“One of Africa’s pre-colonial treasures, the Mapungubwe gold collection, discovered in the 1930s near what is now the South Africa-Zimbabwe border, will take pride of place in … the new 280m rand ($19.7m) Javett Art Centre.” — The Art Newspaper
Choreographer-Filmmaker Jo Andres Dead At 64
She became known in the 1980s for projecting slides and film images into the bodies of her dancers, who performed more often in rock clubs than in theaters; in the 1990s, she made short experimental films and cyanotypes. (Okay, yes, she was also married to Steve Buscemi.) — The New York Times
The Disney Princess Body Proportion Issue
“Disney princesses have extremely small waist-to-hip ratios that are nearly impossible to achieve naturally,” write anthropologist Toe Aung of Pennsylvania State University and independent researcher Leah Williams. They argue that such characters “might heighten or reinforce our preference for lower waist-to-hip ratios, and the perception that physically attractive individuals with lower waist-to-hip ratios possess morally favorable qualities.” – Pacific Standard
Broadway’s Next Evan Hansen Is An Actual Teenager
“The role is wrenching, vocally and emotionally, and [Andrew Barth Feldman] will be the first teenager to tackle it on Broadway. The character is 17, but adolescent boys are often thought to be too immature to play adolescent boys, and all of his predecessors have been in their 20s.” — The New York Times
Increasingly, Indigenous Art Is Getting Its Due
That headline may not sound like news, but it is, in one sense. Many occurrences in the world of indigenous art that may not, on their own, make international headlines are adding up to real progress, intensifying a trend that began a few years ago. — Judith H. Dobrzynski
New Fund To Restore And Protect Heritage Sites In War Zones Announces Its First Projects, In Iraq And Mali
The organization — called Aliph, based in Geneva, chaired by billionaire Thomas Kaplan, and funded with $60 million so far — will work on restoring the museum in Mosul and the fourth-century Mar Behnam monastery in Iraq, both wrecked by ISIS, and the 15th-century Askia tomb, a victim of Boko Haram, in the Malian city of Gao. — The Art Newspaper
Response to ‘Listen vs. Tell’
In “Listen vs. Tell” I spoke of the necessary switch from telling people about our work to listening to them as a pre-requisite for effective communication. As happens not infrequently, Carter Gilles responded thoughtfully and at length. He has given me permission to share his expansion on my thoughts here. — Doug Borwick