When the creators of GPT-2 gave the AI model a single sentence referencing J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, the machine generated a few paragraphs of Tolkien-esque prose—capturing a measure of the author’s unique world and sensibility. – Publishers Weekly
Tag: 10.30.19
LA’s New George Lucas Museum Names A Director
On Wednesday the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art announced Sandra Jackson-Dumont as its new director and chief executive officer. She comes to L.A. from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where since 2014 she has headed education and public programs. – Los Angeles Times
Overworked, Underpaid Young Architects In UK Start Drive To Unionise
“Unpaid overtime, precarious contracts, working hours so antisocial your only friends are people who do the same job … after a minimum of seven years’ education and professional training, the reality of working as an architect can be a bleak prospect. It’s not hard to see why so many of them wear black, as if in permanent mourning for the lives they once had.” – The Guardian
If You Replace The Choreography In “A Chorus Line” Is It Still “A Chorus Line”?
“A Chorus Line” is the ultimate ensemble musical, a compilation of autobiographical material about the emotional travails and aspirations of Broadway dancers, as they audition for spots in the singing and dancing chorus of a new musical. – Washington Post
John Witherspoon, One Of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Black Actors, Dead At 77
“[He spent] a long career of playing crotchety yet lovable men whose working-class roots mirrored his own. The actor, who worked until the day before his death, had a remarkable fluency with the hardships his characters faced and the humor they derived from those situations. … [His] ability to convey paternal irritation with comedic flair became a hallmark of nearly all his performances.” – The Atlantic
School Reading Scores Declined In Half Of American States This Year
“Eighth graders at the bottom 10th percentile of reading achievement lost six points on the exam compared with similar students two years ago, while students at the 50th percentile lost 3 points and students at the 90th percentile — top achievers — lost only 1 point.” – The New York Times
Who Gave You The Right To Tell That Story? Ten Authors On Writing Fiction About Identities Other Than Their Own
“The conversation is often depicted in the media as a binary: On one side are those who argue that only writers from marginalized backgrounds should tell stories about people who share their cultural histories — a course correction for an industry that is overwhelmingly white — while on the other are those who say this wish amounts to censorship. For those following closely, it can feel as though the debate has gotten stuck in a rut.” Here, a group of writers including Jennifer Weiner, N. K. Jemisin, Victor LaValle, Laila Lalami, Monique Truong, and Sarah Schulman discuss why they write outside their identities. – New York Magazine
Culture Will Be Key To Rebuilding Iraq, Say Experts
Officials ranging from the country’s minister of culture to UNESCO executives say that restoring museums, ancient churches and mosques will not only provide employment and (eventually) revenue from tourism, they will help build “social cohesion through shared national heritage and history.” – The Art Newspaper
After 25 Years Of Vagabondage, Smuin Ballet Finally Has A Home Of Its Own
Ever since Michael Smuin founded Smuin Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco in 1994, the company has had to scrounge rented studio space as it could, sometimes even ending rehearsals so that children’s classes could use the space. Now, at last, they own their own building — in a former ballroom that was spotted by a former company dancer who became a real estate agent. – The San Francisco Chronicle
Russia’s Richest Oligarch Sets Opening Date For His New Moscow Arts Center
GES-2, a center for contemporary art(s) designed by Renzo Piano and constructed inside a disused 1907 power station, will open next September. Leonid Mikhelson, the billionaire funding the project, insists that GES-2 “is not a museum”; it will have a 420-seat concert hall/theatre and an on-site workshop as well as exhibition spaces, outdoor event space, and a birch grove. (What Mikhelson won’t say is how much it all costs.) – The Art Newspaper