Stories

The clock is ticking for Washington, D.C.’s 85-year old Wilbur J. Cohen building, described by preservationists as the “Sistine Chapel of New Deal Art” for the impressive art collection it holds, including works by Philip Guston and Ben Shahn. - Artnet

“In the space of a few months, a straightforward journalistic skill — editing tape for broadcast — has been behind a $16 million legal settlement, a network’s change in how it offers interviews ... and, now, the resignation of two top leaders at the BBC. The other common denominator: President Donald Trump.” - AP

The company likens the feature, called Recaps, to a “previously on” segment at the start of episodes in a TV series. - The Verge

 There are currently multiple class action lawsuits at various stages, as well as a Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against the world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation, which programs concerts at PPG Paints, Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park and owns the ticketing platform Ticketmaster. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI should have acquired licenses for German song lyrics in GEMA’s repertoire before using them to train and operate ChatGPT. The verdict marks the first time a European court has legally examined and ruled in favor of creators whose works have been used by generative AI systems. - Music Business Worldwide

Trustee Patsy Marino, who chaired the search committee, has resigned (along with two other trustees) over the elevation of chief curator Christine Vendredi to the directorship. The objection is not to Vendredi herself: no outside candidate was interviewed and the final decision was made, Marino says, behind her back. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)

“To succeed, critically and commercially, the stage version must balance the horror the novel describes with enough verve and spectacle to delight a discerning, CGI-attuned crowd. Are the odds in its favor?” Journalist Alexis Soloski visits the show at its purpose-built theatre in London. - The New York Times

“On Wednesday, Dallas City Council voted to grant $225,000 for cultural programming to (DBDT). Last year, $248,000 in funding was cut in response to (DBDT’s) settlement with the National Labor Relations Board. The agency found merit to dozens of unfair labor practice charges …, including the firing of dancers due to union efforts.” - KERA (Dallas)

The Last Ship flopped in its initial Broadway run in 2014-15. Sting has now revised the show, with new songs and a new director, and it will have nine performances at the Met this June after runs in Amsterdam, Paris, and Brisbane. - Playbill

“After years of delays, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles will finally open its doors to the public on September 22, 2026. … Designed by architect Ma Yansong, the museum will be home to a collection of more than 40,000 works centering illustrated storytelling as a universal language.” - Artnet

The Dec. 5 draw, the World Cup’s highest-profile pre-tournament event, was expected to be held in Las Vegas. Trump reportedly swooped in at the 11th hour to offer use of Kennedy Center performance spaces and other facilities, for free, for almost three weeks, requiring cancellation or postponement of scheduled events. - The Washington Post (Yahoo!)

Temple, the Pennsylvania state university whose main campus is in North Philadelphia, will renovate Terra Hall, which had been a classroom building for the now-closed University of the Arts, and will move some of its art and music programs there starting in fall 2027. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Critic Zachary Stewart considers how the new immersive adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera (titled Masquerade), the drag-ball production of Cats (subtitled The Jellicle Ball), and director Jamie Lloyd’s unconventional revivals of Sunset Boulevard and Evita demonstrate how interesting the ALW shows we all thought were old chestnuts can still be. - TheaterMania

“Council members have declared city arts funding off limits for budget cuts next spring, even as they face a projected $111 million deficit. ... While the move falls far short of a long-unfulfilled council pledge known as ‘penny for the arts,’ council members said it’s a strong message.” - The San Diego Union-Tribune (MSN)

Continuing one of the more surprising comebacks of the digital age, vinyl album sales in the United States increased for the 18th consecutive year in 2024." While CD sales are on the decline, “Cassette tape sales jumped by 204.7% in the first quarter of 2025, hitting 63,288 units. - ToneArm