There was a cultural difference between pre-boomer collectors, motivated by “connoisseurship and aesthetic appreciation,” and subsequent generations, who had “more of an awareness of the financial component of art.” As a result, boomer collectors have been less inclined to donate art to museums, either public or private, and lose a leverageable asset. – The New York Times
Tag: 12.18.19
The Many Afterlives Of ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’
“In the more than 50 years since its debut, the animated special, directed by Chuck Jones and Ben Washam, has become a holiday classic and turned into a live-action movie, a Broadway musical, an updated animated film and a retailer’s fever dream of pantookas, fuzzle fuzz and fliffer bloofs.” – The New York Times
What It Means To Really Listen
Good listening is not a matter of technique but of having the willingness to enter into another person’s life. Many bad listeners can’t be there for someone else because they are too locked into themselves. For them, everything has to be filtered through their own experience and concerns. – The New York Times
The Complicated Role Of Humor In The Old USSR
Like many of us today, the Soviet leaders misunderstood what humour is and what it actually does for people. Telling a joke about something is not the same as either condemning or endorsing it. More often, it can simply help people point out and cope with difficult or frightening situations – allowing them not to feel stupid, powerless or isolated. In fact, something the Stalinist regime failed to appreciate was that, because telling jokes could provide temporary relief from the pressures of daily life, in reality it often enabled Soviet citizens to do exactly what the regime expected of them: to keep calm and carry on. – Aeon
Rina Lazo, Who Assisted Diego Rivera And Became A Major Muralist In Her Own Right, Dead At 96
“Mexican muralism taught her the importance of expressing a political and social consciousness, but she softened the militancy that was common in the post-revolutionary era. In allegorical paintings, prints and murals with a subtle yet richly colorful palette, Ms. Lazo celebrated Mesoamerican cultures, especially the Maya, and the spiritual abundance of the natural world.” – The New York Times
André Rieu’s Juggernaut Career
We shouldn’t be surprised that Rieu is a box office sensation. In an era when, we are told, nobody sells DVDs and CDs anymore, Rieu has sold more than 40 million of them. Last year, the Dutch violinist and conductor sold more than 700,000 tickets to his concerts, bringing in $55.9 million (€50.6m) from 71 shows. It’s an impressive haul for someone who has seldom been the beneficiary of media hype. – Irish Times
Broadway Musicals Are Stretching Their Curtain Calls Into Ever-Longer Encores (As The Audience Stands Up And Dances)
Alexis Soloski: “These post-curtain moments have less to do with telling the story and more with telling the audience how to feel about the story they have just seen and what they should tell their friends. As someone who loves a Broadway musical, but is often ready to scurry up the aisle once that musical nears the three-hour mark, I spoke to some of the creators behind eight current musicals to discover how and why each of them had built in an encore.” – The New York Times
Restoration Of Ghent Altarpiece Reveals Stunning Details
Conservators working on the five lower central panels discovered that the Van Eyck brothers’ original work had been painted over as early as the mid-16th century; removal of those additions (as well as the centuries’ accumulated grime) uncovered an unsuspected level of naturalism. Says the project’s head, “Botanists can actually identify every plant in there. The ones that couldn’t be identified — those were overpaintings.” – The Art Newspaper
U.S. House Votes For Biggest Increase In NEA Funding In Six Years
“The House approved a $1.4-trillion spending package on Tuesday that includes a $7.25-million increase for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This increase is the largest for the NEA since 2013 and brings the organization’s total funding to $162.25 million, its highest since 2010. The spending bills will also increase funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The House spending package, comprising two bills, now heads to the Senate, which is expected to approve both bills.” – Artsy
Is Disney+ Stealing Away Subscribers From Netflix?
About 1 million Netflix subscribers made the switch last month, following the Nov. 12 Disney+ launch, according to survey results released Wednesday by brokerage Cowen & Co. The firm estimated that 6% of Netflix subscribers who signed up for Disney+ canceled their Netflix memberships after doing so. Cowen based its estimates on its survey of about 2,500 people. – Los Angeles Times