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Being Theaster Gates

"Gates’s business dealings and art making are not at odds: Salvage from the buildings goes into his art installations; proceeds from his art sales fund his building renovations and community programs. … He hopes to demonstrate "an open model for what an artist can be.'" - T — The New York Times Style Magazine

Like The Sphere In Las Vegas? They’re Building Another In Abu Dhabi

"The world’s second Sphere is planned to be built in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. … Under the deal, Abu Dhabi will pay a franchise fee to Sphere Entertainment to build the second location using its designs … as well as annual fees to Sphere Entertainment 'for creative and artistic content.'" - AP

Percival Everett’s “James,” Revisionist Take On “Huckleberry Finn,” Wins $50,000 Kirkus Prize For Fiction

"Everett’s novel, which imagines Mark Twain’s classic from the perspective of the escaped enslaved man whom Huckleberry Finn befriends, is also a finalist for the National Book Award and the Booker Prize." Adam Higginbotham’s Challenger took the nonfiction prize and Kenneth M. Cadow's Gather won for young readers’ literature. - AP

Transport For London’s Elizabeth Line Wins Stirling Prize For Architecture

Oliver Wainwright: "The Lizzie line is a worthy winner, providing a dazzling demonstration that, for all chaos surrounding HS2, Britain is still capable of pulling off gargantuan transport infrastructure projects with style and panache." - The Guardian

Classical Radio Host Says He Was Fired For A Disability

Dennis Moore, the morning host at Chicago-based WFMT, returned from a medical leave earlier this year and asked for schedule or other changes as an accommodation for a sleep-related issue. When station management declined and Moore rejected a buyout, he says, he was fired. - Chicago Sun-Times

This Revival Of Yellow Face On Broadway Is Not, In Fact, Bad

That’s because it’s the play Yellow Face, by David Henry Hwang, that "centers around a fictionalized playwright named DHH.” - Gothamist

Bozo The Clown Is Back In Action In Chicago

Chicagoans of a certain age have a lot of affection for him. “The show represents a time when the city itself felt simpler and more local.” - WBEZ

Ousted Director Of LGBTQ Film Fest Sues Nonprofit For Defamation

Damien Navarro “sued Outfest in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging he was retaliated against after he raised discrimination and ethics concerns to the group’s leadership.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

How To Become A Blue Man

"They must become expert drummers. They’ll also learn to spit paint onto a spinning canvas, catch a dozen rapid-fire marshmallows in their mouths and then be prepared for absolutely anything the audience might throw at them. Hundreds audition every year across the globe. Only a handful ultimately get hired." - WBEZ (Chicago)

The Dancer And Choreographer Bringing A Hip-Hop Fantasy To The Big Screen

“Often in films, this type of dance can become commercial. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there’s a different type of beauty to the dancing in this film.” - The New York Times

How “Pulp Fiction” Was Produced And Shot — An Oral History

"To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Pulp Fiction, Variety spoke with more than 20 members of the film’s cast and crew about their experiences, recollections and insights." - Variety

Saying Goodbye To The Minnesota Sinfonia

The orchestra, which was known for improving access for students and low-income folks in the Minnesota, will play its swan song concert this weekend. Why? Conductor and AD Jay Fishman says to follow the (lack of) money. - MinnPost

Surrealism Wasn’t The Only Way World War I Affected The Arts

"Was it nihilism and defeatist anomie that the war ushered in? … Perhaps what the First World War released above all was a spirit of ephemerality. Perhaps it was the notion of artistic durability that then began its long, slow death." - History Today

Why Theatre Fans Should Check Out An Opera, From A Composer Who Writes Both

"(Jeanine) Tesori knows that it takes more than a familiar name to entice audiences to a show, especially in a medium that is unfamiliar to them. So she has taken the time to clear up some misconceptions about opera, in the hopes that it will encourage theatre lovers to become opera lovers." - Playbill

The Arts Are Not A Meritocracy, But Should They Be?

“Evidence consistently demonstrates that regional artists predictably struggle for equal opportunities. 'Postcode matters,’ one regional artist with decades of experience tells ArtsHub.” - ArtsHub

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