In his new budget to cope with the revenue loss driven by the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Jim Kenney on Friday proposed the elimination of the city’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy — a $4 million cut that would end grants to hundreds of cultural groups in the city. – Philadelphia Inquirer
Author: Douglas McLennan
Video Gaming Is Surging (No Surprise) But Where’s The Innovation?
According to Nielsen, play time was up by 45 percent during the last week of March, while worldwide sales were up at least 44 percent. – FiveThirtyEight
US Patent Office Rules Artificial Intelligence Can’t Be Listed As Inventor
Among the USPTO’s arguments is the fact that US patent law repeatedly refers to inventors using humanlike terms such as “whoever” and pronouns like “himself” and “herself.” The group behind the applications had argued that the law’s references to an inventor as an “individual” could be applied to a machine, but the USPTO said this interpretation was too broad. – Verge
Roger Horchow, 91 – Mail Order Pioneer And Broadway Producer
Horchow was the first retailer to sell high-end goods by mail-order catalog — without first opening a bricks-and-mortar store on the street to establish its reputation with buyers. He was so successful, he sold his mail-order outfit to the store that had hired him and inspired him: Neiman Marcus. Then he went on to win a Tony Award producing his very first show, which became a world-wide success. And this was when only one out of every 22 Broadway shows ever made its money back. – Art & Seek (KERA)
Parlez-Vous Screen?
The web has its own culture, it’s own language, its own ethos. Putting facsimile arts experiences online won’t cut it. And yet, we need to develop a hybrid model that includes the online experience. – Douglas McLennan
@PublishersWeakly Skewers The Publishing World With Uncomfortable Critique
“As it currently stands, the publishing industry largely serves the interests of the wealthiest higher-ups, and that is the entire reason for any financial strain on publishers without the capital of a corporation. The larger publishers could easily take the risks that smaller publishers do. The only reason for smaller presses to be working with less is because that’s simply how the system has been engineered to function.” – Electric Lit
Survey Says One Third Of Museums Could Close. How Do You Close Them?
Closing a museum is not just a matter of shutting the doors and turning off the lights. Institutions with significant collections have ethical and sometimes legal obligations to make sure that their objects are transferred elsewhere. The process can be both costly and time-consuming, experts say. – The New York Times
The New Frugality?
04.30.20
For decades American culture has promoted the ethos of disposable things. We are encouraged to be acquisitive – getting things for the sake of getting them. Suddenly under lockdown, is a new zeitgeist taking hold? Reuse. Make last. Seek permanence. – Vox
We Still Haven’t Made The Case That Artists Are Essential Workers
Why is it in the UK we are afraid of expressing big thinking, challenging the government to a discussion about the indispensability of the arts and making the case that its practitioners are absolutely Essential Workers for our spiritual and intellectual wellbeing? – Arts Professional
How Do You Reopen Hollywood? Maybe Move It To Iceland?
Iceland has tested its population widely for virus, and has had few cases so it could be safe for shooting. The country, with its sparsely populated but spacious North Atlantic geography, advanced filming infrastructure, production incentives and experienced crews, had long been an attractive shooting location. – Los Angeles Times