“Aiming at France’s refugee crisis, the anonymous British street artist appears to have targeted Paris with at least three murals and several of his signature rats in various locations. It is the first time the artist has hit the French capital with his brand of social and political commentary.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Illegal Excavation In West Bank Raises More Questions About Museum Of The Bible
“The Green family’s evangelical Museum of the Bible has been funding a number of scholarly projects, including an illegal excavation in the West Bank. This funding could potentially influence the direction of biblical scholarship and will certainly influence how the public understands the Bible and the ancient world.”
For The First Time, An American Is A Full Member Of The National Ballet Of Cuba
“This time last year, Catherine Conley was already living a ballet dancer’s dream. After an exchange between her home ballet school in Chicago and the Cuban National Ballet School in Havana, she’d been invited to train in Cuba full-time. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and one that was nearly unheard of for an American dancer. Now, though, Conley has even more exciting news: She’s a full-fledged member of the National Ballet of Cuba’s corps de ballet.”
Romania’s National Art Museum Withdraws Its Prized Brancusi Because It Can’t Afford The Insurance
“Wisdom of the Earth, a sculpture considered to be one of Brancusi’s defining works, was taken off public view last week. A lawyer representing the sculpture’s private owners said that the museum could not afford insurance for the modernist masterpiece, prompting the collectors to move the work elsewhere. The Romanian Ministry of Culture, which led a campaign in 2016 to bring the sculpture back into public hands, also refused to respond to requests to foot the bill, the lawyer said.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 06.25.18
Strong opinions, weakly held
The yelling and pointing in our current civic environment keeps me going back to futurist Paul Saffo and his mantra: “strong opinions, weakly held.” In his extensive work exploring the present and divining the future, … read more
AJBlog: The Artful Manager Published 2018-06-25
Monday Recommendation: The Story Of A Keyboard Pioneer
Milt Buckner: The Life and Music of a Unique Jazz Pianist and Organist (Woodward)
Willard “Woody” Woodard writes a straightforward account of the career of the keyboard artist who pioneered the Hammond B3 organ in jazz. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2018-06-25
California to Colorado on the Zephyr: Train Art and Culture
On June 12, I boarded the train for a 34 hour scheduled ride to Denver, on my way to the annual convention of Americans for the Arts. My assignment to myself was to write … read more
AJBlog: The Bright Ride Published 2018-06-24
Second chances
Now that Mrs. T is awaiting a double lung transplant, I’ve cut down on my out-of-town reviewing … The catch is that I last visited Smalltown, U.S.A., the place where I grew up and where my brother and sister-in-law still live, in 2015, and I’ve been longing to go back. … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2018-06-25
Who And What Are The ‘Angel Shadows’ In Broadway’s ‘Angels In America’?
“The Angel Shadows — three dancers and two puppeteers — are one of the most remarkable elements about this Tony Award-winning production, directed by Marianne Elliott. Through intricate choreography and cues, the Shadows are responsible for propelling the Angel into the air and operating her heavy wings.” Gia Kourlas talks to the designers who came up with the idea and some of the performers who enact it.
The Indie Movies That Dealt With The AIDS Crisis Back Before Tom Hanks Won That Oscar
Benjamin Lee looks at the making of the mid-1980s titles Buddies (shot in nine days in 1985), the TV movie An Early Frost (on which NBC lost $500,000 after advertisers fled; it went on to win four Emmys), Parting Glances, and Longtime Companion.
Why Oprah Winfrey Has Mattered For 35 Years
Wesley Morris: “The more she empowered us to speak, the better she got at knowing how her emotional algorithm could supply us with books and feelings and tools for betterment. And she took real risks to better understand this country, too. … Oprah didn’t do this work alone. She helped us do it. She was a platform. She was Facebook. Forget the presidency. She was the facilitator in chief.”
‘I Accuse, Therefore I Am’ – John Cameron Mitchell On How Queer Culture Has Changed In The 20 Years Since He Created Hedwig
“In the US, people have turned their energies to each other because they can’t do much about who is on top of the power structure. … [There’s an] oppression olympics [in which] outrage becomes proof of existence. … [The] grievances are real and our intentions are good, [but we are] looking for flaws, instead of looking for things in common.”
Here’s Some Real Dish About Simon Rattle’s Relationship With The Berlin Philharmonic
“At the end of Rattle’s 16-year tenure as music director of the orchestra, their relationship is not unlike a couple that’s been married for too long. … ‘The orchestra doesn’t look at him anymore,” one string player familiar with the situation in the orchestra said. … Rattle is ‘the nicest and most diplomatic guy on the planet,’ [a] former member of the Karajan Academy said. ‘But particularly with this orchestra, if the conductor isn’t demanding something bigger than themselves, it’s a free-for-all.'”