Ashley Benefield was acquitted of second-degree murder but convicted of manslaughter in the 2020 death of her ex-husband in Florida. The Benefields were the founders of the highly-publicized American National Ballet, which, in 2017, fell apart for lack of funding just as it was about to start rehearsals. - The Washington Post (MSN)
"An intermediary said to be acting on behalf of the American tech company Co2Bit Technologies was reportedly planning to exhibit an unauthenticated Jean-Michel Basquiat painting at the Museum of Modern Art in New York without the institution’s permission." - ARTnews
John Mangum, 49, has no professional experience in opera, but he has spent a career in artistic administration at the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony. He became CEO of the Houston Symphony in 2018. - Chicago Sun-Times
Crawford entirely changed the field. He “was a pioneer who shaped the scope of American music research. … It wasn’t about celebrating an unchanging canon, but about opening up the magic of musical experience.” - The New York Times
The move is a result of a lawsuit from, well, people who love cars. They’ll be disappointed, though; the city council did not decide to “reopen” Museum Way to vehicle traffic. - Palm Springs Desert Sun
Hannah Kendall knew, when she read Schumann’s letters about his struggles with depression, that her next piece would be a response to him, and help listeners hear not only her own sound but his Second Symphony in a new way. - The New York Times
“A depiction of Greek gods partying atop Mount Olympus at the Olympics opening ceremony spurred conflicting public reactions as primarily conservative critics erroneously claimed that the performance parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s famous fresco The Last Supper (1495–98) and, by extension, mocked Christian beliefs." - Hyperallergic
Firefighters arrived at East Bay Booksellers just before 5:30 am on July 30 and were able to keep the flames from spreading, but the building and its contents are reportedly a total loss. No one was seriously injured or killed, though five residential tenants next door have been displaced. - Publishers Weekly
"The concept: Dallas for young people. The main characters: twin sisters, one mischievous (Jessica), the other more sensible (Elizabeth).” The Sweet Valley High universe books sold more than 200 million copies and engendered spinoffs and TV shows. - CNN
"With the help of a motley group of intrepid friends, (Leonid) Marushchak has achieved something quite extraordinary. He has organised the evacuation of dozens of museums across Ukraine’s frontline – packing, recording, logging and counting each item and sending them to secret, secure locations away from the combat zone." - The Guardian
That is, the old rehearsal room is now a 150-seat theatre. And the size is a plus, they say: “Without The Show Room we wouldn’t be able to present performances that have the potential to truly capture audiences in such an intimate space." - Limelight
"He’s the curator at Shudder, the bespoke streaming service owned by AMC Networks that, alongside the movie studios Blumhouse and A24, is shaping the modern landscape of horror as the genre becomes more mainstream. Shudder is the only true streaming service dedicated to horror." - The Washington Post (MSN)
Editors are, rightfully, worried - and they’re unhappy with their union, which they believe sold them out on AI - perhaps out of necessity. One member: “If a 70,000-member union like IATSE can’t protect workers, what does it mean for everybody else? … For society going forward?” - The New York Times
