The Aztec historians, creators of a genre called the xiuhpohualli (SHOO-po-WA-lee), developed a highly effective way of keeping satisfying memories alive. The pictographic texts that Itzcoatl burned were only a part of the Aztec way of keeping history. The glyphs served as mnemonic devices designed to elicit volumes of speech. – Psyche
Blog
How Rodin Ensured His Museum Would Stay Solvent
When he died in 1917, Rodin left his estate to the museum, including the original plaster molds of more than 100 sculptures. “Rodin gave the economical system so that the museum could live,” museum communications director Clémence Goldberger explains. The museum still uses these molds to recast new bronze sculptures and sell them — and with a projected loss of 3 million euros this year, the molds have never proved more valuable. – NPR
What The Canada Council’s New Chairman Wants To Do
“The way I view work now within colonial structures and institutions is harm reduction. Ultimately, the goal for me is to reduce the harm the Canada Council causes, not just to my community but to any community that suffers under colonialism, which is really all of us on some level, and to make it somewhat easier to exist, work, live and participate.” – Toronto Star
Reimagining How Theme Parks Work
Expect the cornonavirus era, say theme park experts, to accelerate a play-driven evolution that has steadily been increasing in parks — in part because they naturally lead to exploration, but also because they appeal to locals and regular park-goers, a demographic that’s more vital than ever if plane travel continues to dip. – Los Angeles Times
Reflections On A Music Theory Fight Over Race
Insisting that music theory, musicology and ethnomusicology are separate disciplines with no shared ground impoverishes all of our work. By narrowing our focus and policing our boundaries, scholars miss connections and opportunities, and we remain frozen in disdain for all that we don’t know. A distinction between applied and academic music may have its uses, but hyper-specialization leads ultimately to a belief that scholars can’t be creative and that artists are incapable of critical thought. – The Conversation
What It’s Like To Go Back Into A Museum
“The argument for reopening our cultural institutions has been made with force: art sustains us, say the museum executives over the morning airwaves. But when I enter the exhibition, the first thing I wish is that, in the quest for sufficient sustenance, I’d brought a bottle of water—the mask dehydrates you quickly.” – Prospect
Call For “Radical Shakeup” Of UK’s Cultural Sector
RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) and the British Council published a paper ‘Heritage for Inclusive Growth’ which says the sector’s potential has been stunted by “outdated” views of what – and who – it represents. – Arts Professional
How A Record 100 Years Ago Changed Music
With “Crazy Blues,” Mamie Smith opened the door to a surge of powerfully voiced female singers who defied the conventions of singerly gentility to make the blues a popular phenomenon in the 1920s. Indeed, the blues became a full-blown craze, with listeners of every color able to buy and listen at home to music marketed as “race records.” – The New York Times
Brent Carver, Tony Award Winner For ‘Kiss Of The Spider-Woman,’ Has Died At 68
Carver, one of Canada’s great stage actors, “was an artist who demanded the most from himself, opening up his heart to reveal the pain and beauty of life. He was an inspiration to everyone who knew him.” – CBC
Even When We Can’t Travel, Postcards Exist Outside Of Email And Texts To Create Connection
“Maybe you’ve learned the seasons in a new way. Perhaps, in some way, you are a visitor in your city, state, land.” – The New York Times