Dispatches

A ‘Great Cultural Depression’ Looms for Legions of Unemployed Performers

With theaters and concert halls shuttered, unemployment in the arts has cut deeper than in restaurants and other hard-hit industries. (The New York Times)

We Don’t Know What a Post-Coronavirus Art World Will Look Like. Here Are 6 Ways We Can Come Together to Build the One We Want

The founder of Independent looks back on earlier crises and proposes ways to build a stronger art market on the other side of this one. (Artnet News)

If the Church of England worships online, how can its historic buildings survive?

Congregations have shown great adaptability in the pandemic, and churches could again be at the heart of British life. (The Guardian)

‘People See How Relevant History Is’: Smithsonian Tackles COVID Challenge

The National Museum of American History in Washington spent much of 2020 shuttered but director Anthea Hartig says its work has not stopped. (The Guardian)

Cultural Institutions in Crisis (Version 4,345)

Museums and galleries face crippling pandemic losses as voices calling for restitution and greater social responsibility grow louder. (Financial Times)

How to Take Care of Operations During COVID-19

While reopening a venue, what steps can leaders take to ensure a smooth transition into new operating territory? (JCA)

6 Pointers for Cultural Organizations in 2021

In this article, Jing Culture & Commerce has focused on six areas that cultural organizations may consider in 2021. Each point is accompanied by an industry insight from global cultural leaders. (Jing Culture & Commerce)

Creative Futures

The Ford Foundation has released a series of 40 provocations by thinkers across the spheres of arts and culture, documentary film, and journalism unfolding throughout the fall of 2020. (Ford Foundation)

My Dream for Theater: Toss the Old Business Model in the Dumpster Fire of 2020

Theater critic Charles McNulty writes about why the theater of the future should be a place to rethink certainties – collectively, critically and compassionately. (Los Angeles Times)

Out with the Old Masters?

Charles Saumarez Smith wonders whether traditional museums will be replaced by modern “experiences”. (The Critic)

Abroad at Home: Where Function Follows Form

The hybrid venues known as sculptors’ museums, which can include—and sometimes consist solely of—the artist’s studio, offer a unique window into each one’s creative universe. (The Wall Street Journal)

Can We Restore Nature?

Professor of environmental science, Liam Heneghan, says, “in seeking a means to heal our wounded planet, we should look to the painstaking, cautious craft of art conservation.” (Aeon) 

Congress Approves New Museums Honoring Women and Latinos

Long-sought Smithsonian museums dedicated to the contributions of these two groups made it into the $2.3-trillion year-end spending bill. A vote passed in the Senate and the House. (The New York Times)

The Transformative Buildings Set to Shape the World in 2021

CNN has gathered a list of most anticipated buildings opening or to be completed in 2021, half of which are performing arts halls. (CNN)

Major Museum Openings and Expansions in 2021

From the much-anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum to the Frick’s move to a Brutalist landmark, here are the building projects aiming to change cultural landscapes around the world. (The Art Newspaper)

A ‘Milestone’ Moment – US National Gallery of Art Acquires 40 Works by Black Southern Artists

Works were purchased from Souls Grown Deep Foundation in a move that could ‘alter the canon of American art'. (The Art Newspaper)

This Architect is Using Design Justice to Empower Communities Through Outdoor Spaces

“For every injustice in this world, there’s an architecture, a plan, a design that has been built to sustain that injustice.”– Bryan C. Lee, Jr., Architect (Grist)

Representation Alone Will Not Save Us

We love representation, the power of signifying, and the incisiveness of well-argued critique, but by themselves, these tools won’t effect structural change. (Hyperallergic)

Stimulus Offers $15 Billion in Relief for Struggling Arts Venues

The coronavirus relief package that Congressional leaders agreed to this week includes grant money that many small proprietors described as a last hope for survival. (The New York Times)

Why US Museums Are Quietly Buying Art – and Downplaying Their Acquisitions – in the Wake of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Though many institutions are suffering from serious reductions in revenue, collections expanded via restricted acquisition funds. (The Art Newspaper) 

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