Blog

MoMA Workers Protest For Higher Wages Outside Museum Fundraiser

This isn’t the first time MoMA’s unionized workers protested for their rights. In a scene very similar to that of 2015, “chanting ‘Modern art, ancient wages’” and ‘Shiny new building, shabby old wages,’ about 100 members and supporters of UAW (United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers) Local 2110 — the union that represents some 250 workers at MoMA including curators, librarians, store staff, members services workers, graphic designers, and catalogue editors — took the opportunity of the museum’s biggest annual fundraiser to draw attention to their fight for a contract that protects their health care, job security, and wages.”

What Makes Romance Matter To The New York Times Right Now?

In a rather hostile between-Times critics interview, the new romance reviewer says, “Romance is one of the biggest genres in publishing. That’s unfortunately been part of why, I think, it’s so often written off. The Times covering romance is an important recognition that these books are a vital part of literary culture. Some readers stick to romance, but plenty of romance readers — including myself — read it among many other genres. And we read The New York Times, too.”

Assessing The State Of NY City Ballet After Peter Martins

City Ballet — still the world’s most valuable company for the excellence of its classical-modernist repertory — is in remarkably good shape. Had Mr. Martins resigned a decade or two earlier, the same could not have been said. Just what happened to make the difference in the years 2008-18? There are multiple answers. Dancers have learned again to step off balance into space and to embody their music rather than merely to follow it; and a number of excellent new ballets have revitalized the company’s sense of mission.

What We’re Losing In The Algorithm Society

There is a convincing case that when it comes to overseeing the use and abuse of algorithms, neither the European nor the American approach has much to offer. Automated decision-making has revolutionized many sectors of the economy and it brings real gains to society. It also threatens privacy, autonomy, democratic practice, and ideals of social equality in ways we are only beginning to appreciate.

Woody Allen To Direct At La Scala

The programme, which opens on December 7th, will include the veteran US director’s riotous rendition of Gianni Schicci, set in New York’s “Little Italy” in the 1930s. Allen’s version, which was a hit in Los Angeles in 2015 with Spanish legend Placido Domingo in the title role, will play in Milan in July 2019.

Prominent Longtime Canadian Classical Music Critic Calls It Quits

“I will add that I’ve enjoyed my years as a critic and journalist writing about music and musicians. It was fun while it lasted, and the free tickets were much appreciated! But at the same time, the precariousness of the work has taken a toll. For the last decade, the life of a freelance critic has become an increasingly difficult and frustrating struggle – and the end-result of the struggle was not any kind of advancement to a more secure, ongoing situation, but just more struggling.”

A Chicago Theatre Critic Moves On, And Reflects On How Being A Critic Has Changed

“When we’re looking at hard numbers, it’s clear that people just aren’t reading this stuff, and theatres are spending most of their advertising, like everyone else, in the digital realm. It used to be that we had seven or eight pages in a weekly magazine to fill with theatre reviews because that was based on advertising from theatres wanting to advertise next to our reviews. That relationship has changed. I think absolutely, if you wanna be taken seriously as an arbiter of culture in this city, you have to have some kind of knowledgeable coverage of theatre. But I guess the question becomes, is it profitable to be a cultural arbiter? I’m not sure that it is.”

The Future Of Libraries? Look To Finland

As well as pushing the envelope in regard to architectural skill and style, Finnish libraries have an impressive record of being at the forefront of cultural progress and new thinking. Some of the first maker libraries (spaces where the public can borrow equipment and tools), for example, were founded in Finland, and today, some facilities offer the use of high-tech equipment such as 3-D printers and musical equipment free of charge.