“The ruling came just over a year after the Met fired Mr. Levine, who had been its music director for four decades and who had recently assumed an emeritus position … Mr. Levine, who has denied any wrongdoing, sued the Met for breach of contract and defamation; the Met countersued him, accusing Mr. Levine of decades of misconduct.” – The New York Times
Blog
Cloudy, Dun-Colored Sky In Van Gogh Watercolor Should Really Be Bright Pink Sunset
When conservators at the Tate Britain removed the frame on The Oise at Auvers, a corner of the canvas that hadn’t faded from exposure to light revealed what color van Gogh meant that sky to be when he painted it. – The Guardian
MoMA Settles Lawsuit By Curator Claiming Job Offer Was Rescinded When She Had Baby
“A curator who accused MoMA PS 1 of gender, pregnancy and caregiver discrimination has settled the claim she brought against the museum saying it had rescinded a job offer upon learning she had recently given birth. Nikki Columbus, who is also an art editor, filed the claim in July 2018 with the New York City Commission on Human Rights.” – The New York Times
Prosecutors Drop All Charges Against Jussie Smollett In Attack Hoax Case
“Infuriating Chicago’s mayor and police chief, prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against Jussie Smollett on Tuesday after the Empire actor accused of faking a racist, anti-gay attack on himself agreed to let the city keep his $10,000 in bail. But he maintained his innocence and insisted he was attacked.” – AP
British Museum Loses Top Ranking Among UK’s Most Popular Tourist Attractions
“The British Museum has lost its crown as the UK’s most popular visitor attraction for the first time in a decade, overtaken by Tate Modern. Almost 5.9 million people visited the Tate Modern art gallery last year, new figures show — just above the 5.8 million who went to the British Museum.” – BBC
Britain’s Largest Bookstore Chain Says It Can’t Afford To Pay A Living Wage
More than 6,000 staffers at Waterstones have signed a petition for the chain’s in-store staff to be paid a starting wage of £9 per hour (£10.55 in metro London), and 1,340 authors have signed a petition in support. Though the chain returned to profitability two years ago, its managing director says it can’t pay that much: “There’s a long gap between wanting to do something and it being remotely sensible.” – The Guardian
As Hong Kong Grows Closer To Mainland China, Worries About (Self-)Censorship Increase
“Fears are growing over Hong Kong’s artistic freedom, including instances of self-censorship, as China rolls out its Greater Bay Area integration scheme. The controversial plan aims to merge Hong Kong and Macau — its fellow Special Administrative Region (SAR) — with nine nearby cities on the mainland into a mega-hub, encompassing around 68 million people with a shared GDP of US$1.39 trillion.” – The Art Newspaper
Edinburgh International Festival 2019 To Explore Issues Of Social Justice Worldwide
“This year’s [EIF] will explore gender politics, racism, masculinity and homophobia in a response to political challenges around the world. The festival’s director, Fergus Linehan, said many theatre and opera productions in this year’s programme were an artistic response to contemporary questions and tensions, including environmentalism through Tibetan mythology, women’s rights in Nigeria, and the upsurge in authoritarian populist leaders.” – The Guardian
Two Chicago Ensembles Make A Mission Of Programming Female Composers
Oboist Ashley Ertz started the group 5th Wave Collective especially to perform and promote music written by women. “Since April 2018, the volunteer-based group of more than 115 musicians has performed works by more than 50 female composers via 12 concerts throughout Chicagoland.” And the Chicago Sinfonietta under composer Mei-Ann Chen — who perform more female-authored music in a single program than the Chicago Symphony manages in several seasons put together — has just released a recording titled Project W: Works by Diverse Women Composers. – Chicago Tribune
The Recovery Orchestra – Service Organization For Recovering Addicts Starts Ensemble For Its Clients
“The Recovery Orchestra was set up by Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) to help individuals using their services. It encourages people to take up an instrument or use the skills they already had in a joint musical activity. The group, funded by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, will perform at a Bristol church this week.” (video) – BBC