The Speaker of the House told a town meeting last month, “I truly believe that [the arts are] something where we find our common ground.” Would that it were so, writes Lucas Justinien Perez: “The ‘arts’ are more divided than ever. Schismatic tribal ‘factions’ generate and consume art and media that’s increasingly characterized by blatant political partisanship, and overt contempt for ideological dissidents. … This impasse of perceptions precludes the possibility of Pelosi’s prognostication ever coming true.” – Hyperallergic
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Why Do We Fetishize Books As Physical Objects?
We seem to project enormously intense feelings onto books, feelings that make us protective of them and furious toward those we perceive as threatening them. We think of our books as symbols of our taste, our intellect, our moral vigor. And when we hold books in such high esteem, those who treat them as objects rather than as symbols become infidels. – Vox
The State Of Gay Art In Beijing: Delicate And Discreet
On the third floor of Destination, a nightclub-turned-cultural center that’s one of the few such places in the country to expressly welcome queer people, is ART.Des, a (very rare) gallery that features Chinese art that addresses homosexuality. While there is censorship, says one artist, “perhaps it’s not as free as the West; but it’s not as closed as people think, either. We’re not North Korea.” – The New York Times
Enrollment In Art History Programs Down 28 Percent In UK
The number of UK domicile first year students (first degree) selecting historical and philosophical subjects fell by 5% between 2017-18 and 2018-19, contributing to a 17.5% decline in popularity over the past ten years. Tucked within this category sits art history, which fared a particularly rocky 28.5% drop over the decade. Between 2017-18 and 2018-19, Languages also fell by 6.2%, whilst creative arts and design saw a 1.5% decline. Conversely, business and administrative Studies saw a 7% growth from last year’s figures, with agriculture and medicine also growing in popularity. – The Art Newspaper
Terry Jones Of ‘Monty Python’ Dead At 77
“After huge success with Python in the 1970s and early ’80s, including [directing and acting in] the feature films Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life, Jones went on to work on a huge variety of projects. With [Michael] Palin, he created the successful TV series Ripping Yarns and forged a post-Python directorial career with Personal Services, Erik the Viking and The Wind in the Willows. He made a series of TV documentaries (specialising in medieval history), wrote nearly 20 children’s books, and contributed a string of comment pieces for the Guardian and Observer denouncing the ‘war on terror’.” – The Guardian
Restaurant Noise Is Good! Says The New York Times’ Restaurant Critic
Pete Wells: “Restaurants are loud because we’re loud. With a few exceptions, when we complain about the noise, we’re complaining about ourselves. … Far from being an accidental side effect, a noisy restaurant is the end product of a business that helps us have a good time, just as purring is the end product of scratching a cat’s chin the right way.” – The New York Times
Why, Exactly, Is The Paris Opera Ballet On Strike? Here’s An Explainer
The company’s labor action is yet another part of the series of national protests against President Macron’s planned pension reforms. The twist is that, as we know, ballet is not like other professions (dancers’ bodies won’t hold out until age 65), and the Paris Opera Ballet’s pension system dates back to the 17th century. – Dance Magazine
Bullying, Extortion, Rape: Case Of Ousted Recording Academy CEO Gets Uglier As Both Sides’ Explosive Allegations Mount
Last week, Deborah Dugan was placed on “administrative leave” following what the Academy’s board called “serious concerns” about her mistreatment of staff. Dugan responded by filing an EEOC complaint saying she was being retaliated against after reporting numerous dishonest practices at the Academy. Now Dugan’s interim replacement alleges that she only reported the allegedly improper practices after a staffer formally complained about her behavior, and another source claims she demanded $22 million to drop her allegations of impropriety (her side denies this). Meanwhile, Dugan now charges that her predecessor was accused of rape by a recording artist and that the Academy’s attorney sexually harassed her. – Slate
Why There’s A Campaign To Boo Ballet Star Amar Ramasar In Broadway’s ‘West Side Story’
The fired-then-reinstated New York City Ballet principal was a figure in the company’s recent #MeToo scandal (and accompanying lawsuit). While City Ballet’s dancers and the company of West Side Story seem willing (at least publicly) to let Ramasar redeem himself, a number of others — including lawsuit plaintiff Alexandra Waterbury — are calling on audience members to boo him until the producers fire him from the show. – The Guardian
‘Indiana Jones Of Art World’ Locates Stolen 15th-Century Persian Manuscript Worth €1 Million
Arthur Brand has recovered one of the oldest surviving copies of the Divan of Hafez, one of the most important and beloved works in all of Persian literature. The volume was the only still-missing item from a collection of manuscripts stolen in 2007 from the estate of a collector in Munich; the rest had been found, along with their thief, in 2011. – artnet