A Traditional Instrument Maker Struggles On Under The Taliban
"Wood shavings littered the floor of Sakhi's cramped workshop in the Afghan city of Herat as another rubab, the national musical instrument of his...
Hollywood’s 2024 Box Office: Down A Bit
Even though there’s still $2B-$3B missing in the post-Covid annual domestic box office, there was plenty to be thankful for in 2024 which is...
A Correction In The Art Market
2024 was peppered with lawsuits, auction records, and disappointing performances, more than a few gallery closings, and a lot of hot air forecasting that...
Ten Questions About Theatre For 2025
The year 2025 begins with some short-term questions about theater – the fate of “Warriors,” the effect of “Wicked”?– and more long-term ones –...
What A Ballet Company’s Shoe Manager Does
Yes, it's a real job, and not an easy one. - Dance Magazine
Wacky Premise, Crazy Start: Some Of 2024’s Best Books (As Chosen By Editors)
To help us recap the highlights we're joined now by two familiar faces, Maureen Corrigan, book critic for NPR's "Fresh Air," and Gilbert Cruz,...
Opera — A Synthesis Of All The Arts (Or A “Circus Of Sensation”)
Wagner described his ideal opera as a “total work of art”, meaning an artwork that brings together all the arts into a single masterwork": music,...
The Authenticity Problem At Historical Recreations
Aura matters, and for good reason. The presence of a historical object focuses the mind on it, its maker, and its context in ways...
Teaching Classical Music To Children In Kenya’s Poorest Urban Slums
"Ghetto Classics provides lessons to about 1,000 students, who feed three orchestras, a choir and a dance group. … (The organization) works in schools...
Opening Up The Secret Places In Philip II’s Royal Monastery
"Although El Escorial is hardly an unknown destination — it received more than 450,000 visitors last year — Pérez de Prada and his colleagues...
The Question Underlying All The Turmoil At Nashville’s Arts Agency
"Much of this drama stems from a debate about whom Metro Arts should serve with its limited budget. The debate can be summed up...
Young Stand-Ups Now Have To Spend More Time Self-Promoting On Social Media Than Sharpening...
"Young artists ... have always had to promote themselves, but the balance between that element of the job and the actual art feels worryingly...
State Supreme Court Reinstates Louisiana Librarian’s Defamation Suit Against Right-Wing Accusers
"On December 27, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that Amanda Jones’s 2022 defamation case against two local men who accused her of pushing pornography...
After A Rough Year, Good News From Scotland’s Arts Funding Agency
"Cultural venues, festivals and events have been given a new £20 million boost weeks ahead of crucial decisions on their future funding by (Creative...
Germany’s New Film & TV Funding Scheme Is A Boon To Both Local Producers...
The funding application process for local productions has been streamlined, and the cash-back production grant (which covers foreign studios shooting in Germany as well)...
2024 — The Year In Art Forgery
A pan-European forgery network, a disputed Malevich at the Pompidou Center, supposed Monet and Renoir on eBay, yet more fake Basquiats, and the bogus...
How Schools Are Expanding What Music Education Is
Step into a music class today and you might find laptops, turntables and MIDI controllers joining the expected clarinets, recorders and violins. From elementary...
The State Of British Theatre, In 20 Shows Across All Four Nations
"Two decades after theatre’s funding taps were turned off, editor Alistair Smith embarked on a tour from the tip to the toe of the...
Studying the Scriptures According To TSwift
Swift’s music still forms the basis of their interest in her. Fans study it like scripture, offering various interpretations of the lyrics. Uniting these...
This Year In Great Sentences, Frank Bruni Edition
In The Times, Jason Farago defended an artistic movement against its detractors: “If you find Monet, Renoir, Degas too pretty and popular — if you think...
The Literary World’s Biggest News Stories Of 2024
"Here are the book-world-adjacent stories that thrilled, disgusted, amused, and otherwise occupied our group chats this year." - Literary Hub
Musicians We Lost In 2024
A list of prominent musicians who dies in 2024. - Gramilano
The Top Library Stories Of 2024
It's been a challenging year for libraries. - Publishers Weekly
Top Archaeology Stories Of 2024
From sexy frescoes emerging from the ashes to hidden cities surfacing due to Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scans, archaeologists continue to make discoveries...
The “Unphilosophical” Life?
Thinking hard makes sense if you want answers; it makes less sense if the highest reward you anticipate from your intellectual efforts is surprise....
