“A Russian street artist who created a giant pair of spectacles from a streetlamp has been dubbed ‘the Russian Banksy’. The mysterious figure, known only as P183, … reveals little about himself except that his name is Pavel, he is 28 and that he studied ‘communicative design’.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Ancient Babylonian Yo’ Mama Jokes Deciphered (Sort Of)
“Middle East scholars Michael Streck and Nathan Wasserman describe and interpret some thigh-slappers scrawled on a badly damaged tablet from Babylon, circa 1500 BC.” And there is indeed a yo’-mama zinger among them.
Engage! Arts Council England Launches £37M Fund To Do Just That
“Arts Council England has launched a £37 million fund aimed at engaging people in cultural activities in areas where involvement is low. The ‘creative people and places fund’ will support around 15 initiatives that will develop cultural experiences for communities that are currently not engaging with the arts.”
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Film Banned In India
“Oscar-nominated crime thriller The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo will not be shown in India after director David Fincher refused to cut scenes depicting rape and sexual intercourse.”
New York Philharmonic Players Agree To New Contract
“The New York Philharmonic and its musicians agreed a two-year contract, which leaves pay unchanged this season and raises it two percent for 2012 to 2013 … Management ‘dropped its plans for drastic cuts to health insurance and a radical reduction in pension benefits’.”
Camilla Williams, 92, Pioneering African-African Opera Singer
“[Her] debut with the New York City Opera on May 15, 1946, was thought to make her the first African American woman to appear with a major U.S. opera company.” In 1954, Williams “became the first black artist to sing a major role with the Vienna State Opera.”
How New York’s Signature Theater Raised Money For Its New Gehry-Designed Home
The company had some impressive models of their starchitect’s design – but no place to show it off to prospective donors. Enter one of Signature’s alumni – Oscar-winning actor Edward Norton.
Unseen Portraits By Lucian Freud To Be Shown For First Time
“[A] major new exhibition of his drawings and watercolours [in London] will feature rare, previously unseen works, including intimate portraits of his parents, children, self-portraits and childhood etchings.”
Sergei Polunin Speaks For First Time Since Quitting Royal Ballet
“It’s a confusing time at the moment, I have made a big decision and the next one will be important so I don’t want to rush it. … I need a few days alone to think about what I’m doing as I haven’t decided yet.”
NY City Ballet Dancer Tears Tendon Onstage
“Jennie Somogyi, a principal dancer at New York City Ballet, tore the Achilles’ tendon in her right foot during a performance Saturday night and will be out for the rest of the season, the company said on Monday.”