In response to the suspension of a government funding program for film and TV over LGBT+ projects, culture minister Henrique Pires said, “It is very clear that I am out of tune with … the president on freedom of expression. I don’t agree that culture can have filters, so I’m leaving. … We need to pacify Brazil to work, not keep looking through a magnifying glass to see if there is a naked man kissing another man.” – The Art Newspaper
Author: Matthew Westphal
Bolsonaro Gov’t Suspends Brazilian Film And TV Funding Program Rather Than Fund Queer-Themed Programming
“Ramping up the drive into censorship in Brazil, its Minister of Citizenship, Omar Terra, has suspended a call for applications for governmental TV funding … Terra’s announcement comes just days after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lashed out at funding for LGBTQI series in an outburst during a scheduled state of the union-style address.” – Variety
Four Years Ago, Italy Hired Its First Museum Directors From Abroad. It May Soon Be Sending Them Home
“In 2015, Italy unveiled a series of reforms that had the potential to transform the country’s storied museums. For the first time, foreign museum directors took the helm at major institutions across the country and all national museum directors were granted more independence than they had had in the past. Now, however, those measures have been rolled back.” – Artnet
Alaska State Legislature Saves State Arts Council After Governor’s Veto
In late June, Gov. Mike Dunleavy exercised a line-item veto over the $3.87 million in funding for the Alaska State Council on the Arts. An attempt to override that veto in July failed and the Council shut down, but subsequent negotiations between lawmakers and the governor restored that item to the state budget. – Alaska Public Media
A First? Actual Self-Effacing Conductor Takes Helm At Berlin Philharmonic
A self-effacing conductor may seem almost impossible in itself, but in the job held by Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and Simon Rattle? Kirill Petrenko — who was elected chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic four years ago but is only now taking up the job — refuses to give press interviews or schmooze VIPs. But musicians absolutely love the man. – The New York Times
Should The Curator Of An Art Exhibition Get A Mention In A Review?
Guardian arts editor Alex Needham started a Twitter tempest with this: “Dear curators, in the same way that I don’t get a byline when I commission and edit a piece, chances are you won’t get mentioned in the Guardian when we cover one of your shows. That’s just how it is.” Naomi Rea explains why Needham has gotten so much pushback. – Artnet
In Response To Lara Spencer’s Mockery Of Boys Doing Ballet, Two Of Dance’s Biggest Male Stars Lead A Giant Class In Times Square
On Monday morning, as Good Morning America host Lara Spencer was trying to make amends for her faux pas of last week, Travis Wall (of So You Think You Can Dance) and Robbie Fairchild (formerly of New York City Ballet, now well on his way to a Broadway career) led about 400 dancers through a ballet workout. – The New York Times
The Changing Face of Arts Engagement: My remarks at the Stratford Festival Forum
Earlier this month I had the privilege and pleasure to speak at the Meighan Forum at the Stratford Festival. Since the Q&A was not captured in the transcript, I thought I’d reflect on a couple of the questions here. – Diane Ragsdale
Harry Burleigh and Cultural Appropriation – Take Two
Zora Neale Hurston Hurston heard concert spirituals “squeezing all of the rich black juice out of the songs,” a “flight from blackness,” a “musical octoroon.” She listed Harry Burleigh among the offenders. But without Burleigh there would be no “Deep River” as sung by Marian Anderson. – Joe Horowitz
Lisa Rich: There Was A Delay
In the 1980s the singer Lisa Rich seemed on her way to a long and successful career, and she recorded Highwire in 1987. For reasons not disclosed by Tritone Records, the album was not released for 32 years — until now. – Doug Ramsey