“‘Why aren’t there more Latinx murals in Kansas City?’ The Flatland team reached out to historians, cultural directors, curators, sociologists and artists, many of whom identify as Hispanic or Latinx. … Their answers show what is lacking in the area: publicity, resources and perspective. But it also shows that artists are willing to take up the palette for the next generation.” – PBS NewsHour (KCPT)
Pornhub (Yes, Pornhub) Joins The Battle Against The Plastic Polluting The World’s Oceans
A new video titled Dirtiest Porn Ever shows us the basic sex on a beach — except that this beach is absolutely covered with plastic trash, which workers in Pornhub-branded protective suits pick up as the performers do their thing. Why Pornhub? Well, can you think of another site that has broader reach to raise awareness? (And with each view of the video, Pornhub will donate to a ship cleaning up an ocean garbage patch.) – Dezeen
Four Years Ago, Italy Tried To Reform The Way Its Major Museums Are Run. Did It Work? Yes And No …
“In August 2015, the then Italian culture minister, Dario Franceschini, announced the first 20 ‘super directors’ of national museums, granting those institutions fiscal autonomy for the first time and, in theory at least, far greater managerial independence.” With many of those directors’ initial contracts running out, and with the government possibly undoing the reforms, did they make a difference? Politically, probably not; practically, yes, in some ways. – Apollo
Arts Organizations Risk Peril Over Sources Of Their Income
Max Anderson: “If their portfolios continue to be awash with stocks in petroleum companies, big pharma, and arms merchants, they will remain open to charges of hypocrisy. But if they change course to ensure that their use and investment of funds are guided by an ethical compass, they may weather the storm.” – Apollo
‘Just As Some Novels Supply Their Own Reviews, So Many Reviews Supply Their Own Novels’
Mary-Kay Wilmers, co-founder and longtime editor of the London Review of Books, takes apart the ways that book reviewers do their work. – Literary Hub
Afghanistan Had A Rich Film History Until The Taliban Came. This Crew Is Rescuing What Survived
“An elite team of film archivists here is working to conserve [reels of film] as part of a years-long government program that aims to digitize about a century’s worth of Afghan documentaries and films over the next six months.” – The Washington Post
Writer In Decline – What Happened
Parul Sehgal: “Salman Rushdie fills a shelf, even two, nicely. He is the author of nearly 20 books — six published in the last 11 years alone, but of diminishing quality. The novels are imaginative as ever, but they are also increasingly wobbly, bloated and mannered. He is a writer in free fall. What happened?” – The New York Times
Moving Toward Fair Pay For Dancers
“The dance field isn’t immune to the ‘gig economy’ that’s disrupting everything from buying groceries to getting a ride to the airport. … So it’s no surprise that artists feel anxious about making ends meet. But this can also be an opportunity to discard old ways of doing business.” Zachary Whittenburg looks at “three movements towards fair pay in dance [that] have gained the most traction.” – Dance Magazine
Louvre May Return Parthenon Frieze To Greece, At Least Temporarily
A proposal discussed by the French President Macron and Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis would see a “temporary exchange,” timed for the 2021 bicentennial celebration of Greek independence, of a 5th-century BC frieze removed from the Parthenon in the 1780s for a collection of ancient bronze artifacts. – The Art Newspaper
A First: Edinburgh Fringe Ticket Sales Pass Three Million Mark
“A record overall tally of 3,012,490 for Fringe events was announced as the international and book festivals also reported a surge in business at the box office. The combined audience for cultural events in the city has topped four million when the 217,000 attendees at the Tattoo and the 290,000 estimated attendees at visual art festival shows and exhibitions are taken into account.” – The Scotsman
Banksy’s Famous Brexit Mural Is Painted Over
“The side of a building that had borne a famous painting of a worker chipping away one of the golden stars from the European Union’s flag — symbolizing Britain’s impending exit from the bloc — was covered in white paint Monday. Scaffolding had been erected over the weekend at the building in the southern British port city of Dover.” – Washington Post (AP)
Placido Domingo Performs To Standing Ovations, Cheers
“In Domingo’s first performance since sexual harassment allegations surfaced against him, the crowd cheered every one of his big moments. He had to stop the standing ovation at the final curtain call, not wanting to take away love from the other performers.” – Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles’ LACMA Is Kind Of A Ghost Town Now
California is famous for its ghost towns, but you don’t expect to find one where L.A.’s major art museum once was. Or pay up to 25 bucks to see it. – Los Angeles Times
Why I Teach High School English
“Teaching is not for everyone, and that is a good thing. We need great teachers. We need people with patience and passion. High school teaching is entertainment. Erudition is worthless if you can’t communicate with kids. And kids—like everyone else—like to be entertained. To do this job right, you need to put on one hell of a show, back to back, for different audiences. That show needs to be genuine—and it needs to have substance.” – LitHub