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At Age 80, Soprano Lucy Shelton Finds Herself With An Opera Career

For decades she has been one of America's leading singers of avant-garde classical music, premiering dozens of pieces by composers from Elliott Carter to Oliver Knussen. But, until recently, she's worked almost entirely on the concert stage. Now she has opera composers writing roles for her. - The New York Times

Working In Public View, Conservators Begin Restoration of Rembrandt’s “Night Watch”

"The process" — taking place in a glass chamber in a gallery at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum — "will involve removing varnish that was applied during its 1975-76 restoration and will significantly change the look of the painting, making white paint whiter and dark areas more visible." - The Washington Post (MSN)

How Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony’s Musicians Saved Their Bankrupt Orchestra

"They got in touch with its foundation and creditors, and built a new board. ... The newly-formed team of directors and musicians spent months trying to find a way to resuscitate the southern Ontario symphony. And in October, they pulled it off." - The Globe and Mail (Canada)

Huge Art Forgery Enterprise Busted By Italian Police

"The seizures in Italy, France, Spain and Belgium netted 2,100 fake works attributed to more than 30 famed artists, including Andy Warhol, Amedeo Modigliani, Banksy, Pablo Picasso, Joan Mirò, Francis Bacon, Wassily Kandinsky, Henry Moore and Gustav Klimt," potentially worth €200 million. - AP

Why Is A Biden Appointee Removing Negative Events From The National Archives Exhibits?

"Archivist of the United States Colleen Shogan and her top aides directed employees to remove certain objects and details over the past year in order to avoid angering Republican legislators and making visitors feel ‘confronted.’” - Hyperallergic

The Torture-Filled World Of A Social Media Moderator

“‘If you take your phone and then go to TikTok, you will see a lot of activities, dancing, you know, happy things,’ says Mojez, a former Nairobi-based moderator who worked on TikTok content. ‘But in the background, I personally was moderating, in the hundreds, horrific and traumatising videos.’” - BBC

For The Arts To Matter During The Los Angeles Olympics, LA Must Start Planning Now

“The Cultural Olympiad (can’t we go back to the friendlier Arts Festival?) is special. It is the only aspect of the Olympics that needn’t be politicized or commercialized.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Make That Art, Take That Class, Create That Play

You never know whom you’ll influence - or end up being influenced by, in an artistic collaboration years down the line. - The New York Times

A Musical That’s Profitable Before It Even Opens? How?

Turns out star power helps a lot - and so does having a city own the theatre and fund its costs. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

India Lifts Ban On Import Of Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses” — For A Surprising Reason

And that reason is bureaucracy at its finest. - The Guardian

Fair Trade: The Idea Behind Nepal’s Museum Of Stolen Art

Nepali conservationist Rabindra Puri has hired local stonecarvers and craftsmen to create and display replicas of dozens of items of sacred art that were looted from temples and other sites over the past 60-odd years. The idea: return the stolen original to us and we'll give you the replica. - BBC

When Classical Music Forgeries Pass As The Real Thing, What Does That Say About Us?

"Knowing that a work is by Haydn or Mozart allows us to see ‘inevitable’ connections. Take away the certainty of authorship, and it’s devilishly difficult to read the musical images within. … If someone can write pieces that can be mistaken for Haydn, what is so special about Haydn?" - The Guardian

New York Philharmonic Fires (Again) Two Players Accused of Sexual Assault

Following another investigation that looked into further allegations (besides the original accusations from 2010), principal oboe Liang Wang and associate principal trumpet Matthew Muckey have been terminated and banned from the premises. The musicians' union has decided not to contest their firing. - AP

The Trauma Of Being A Librarian On The Front Lines In The United States

Sure, there are the rancorous meetings where people accuse you of peddling porn, and the death threats. But there are also overdoses, physical attacks, and the daily challenges of dealing with people who need a lot more help than you could ever offer. - The New York Times

Cal Shakes Veterans Mourn, And Remember

"In my long career all over the country, I have never experienced a more comprehensively intelligent, generous and progressive audience. Where did that audience go? I suspect the answer to that question is not a short one.” - San Francisco Chronicle

Dueling Literary Letters Make Opposing Pledges About Israeli Cultural Institutions

One letter, signed by 2700 authors and entertainers, calls for a boycott of Israeli cultural institutions that are “complicit in violating Palestinian rights,” while another letter, signed by 1000 authors and entertainers, claims, “boycotts of creatives and creative institutions simply create more divisiveness.” - The New York Times

It Turns Out Free Pizza Was A Great Bribe For Reading

Or at least, that’s how Millennials remember the Book It! program, which is - shockingly - still going strong, 40 years in, with personal pan pizzas for kids in K-6th grade who read a certain number of books. - The New York Times

A Record Number Of Books Censored And Banned In Schools This Year

That’s a rise of 200 percent over 2023, which was already a huge year for organizations that rub their hands in glee as they try to stop kids from reading. - The New York Times

A Booker Shortlist Author On The Ways Language Fails

Anne Michaels, author of the spare, gorgeous Held says, "You can use brutal language to describe brutality, but that’s a lie; language can’t represent brutality. It’s exactly the same when I’m trying to get at the most beautiful, profoundly intense experience of intimacy.” - The Guardian (UK)

Revisiting Landmarks And Icons Of Mid-Century Modern Design

A package of articles considering some of the most important examples (including forgotten ones) of the style, from Eero Saarinen's Tulip table (the man detested table legs) to Isamu Noguchi's Akari lamps to the Eames Shell chair to Charlotte Perriand's modular shelving units to the city of Columbus, Indiana. - Dezeen
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