Just days after the company, unable to find a buyer, announced it would file for bankruptcy, a group led by Barack Obama’s chief of the Small Business Administration agreed to take it over. Said that leader, Maria Contreras-Sweet, “I will be chairwoman of a majority-female board of directors. Women will be significant investors in the new company and control its voting stock.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Lost Monet Discovered In Storage Space At Louvre
Water Lilies: Reflection of Willows was one of a set of 25 Monet paintings in a huge collection of Western art acquired by the Japanese collector Kōjirō Matsukata. In the leadup to World War II, he had the works stored for safekeeping in France and England. When they were finally returned to Japan in 1959 (after Matsukata’s death), this work wasn’t among them. Now it has turned up, though it’s badly damaged.
The Mona Lisa May Be Making A Tour Of France
“Da Vinci’s masterpiece, which has spent nearly all of the past 500 years in Paris, could soon be smiling at audiences across France as part of a rare tour, the country’s culture minister said Thursday. Françoise Nyssen told Europe 1 radio she was ‘seriously considering’ the move as part of travelling exhibition of the country’s most prestigious artworks.”
Attendance May Be Falling At U.S. Art Museums, But What About History Museums?
Noting that “many commentators often conflate ‘museum’ with ‘art museum’,” Bob Beatty points out that there are far more history museums than art museums in this country. Oddly, attendance figures broken out for history museums are surprisingly scarce, but Beatty runs the numbers he can.
Top Posts From AJBlogs 03.01.18
Take Another Trip! The Paston Treasure Beckons
I’ll bet most, if not all, of you have never heard of a large painting called The Paston Treasure, c. 1663. Neither had I, until I saw a little picture of this 8 feet by 5.4 feet work. … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2018-03-01
Review: Martin Wind’s “Light Blue”
Martin Wind, Light Blue (Laika)
Martin Wind gathers a coterie of distinguished colleagues and demonstrates why for two decades he has been a mainstay bassist in the US and Europe. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2018-03-01
Music Is Not, In Fact, A Language We All Understand (Sorry, Stevie Wonder)
“Every so often, a study grabs headlines as researchers attempt to answer the question: ‘Is music a universal language?’ The way that chords can tug at heartstrings and tear ducts without words might lead people to assume that music can transcend differences of speech to convey emotions. Ethen of the Sideways YouTube channel, however, makes compelling case for why the answer is a strong ‘No.’ Or, at least, a thoughtful ‘This is a badly worded question.'”
The Movie Industry’s Greatest Innovations-Gone-Wrong, From AromaRama To Astrocolor
“IMAX is hugely popular, while virtual reality movies are gaining steam. But what about film inventions that never took off? When will they get their due? … We asked four film experts to each write about a different flop. Some ideas were on the right track and would eventually be realized in one form or another. But others are probably best relegated to the dustbin of history.”
Want To See More Diversity In Hollywood? Vote With Your Wallet
“To find out what moviegoers who want to advocate for diversity in Hollywood can do to help, Mic reached out to several experts in the entertainment industry.” Said one, “If Hollywood thought that its lack of representation in terms of women and people of color would cost it money, then they would change overnight. Or, if they thought it would make them money, they would be more inclined to be inclusive.” And, in fact, that’s starting to happen.
Ta-Nehisi Coates: Why I’m Writing Captain America Comics (And Why This Terrifies Me)
“Those of you who’ve never read a Captain America comic book or seen him in the Marvel movies would be forgiven for thinking of Captain America as an unblinking mascot for American nationalism. In fact, the best thing about the story of Captain America is the implicit irony.”
A Brief History Of Gospel Music
From African rhythms through early spirituals to the Hammond organ, ethnomusicologist Robert Stephens tells the story of black America’s sacred music.