Dispatches

The US Has a Big Racism Problem and The Art World is Not Helping

A looted Kaws sculpture and museums’ silence reveal a predatory not progressive industry as protests flare following the killing of George Floyd. Margaret Carrigan from The Art Newspaper says, “Financial and material shifts are necessary to rebuild not just a more inclusive art world but a less oppressive society, or there will be little change.” (The Art Newspaper)

Artist Carrie Mae Weems Is Planning an Ambitious Campaign to Alert the World About How the Coronavirus Has Hurt Communities of Color

Carrie Mae Weems announces a new project, “Resist COVID Take 6” highlighting the disproportionate toll of Covid-19 on communities of color through public billboards, flyers, buttons, etc. She will launch the project in Syracuse, New York. (artnet News)

Rashid Johnson: “Anxiety is part of my life. It's something that people of color don't really discuss as often as we should”

“It's part of my being and how I relate to the world, and being honest with that struggle has been rewarding for me. It has led to the kind of self-exploration that produces fertile ground for my output as an artist.” (CNN)

The Guardian View on Arts and The Pandemic: Support Needed Now

The Southbank Centre in London is the latest institution to warn of disaster. The UK’s cultural organisations are receiving less and less public funding proportionate to their turnover. (The Guardian)

Music Venues Are Where British Culture is Born. It’s Britain’s Duty to Keep Them Alive

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s cultural renewal taskforce lacks representation from the live music or clubbing sectors. “Instead, the message is: you’re on your own.” (The Guardian)

Putting Our Heads Together: The Three Guggenheim Directors Size Up Post-Covid Challenges

With museums in Bilbao and Venice poised to reopen, while New York remains in lockdown, Richard Armstrong, Juan Ignacio Vidarte and Karole Vail talk about weathering the financial crisis. (The Art Newspaper)

The Sacrosanct Endowment? Not Anymore for Some Arts Groups

Some cultural organizations, staggered by the financial upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic, are dipping heavily into their endowments. Chicago Lyric Opera planning to spend $23m from its $173m endowment, triple of what it typically takes. Same with LA Phil, drawing $37m, double than previous years. (The New York Times) 

No Touch, No Hands-On Learning, for Now, as Museums Try to Reopen

Science and children’s museums are studying how to rethink their many tactile exhibits to keep people safe. (The New York Times)

Berliner Ensemble Gives Glimpse of Its Socially Distanced Theatre

The Berliner Ensemble theatre group has removed around 500 of its 700 seats to prepare for reopening in alignment with Germany's social-distancing policies. (Dezeen)

‘We Should Not Forget We Are in the Magic Business’: A Roundtable Discussion on How the Lockdown Era Could Change the Art Market Forever

Three market players—Marc Glimcher, Johann Koenig, and Elizabeth Dee—speak candidly about how they'd like to see the art world change. (artnet News)

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