Disenchantment, of which Netflix has ordered an initial 20 episodes, “is described as an adult fantasy about a crumbling medieval kingdom known as Dreamland. The central character is a hard-drinking princess, Bean, [with] her elf companion Elfo and her ‘personal demon’ Luci. The first 10 episodes are targeted to premiere next year.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Background Music In The Office Is Coming Back (Dept. Of Terrifying Trends From 50 Years Ago)
“For decades, it was thought that playing music in our places of work would boost morale and productivity. Before it terrorised hotel guests and shoppers, Muzak originally set out to rally workers with 15-minute cycles of slowly climaxing, terrible music.” (These days, thank heaven, offices seem to be turning to Spotify.)
What Dancers Should Know Before Taking That Gig On A Cruise Ship
Meghan McFerran gives a rundown of the pluses (free travel, free room and board, extra strength) and minuses (isolation, seasickness, the stage moving under you).
Philanthropic Generosity Or ‘Tax Grab’? Battle In Canada Over Donated Annie Leibovitz Portfolio
“Someone – and absolutely no one involved seems ready to say who – came up with an idea in 2012 for a patron to purchase 2,070 photos by the American portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz and then donate them to … the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia … Four years later, though, a Canadian government panel that must sign off on the deduction is still balking at approving it, partly because the panel won’t accept a $20 million valuation for a collection that the donor purchased for just $4.75 million.”
They’re Going To Try A Biennial In 30 Cities At Once
“The first International Biennial of Contemporary Art of South America (BienalSur) launches this September across 30 cities … Although its main hub is in Buenos Aires, the show extends beyond Argentina – to Santiago, Rio de Janeiro, Havana, Paris, Berlin and Tokyo, among other cities.”
An Arts Festival In The Middle Of The Atlantic
“For the first edition of the Walk & Talk festival in 2011, its current artistic director Jesse James and fellow co-founder Diana Sousa wanted to bring ‘just one artist’ to Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Portuguese Azores islands. Now, in its seventh edition, the festival (until 29 July) has grown with more than 70 participating artists, from around the world and working across different disciplines.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 07.25.17
Benefits of the Arts (Again)
Summer is an excellent time to review topics covered before and evaluate whether they should be raised again. Four years ago I offered a preliminary overview of a way of discussing the benefits of the arts. … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2017-07-25
“Deeply Opposed”: Joint Statement by AAMD & AAM Blasts Berkshire Museum’s Planned Art Sales
I predicted in my previous post that the Association of Art Museum Directors and the American Alliance of Museums were “likely to exert pushback” against the Berkshire Museum’s deplorable deaccession plans. Now they have, … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2017-07-25
Here’s An Isaac Bashevis Singer Story, Translated Into English For The Frst Time
In “The Gift of the Mishnah,” as the editors put it, “19th-century Hasidism meets its radical grandchildren in the 20th.”
‘Temple’ To Oscar Wilde To Open In Greenwich Village Church
“[In September,] the artist duo McDermott & McGough will unveil the Oscar Wilde Temple, a public installation at the Church of the Village in New York’s West Village neighborhood. … Forced to repress his homosexuality for the majority of his life, Wilde is presented in McDermott & McGough’s piece as a martyr of sorts – a soul who suffered because of what he believed and who he was.”
Your Brain Doesn’t *Contain* Memories – It *Is* Memories
“This isn’t just metaphysical poetics. Every sensory experience triggers changes in the molecules of your neurons, reshaping the way they connect to one another. That means your brain is literally made of memories, and memories constantly remake your brain. This framework for memory dates back decades.”