Lorna Fulton, head of Middlesbrough Town Hall, declined to book comedian Roy Chubby Brown because she thought local audiences might find his act offensive and his 2015 performance sold poorly. The mayor of the northern English city insisted that Fulton reverse herself and hire Brown, saying that her reluctance was “typical middle class prejudice against a blue collar act.” Fulton resigned — and received death threats. – Arts Professional
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Italy’s Art Police Bust Antiquities Trafficking Ring
“The Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, a branch of the Italian carabinieri responsible for combatting art and antiquities crimes, believe the suspects are members of an criminal gang operating in Calabria that trafficked ancient items, such as antique jars, jewellery and vases from the 4th and 2nd century BC and worth millions of euros. … [Agents searched] houses and buildings in four countries, including Britain, and arrested 23 people.” – The Guardian
Martin Filler: MoMA’s Growth Imperative
MoMA’s endorsement of unending growth is central to the advancement of corporate values that lie at the heart of the existential crisis facing not just it and countless other cultural institutions, but the planet itself. For more than two decades, MoMA has been in a perpetual state of aggrandizement to anticipate the imagined needs of the twenty-first century and future generations yet unborn. – New York Review of Books
White House Announces Trump’s First National Medal Of Arts Winners
After skipping 2017 and 2018, the White House announced that Trump has chosen actor Jon Voight, novelist James Patterson, president and chief executive officer of WETA (a Washington, D.C. public-broadcasting channel) Sharon Percy Rockefeller, and bluegrass singer Alison Krauss to receive the presidential honor. – New York Magazine
Thousands Of Subscribers Say They Were Hacked After Signing Up For Disney+
On 12 November, its first day live, people had technical problems and many complained on social media. Others said they were locked out of their accounts, and since they contacted Disney they have not heard back. According to an investigation by Zdnet, thousands of user accounts went on sale on the dark web. – BBC
Why Centrism Is No Longer At The Center Of Our Politics
It’s often said that we are also witnessing a crisis of liberalism: liberal norms are being eroded, institutions are under threat, and across Europe, parties of the centre are haemorrhaging votes. Meanwhile, the critics of centrism are louder than they have been for years. – The Guardian
What Makes A Great American Song?
For all that composers like Jerome Kern hated jazz and pop interpretations of their work — work generally created, after all, for specific scenes and characters in specific musical plays — Rob Kapilow notes that “it is precisely the freedom to take these canonical works — these ‘standards’ — and continually reinterpret them in the multiplicity of musical languages that have evolved over time that has kept the repertoire alive.” – The New York Times
Next Up In Cancel Culture: Gauguin?
The artist “repeatedly entered into sexual relations with young girls, ‘marrying’ two of them and fathering children,” reads the wall text. “Gauguin undoubtedly exploited his position as a privileged Westerner to make the most of the sexual freedoms available to him.” – The New York Times
A Movie Project BootCamp That Uses AI To Cull
This year, the program received more than 11,000 submissions for just 17 spots in its third class. The Impact application consists of 70 questions, what Mitchell describes as a “thesis-like defense” of why the writer’s particular project deserves investment. To manage the overwhelming volume, Impact uses machine learning to sift through the giant pool of applications and identify new voices. The AI is part device, part catalyst: The technology searches for diverse applicants–Mitchell explains they look for people who have overcome challenges in their careers or lives–with the goal of shaking up the historically homogenous film industry. – Wired
Propwatch: the jukebox in ‘Master Harold … and the boys’
Dozens of records, stacked and ready for selection. Before the walkman, spotify and sodcasting, they let you decide your own mood music. Public yet personal, sweetly selfish – the jukebox flourished in the 1950s, the decade in which Master Harold … and the boys is set. A box of delights, a cabinet of chrome and light and your favourite melodies. – David Jays