Of course reviews matter. That’s easy and predictable enough for someone writing a review to say, but it can be proven. Reviews matter in two ways: as filters, and as shapers of opinion. In his 1991 book, U & I, Nicholson Baker describes “book reviews, not books” as “the principal engines of change in the history of thought”; because no one has time to read all the books they want to, reviews must sometimes stand in for the thing itself. The more contentious point, about influence, can be divided into two questions: do they influence and if so is that influence beneficial or malign?
Category: issues
When Does A Piece Of Art Violate A Subject’s Rights?
What is the line between art and commerce? It is an important question, given that art enjoys broader free speech protections than the latter. It’s unlikely a Nike TV spot can successfully claim to be art—but what about a painting with limited edition prints sold through a website? When does that line get crossed?
Scottish Arts Funding Mess Suggests Need To Reconsider How We Support The Arts
“The increase in the number of network bodies in the Creative Scotland portfolio signals an acceptance of a model of competitiveness inherited from the Thatcherite government. We quite liked pretending to be business people, but we didn’t anticipate that we would need to accept responsibility for the future of cultural delivery. It’s hard work running a successful non-profit organisation and it takes skill to get it right all the time. The priority of artistic quality can easily become lost in project managerialism.”
Trump Wanted To Eliminate NEA, NEH. Congress Just Increased Their Budgets
“The final version of the federal budget was rolled out on Wednesday, and not only does it maintain funding levels for federal arts programs, it actually increases them. The NEA and NEH will receive $355 million in 2018 — an increase in five million from the year before. Meanwhile, $445 million has been allocated to CPB — the same total as last year.”
Poland’s Rightist Government Tries To Transform The Arts – Or Let Them Wither
“Often, the changes being made are nearly imperceptible from the outside. … By altering funding policies, swapping artistic directors or terminating contracts, [the ruling Law and Justice party is] taking an opportunist approach that doesn’t swap out the engines of Poland’s culture industry, but changes them slowly, piece by piece, cog by cog. … The government would rather have no cultural production than anything that might not fit its values.”
A Culture War Rages In Israel
As Israel lives under the most openly right-wing nationalist government in its history and as tensions rise with the Palestinians in the territories (and with many countries overseas because of the issue), both the culture ministry and many combatively conservative citizens are attacking (sometimes physically) artists, dancers, filmmakers, theater companies, and so on that breach taboos ranging from nudity onstage to the treatment of Arabs and African refugees.
The Arts’ ‘Spillover Effect’
“If we could fully understand the impact of arts and culture on wider society, would this change arts strategies and policies? Jonathan Vickery charts the progression of thinking on the ‘spillover’ effect.”
University Drops Humanities Courses For Those With “Career Pathways”
The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point has proposed dropping 13 majors in the humanities and social sciences — including English, philosophy, history, sociology and Spanish — while adding programs with “clear career pathways” as a way to address declining enrollment and a multimillion-dollar deficit.
Are All Artists Liberal? So Where Are The Conservatives?
When we in the arts champion “diversity, equity and inclusion,” do we mean everyone? Do we mean conservatives? Religiously, culturally or otherwise? Are conservative artists not identifying as artists because the arts are a predominantly liberal sector?
Saudi Arabia Starts Building An Entertainment Industry From Scratch
“Saudi Arabia has long been known as one of the world’s most conservative places … Concerts and theater were largely banned, and even the notion of fun was often frowned upon as un-Islamic. Now the kingdom is lightening up with comic book festivals, dance performances, concerts and monster truck rallies. … [The kingdom] needs to build an ‘entire ecosystem’ for arts, tourism and entertainment, [and] has budgeted $64 billion for it over the next decade.”