“Must we change our lives? Honestly, I don’t know. I am certainly changed by this work, call it art or god or—what we care about at Common Good—dignity. But I’m not much convinced by this poem that art asks of us any such thing.” – Americans for the Arts
Category: issues
EU To Crack Down On Smuggling Of Cultural Heritage Goods
“The European Council yesterday adopted new rules to clamp down on the illicit trafficking in cultural goods, including a requirement for import licences on artefacts more than 250 years old.” – The Art Newspaper
Yes, Returning Native American Artifacts From Museums Really Does Help
Chip Colwell, senior curator of anthropology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, in a New York Times Op-Ed: “Repatriation can turn museums from places of colonialism into mediating spaces that confront and then move beyond their own pasts. If my grandfather took something from your poor and powerless grandfather — and your community continues to suffer because of it — then I am presented with the chance to make things right.” – The New York Times
What Pricks The Conscience (And When): The Ethics Of Whose Money You Take
I understand the logic of “We’ll take everyone’s money” and the logic of “We won’t take any ethically impure money.” Those are pure. What I question is the efficacy of cherry-picking the ethics of the donors to your arts organization. Do you choose to receive or not to receive donations from particular corners of the philanthropic universe because of the nonprofit’s core belief or your own personal core beliefs? Is your collective conscience bothered before you choose to accept the gift or after there’s a public outcry about it? – Clyde Fitch Report
Academia’s Itinerant Labor Problem: How Exploitation Of Adjuncts Betrays Students
In the nineteen-seventies, about a quarter of college faculty were on limited-term, adjunct contracts; the majority of professors were tenured or on the tenure-track. Today, it’s estimated that nearly three-quarters of college faculty are adjuncts. – The New Yorker
Quiz Bowl — Like College Football, But For ‘Jeopardy!’
Ken Jennings, Jeopardy! all-star and an alum of Brigham Young University’s quiz bowl team (and a fine writer), gives a look inside what’s become quite a youth subculture: “Quiz bowl: molding the Jeopardy! gladiators of tomorrow, one little brainiac at a time.” – Slate
Philadelphia’s Historical Society Of Pennsylvania Lays Off 30% Of Staff
Philadelphia’s Historical Society Of Pennsylvania Lays Off 30% Of Staff
“Citing operating deficits and a lack of financial stability, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania announced Monday that it would lay off 10 staff members, about 30 percent of the total, trim programming and services, and focus on its role as a library and archive.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Shapeshifter: The Shed As Shell – Relevance TBD
Justin Davidson: “The idea of a building that could be dismantled, rearranged, and reassembled has not generally fared well in the world of building codes and construction trades. The Fire Department does not take kindly to the idea that a staircase that’s there today may vanish by tomorrow. The arts, too, have rigidities of their own. Impresarios may not care to pin down a work with a label like “theater,” but the stagehands’ union wants to know whether a show falls under its jurisdiction.” – New York Magazine
How To Measure The Value Of The Arts In Prisons?
California has done a study on recidivism rates, trying to determine whether arts programs make a difference. Evidence is that they may not. But is this the right measure? – Washington Post
‘Relevance Is Becoming The New Litmus Test’: England’s Arts Funder Will No Longer Give Grants Based Solely On Excellence
“Arts Council England has revealed it will now decide what to fund based principally on how ‘relevant’ it is to audiences – and it will ‘no longer be enough’ to produce high-quality work alone. This was one of 11 points … [that] will be the driving factors for the funding body’s next 10-year strategy.” – The Stage