Category: AJBlogs

Co-Creation in Dance
by Clara Pinsky, Program Coordinator; Krissie Marty, Associate Choreographer; Allison Orr, Artistic Director
Forklift Danceworks … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2016-11-01

Communicating Across Borders
Babel (words) by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Damien Jalet at Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2016-11-01

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Artificial Intelligence Invades The Museum and Art Worlds
“It’s a massively ambitious project.” That is Tony Guillan, a multimedia producer for the Tate museum, in the U.K, speaking. … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2016-10-30

The ties that bind
I was nosing around Facebook the other day when I stumbled across a reproduction of a picture postcard that bore on its face an ancient black-and-white photograph of the first church that I can remember … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-10-31

we saw her fall
For years, I’ve wanted to create something that would capture the sense of helplessness I feel in the face of horrific onscreen images, the kinds of clips that 24-hour news programming seems to specialize in. … read more
AJBlog: Infinite Curves Published 2016-10-31

“I’m Still Here” (despite buyouts): My Q&A with Keith Christiansen at the Met’s “Valentin de Boulogne”
By some strange curatorial telepathy, the Metropolitan Museum’s justly acclaimed “Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio” bears a title closely resembling that of a major show at another world-class museum: … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2016-10-31

Monday Recommendation: Fred Hersch Trio
Fred Hersch Trio, Floating (Palmetto)
I’m not sure how this 2014 CD ended up in the holding pen for so long, but I am delighted that it finally called to me from the stacks. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-10-31

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Viewpoint diversity
In a guest blog at Scientific American, social psychologist Clay Routledge asks whether American (and presumably this applies to other countries) universities allot an excessive amount of attention to racial, gender, and cultural diversity, but insufficient attention to viewpoint diversity. … read more
AJBlog: For What it’s Worth Published 2016-10-27

Moving Architecture
American Ballet Theatre presents ballets by Tharp, Lang, and Millepied. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2016-10-27

Paul Conley On Joey Alexander
I have a longstanding rule regarding child prodigies who emerge on waves of publicity: Approach with caution. When the eleven-year-old Indonesian pianist Joey Alexander materialized last year in a flurry of accolades from Wynton Marsalis, … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-10-27

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A Star Turn for Giovanni di Paolo
Ever since I first saw Giovanni di Paolo’s The Creation and the Expulsion from the Paradise in the Robert Lehman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum, I’ve been a huge fan of the Sienese painter. … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2016-10-26

Get a room!
Looking at an orchestra through the four frames, I don’t see any space designed for innovation, imagination and open questions. I don’t see anything like a workshop. What do I mean by ‘workshop’? I mean … read more
AJBlog: SongWorking

“Wichi-Tai-To” By Towner and Peacock
From his American Indian grandfather, tenor saxophonist Jim Pepper learned “Witchi-Tai-To,” a peyote healing chant of the Native American Church. It became a part of the repertoires of several bands including Oregon … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-10-26

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From Arts Experience to Human Experience
by Barry C. Hughson  A few months ago, I attended the dress rehearsal for Dreamers Ever Leave You. It was a transformational artistic and human experience. … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2016-10-25

Great job. You’re fired
Shakespeare’s Globe yesterday released a baffling public statement. It praised Emma Rice, its new artistic director, for the creative, critical and commercial success of her first season, her achievement in attracting new, diverse audiences. And then it sacked her. … read more
AJBlog: Performance Monkey Published 2016-10-25

Monday Recommendation: Tom Harrell
Tom Harrell, Something Gold, Something Blue (High Note). Harrell’s front-line partners in this stimulating venture are fellow trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and the adventuresome guitarist Charles Altura, each more than three decades younger than the leader. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-10-25

“Showtime” at the Met for Kerry James Marshall: All that Glitters…?
It’s no wonder that Chicago artist Kerry James Marshall, a youthful 61, murmured, “Showtime,” as he strode through the Met Breuer’s press scrum yesterday, turned to the crowd that filled the lobby, and and raised his arms triumphantly before making introductory remarks at his highly anticipated retrospective. … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2016-10-25

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When Is a Climax Not One?
The Yasmeen Godder Company from Israel mingles performers and spectators. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2016-10-24

Nobel Thoughts
Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature this year, and discussions ensued: why him?  These discussions are understandable and mostly reasonable, and they are good discussions to have.  But at the same time, it’s … read more
AJBlog: Infinite Curves Published 2016-10-24

Tom Hayden: Gone But Not Forgotten
Looking back: Mad Magazine + Tom Hayden = SDS. And before I forget. Meanwhile, the obits are pouring in for Tom Hayden, who died yesterday. … read more
AJBlog: Straight|Up Published 2016-10-24

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What We Learned About Audiences This Week: An Uber For Classical Music? Threats To Our Attention Spans This Week: Live classical music on demand, in your living room!… Is being always connected killing our ability to follow complex art?… The Smithsonian Wants your money to preserve Wizard of Oz ruby slippers… … read more
AJBlog: AJ Arts Audience Published 2016-10-23

The future of classical music
I’m often asked what I think the future of classical music will be. Here’s a summary of what I think. It’s been sitting quietly in the Resources section of my blog, but it’s time to give it some bigger play. … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-10-20

Reshuffling the Deck: An Illustrated Companion to My WSJ Piece on National Gallery Reinstallations
Although my Wall Street Journal piece, “A Capital Overhaul at the National Gallery,” on the reinvented and revitalized permanent collection displays, was generously granted three images by my editors, I think readers often crave a chance to see the other works discussed. … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2016-10-20

Phil Chess Had A Jazz Role
The many obituaries of Chess Records co-founder Phil Chess correctly note his importance in the record company that that brought attention to blues artists who went on to became famous. Chess died yesterday at 95. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-10-20

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The essence of every picture
I’ve offered a few posts recently on the craft and qualities of language in advancing purposeful work. … But to me, the most essential and the most often missing aspect of any productive conversation is the frame. … read more
AJBlog: The Artful Manager Published 2016-10-19

KQED is encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation with an in-house incubatorNieman Lab
This isn’t an article written by me, but it features me. So I thought I’d share it here. … read more
AJBlog: Lies Like Truth Published 2016-10-19

Recent Listening: Cyrille-McHenry, Effenberg
Andrew Cyrille & Bill McHenry, Proximity (Sunnyside)
Cyrille, a dancer on drums, teams with the intrepid tenor saxophonist McHenry in a succession of duets. Their close listening to one another results in empathy that … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-10-19

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