Magee was “an enigmatic and idiosyncratic artist and poet who spent four decades building a starkly beautiful monument of stone and steel in the West Texas desert that may be the most significant artwork most people have never heard of.” Then there was his alter ego. - The New York Times
Somehow, billionaire mansions survive - the Biltmore House, hotels, and even gardens were little damaged by Hurricane Helene - but Biltmore Village? Yikes. - NPR
“Keeping the National Ballet dancing, whether at home or abroad, is a matter of existential importance for Ukraine, Sukhorukov and his colleagues say. ‘Ballet in our culture — this is the face of the country.’” - Washington Post (MSN)
Among others, “you can find the contemplative radicals of Hummingbirds trolling the streets of Laredo over on PBS; the determined detectives of The Chicano Squad solving crimes in Houston on A&E; and on Netflix, a dozen or so student musicians competing in Going Varsity in Mariachi.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
At least, that’s what the authenticators say about a painting bought for £2,000. “The artwork had been exhibited in Canada five times between 1912 and 1913, but its whereabouts had since been unknown.” - BBC
Though many believe the technology could speed the work of seasoned moviemakers, it could also replace less experienced digital artists. Others experts worry that the technology could become a quick and inexpensive way of creating online disinformation, making it even harder to tell what’s real on the internet. - The New York Times
She will soon meet with King Charles, a classical music fan who studied the cello, piano and trumpet, to outline her ideas. She is contemplating a flash musical event in which the rooms at Buckingham Palace are briefly occupied by composers or performers. - The New York Times
Part of the challenge is that such questions aren’t really empirical; they can’t be answered by just by asking Americans about their arts activities. Rather, they’re normative and therefore, inevitably, political. - NEA
Rather than egging on a bull to gore him and then killing it, a competitor in this sport merely annoys the animal by trying to pluck off tokens stuck to its body or forehead. Despite healthy attendance, la course camarguaise now faces financial problems, angry detractors, and badly-behaved spectators. - The Guardian
The Bop Spotter project uses a microphone to surreptitiously and constantly record a street in the historically Latino neighborhood. Making use of a public Wi-Fi network and Shazam’s song-identifying software, Bop Spotter identifies the songs it hears and generates a public, ever-expanding list of the street’s music. - SFGate
Renewed interest in Appalachian art, music and culture has been drawing tourists to western North Carolina in recent years. Visitors to Asheville’s Buncombe County spent nearly $3 billion last year, accounting for 20% of the county’s annual economy. - NBCNews
Fifty-four Academy Awards and 267 nominations. That’s the sort of concrete impact the Black List has had since launching in 2005 as Hollywood insiders’ go-to index of emerging screenwriters. It now hopes to do the same for publishing. - Wired
"'Part and parcel of running a theater in Los Angeles is waking up two to four times a year and not knowing if you're going to be in business the next week,' John Perrin Flynn reflected after announcing his retirement as producing artistic director of Rogue Machine Theatre." - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
"Pro Tools, as a sort of way of making music, on some level, has levelled the playing field that allowed people who can’t sing to sound like they can sing. And people who can’t play guitar now sound like they can.” - MusicTech
