The September festival happens in a small, relatively isolated town, and management had planned a new reservation system, distanced seating, more outdoor venues; they’d even sourced a big supply of 15-minute coronavirus tests. “Our audiences go along with what the rules are,” executive director Julie Huntsinger said, “and we thought we could have great compliance.” Here she tells a reporter when and how she realized that wouldn’t be enough. – Variety
Author: Matthew Westphal
2,500-Year-Old Statue Of Atlas To Return To Temple Of Zeus In Sicily
“The statue, eight metres high and built in the 5th century BC, was one of nearly 40 that adorned the ancient building, considered the largest Doric temple ever built, even if it was never completed and now lies in ruins.” – The Guardian
$550 Million In Losses And Expenses, Finds Report On COVID-19’s Effect On New York City’s Nonprofit Arts Sector
Among the major data points: “Ninety-five percent of organizations canceled programs, 88% modified delivery of their programs, and as of May 8th, 11% were not providing products or services to their communities. Small organizations with budgets under $250,000 have been hardest hit. … 11% of organizations indicated that they do not think they will survive the COVID-19 crisis.” – SMU Data Arts
Audiences Are Feeling Even More Reluctant To Come Back Than They Were Three Months Ago
“As coronavirus numbers continue to rise in most U.S. states, the willingness of theatre patrons to return to their old theatregoing habits has plummeted, two tracking surveys show. … The earliest date most theatregoers say they’d be comfortable returning, according to [one] report? May or June of 2021.” – American Theatre
Frieze Cancels Two Art Fairs In London This Fall
“As the pandemic continues to ravage large parts of the world, it is becoming clear that such events may not take place as planned, and on Tuesday, Frieze London and Frieze Masters informed exhibitors that they would not hold their fairs in early October.” – ARTnews
Grant Imahara, Co-Host Of TV’s ‘Mythbusters’, Dead At 49
“For more than 200 episodes, Mr. Imahara, lovingly referred to as the ‘geek’ of the show’s build team” — he had been an engineer at Industrial Light & Magic and Lucasfilm — “wowed audiences by bringing tech to life through his ability to design and operate complex robotics that helped test myths in subjects ranging from skydiving to driving stunt cars to firing guns.” – The Washington Post
How Classical Crossover Ran Amok And Ran Aground
The Three Tenors franchise was hardly great opera, but it was effective, and Yo-Yo Ma’s various crossover projects are genuinely good. So how did we get from The Silk Road Project to Hildegard von Bingen club remixes to The Shirtless Violinist and the quartet Well-Strung? Basically, writes James Bennett, II, blame the suits. – WQXR (New York City)
The Arts in America — Is the Pandemic a Perfect Storm?
At a moment when culture could vitally contribute to national pride and resilience, the arts are newly challenged financially. The reverberations, internationally, disclose a sudden, naked disparity in the role of long-inherited culture as a component of the national experience in the US compared to attitudes abroad. – Joseph Horowitz
Garrulous Gary Garrels: The Thought-Police Nab Another Unguarded Curator
I’m again risking the wrath of the thought-police by coming to the defense of another consummate museum curator who has had the misfortune of wandering into the cancel-culture crosshairs. – Lee Rosenbaum
Maybe The People Who Signed The Harper’s Letter Have Forgotten About The Real Danger To Free Speech
Tom Scocca: “The promoters of the letter cast themselves as persecuted heroes, putting their names on the line to defend an embattled conception of liberty. The people putting themselves in front of police lines have a more expansive vision of what freedom means, and what risks they’re prepared to take for it.” – Slate