Among the works in this group of acquisitions, which will go on view at the museum in August, are Thomas’s portrait of a transgender woman named Qusuquzah, Qusuquzah, une très belle négresse 1 (2011), Bowling’s monumental painting Elder Sun Benjamin (2018), and Belmore’s large-scale ceramic sculpture Tarpaulin No. 1 (2018). – ARTnews
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Sculptor Charles Ginnever, Known For Large Outdoor Works, Dead At 87
“Working largely in steel, made massive geometric forms that often seemed to defy gravity — giant squares or slabs appearing to float in the air or balance precariously on a point. His works were deliberately made to be walked around; viewing them from multiple angles gave dramatically different experiences.” – The New York Times
Age-Appropriate Books (For Any Age)
Avid readers could build autobiographies around their favorite books and come to the realization that what they have read is almost as meaningful as when they read it. So here’s a list of books matched to every age. – Washington Post
Preserving The Japanese Writing System Reserved For Women
“Women in medieval Japan were discouraged from studying kanji – characters modelled on written Chinese which represent individual words – and began using kana, which transcribe words phonetically. A [20th-century] standardisation programme … saw 90% of the 550 kana die out. But these forgotten characters are now being kept alive by the artist and master of Japanese calligraphy Kaoru Akagawa, who became fascinated with them after deciphering letters from her grandmother.” – The Guardian
Negotiating The Most Intimate Sex Scene On Broadway
Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune begins with noisy sex in the dark, then the lights come up on the actors getting out of bed naked. It’s always been a delicate scene to stage, and the current New York revival is the first Broadway production of any kind to use a professional intimacy coordinator. Laura Collins-Hughes talks with her — Claire Warden — and stars Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon about how they make it work. – The New York Times
William F. Brown, Tony-Nominated Playwright Of ‘The Wiz,’ Dead At 91
“Mr. Brown began his career producing advertising for television before branching out as a freelance writer, playwright and, for several years, the co-creator of a syndicated comic strip. A versatile and all-purpose writer, Mr. Brown published humor books, wrote for musical revues and contributed jokes and skits to television shows.” – The Washington Post
Actors’ Unions Push IMDb Not To Publish Birth Names Of Trans Actors
The online database says that it’s not outing anyone; it’s simply listing the names of actors as they were at the time they appeared in a given production. SAG-AFTRA, joined by a number of LGBTQ advocacy organizations, calls the practice an invasion of privacy that can put the named actor at risk. – The New York Times
Director Who Transformed California Symphony Resigning
In five years as executive director of the Walnut Creek-based orchestra, Aubrey Bergauer used a data- and diversity-driven approach to turn a languishing institution around, with ticket sales, donor base, budget, and number of performances all more than doubling. – The Mercury News (San Jose)
Rem Koolhaas’s OMA To Create Annex For New York’s New Museum
“The new structure, which will add 60,000 square feet of space, reflects how much New York’s small, scrappy New Museum has changed since it opened on the Bowery in 2007, increasing its annual attendance to more than 400,000 from 60,000 and staff to 150 from 30.” – The New York Times
Mariss Jansons Cancels All Summer Performances
On doctors’ orders, the 76-year-old chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, formerly music director of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony, has withdrawn from concerts with the BRSO in Munich as well as appearances at (among others) the Salzburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Riga Jurmala Festivals and the BBC Proms. – OperaWire