Month: September 2019

After More Than 30 Years, Eddie Murphy Is Doing Stand-Up Comedy Again

“Over the years, Murphy has teased fans with talk of a comeback, but this time, inspired by [his new movie, Dolemite Is My Name], he appears to mean it. He signed a deal with Netflix to put out a new special next year, and has a theater tour lined up, which means he could be in clubs working out jokes soon.” Jason Zinoman meets the star to talk about the reasons for his return and how he is and isn’t different from the megastar Murphy of the ’80s and ’90s. – The New York Times

Counting Error: British Museum Was In Fact Britain’s Most-Visited Last Year

The original statistics were 5,799,000 for Tate Modern and 5,709,000 for the BM in the financial year 2018/19. But the BM’s original figures for October-December 2018 appeared too low, and a later investigation suggested that 316,000 visitors had been missed by the counting system. Adding these means that the BM’s revised number for the financial year should be 6,025,000, comfortably beating Tate Modern. – The Art Newspaper

California’s New Gig Economy Law Could Impact Arts Workers

In the cultural sphere, architects, graphic designers, grant writers, and fine artists are identified as exempt, as are photojournalists and journalists who contribute fewer than 35 times a year to a particular company or publication. But prolific freelance photographers and writers, and other art professionals not named in the law such as independent curators, catalogue researchers and art handlers, could be affected. – The Art Newspaper

French Billionaires Actually Hand Over €300 Million They Pledged For Notre-Dame Restoration

A few months after public concerns arose about their delay, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnualt has signed a formal agreement with the Fondation Notre-Dame for the €200 million he pledged toward the cathedral’s restoration after the April 15 fire. François Pinault and his son François-Henri Pinault of the luxury goods company Kering will execute a similar contract for their €100 million donation next Monday. – The Art Newspaper

Saying Its Mosaic Façade Is ‘Irreplaceable’, Judge Blocks Sale And Demolition Of Philadelphia’s Painted Bride Art Center

A Philadelphia Orphans’ Court judge ruled that the sale — The Bride, the nonprofit that owns the center, had sold it for $4.5 million to a developer who planned to build condos on the site — would “all but ensure the destruction of what many individuals consider to be a true treasure.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer

Climate Activists Threaten Boycott Of Royal Shakespeare Company

Why? Because the RSC accepts sponsorship money from BP, which funds the company’s program offering £5 tickets to young adults. Says an open letter just sent to the theatre, “If we, as young people, wish to see an affordable play at your theatre we have to help to promote a company that is actively destroying our futures by wrecking the climate.” – The Guardian

Are Ticket Prices Really The Main Barrier To Attracting Audiences?

“The popular misconception that price is the chief barrier to access to the arts has taken hold in the sector, while in reality, price is only one of a complex set of factors affecting engagement with ‘hard to reach’ groups. Tim Baker concludes it’s time to start a debate about the true meaning of affordability.” – Arts Professional