It made the boundaries permeable and thin. - Zocalo Public Square
Dozens of local musicians and venue operators said the city should take more time to evaluate whether it should bring Live Nation, which is the subject of an anti-trust lawsuit and investigation from the U.S. Justice Department, into Portland. - Maine Public
“Jordan was that rarest bird, a singer — a white singer, a ‘chick singer’ — who earned the trust and admiration of geniuses like Mingus and Parker. ‘Charlie Parker referred to her ‘million-dollar ears’ and other jazzmen would always include her in their exceedingly small list of real jazz singers,’ wrote Nat Hentoff.” - The Gig
“Aurora Theatre Company announced in May that it was suspending production next season, Bay Area theater fans have feared the worst: permanent closure of yet another beloved institution. On Monday, Aug. 11, Artistic Director Josh Costello shared that the company was taking decisive steps toward disbanding.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
“The Audrey, formerly known as the Ravinia MusicBox, was revealed at a press event on Thursday. Inside The Audrey, in the north corner of the park, is the newly-renovated Sandra K. Crown Theater. With approximately 100 seats, it’s an indoor live performance venue meant for intimate, immersive audio and visual experiences.” - Chicago Sun-Times
The awards in question are the UK’s Polari Prizes, and the issue is the presence on the longlist for Polari Book of the Year of the novella Earth by John Boyne, who supports J.K. Rowling's controversial views on trans people and has described himself as a “fellow TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist). - The Guardian
