A polite crowd of about a dozen future service dogs attended an August performance at Ontario’s Stratford Festival as part of their training. While a silent curtain call might disappoint actors, the dogs’ spellbound stillness is a great sign for their future handlers. – CNN
Blog
Director Of Napa’s Di Rosa Collection: Sadly, But We Have No Choice But To Sell
“Unfortunately the simple reality is that the organization was never set up with sufficient funds to properly care for the collection and the physical plant long-term much less offer meaningful contributions to our community.” – Artforum
Amazon Is Opening A Physical Bookstore Right Across The Street From Ann Patchett’s Nashville Indie
But, an opinion writer says, Nashville needs to remember what’s important. “Independent bookstores don’t operate according to the normal rules of capitalism. They aren’t trying to beat each other. They aren’t even trying to beat Amazon. They’re creating communities — cozy places to beat the heat or come in from the cold.” (Amazon? Is not cozy.) – The New York Times
Do Our Brains Know The Difference Between Print Books And Audiobooks?
No. “The subject’s brains were creating meaning from the words in the same way, regardless if they were listening or reading. In fact, the brain maps for both auditory and visual input they created from the data looked nearly identical.” – Discover
London Is Getting More Theatres, But Why?
Well, here’s why – it’s a numbers thing. “The authoritative Theatres Trust reckons there are currently 263 theatres in London. It’s about the same number as Tokyo, whereas Paris has around 350. New York tops the list with well over 400. Producers believe more tickets could be sold in London. But first they need more places to originate shows in and to transfer existing shows to.” – BBC
Remaking – And Getting Rid Of – The Top Ten List
Emily Nussbaum, TV critic for The New Yorker, is over the “false hierarchy” of TV shows, especially when they center men behaving badly. “It’s not about creating a new hierarchy. It’s about exploding the false status anxiety and, to a certain extent, the gender bias that’s basically kept all of those [female-centered] shows categorized as ‘optional’ shows that girls and teenagers watch. It’s like: topple the top 10 list, the anxious hierarchy. Look across the universe at different kinds of creativity.” – The Millions
The Architect Who Believes In Beautiful Scaffolding
Well, let’s be real: Susanna Sirefman wanted a better design for the “sidewalk shed” portion of scaffolding – that is, the part that people (say, New Yorkers) generally walk through. “The winning design had to be safe or safer, provide better storefront access, create a 180-degree different experience for pedestrians, use state-of-the-art building technologies, be easily installed, and complement a mix of streetscapes. And be beautiful.” – The New York Times
Growing Up Bauhaus
What did it mean to be the daughter of two people who profoundly shaped the look of the 20th century – and today? “My father stepped into my beige-carpeted room and said, ‘These old places sure do have a lot of molding.’ I commented, ‘It’s kind of sweet, isn’t it?’ He turned pale. ‘If you like molding, you are a fool and a failure.‘ The profound disappointment in his voice made the charge sting even more.” – Los Angeles Times
The Comic Play About Vaccinations (And Anti-Vaccine Parents)
Wait, what? “In the first act, the principal presides over a ‘Community Activated Conversation’ with parents (also known as a Facebook Live chat) to talk about an outbreak of mumps. The conversation does not go well. ‘We’re all threatened by your ANTI-SCIENCE DEATH CULT,’ one parent offers. ‘Do what you want,”’comes the reply, ‘just keep your POISON off my kids.'” – The New York Times
The Turner Prize-Winning Artist Who Cut A Car In Two To Match A Divided Painting
Simon Starling, a Scottish artist who lives and works in Copenhagen: “I have occasionally made shows where I try to connect to two venues in a single exhibition, and I guess, because of what’s happening in Britain with Brexit, it seemed like an irresistible moment to make an exhibition about a divided painting.” (And car.) – The Observer (UK)