Art

This Very Minute Has History In It

So often I realize how powerfully theatre songs relate to real events. Did you notice that the amazing young poet Amanda Gorman quoted Hamilton in her inaugural poem?So often we'll work on a show that debuted years ago, even decades ago, and discover its surprisingly strong connection to current events. So often I've written press releases for shows, that start, "Even more relevant now than when it first debuted..."Maybe that's because the greatest works of art are genuinely timeless and univer...
Tags: Theatre, Broadway, Theater, Biden, Hamilton, Scott Miller, Musical Theatre, Rock Musicals, Pandemic, Jerry Herman, 2021, Amanda Gorman, COVID

The Man Saving Cities One Historic Building At A Time

“These once-dead buildings are now living spaces where people work, eat and carry out their lives,” says Luis Martín Bogdanovich, the general manager of Prolima, the municipality’s program to recuperate the historic center. The impact of Arte Express on the center of Lima “extends far beyond the restored physical structures to the whole dynamic of the city center itself,” he says. – Ozy
Tags: Art, Lima, Visual, Arte Express, 01.19.21, Luis Martín Bogdanovich, Prolima

The Historian And The Nazi Art Thief

“The paper trail for these art plunderers, as for most second-rank figures in Nazi Germany, largely dried up after their interrogations and de-Nazifications in the late 1940s,” Jonathan Petropoulos writes. “The oral history offered by Bruno Lohse and other old Nazis provided one of the few ways to reconstruct the postwar experiences of this cohort.” – The New York Times
Tags: Art, Germany, Nazis, Visual, Jonathan Petropoulos, 01.17.21, Bruno Lohse

Wikipedia @20: A Little Piece Of Utopia Left On The Internet?

As more and more of the internet is consolidated, discredited, and co-opted by capital, Wikipedia begins to look like a vestige of a bygone era. With its volunteer-run editing process and its open-source ethos, the site may be the one success of an early-internet ethos (crowdsourced, democratized information-sharing, with little centralized control) that otherwise has come to look like empty rhetoric. – BookForum
Tags: Art, Wikipedia, Words, 01.21

Meet Maya Phillips, The NYT’s Newest Critic-At-Large

“There have been a lot of bad things happening this year, obviously. But the good thing about being a critic during this pandemic is that it forces us to be flexible in a way that a lot of critics may have been resistant to. I think it’s really essential that we don’t lock critics in this very strict, old-fashioned idea of what criticism is and should be. The pandemic has emphasized that there should be a broadening of ideas of how the arts interact, and in theatre, what the art form even is. T...
Tags: Art, People, Maya Phillips, 01.20.21

Mattel Rolls Out A New “Maya Angelou Barbie”

The new Barbie, whose face is “sculpted to Dr Angelou’s likeness” and who is wearing a head-wrap, jewellery and floral print dress on its “curvy body”, joins Rosa Parks and Florence Nightingale in the “Inspiring Women” series of Barbie dolls. – The Guardian
Tags: Art, Barbie, Issues, Mattel, Rosa Parks, Florence Nightingale, Angelou, 01.20.21

Ominous Juxtaposition? Biden Flanked by Duncanson’s “Rainbow” & Statue of a Murdered President

Am I the only one who gasped at the photo in this tweet? – Lee Rosenbaum
Tags: Art, Biden, Ajblogs, Duncanson, 01.20.21

‘Moulin Rouge!’ — An Oral History Of A Broadway Smash Snuffed Out By Disease

“Set in fin de siècle Paris but supercharged by 75 pop songs, it opened to a rave from The New York Times (‘This one’s for the hedonists,’ exulted Ben Brantley), and it was regularly selling out all 1,302 seats, even during a holiday season when it cost $799 to watch from a cafe table encircled by cancan dancers.” Then came COVID, of course: not only did the show have to close, 25 (!) members of the company, including all three leads, got sick. – The New York Times
Tags: Art, Theatre, Paris, The New York Times, Ben Brantley, 01.21.21

