Joseph Giovannini: “What we are witnessing is the systematic destruction of an institution whose history has been chaotic, whose architecture has been less than perfect, but that was at the same time on the verge of greatness, had a proper director been chosen to lead its rebirth,” said one prominent Los Angeles museum figure, who like virtually everyone I interviewed asked for anonymity. – LA Review of Books
Author: Douglas McLennan
American Theatre Leadership Is Diversifying. Will It Help Diversify Audiences?
Recent turnover in some of America’s most important theatres has helped diversify leadership. And there’s work to diversify boards and staff. But there’s a long way to go to expand the audience. – The Stage
Brexit Will Have A Debilitating Effect On British Pop Music
Brexit’s greatest impact on music looks likely to be on the live sector, both on British musicians going abroad, and on foreign artists and fans travelling to the UK. – The Guardian
A Way To Make College A Lot Cheaper?
This is how universities could break the tuition cost curve—by making the price of online degrees proportional to what colleges actually spend to operate the courses. So far, colleges have been more aggressive in launching online graduate programs. But there’s huge potential for undergraduate education, too, including hybrid programs that combine the best of in-person and virtual learning. And yet nearly every academic institution, from the Ivies to state university systems to liberal arts schools, has refused to pass even the tiniest fraction of the savings on to students. They charge online students the same astronomical prices they levy for the on-campus experience. – Huffington Post
Art Gallery Of Ontario Says It Will Sell 17 Works To Diversify Its Collection
The works for sale aren’t unimportant. They’re by Montreal native and Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson. They will be included in Heffel Fine Art Auction House’s upcoming auctions, beginning in May. “A founding member of the Group of Seven, A.Y. Jackson is one of Canada’s most celebrated and important artists,” the auction house said in a statement. – ArtForum
A Vending Machine For Music?
St. Olaf College in Minnesota has one. You can buy violin strings, rosin and reeds. One enthusiastic Reddit user said: “I was there a few weeks ago for a horn audition and actually bought some of the $7 oil!”
The Answer To Distraction? Slow Art
There’s Slow Food. There’s Slow (Longform) Journalism. Now there’s Slow Art. To get people in the mood for slow art, Christie’s, the V&A and the Natural History Museum have been offering yoga and sound meditation baths before visitors step foot into their exhibitions. But rather than putting them in a trance, it’s all about switching on their senses. – BBC
Washington State Bans Sending Used Books To Prisoners
A non-profit had been doing so, in part because the state’s library is under-resourced. But the state says it doesn’t have the ability to check all the books that come in. Now Books to Prisoners has mounted a campaign… – Seattle Times
A History Of The Color Blue (Yes, There Is One)
Blue was once little-known in the Western palette. Homer’s sea was “wine dark”; blue would not be used as water’s color until the seventeenth century. It has evolved from its original association with warmth, heat, barbarism, and the creatures of the underworld, to its current association with calm, peace, and reverie. – Claremont Review of Books
The Battle Between What You Believe And What You See
Work on artificial intelligence suggests that our brains engage in constant battles between what we think we know versus what we actually experience. It’s a kind of constant skepticism that informs our consciousness. – Aeon