Dale Chapman, author of The Jazz Bubble: “Jazz is presently understood less as a commercially viable expressive form in its own right than as a symbol of something else: as an artistic practice that is seen as both ‘legitimate’ (in other words, as inoffensive to established institutions), and as contributing to multiculturalism, through its links to communities of color. Thus, jazz becomes the kind of genre that can give an imprimatur of both respectability and social inclusivity to a large redevelopment project, even while it may be of little interest to a prospective for-profit club owner.”
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Engagement, Philanthropy, And A Regional Arts Boom
There are more rich people than ever, they’re spread out all across the country, and they’re giving back to hometown institutions at “big city” levels. Throw in continued support from loyal foundations, and that’s a recipe for what American Theatre called Cleveland’s “urban renaissance.”
Why We Need Artist Residencies In Places Like The Mall Of America And A San Francisco Garbage Dump
Amanda Petrusich: “In the past decade, a spate of unconventional residency programs have offered unused (or otherwise flexible) space to artists starved for time, solitude, or simply a room of their own, and as a result artists have taken up residence on moving Amtrak trains, a barrier island off the coast of Texas, the tower of a bridge that crosses a shipping canal, and an oceanographic research vessel. I can’t decide whether the grimness of some of these places … is simply funny or an apt and horrifying reflection of how America presently esteems its artists.”
As It Searches For A New Director, DC’s National Gallery Is A House Divided
“The search for the next director of the National Gallery of Art has revealed deep divisions within the federally funded institution, a palace of high art that is dogged by old-fashioned ideas about museum operations and staff claims of widespread mismanagement. … With [Rusty] Powell’s 26-year tenure coming to an end, the museum has the opportunity to revitalize its programs and modernize its operation, according to interviews with 22 current and former employees and industry experts.”
A.O. Scott On How 20 Years Of Tech Has And Hasn’t Changed Movie Reviewing
The biggest difference, says the co-chief critic of The New York Times, is the timing of writing and publishing reviews (with an obsession with spoilers as a consequence). What hasn’t changed? “I still go to screenings!”
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Final Book (And It Really Is The Last) Is Here
The Fall of Gondolin, though the last of Tolkien’s books to be published, was written early in his career, while he was recovering from the Battle of the Somme in 1917; it depicts an early stage in the history of Middle-earth, providing background for the tales that made Tolkien world-famous.
How Caryl Churchill Has Transformed British Theatre
As Churchill turns 80, writer David Benedict – with contributions from such luminaries as Vicky Featherstone, Rufus Norris, Lucy Kirkwood, and Dominic Cooke – takes an extended look at the powerful effect her work has had and the way younger playwrights have been influenced by her.
Ten Minutes After Exhibit Opens, Mother And Daughter Destroy Its Main Sculpture
Artist Sean Matthews opened his show “Recycled Play” at the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg, Pa. on August 17; the installation’s centerpiece was “Fair and Square,” a repurposed swing set with the chains rewelded so that the seats were extended and suspended like the Scales of Justice. Alas, two of the exhibit’s first visitors evidently looked at “Fair and Square” and saw a swing set.
Is The Glass Ceiling For Women In Tap Dance Finally Breaking?
“Today, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have upended the public conversation about women’s issues around the world … Have these women’s empowerment movements extinguished the sexism and male patriarchy that women in tap have had to endure? [We] spoke to three stellar women in tap to get their take on the issue.”
Fired CEO Sues Barnes And Noble For Defamation, Breach Of Contract
Just hours before the July 4 holiday, the troubled bookstore chain terminated CEO Demos Parneros for cause, though the precise offense was not revealed publicly. In his complaint, Parneros charges that the company fired him baselessly after his relationship with chairman Len Riggio deteriorated – and let the public assume that Parneros was dismissed for sexual harassment. In response, B&N said that the suit is “nothing but an attempt to extort money from the Company by a CEO who was terminated for sexual harassment, bullying behavior and other violations of company policies.”