The Power Of Jigsaw Puzzles To Put The World Back Together

If maps are representations of a larger reality, then jigsaws are maps too. Indeed, they began life this way, as ‘dissected maps’. Invented by the British cartographer John Spilsbury in the 1760s, the earliest puzzles were designed to make geography lessons more fun for schoolchildren and, no doubt, inculcate them early into the cult of empire. – Psyche
Tags: Art, Ideas, 01.20.21, John Spilsbury

Roger Mandle, Who Ran RISD And Co-Founded Qatar’s Museums, Dead At 79

As director of the Toldeo Museum of Art, he organized a pathbreaking (and record-breaking) El Greco exhibition. As president of the Rhode Island School of Design, he built a new museum and quadrupled the endowment. And when a member of the Qatari royal family was determined to turn Doha into an international art destination, she hired him to direct the Qatar Museums Authority, where he oversaw the new Museum of Islamic Art (designed by I.M. Pei) and National Museum of Qatar (designed by Jean No...
Tags: Art, Qatar, People, Doha, Pei, Jean Nouvel, El Greco, Rhode Island School of Design, National Museum of Qatar, 01.19.21, Roger Mandle, Toldeo Museum of Art, Qatar Museums Authority

Read (And Watch Again) Amanda Gorman’s Inauguration Poem

Here’s the video and the transcript. – The Hill
Tags: Art, Words, Amanda Gorman, 01.20.21

Why Germany Is The Greatest Arts Nation

This is the greatest modern artistic nation in Europe. Art history tends to get it all wrong, exaggerating the glamour of French art, just as it does with American art. And in Britain, laughably, we even try to kid ourselves that Henry Moore and John Piper are modernist greats. The reality is that nowhere else has produced as much original, provocative and powerful art as Germany over the last 150 years. This has been the German era. – The Guardian
Tags: Art, Europe, Germany, Britain, Henry Moore, Issues, John Piper, 01.17.21, Greatest Arts Nation

When They Make A Movie About Your Wife’s Illness And Death, And Critics Hate It

Journalist Matthew Teague made his career covering war and disaster zones, but it was a longform essay for Esquire about his wife’s terminal cancer that got him a National Magazine Award, legions of new fans, and a movie deal. “What he didn’ account for was just how cruel Hollywood can be when a movie does come together, an experience he is still coming to terms with.” – The New York Times
Tags: Art, Hollywood, Media, Esquire, Matthew Teague, 01.20.21

The Tiniest Art Gallery (And Please Take The Art)

“The idea is pretty simple — anyone is welcome to leave a piece, take a piece or just have a look around and enjoy what’s inside,” said Stacy Milrany, a painter who runs a small, appointment-only gallery featuring her works. – Washington Post
Tags: Art, Visual, 01.20.21, Stacy Milrany

How Amanda Gorman Became Amanda Gorman And Poet Laureate For The Inauguration

Her precocious path was paved with both opportunities and challenges, an early passion for language and the diverse influences of her native city. Gorman grew up near Westchester but spent the bulk of her time around the New Roads School, a socioeconomically diverse private school in Santa Monica. Her mother, Joan Wicks, teaches middle school in Watts. Shuttling among the neighborhoods gave Gorman a window onto the deep inequities that divide ZIP Codes. – Los Angeles Times
Tags: Art, People, Westchester, Gorman, Amanda Gorman, Joan Wicks, 01.17.21, Santa Monica Her, Watts Shuttling

Google And France Make Deal To Pay News Outlets For Content

“Google and a French publishers’ lobby said on Thursday they had agreed a copyright framework under which the U.S. tech giant will pay news publishers for content online, in a first for Europe. The move paves the way for individual licensing agreements for French publications, some of which have seen revenues drop with the rise of the Internet and declines in print circulation.” – Reuters
Tags: Google, Art, Europe, Words, 01.21.21

