Imagine government officials sweeping through schools, demanding teachers and students hand over all their copies of Sherman Alexie, Howard Zinn, Leslie Marmon Silko … and Shakespeare. That’s reality in Arizona, where the legislature has banned any teaching unit that might include race, ethnicity or oppression as “central themes.”
Author: ArtsJournal2
Jazz Kills Classical, But News Rules Them Both
The sound of anguished classical fans howling for their music? No one at the public radion stations can hear it; they’re too busy checking (possibly flawed) ratings numbers.
The Dreamy, Better-Than-The-Oscars World Of The Golden Globes
Imagine a world where Crash didn’t beat Brokeback Mountain and where Dances With Wolves never got the best picture award. Fantasy? No, just the Golden Globes, where comedy isn’t a dirty word and campaigning doesn’t dominate voting.
Books Can Be Art, Especially After You Destroy Them
What to do with a glut of print books? Turn them into garden benches – or sculptures, of course.
Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before: Julie Andrews To Direct Children In A Musical
No, we don’t mean “Doe: A Deer.” This is “The Great American Mousical,” a new musical based on a children’s book Andrews wrote about – what else? – a musical, and its leading lady, who happens to be a mouse.
The Chinese Takeout Box: Icon Of American Design
“‘The structure has come to represent the idea of Eastern cuisine in Western society even though this packaging is not used for food containment in Chinese culture,’ says Scott Chapps, designer of packaging for Help Remedies. Or, as David Federico, marketing manager for Fold-Pak, put it, ‘We don’t sell them in China.'”
Making A Living As A Dancer In L.A.? Sure, With Multiple Jobs
‘You are part of such a small group, you wonder if anybody notices that you exist,” says one dancer. “The movie and film industry does overpower the art and culture, and that can be frustrating.”
To Be A Museum Director At The Gardner, Be Patient And Mix In A Lot Of Feedback
As the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum opens its new wing after much discussion and controversy, director Anne Hawley steps briefly into the spotlight.
Cooperation: It’s Not Just For The Playground (It’s For Species Survival)
“As challenging and demanding as cooperation is, it has been our species’ secret weapon, and those of us alive today are the descendants of people who had what it takes to make it work.”
Should A Piece Of Music Ever Be ‘Finished,’ Or Should It Adapt And Change?
“When I was younger, I shied away from revising after imbibing the notion that making changes to my work indicated weakness or failure; but now I’ve realized that my work needs to grow, change, and react to stimuli from audiences and collaborators in order to truly be its best.”