Author: Douglas McLennan

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

Massive New Zaha Hadid Airport – World’s Largest – Opens In Beijing

The new mega-airport, the second in Beijing, was designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid in the shape of a starfish with five connected concourses. It is said to be the world’s largest single-building airport terminal. At 700,000 sq metres, with four runways, it is expected to be able to handle 72 million passengers a year by 2025. By 2040, the airport is expected to expand to eight runways and accommodate 100 million passengers a year. – The Guardian

How Should Opera Companies Have Handled Complaints About Placido Domingo?

Justin Davidson: “Society has changed, and the Met is limping to keep up. When the news about Levine’s transgressions broke, the company called in lawyers to run an investigation, bury the results, and settle the case. The Domingo protest makes it clear that’s not enough to restore harmony within and trust without.” – New York Magazine

Do Arts Organizations Understand The Difference Between Inspiration And Impact?

“On some level, you’ve got to ask your arts organization a really hard question: If there’s no positive impact you can measure, why hang your hat on the idea? After all, inspiring change is not about the “inspiring” — it’s about the “change,” no? When arts nonprofits focus on inspiration — that is, inspiration instead of change — they’re complicit in creating an escape hatch, a counterfeit way to gauge their existence.” – Clyde Fitch Report

Of News Fake Or Emotional (Do We Understand The Difference?)

“What we do is share content that gets people riled up. Research has found that the best predictor of sharing is strong emotions — both emotions like affection (think posts about cute kittens) and emotions like moral outrage. Studies suggest that morally laden emotions are particularly effective: every moral sentiment in a tweet increases by 20 percent its chances of being shared.” – The New York Times

Pianist Paul Badura-Skoda, 91

Until his death, Badura-Skoda had been among the last pupils of Edwin Fischer still performing. He was much respected, having played under the baton of Fischer’s friend and colleague Wilhelm Furtwängler, as well as under Herbert von Karajan, Hans Knappertsbusch, Hermann Scherchen (who conducts Beethoven’s five concertos included in the ‘Edition’) and George Szell. – Gramophone

Has “Cancel Culture” Become A Culture Cancer?

“Whatever you call it—public shaming, call-out culture, or cancellation—what’s happening now is in no way a new phenomenon. But what is new is the scale of it all. This isn’t just happening to public figures; it’s happening everywhere that social media exists, and you no longer have to be powerful, or even notable, to get canceled. And sometimes the offense was committed when the guilty party was just a kid.”  – The New Republic

Time For Peter Gelb To Step Down From The Met Opera

Zoe Madonna: “It’s time for Gelb to go, and take the board with him. Time to bring in a team that wants to reclaim the beautiful living tradition of opera for the 21st century, this messy epoch that people still see as a newborn despite its being old enough to vote and almost old enough to drink. And until that happens, the Met Opera deserves every empty seat inside that house.” – Boston Globe