The Prado Will Re-Hang Its Collection To Feature More Work By Women And Non-Spaniards

“[Madrid’s flagship museum] has announced plans to make [itself] a ‘far more inclusive’ place by reordering its permanent collection to ensure greater representation of works by female and foreign artists. Miguel Falomir, the Prado’s director, said ‘one of the few positives consequences’ of the COVID pandemic had been the time the museum’s enforced closure had given staff to re-evaluate its treasures and how they were displayed.” – The Guardian
Tags: Art, Madrid, Prado, Visual, Miguel Falomir, 01.21.21

Black Dancer Sidelined At Berlin State Ballet Won’t Give Up Struggle

“Berlin [Staatsballett’s] first black dancer, Chloé Lopes Gomes, said she has been made to feel different because of her skin colour since she first donned ballet shoes as a child. But after she was again subjected to what she described as ‘racism’ at Germany’s largest dance company, she has launched a fightback that has forced the State Ballet to launch an internal investigation into her complaints.” – Yahoo! (AFP)
Tags: Art, Germany, Berlin, Dance, State Ballet, Berlin State Ballet, Chloé Lopes Gomes, 01.18.21

Glastonbury, UK’s Largest Rock Festival, Cancelled For Second Year In A Row (Thanks, COVID)

“In spite of our efforts to move heaven and earth,” the organizers said in a statement, “it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the festival happen this year. We are so sorry to let you all down.” – Rolling Stone
Tags: Art, Music, Glastonbury UK, 01.21.21

Previously unseen dog painting by Manet to be sold at Paris auction

Artist painted pet as present for Marguerite Lathuille, whose family has owned picture for last 140 yearsA previously unseen painting of a pet dog by Édouard Manet will be sold for the first time at an auction in Paris next month.The French modernist artist dashed off the small work in 1879 as a present for Marguerite Lathuille, the daughter of a Paris innkeeper whose portrait he painted around the same time. Continue reading...
Tags: Art, Europe, France, World news, Culture, Art and design, Paris, Manet, Marguerite Lathuille

Anthony Head’s teenage obsessions: ‘The Rocky Horror Show ignited something in my core’

The Buffy and Gold Blend actor, who stars in the new film School’s Out Forever, on his love for Judi Dench, Lord of the Flies – and playing Dr Frank-N-FurterMy parents were desperate for me to like classical music, but I just couldn’t buy into the length of the pieces. Then they played me Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber and it was so beautiful, I cried. My school music teacher, Mr Vassal, asked for our favourite composers; I said Samuel Barber and he laughed at me. But eventually everyone ca...
Tags: Music, Musicals, Film, Theatre, Culture, Pop and rock, Television & radio, Stage, Judi Dench, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Acting, Buffy, Paul Newman, Samuel Barber, Anthony Head, Frank N FurterMy

Remembering Director Mike Nichols

A vocal opponent of the auteur theory, which gives directors primary credit for the films they make, Nichols treated cinema as a fundamentally collaborative art and never sought to impose a uniform directorial approach on his work, which was unshowy, even self-effacing. “It’s not a filmmaker’s job to explain his technique, but to tell his story the best way he can,” he said. – Commentary
Tags: Art, People, Mike Nichols, Nichols, 01.21

Hungary Orders Warning Labels Put On Books With LGBTQ Content

After the small queer women’s publisher Labrisz released a book of fairytales, titled Wonderland Is For Everyone, that includes LGBTQ characters, the right-wing government of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party ordered Labrisz to affix a sticker saying that the book depicts “behavior inconsistent with traditional gender roles” to every title it publishes to which that statement applies. – Reuters
Tags: Art, Hungary, Words, Viktor Orban, Fidesz, 01.19.21, Labrisz

Boris Johnson’s Gov’t Passes On Pursuing Visa Waiver For British Musicians Touring EU

