“It was either a dream come true or a prank: a man living in São Paulo with no previous relationship with Metropolitan Museum of Art cold-called the New York institution one day in 2017 and said he wanted to donate some of his paintings. And not just any paintings, but Spanish colonial works, a category that the Met publicly said it wanted to build up. It was not a prank, and in early March, the museum will unveil the gift from James Kung Wei Li — ten 17th- and 18th-century works from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, in a gallery in the American Wing called Art of the Colonial Andes.” – The Art Newspaper
Author: Matthew Westphal
Peter Martins Is Retired From New York City Ballet, But He Won’t Go Away
“More than a year after he left amid allegations of sexual harassment and physical and verbal abuse, he continues to make his presence felt in ways both big and small — including by ordering last-minute cast changes in performances of his ballets and showing up backstage after a show,” much to some dancers’ discomfort. – The New York Times
Michael Jackson Estate Sues HBO Over ‘Leaving Neverland’ Documentary
“On Thursday, Optimum Productions and the two co-executors of the Jackson estate sued HBO and parent company Time Warner claiming the documentary constitutes a breach of a non-disparagement clause in an old contract.” – The Hollywood Reporter
How I Reconcile Being A Committed Muslim And A Committed Dancer
Hala Shah: “Growing up, I never saw a problem with my dancing and neither did my Muslim-Egyptian dad or my non-Muslim, American mom. … When I married my Pakistani husband, who comes from a more conservative approach to Islam, I suddenly encountered perceptions of dance that made me question everything: Is it okay to expose a lot of skin? Is it wrong to dance with other men? Is dance inherently sexual? What guidelines come from our holy book, the Quran, and what are cultural views that have become entwined in Islam?” – Dance Magazine
Plan For Jane Austen Statue At Winchester Cathedral Dropped After Public Objects
“The cathedral had commissioned the sculptor Martin Jennings to create a statue of Austen for its inner close … [But] residents and local groups submitted ‘a barrage of criticism’ in response to the plans. ‘There is a strong body of opinion that rejects the idea of another Jane Austen statue anywhere, or any statue at all in the cathedral close,’ wrote one resident.” – The Guardian
Eduardo Chillida’s Sculpture Park In Spain To Reopen For First Time Since Financial Crisis
“Chillida Leku, the private museum and sculpture park devoted to the work of the Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida (1924-2002) in the Basque countryside, will reopen fully to visitors on 17 April.” Since 2011, it had been only by appointment. – The Art Newspaper
Composer Dominick Argento, 91
“In addition to his fourteen operas, he composed song cycles, choral pieces and musical monodramas, establishing himself as one of the most adept practitioners of text-setting within his generation of American composers. Though his polystylistic idiom ranges from opulent Romanticism to acerbic dissonance, his melodic lines are unfailingly well suited both to the voice and to the straightforward delivery of the words.” – Opera News
Peter Tork Of The Monkees Dead At 77
“If the Monkees were a manufactured version of the Beatles, a ‘prefab four’ who auditioned for a rock-and-roll sitcom and were selected more for their long-haired good looks than their musical abilities, Mr. Tork was the group’s Ringo, its lovably goofy supporting player.” – The Washington Post
Renaissance polyphony as the eternal frontier of self-discovery
Much of the 16th-century music that New York Polyphony performed last Saturday night has a Rorschach quality: without typical polarities like major and minor keys, the music acquires an abstraction, prompting reactions that can be hugely different for each listener — and on every encounter — dictated by where the performers connect in these webs of notes and what the listener’s psyche zeros in on. – David Patrick Stearns
DC Comics Cancels Series About Second Coming Of Jesus
The Second Coming, a series that was to be released next month under DC’s Vertigo imprint, depicted Jesus Christ’s not-entirely-triumphant return to earth. “Shocked to discover what has become of his gospel,” Jesus undertakes “a most holy mission from God,” learning from a super-hero called Sun-Man “what it takes to be the true messiah of mankind.” The comic was withdrawn following a petition, by conservative group CitizenGo, which calls The Second Coming “outrageous and blasphemous.” – The Guardian