ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

Stories

The Museum Of Natural History’s First Woman President Is Stepping Down

In 1993, Ellen Futter she became the first woman to run a major museum based in New York - and she's had a long tenure, during which time she "has presided over a museum that seems both frozen in time and propelled forward by change." - The New York Times

Werner Herzog Says He’s Found His True Medium, And It’s Prose

The director/author/entrepreneur, who turns 80 on Labor Day, "thinks of himself primarily as a writer — he has written poetry and kept journals throughout his career — and has long maintained that his writing, not his films, will be his legacy." - The New York Times

Anonymity Can Be A Real Gift To Playwrights

Sure, "the argument could be made that this is a canny marketing strategy, a way of drumming up publicity for a play, but it could also be the case that anonymity allow the author to push the material further, to be more candid, to expose themselves." - The Stage (UK)

The How, When, And Why Of Eye Contact Among Musicians

Conductors Leonard Slatkin and Paul McCreesh, members of the Guarneri and Zehetmair Quartets, and two orchestra principals talk about when and at whom to look, what eye contact does and doesn't communicate, and how it may differ between orchestras, choirs, and chamber musicians. - BBC Music Magazine

Christian Publishing Is Having A Boom In Doomsday Literature

"Following the pandemic and amid escalating global tensions as well as environmental concerns, Christian publishers say they are acquiring more books now than in years past on how to live faithfully in the present and properly prepare for (the Rapture, Armageddon, and other) End Times events." - Publishers Weekly

New York City Ballet’s Amar Ramasar Gives His First Interview Since The Nude-Photo-Sharing Scandal

And he gave it just as he has retired from the company, chastened by and repentant for the act that got him in trouble but still loved by the audience and grateful for his career. - The New York Times

A Set Of First Nation Artifacts At The Smithsonian Are Coming Home To A Native Museum In Canada

Roughly 500 pieces of basketry, quillwork, regalia and other items from the Mi'kmaq people which have been at the Museum of the American Indian for decades are to be turned over, under a long-term loan agreement, to the new Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre in Nova Scotia. - CBC

San Diego Repertory Theatre “Suspends Operations” And Lays Off All Staff

The announcement comes a week after the company abruptly cancelled this month's production. "Rep officials cited significant financial issues, the challenge of operating in an active construction zone at Horton Plaza and unexpectedly low ticket sales since its post-pandemic reopening last October for the closure." - The San Diego Union Tribune

La Scala Works To Get Younger People To The Opera — And Then Keep Them Coming

Alongside free performances in Milan neighborhoods and cheaper tickets for young adults and families with children, the house has started discounts for people in their 30s.  Says superintendent Dominique Meyer, "It is not as if one's salary suddenly becomes three times as big when you turn 30." - The New York Times

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Is Getting An Overhaul

"Actor Phoebe Waller-Bridge" — honorary president of the Fringe Society — "has hailed a 'new dawn' for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as the biggest ever shake-up of the event aims to crack down on exploitation, reduce its impact on the environment and win over more local people." - The Scotsman

Nijinska: The Choreographer Stuck In Her Brother’s Shadow

As a private entrepreneur without official sponsorship, Diaghilev made his way with an astute combination of connoisseurship and the ability to cultivate an inner circle of wealthy patrons. He kept Nijinska busy making new ballets for the repertory. - Hudson Review

Radical Reimagining? Safer Neighborhoods Begin With The Arts

It is not just a pretty idea. The UPenn Social Impact of the Arts Project studied New York City in 2017. Their data showed that neighborhoods with cultural assets had improved outcomes in education, aging, mental health, public safety and decreased engagement with the criminal justice system. - New York Daily News

Report Finds “Absurd” Levels Of Government Interference In Museums

 The report tracked “astonishing, nearly absurd” cases of political interference at some museums, the commissioners say, and outlines how some museums are poorly run. - The Art Newspaper

Survey: What Artists American Museums Show

Nearly half of all art exhibitions showcased by U.S. museums between 2017 and 2021 were dedicated to less than five percent of a quarter of a million artists, ranging from those born at the start of the 20th century to those working today, according to a new survey. - ARTnews

What Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Arts Presenters Learned During COVID

Another thing that’s changed “is it turns out we like our neighbors. And there are plenty of communities that are under-represented in our spaces, or are economically unable to participate or have a limited participation. - Cedar Rapids Gazette

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss

function my_excerpt_length($length){ return 200; } add_filter('excerpt_length', 'my_excerpt_length');