The letter notes that museums annually contribute $50 billion to the US economy, generate $12 billion in local, state, and federal tax, along with supporting 726,000 jobs, expressing worry that great losses in the cultural sector will displace thousands of workers and act as a blow to the greater economy. – Hyperallergic
Blog
High Drag Comes To Flamenco (It Had To Happen Eventually, And It’s Great)
It seems all too obvious to compare flamenco virtuoso/a Manuel Liñán’s all-bio-male show Viva! to Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. But, writes Marina Harss, the dancing here is quite traditional, “less satire than declaration of love for flamenco, pure and simple.” – The New York Times
Thieves Steal Bronze Gates To Seattle Arboretum In The Middle Of The Night
They were made by sculptor George Tsutakawa. The theft was discovered Thursday morning when gardeners arrived for work and discovered the gates missing and bolt cutters on the ground, said Ray Larson, curator of living collections at the arboretum. Thieves also stole downspouts from the visitor’s center. Known as the Memorial Gates, the artwork was commissioned in 1971 by the University of Washington and the Arboretum Foundation as a memorial to all who have loved and cared for the arboretum. Considered a community treasure, the gates are an irreplaceable signature of the park. – Seattle Times
How The Scientists Leading The Notre-Dame Restoration Are Working, And What They’re Learning
“Even as they try to reclaim what was lost, they and others are also taking advantage of a rare scientific opportunity. The cathedral, laid bare to inspection by the fire, is yielding clues to the mysteries of its medieval past. ‘We’ve got 40 years of research coming out of this event,’ says LRMH Assistant Director Thierry Zimmer.” Here’s an in-depth look at what the teams are doing. (Well, were doing, before work was suspended.) – Science
What Might The Arts Look Like After Corona?
Consider all the ways arts and cultural groups earn money: from ticket sales and admission fees; participation in educational programs; renting spaces for galas and gatherings; investments and endowments; and the largesse of public and private giving. Every one of those streams is now potentially shut off. – Washington Post
Alvin Ailey Dancers Do Part Of ‘Revelations’ On Instagram, Each From Their Own Home
“The idea came from the dancer Miranda Quinn: The opening sequence of The Brady Bunch popped into her head. ‘How they’re all in little squares,’ she said. ‘That made me think of how we’re all being quarantined and are supposed to stay separate, but this was a way for all of us to still be dancing together and creating together even though we’re apart.'” – The New York Times
Opportunity: Unplug, Pick Some Music And REALLY Listen
There was a time when listeners treated the mere existence of recorded sound as a miracle. A wonder, a kind of time travel. Priests warned of early wax cylinders being tools of the devil. Vintage images from the space age show couples seated around their high-fidelity systems as if being warmed by a fireplace. – Los Angeles Times
Hot Young Playwrights Are Now Teaching Workshops Online
Young Jean Lee, Lauren Gunderson, and Jaclyn Backhaus are among those who have begun leading playwriting lessons and seminars on the web since coronavirus sent almost everyone home. Gunderson’s first session had 900 people watching live; by the next night, 23,000 had watched. – Los Angeles Times
Americans For The Arts Makes Plea For Federal Assistance For The Arts
In a national survey by Americans for the Arts, 91% of responding arts organizations have cancelled one or more events. Many arts organizations have closed their doors for months to come. More than one-third of respondents expect to make reductions in staff; 26% have already reduced their creative workforce. The $3.2 billion figure losses so far includes actual revenue losses to date from admissions (ticket sales, subscriptions, memberships), non-admissions income (gift shop sales, sponsorships, contributed income), and unexpected expenditures (new cleaning and disinfecting protocols, adoption of new technologies, cancellation fees). – Americans for the Arts
Tonie Marshall, First Woman Director To Win A French Oscar, Dead At 68
“[She] won the top directing prize at the Cesars in 2000 for her movie Venus Beauty Institute, a romantic comedy starring Nathalie Baye and Audrey Tautou that recounts the quest for fulfillment of three female employees in a Parisian beauty parlor. After that, she became a prominent figure in the fight against sexism in the French film industry.” – Yahoo! (AP)