“What people don’t realize is that in a $6 million budget, the expenses in Phoenix are only $1 million more. We netted close to $2 million more by being in two cities; we got two bats with only one batter." - American Theatre
Efforts to grow and embrace diversity at America’s great research universities have made them better than ever. If you want excellence, you need to find, attract, and support talent from every sector of society, not just from privileged groups and social classes. - The Atlantic
During a concert on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, the musicians of the Belgrade Philharmonic read a letter to the audience that pointed out their difficult position, and organizational and material problems that remain unresolved. - OperaWire
This young century, Americans have collectively submitted to a national experiment to deprive ourselves of camaraderie in the world of flesh and steel, choosing instead to grow (and grow and grow) the time we spend by ourselves, gazing into screens. It’s been a weird experiment. And the results haven’t been pretty. - The Atlantic
"Imagine a small island where, for an entire week, you’re in the company of some of the world’s finest classical musicians. They play almost continuously from 9.30am until bedtime. You’re one of more than 13,500 audience members." Welcome to the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam. - The Guardian
As the quantity and quality of professional arts coverage and criticism in major media outlets erodes, so too does much of the public’s awareness of, attention to, and discussion about the arts. And yet, alternative sources of arts coverage are surfacing. But are they too little, too underachieving, and too late? - Arts Fuse
Scholar Shannon McHugh reminds us that, going all the way back to the medieval Italian origins of the form, sonnets have been written to express deep affection for best buddies, siblings and other family members, living and dead — and sometimes even to the saints. - The Conversation
Andrei Molodkin claims to be sealing original works of art by Picasso, Rembrandt, Warhol, Sarah Lucas, Andres Serrano and more in a safe designed to destroy them all with acid. - The Guardian
In Olinda, a town on the northern coast near Recife whose historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the puppets range from the traditional Midnight Man and Daytime Woman (and their son, Afternoon Boy) to David Bowie, James Brown, and the John Travolta of Saturday Night Fever. - The New York Times
“This was a giant building that a community of people is finding use in. It’s people making use of the things that others neglect or leave behind.” - Los Angeles Times
"Scaffolding surrounding the spire came down this week, revealing the restored structure in a landmark moment for the cathedral, which was ravaged by a fire in April 2019. The soaring spire, crowned with a cross and golden rooster, peeks out of a dense grid of support beams." - The Washington Post (MSN)
There’s a lot of boutique blogs and a lot of local localized music blogs. But as far as a thing that’s covering music, period, it’s probably like one writer at all the major newspapers and outlets and then a handful of music publications that still exist. - Columbia Journalism Review
"The Royal Court is known for putting the names of emerging playwrights up in lights for the first time, but … (its) literary department is struggling to survive as the venue on Sloane Square, renowned for staging risk-taking shows over 60 years, makes swingeing cuts in order to keep going." - The Guardian
Last month, the territory's Arts Development Council abruptly decided to withhold funding for a major theater awards event because (it later revealed) two disfavored writers were there. Now the entire arts community is nervous about how they might unknowingly violate China's sweeping national security law. - South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
"Responding to residents’ fears that Venice is becoming a glorified water park, this city that has drawn awestruck visitors since the Middle Ages is seeking to become a laboratory for how to deal with a modern ill: tourists inundating Instagrammable destinations from Savannah, Georgia to Hallstatt, Austria." - The Washington Post (MSN)
