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Ornate 16th-Century Mural Discovered Under White Paint In Mexican Church

"For decades, the interior of the Temple of Our Lady of the Assumption (in Santa María Huiramangaro in Michoacán state) stood stark white, with blue accents. But ... a new restoration has revealed a host of resplendent 16th-century religious paintings that once spanned the ceiling of the historic church." - Artnet

A Climber Drove Climbing Bolts Into Ancient Petroglyphs

Such petroglyphs were designated by the state’s legislature as official state works of art in 2023, the Utah Bureau of Land Management noted, as it called them “incredibly important to preserve and contemplate.” They are also considered sacred ancestral sites for Indigenous people in the area.

Scotland’s National Galleries Warn That Major Cultural Assets Are In Peril Because Of Funding Cuts

The organisation, which is responsible for more than 130,000 works of art and attracted more than 2.4m visitors to its sites during 2023, has suggested "seismic changes" may need to be made to safeguard the future of what it describes as "some of Scotland’s greatest cultural assets". - The Scotsman

Audiences Are Singing Along, Acting Out At “Wicked” Movie Showings

During the theatrical run of “ Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour ” last fall, fans danced and belted lyrics in the theaters, sharing their glee on social media. Last year, fans at early screenings of “ Wicked ” did the same, to the chagrin of other moviegoers. - APNews

Dance Was Everywhere In Ancient Rome

"It was practised and watched everywhere, including during religious rituals, on the theatrical stage and in private houses. It was the object of nuanced reflections on the part of Roman philosophers and poets. Careful study of their texts yields hints as to what they thought dance accomplished." - Aeon

Globalization Gets A Bad Rap Now. But Globalization Has Been With Us For Centuries

Globalisation didn’t begin in the 1990s, or even in the past millennia. Remembering this older shared history is a path to a different tale, which begins much, much earlier. The tale of globalisation is written across human history. So why do we keep getting the story so wrong? - Aeon

Getting Our Heads Around Understanding Bullshit

To account fully for the phenomenon of bullshit, we require a conception that envisions the bullshitted to expect that someone completely unlike him or her in essential social ways, perhaps even the bullshitter her/himself, will admit the objections the bullshitted would raise, if s/he were allowed effective access to socially recognized means of objection. - 3 Quarks Daily

Tough Times For Theatre? Right. So It’s Not A Time To Be Timid

How can theatres and individual artists position themselves as liaisons to the public to raise awareness about climate change, gun violence, mental health, and literacy? If people are worried about inflation and the economy, how can theatres be a force for economic good, seen not as an expense but as an asset? - American Theatre

“Wicked” Sets New Broadway Record, Grossing Over $5 Million In One Week

"From December 23-29, Wicked pulled in $5,037,392, the largest weekly number ever recorded. The average paid admission was $290.61." The next highest, The Lion King, was over a million dollars behind, but $4.2 million in seven days isn't bad for a show that's been running for almost 28 years. - TheaterMania

With Art Sales Down, Auction Houses Pivot Towards Luxury Sales

Sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s were down for the second year in a row in 2024. With both supply and demand for big-ticket art in a slump, the auction houses are making major bets on selling luxury goods and niche experiences to make up the shortfall. - The New York Times

Daniel Harding, Conductor (Oh And Air France Pilot Too)

Over the past few years, the British-born Harding has led dual, and often dueling, careers: conducting Mozart and Mahler symphonies one day, piloting commercial flights to Paris, Milan, Stockholm and Tunis the next. - The New York Times

Actor Michael Sheen Is Funding A New National Theatre For Wales

With National Theatre Wales having folded last month, leaving the principality without a flagship English-language stage company, Sheen has decided to launch a new one, called Welsh National Theatre, with himself as artistic director and the first production planned for autumn 2026. - The Guardian

Why Was The HQ Of Cape Cod’s Public Radio Station Sold Out From Under It?

Though the station, CAI, and its listeners raised the money to renovate the historic building, both real estate and broadcasting license are owned by Boston station GBH, which is facing serious money problems and staff layoffs. GBH sold CAI's building without telling anyone at CAI, and the community is furious. - Nieman Lab

Director Otto Schenk, Standardbearer For Traditional Opera Stagings, Is Dead At 94

He created 31 productions for the Vienna State Opera (some still in use) and 16 for the Met, attracting scorn from revisionists and admiration from traditionalists. "All the secrets of Wagner's Ring," he once said, "should be guessed by the audience or found by the audience." - AP

Ex-CEO Of MoviePass Pleads Guilty To Fraud

"Theodore Farnsworth, the former CEO of MoviePass parent Helios & Matheson Analytics, pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding and conspiring to defraud investors in two public companies, including lying about artificial intelligence capabilities that it didn’t have." - Deadline

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