“While the government’s priorities shifted a bit in the immediate aftermath of [Hurricane Maria], as the island works to rebuild, tourism, particularly arts-fueled tourism, is playing a significant role.” The biggest example so far was the tour of Hamilton that Lin-Manuel Miranda brought to the island (and which attracted a lot of visitors) — and Miranda established a fund that funnels profits from that tour to local arts organizations. – Fast Company
Blog
J.H. Kwabena Nketia, Father Of African Musicology, Dead At 97
“In a career stretching back to the 1950s and continuing into his 90s, Dr. Nketia wrote hundreds of articles and books in English and Twi, a Ghanaian language, on topics ranging from music theory to folklore, as well as scores of compositions. … His 1974 book, The Music of Africa, is widely considered a definitive historical study, and Ethnomusicology and African Music, a collection of his writings published in 2005, is used in classrooms throughout Africa and across the world. – The New York Times
It Just Sucks: What It’s Like To Be Freelancer Worker In The Arts
Freelancers in the arts hit the instability jackpot. They enter a market with no money and ask for the scraps, billing for what the organisation can afford, not what the job is worth. Unlike employees, they’re never paid for the in-between times; they sometimes lose money in preparing for and delivering jobs, which employees don’t. And it’s probably the only industry in which taking on a PhD just to live off an associated scholarship – which one respondent to the ArtsPay survey reported doing – is an understandable career choice. – Arts Professional
How The Vietnam War Changed American Art
The shock of Vietnam made conventional art forms such as painting and sculpture look inadequate. Its reverberations inspired a rapid expansion of the possible forms art could take and a search for new audiences. Public performances, video, installations, land art and agitprop all flourished during the war. – Washington Post
Chicago Symphony Musicians Strike Continues Into Second Week
There are no further meetings between the sides scheduled at this time. CSO President Jeff Alexander said that after no progress was made after lengthy sessions on Friday and Saturday, both sides agreed it would be “good to take a pause” in negotiations. On a small note of optimism, Alexander said that “there is room for movement” on the salary element of the contract. The CSOA is currently offering a 5% increase over a three-year contract while the union seeks a 12% increase over the same period. – Chicago Classical Review
How The Internet Is Changing How We Preserve Endangered Languages
Across the world, language revitalization movements are attempting to reverse language loss. While levels of institutional support and overall strategies differ, the goal is the same. Language is more than a way to communicate basic information, it expresses culture and identity: it’s used to explain the surrounding world, to sing songs, to worship, and to pass on stories. Languages are a link that bond people in a community to each another and to their shared past. – The Outline
A Fan Of The Prado Museum With 100s Of Visits Already, Resolves To See It Anew And Discovers What He’s Been Missing
Even as I stood amid the morning rush at the Prado’s entrance, scanning a floor plan with the nearly 120 galleries I would navigate, I never expected I’d be in the museum for seven hours. In fact, I envisioned myself home by 2 p.m., enjoying some leftover albondigas(meatballs) and a siesta before making the school run to fetch my kids at 4 p.m. – The New York Times
Apple’s Plans To Compete In Hollywood Are Becoming Clearer
Apple didn’t need stars before, but it needs them now. Although the company was the first publicly traded American firm to be valued above $1 trillion, its most recent earnings report showed flat profits and falling revenue. So the plan now is not only to sell devices, but to fill them with content. That has led the company into the alien territory of Hollywood, where local customs can clash with Silicon Valley folkways. – The New York Times
What Are Vices Of The Mind, And Why Are They Dangerous?
“So-called ‘virtues of the mind’, such as open-mindedness, thoroughness, and intellectual humility, have been extensively discussed by philosophers. Arrogance, imperviousness to evidence and an inability to deal with mistakes are vices of the mind. They have until very recently attracted much less philosophical attention.” Philosopher Quassim Cassam argues that these vices need more attention, because they can cause so much damage. (Exhibit A: The Iraq War.) – IAI News
ArtPlace America Engagement Resources
I recently had the opportunity to engage with Lyz Crane of ArtPlace America in a discussion about creative placemaking and community engagement. In the course of that discussion she shared some resources that ArtPlace has made available that can be of considerable benefit to anyone involved in community engagement. – Doug Borwick