Among the artists whose works he bought, exhibited, and donated to museums (and to some of whom he paid regular stipends) were Thornton Dial Sr., Lonnie Holley, Bessie Harvey, Mose Tolliver, and the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama — and he would compare their art to that of Rauschenberg, Johns and de Kooning. His efforts did not go without criticism, though, including accusations of white paternalism and enthusiasm to the point of pushiness. – The New York Times
Blog
What Came Out Of The First-Ever ‘Opera Hack’? This
“Just over a year ago, San Diego Opera gathered 40 opera industry artists and cutting-edge technology designers from around the country for a first-of-its-kind Opera Hack weekend, with the goal of finding 21st century ways to modernize the 400-year-old art form. On Wednesday, the public finally got a look at the three ideas that earned the green light to move forward.” – The San Diego Union-Tribune
Old Dutch Master Painting Stolen For Third Time In 32 Years
Frans Hals’s Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer (1626) was taken by robbers from a small museum south of Utrecht in 1988 and was not recovered for three years; it was pilfered again in 2011 and was missing for six months. At around 3:30 Wednesday morning, thieves got it again. Amsterdam-based Arthur Brand, the world’s only star art detective, says it was likely “stolen to order.” – BBC
Major Broadway Theater Operator Sues Insurers For Coronavirus Payments
“Jujamcyn Theaters, the operator of five Broadway houses, has sued its insurers for denying it millions of dollars that the theater company says it deserves as payment for the losses suffered during the monthslong coronavirus pandemic shutdown.” – The New York Times
Bolsonaro Gov’t Is Dismantling South America’s Largest Film And TV Archive
The Cinemateca Brasileira in São Paulo houses more than 250,000 rolls of film and employed some of the continent’s best film-restoration technicians. Over the 19 months since Bolsonaro abolished Brazil’s Ministry of Culture, his government has fired the technical staff, stopped paying other employees and then fired them as well, terminated the contract with the foundation that managed the archive, and left it without security, air conditioning, or fire protection. – Artforum
Hundreds Of Canadian Radio And TV Stations Warn They’ll Have To Close
As many as 40 local television outlets and 200 Canadian radio stations could be forced to close in the next three years as the financial pressures faced by media companies intensify under the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests a new study from an industry advocacy group. – CBC
Much-Lauded Black-Run Jazz Label Faces Up To A Complicated History
The campaign that was intended to celebrate the partnership of Gene Russell, a Black pianist and producer who died in relative anonymity in 1981, and Dick Schory, a White percussionist and arranger who earned millions during RCA’s golden era, has instead revived a debate over the romantic mythology surrounding the label’s history. It has also brought to the surface the complicated, decades-old web of business dysfunction that kept these albums from being properly released over the years. – Washington Post
Ani DiFranco’s Plan To Give Prisoners A Voice
The Prison Music Project, which is a political and creative effort, is focused on centering the voices [and] stories of people who get entangled in the justice system, people who experience racial oppression and poverty and class oppression. – Shondaland
Three Arrested In Elite International Movie Piracy Ring
“The group allegedly circumvented copyright protections on nearly every movie released by major production studios, as well as television shows, and distributed them by way of a worldwide network of servers.” – The New York Times
Germany Begins Big Experiment Studying Universal Income
For three years, 120 people are to receive 1,200 euros per month, and throughout the study period, they will be closely observed and frequently interviewed, as will the 1,380 members of the control group, who will receive no money. – Der Spiegel