After being passed over for a promotion, Molly Diers resigned from the theater last January, alleging gender discrimination and a hostile work environment. Now both a union-management arbitrator and the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights have ruled in the Guthrie’s favor. — The Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
What Happens When Critics Change Their Mind?
So much of critical authority depends on confidence of opinion. To change your mind risks undermining that authority, an act of self-subversion. But I still think the better path is honesty. – The New Republic
Netflix Churns Through Its Data To Create And Deliver Movies Like ‘Bird Box’
Truly, the movie isn’t that great. But it’s a great example of how Netflix uses all of that data we give it when we start, stop, walk away, return, and finish (or don’t) movies and TV shows. – Slate
Our Fears As Expressed By The Lessons Of Other Cities
Our deepest anxieties about the future of where we live are embodied in other cities — in Portlandification, Brooklynification, Manhattanization. The comparison is seldom a compliment. You don’t want to become Manhattan (too dense), Portland (too twee), Boston (too expensive), Seattle (too tech-y), Houston (too sprawling), Los Angeles (too congested), Las Vegas (too speculative), Chicago (too indebted). – The New York Times
What Rome’s Official Christmas Tree Says About Italy
Last year’s tree arrived half-dead, shedding needles and nicknamed Spelacchio (“Mangy”) — yet people grew so fond of it that they attached handwritten notes to it and created a Spelacchio Twitter account. This year’s tree is 65 feet tall, lush, covered with 60,000 lights, and sponsored by Netflix. (The ornaments have red Ns on them.) Journalist Ilaria Maria Sala argues that this is all too fitting. — The New York Times
2018: More TV Than Ever (And It Just Keeps Expanding)
The 15 Biggest Art History Stories Of 2018
There were new finds of art from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Mesoamerica, as well as discoveries of art tens of thousands of years old in Indonesia and South Africa. Two stolen paintings were discovered in odd places: a de Kooning in a New Mexico bedroom and a Degas in the baggage compartment of a bus. And then there were the Michelangelo bronzes identified by their abs. — Artsy
Why Boys’ Choirs? Why Not The Girls?
“Every Christmas I sit down to watch Carols from Kings, which is broadcast around the world, and every year I wonder where the girls are,” Lesley Garrett said in a telephone interview. “So this year I decided to pose the question and see what would happen. And we got this great outpouring of passionate opinion.” – The New York Times
The Art And Science Of Hollywood Prosthetics (Or, How Christian Bale Was Metamorphosed Into Dick Cheney)
“Bale’s startling transformation is just the latest step forward in Hollywood for a booming prosthetics industry. For years, prosthetics were deep in the uncanny valley, making actors who wore them look not quite human, but recent advances in materials and expertise have allowed artists to create remarkable likenesses.” — The New York Times
When Lin-Manuel Miranda Brought ‘Hamilton’ To Puerto Rico (And Things Got A Bit Complicated)
As rare as it is for touring Broadway shows to visit the island, there was little doubt that Miranda would take his hit to the place where his parents were born and raised and where he visited grandparents every summer. Yet, as Michael Paulson reports, things haven’t gone entirely as expected. — The New York Times
In Search Of The Real Individuals Shown In Historic European Paintings Of Black People
When Denise Murrell noticed that art historians’ discussions of Édouard Manet’s painting Olympia always mentioned the model for the naked white courtesan and never mentioned the model for the black servant, she set out on what would become a career-long mission. — The New York Times
Could Banksy’s Painting-Shredding Stunt Lead To Revealing His Identity?
Sure, the purchaser of Girl with Balloon Love Is in the Bin claims to be happy with the unexpectedly altered work for which they paid $1.4 million. But, as certain observers point out, the shredding was arguably a crime, and if he were prosecuted, he would have to be publicly identified. — The New York Observer
Sono Osato, Star Of Ballets Russes And Broadway, Dead At 99
“[She] toured the world with the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, performed with the Ballet Theater in New York and then gained acclaim on Broadway in the World War II-era musicals One Touch of Venus and On the Town,” in which she played “all-American girl” Ivy Smith. — The New York Times
A New Single-Day Streaming Record On Spotify
Chart Data reported that “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” released in 1994, was played 10.8 million times on Spotify on Monday. The song bested the record set by rapper-singer XXXTentacion, who logged 10.4 million streams with “SAD!” a day after his death in June. – Washington Post
Sister Wendy, 88
After obtaining permission to study art in the 1980s – largely through books and postcard reproductions of the great works obtained from galleries – Sister Wendy decided to write a book to earn money for her convent. Contemporary Women Artists, published in 1988, was followed by more books and articles. In 1991 the BBC commissioned her to present a television documentary on the National Gallery in London. Dressed in black nun’s habit, Sister Wendy stood in front of paintings, and without script or autocue discussed them to the camera. – BBC