When Denise Murrell noticed that art historians’ discussions of Édouard Manet’s painting Olympia always mentioned the model for the naked white courtesan and never mentioned the model for the black servant, she set out on what would become a career-long mission. — The New York Times
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Could Banksy’s Painting-Shredding Stunt Lead To Revealing His Identity?
Sure, the purchaser of Girl with Balloon Love Is in the Bin claims to be happy with the unexpectedly altered work for which they paid $1.4 million. But, as certain observers point out, the shredding was arguably a crime, and if he were prosecuted, he would have to be publicly identified. — The New York Observer
Cleveland Orchestra Is Making Digitized Archives Accessible In Two Ways
First, the orchestra is gradually making all its historic scrapbooks (with concert flyers, program booklets, newspaper articles, etc.) available online. Second, a new touch-screen terminal called the “Magic Box” will make background materials on current concert programs available to audience members at Severance Hall. — The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
Sono Osato, Star Of Ballets Russes And Broadway, Dead At 99
“[She] toured the world with the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, performed with the Ballet Theater in New York and then gained acclaim on Broadway in the World War II-era musicals One Touch of Venus and On the Town,” in which she played “all-American girl” Ivy Smith. — The New York Times
‘Building A More Inclusive American Theater’: The New Director Of The Long Wharf In New Haven
Jacob Padrón: “When I’m thinking about what plays to put on stages I ask: one, does the story reflect the community I am in and, two, is the story in conversation with the world? Those are the two big questions that will guide a lot of my thinking at Long Wharf.” — Connecticut Magazine
San Marco In Venice Accuses Italian Government Of Failing To Protect It From Floods
“On 29 October, for only the fifth time in the church’s thousand-year history — but the second since 2000 — water penetrated its main body, covering the inlaid marble floor in front of the altar of the Madonna Nicopeia” as the city was flooded. San Marco’s chief administrator said that the historic building “aged 20 years in one day.” — The Art Newspaper
New Project Aims To Recover Historic Writing By Forgotten Women Of Europe
“Carme Font, a lecturer in English literature at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, has been awarded a €1.5m grant by the European Research Council to scour libraries, archives and private collections in search of letters, poems and reflections written by women from 1500 to 1780.” — The Guardian
Deborah Zall, Who Portrayed Great Women In Solo Dance Works, Dead At 84
“Ms. Zall was known for vivid portrayals of women drawn from history, including Mary Queen of Scots and the French author who wrote under the pseudonym George Sand, as well as fictional characters, like Amanda Wingfield from Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie. Lean, small of stature and angular of build, she gave performances that were praised for their commitment and focus.” — The New York Times
Through Venezuela’s Chaos, Dance Company For Disabled Carries On
“Caracas-based AM Danza works with 50 young Venezuelans who are pursuing their passion for dance despite limitations like broken spines, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or blindness.” — Yahoo! (AP)
A New Single-Day Streaming Record On Spotify
Chart Data reported that “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” released in 1994, was played 10.8 million times on Spotify on Monday. The song bested the record set by rapper-singer XXXTentacion, who logged 10.4 million streams with “SAD!” a day after his death in June. – Washington Post