Yes, the COVID lockdown has deprived most museums of nearly all their income, which is why the Association of Art Museum Directors has given qualified approval for members to “use the proceeds from deaccessioned works of art … to support the direct care” of a museum’s collections as a whole. Sebastian Smee points out the problems (and there are several) that this might create. – The Washington Post
Month: May 2020
Lockdown lessons: ‘Singin’ in the Rain’
We learned a lot of things about Singin’ in the Rain during the Lockdown Theatre Club group watch. Here are 20 of them – from dubbing the dubbers to Gene Kelly’s buttock-framing trousers. – David Jays
A Lesson in the Art of Drawing: ‘Taking the Line for a Walk’
The point of the exercise is to wean the young artist off result-oriented copying from photos. ‘Taking the line for a walk’ lets the drawing come about in the process of drawing. – Jan Herman
Matthew Shipp’s ‘Piano Equation’
The dictionary defines equation as “the act of making equal.” In his engrossing new solo album, pianist Matthew Shipp creates eleven new pieces of music in which the equality of his powerful hands is important to the venture’s success, but not as important as his fertile imagination. – Doug Ramsey
How Can You Be A Street Artist When The Streets Are Restricted?
Street artists get their juice from the urban landscape. But performers don’t have crowds to perform for. And while street painters have plenty of urban canvas, there’s not many out to see it. – The New York Times
Is It Feasible To Reopen Cinemas With A Max Of 50 People Per Screen? Norway Is Trying It
Movie theaters in Norway will reopen on May 7 with a mandatory minimum of one meter of space between each audience member and no more than 50 patrons total in any one space. (These rules follow those of Sweden, which did not close its cinemas when the novel coronavirus arrived.) If everything goes smoothly, the limit will be increased to 200 patrons per screen on June 15. – Variety
Tips For Taking Online Dance Classes
Online platforms are not equally useful, and the class options are dizzying, especially when the “I don’t want to humiliate myself” barrier is gone. (Who’s looking?!) – Dance Enthusiast
Acting Classes On Zoom Are Actually Working Out Kind Of Well
Reacting to a scene partner’s body language and expressions is an integral part of learning how to act. Zoom, clearly, isn’t optimal in that department. But … students were finding ways to make the most of it.” In particular, the app “encourages acting students to be more nuanced, more private and more intimate.” – The New York Times
The White House Has Created A Medal Commemorating Trump’s “Heroes” Of The Virus War (Cue Parodies)
The coin shows an artist’s rendering of the coronavirus overlaid on a world map, and reads (with characteristically Trumpian capitalization), “World vs Virus: We Fought the Unseen Enemy. Everyday HEROES Suited Up. Everyday CITIZENS Did Their Part.” The other side features the presidential podium, where Trump until recently delivered his controversial daily press briefings. – Artnet
What Classic Plague Lit Tells Us About COVID — And About Its Aftermath
“The primary lesson of plague literature, from Thucydides onwards, is how predictably humans respond to such crises. Over millennia, there has been a consistent pattern to behaviour during epidemics: the hoarding, the panicking, the fear, the blaming, the superstition, the selfishness, the surprising heroism, the fixation with the numbers of the reported dead, the boredom during quarantine.” – The Guardian