Brian Ferriso came to Portland in 2006 after a series of art museum leadership roles in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Milwaukee and Chicago. During his tenure, he boosted the Portland Art Museum’s endowment by $40 million while eliminating millions of dollars in unfunded debt and raised its national and international profile. - The Oregonian
“We’ve got to get patriotism back in the Smithsonian,” conservative Texas Congressman Sam Johnson said, on being appointed to the museum’s Board of Regents shortly afterward to provide so-called ideological “balance.” “We want the Smithsonian to reflect real America and not something that a historian dreamed up.” - The New Republic
The White House started an audit of the Smithsonian earlier this month. But what about other institutions? It is unclear what legal and financial pressures his administration might pursue in trying to align American museums to his vision. - NPR
The first problem was that the producers didn’t realize they’d need a choreographer until after a band was assembled, rehearsed, and on set for shooting. The second problem was that they wouldn’t show him the script until he got there. Here’s how Andrew Turtletaub made it work. - TheWrap (Yahoo!)
“Conversing with a plant might sound silly, and Dan Daly acknowledged the piece” — Arborlogues: A Botanical Recital Performed for One Tree — “is probably not for everyone. But the aim is to highlight the interdependence of humans and trees.” - The New York Times
That’s a big worry for musicians as well as luthiers, and not just because the supply of wood could dry up. Touring musicians could wind up having to show paperwork demonstrating a bow’s provenance every time they cross a border, whether the bow was made 200 years or two months ago. - The Strad
“While the back-and-forth on a TikTok ban remains a juicy topic (for the media), it's been a source of frustration and confusion for creators — many of whom just want the uncertainty to end. And ... (user) numbers in the U.S. have trended down” even as global usage rises. - TheWrap (MSN)
“Researchers at the University of Florida and University College London have found that between 2003 and 2023, daily reading for reasons other than work and study fell by about 3% each year. The number saw a peak in 2004, with 28% of people qualifying, before falling to 16% in 2023.” - The Guardian
The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia has been mired in a two-year controversy over an “ethical review” by the now-former executive director which removed all online exhibits and videos. The museum’s new approach will focus more on the lives of patients and how medical history has changed over time. - WHYY (Philadelphia)
“Ferriso, 59, will succeed Agustín Arteaga, who stepped down in December after eight years at the helm. Ferriso’s first day will be Dec. 1. … He will soon be tasked with steering the DMA through its own expansion, which could cost upward of $150 million.” - KERA (Dallas)
Mohamoud Osman Mohamed, director of the Somali Museum of Minnesota, and his father founded the Somali Museum Dance Troupe a decade ago. At first its members were recent young immigrants sharing the dances from back home; now there’s a new crop, mostly US-born, who were impressed by the Troup’s TikTok videos. - Sahan Journal
“Researchers say that its swirling sky is uncannily similar to some of the ‘exotic vortex patterns’ produced by a classic scientific phenomenon known as quantum Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI).” - Artnet
“The audience appetite for theatre just isn’t here this year,” said one producer, who has been bringing work for a number of years, adding that they thought it reflected a decline in theatre audiences at the fringe. Any post-Covid bounce has well and truly bounced away. - The Stage
I’m not arguing for the original statue to go anywhere, but do we need Stallone’s exact replica of it a few hundred feet away on top of one of our most iconic buildings, a place where we go to protest and to celebrate? - Philadelphia Inquirer
While Hollywood writers and directors wage public battles over AI's threat to human creativity -- with more than 400 industry figures recently petitioning the White House to strengthen copyright protections against AI companies -- film schools are taking a more opportunistic view. They're racing to integrate AI tools into their curricula. - The Wrap (MSN)
