“An accomplished artist and creative director, Walentas played a critical role in nurturing DUMBO’s artistic renaissance for more than 30 years.” As her husband, David, redeveloped the district’s old warehouses, “she sponsored local artists, brought arts programs to the Brooklyn neighborhood, and dedicated her life’s work to restoring the 1922 carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park that’s named in her honor.” – Brooklyn Paper
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Did #PublishingPaidMe Uncover A Real Problem Of Underpaying Black Authors?
“PW reached out to dozens of literary agents, authors, and editors to ask. While all the editors contacted declined to respond, many agents and authors were willing to speak on the condition of anonymity and had differing views on whether there’s a problem and how dire it is.” – Publishers Weekly
Remains Of Aztec Palace Discovered Near Mexico City’s Main Square
“While carrying out renovation work on the Nacional Monte de Piedad building – which dates back to 1755 and is now a historical pawnshop on Mexico city’s central plaza – workers came across unusual basalt slab floors underneath the building. According to the archaeologists, the floors had been an open area in the palace of Aztec ruler Axayacatl — father of Moctezuma, one of the final rulers of the Aztec empire — between 1469 and 1481.” – Deutsche Welle
Venice Completes First Test Of €6 Billion Flood-Blocking System
“The huge yellow floodgates immediately started to work after being activated on Friday, rising simultaneously to separate the Venetian lagoon from the sea. More tests will be carried out over the coming months and the barrier will not be fully functional until the end of 2021.” – The Guardian
Citing ‘Toxic’ Workplace, Montreal Museum Of Fine Arts Fires Director
“[The museum’s press] release cites a ‘toxic’ work environment and ‘several departures of key employees’ over the last year — as well as an external evaluation of the museum’s internal climate and what it calls [Nathalie] Bondil’s ‘inflexibility’ in finding a solution. … The decision also follows a week of public controversy … not only [over] the work environment complaints … but also [over] a hiring decision made by the board against Bondil’s advice last week.” – Canadian Art
Edinburgh Fringe Announces Plans For Virtual 2020 Festival
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society will offer an online hub with workshops and panel discussions as well as a guide to the streamed performances offered by independent Fringe venues; Fringe Pick ‘n’ Mix, where viewers can choose among 60-second videos uploaded by performers; and “Fringe on a Friday, a 60-minute independently curated variety show that will be ticketed and streamed, presenting the best of the festival across a range of genres.” – The Guardian
Colson Whitehead Wins Library Of Congress Prize For American Fiction
“Whitehead, 50, is the youngest winner of the lifetime achievement prize, which the library has previously given to Toni Morrison, Philip Roth and Denis Johnson, among others. He is the first author to win Pulitzers for consecutive works of fiction — The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, for which he won in April.” – Yahoo! (AP)
Podcast Growth Cut In Half By Virus Shutdowns
The exploding audio medium is forecast to generate nearly $1 billion in 2020 advertising revenue, with an expected growth rate of 14.7%, according to the fourth annual Interactive Advertising Bureau Podcast Ad Revenue Report prepared by PwC. Before the pandemic, the industry was expected to grow as much as 29.6% this year. Revenues are expected to rebound in the third and fourth quarters. – Los Angeles Times
Hundreds Sign Open Letter Calling For Accountability At The Banff Centre
The Banff Centre shut down suddenly as the COVID crisis began and has canceled most of its residencies and programs. Much of the growth of the Banff Centre in recent decades has come through a combination of revenue streams that, until recently, was unlike any other arts institution in Canada. This, says Banff CEO janice Price, made the center particularly vulnerable. – Canadian Art
Newark’s Arts Institutions Shut Down. Its Artists, However…
Newark’s artists have applied their imagination to both cope with the time and seize its possibilities. Many have been documenting public and personal lives, and some have contributed their skills to activist campaigns. Their output is now coming into view in multiple forms, including exhibitions — online and getting ready for in-person reopening — as well as zines, posters, and resources such as a citywide artists’ database. – The New York Times