“The Musicians’ Union (MU) has been lobbying for the creation of a ‘musicians’ passport’ that would last at least two years, cost nothing or very little, encompass all EU member states, prevent any requirement for carnets or other permits, and cover road crew, technicians and other necessary staff to facilitate touring.” Britain’s culture minister rejected that plan this week during questions in Parliament. – The Guardian
Tags: Art, Music, Eu, Britain, Boris Johnson, Parliament, 01.20.21, Musicians Union MU

Things to do – online and in-person – in the San Fernando Valley, LA area, Jan. 21-28

    A Megalodon is on display during the Jurassic Quest Drive Thru experience at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. The show features over 70 life-like dinosaurs and can be viewed with tickets purchased in advance online through January 31, 2021. (Photo by Andy Holzman)     Take a chance on cultural experiences, Jan. 21-28.   EVENTS   Holiday in the Park Drive-thru Experience at Six Flags Magic Mountain: A thrill of a different kind for the holiday season with lights choreographed to festi...
Tags: Art, Facebook, Books, Comedy, Movies, California, Trees, Jerusalem, America, Los Angeles, Events, Sport, Nasa, Dance, Richard Louv, Birds

Creative Fabrica, a platform for digital crafting resources, lands $7 million Series A

Roemie Hillenaar and Anca Stefan, the co-founders of Creative Fabrica Creative Fabrica is best known as a marketplace for digital files, like fonts, graphics and machine embroidery designs, created for crafters. Now the Amsterdam-based startup is planning to expand into new verticals, including yarn crafts and projects for kids, with a $7 million Series A round led by Felix Capital. FJ Labs and returning investor Peak Capital also participated. The new funding brings Creative Fabrica’s total ...
Tags: Fundings & Exits, Startups, TC, Europe, Design, Etsy, Tech, United States, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Crafting, Craft Club, United Kingdom Canada, Kiwi Crate, Creative Fabrica, Anca Stefan

Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto Reveals Second Cancer Diagnosis

The Oscar-winning electronic music legend was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, though he was back to making records by 2017 and the disease had gone into remission. This week, however, Sakamoto announced that he is being treated for rectal cancer. – Pitchfork
Tags: Art, People, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sakamoto, 01.21.21

Art Collector/Felon Tries To Redeem His Reputation With Museums (Built With Spaniards’ Tax Money)

“[Roberto] Polo, a financier whose roller-coaster career included a major art fraud scandal that landed him in prison, has recently resurfaced in central Spain, where last month he defied the coronavirus pandemic to inaugurate a museum in the medieval hilltop city of Cuenca that is devoted to his collection. His first art space opened in 2019, in Toledo, a city that once hosted the Spanish court of the Holy Roman Empire.” – The New York Times
Tags: Art, Spain, Toledo, Visual, Roberto, Cuenca, 01.20.21

Madrid's Prado museum to display more female and foreign artists

Director says museum is reordering its permanent collection to make it ‘far more inclusive’The Prado in Madrid has announced plans to make the museum a “far more inclusive” place by reordering its permanent collection to ensure greater representation of works by female and foreign artists.Miguel Falomir, the Prado’s director, said “one of the few positives consequences” of the Covid pandemic had been the time the museum’s enforced closure had given staff to re-evaluate its treasures and how they...
Tags: Art, Spain, Culture, Art and design, Museums, Madrid, Prado, Miguel Falomir the Prado

A building as big as the world: the anarchist architects who foresaw rampant expansion

Italy’s Superstudio collective warned against rampant development by imagining one continuous structure stretching around Earth. But did their warning actually inspire new Saudi plans for a 100-mile linear city?There was a sense of deja vu last week when Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, unveiled his plans for a futuristic 100-mile-long linear city, momentously titled The Line. The dramatic promotional video showed aerial views of a glowing urban ribbon cutting right across the c...
Tags: Design, Saudi Arabia, Culture, Architecture, Art and design, Italy, Exhibitions, Brussels, Mohammed bin Salman