The discovery and development of synthetic aniline dyes in the 1850s and the widespread adoption of color printing in the following decade made the brightly colored paper greetings, once hand-crafted and very expensive, available to regular people. - The Guardian
Arts Council of Wales (ACW) previously announced that the theatre charity's £1.6m support was to be cut down to nothing following an investment review. But after NTW recently said it had won an appeal against the cuts, ACW "agreed unanimously" the cuts should still go ahead. - BBC
"A best-selling author, essayist, playwright and screenwriter, (his) satirical prose examined Jewish angst, women and sex, and (he) later produced a series of humorous children’s books." - The New York Times
"Like all exuberant behaviour, it takes you off the scale, so if you are really overwhelmed you have nowhere to go aside from making your standing ovation last even longer." - BBC
Notwithstanding the big bets on the continent made by Netflix and Showmax, "multiple producers and executives in countries including Nigeria and Kenya … said African producers in 2023 had to adapt to tighter production budgets driven by harsh macroeconomic conditions, and they expect more of the same in 2024." - Semafor
"Honestly, the majority is always wrong. Music is just the backdrop to their life. I’m not saying that mainstream music isn’t important to them, but they’re not connoisseurs. They’re not making it their whole life. But the people who really love it, they will be at the shows." - The Wall Street Journal
"The reason … is one that several pop stars who made it out of the 20th century have cited lately. 'The road life just got too hard,' (said) Alan Paul, 74 and one of the two remaining original members. 'And schlepping doesn’t swing.'" - San Francisco Classical Voice
The parties, which began in May, take place on rooftops, in parks and at bars. The premise is simple: Show up with a book, commit to vanquishing a chapter or two and chat with strangers about what you’ve just read. - The New York Times
"DDP findings show that women choreographed 50% of the works programmed at the dance festivals collected in 2023, the highest percentage of female-choreographed pieces yet. … However, the percentage of full-length works choreographed by women was much lower than in the past, at just 36%." - Dance Data Project
That figure is "unheard-of for most State bodies," let alone arts-funding agencies in almost any country. How did it happen? With what one might (if so inclined) call sleight-of-hand that has made COVID-era emergency increases permanent. - The Irish Times
A mid-cycle cut of £6.6 million imposed abruptly in September has been made up for, with another £6.6 million allocated to make up for the reserve fund that Creative Scotland (the funding agency) raided to avoid passing the last-minute cut on to funded arts organizations. - The Scotsman (MSN)
America's flagship television newsmagazine reports on the now-notorious trafficking operation by the late dealer Douglas Latchford that saw sacred statues, goldwork and other items stolen from historic Cambodian temples sold to collectors and museums in the U.S. and elsewhere. - CBS News
"The long-delayed reappearance of Luna Luna — with its Basquiat Ferris wheel, Keith Haring merry-go-round and installations by David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein — is drawing visitors from as far as Singapore, Seattle and New York, (and) plenty of Angelenos to the Boyle Heights neighborhood where it was recreated." - The New York Times
The annual honor by the Association of American Publishers normally goes to a house in a beleaguered country (e.g., Guatemala, Bangladesh, Venezuela) who has "demonstrated courage and fortitude in defending freedom of expression" — but this year's candidates told AAP they were scared of the hostile scrutiny the award would bring. - AP
A few students at Boyle County High School in central Kentucky learned that their school district had quietly banned more than 100 titles under a notoriously vague state law — and they and their parents raised the alarm loudly enough to attract statewide media attention and get the ban reversed. - The Nation
