Arts news

• Behold The World’s Oldest Competitive Pole Dancer. She’s 82.

  31-07-2026 20:50 via nypost.com
  
  Idanna Abignente, who lives in a suburb of Turin, started pole dancing at around age 70 to keep fit. She developed a passion for it and eventually joined the competition circuit, where she frequently wins her age division for lack of other competitors. – New York Post
  
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• Do Artists Still Need Galleries?

  31-07-2026 20:22 via ocula.com
   It is often assumed that a gallery is a prerequisite to finding commercial success and a place in the history of art. But a growing number of artists are rejecting that notion and going—to use the kind of commercial lingo that the art market likes to avoid—Direct to Consumer (DTC).  – Ocula
  
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• Gunther Von Hagens, Creator Of Controversial Exhibition “Body Worlds,” Is Dead At 81

  31-07-2026 20:03 via apnews.com
  
  An anatomist by training, he developed a technique called “plastination” which prevents the decay of corpses and leaves them flexible. He used that technique on dozens of bodies, many with skin removed to display musculature, and set them in various poses for his traveling exhibitions — which attracted both excited crowds and horrified criticism. – AP
  
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• Why Hollywood Loves The Cello

  31-07-2026 19:44 via theguardian.com
  Why, out of every option in the orchestra, did the cello become the instrument of introspection? “It’s the cliche, but it’s probably because the cello comes closest to the human vocal range.” – The Guardian
  
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• Streamers Are Pressuring France To Drop Their Requirements To Invest In France

  31-07-2026 19:31 via variety.com
  
  Since January 2022, subscription streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ have been required to invest 20% of their annual French revenue in local film and television production under France’s implementation of the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive. – Variety
  
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• Is There Any Upside To The Paramount/Warner Merger?

  31-07-2026 19:15 via cjr.org
  
  If the deal does go through, it will saddle the new corporate entity that emerges with nearly eighty billion dollars in debt. –
  
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• Boy George Withdraws From West End’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” After Backlash Against His Latest Song

  31-07-2026 19:02 via playbill.com
  
  Next month, the 1980s New Wave pop icon, now 65, was going to play King Herod in the London revival of the musical. But his June release, “We Will Dance Again,” takes strong and controversial positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict; after weeks of heavy criticism, he cancelled his run in the role. – Playbill
  
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• The Modern Stadium And Monumentality

  31-07-2026 18:44 via dezeen.com
  Nearly all monumental architecture is expected to convey some set of values greater than its stated purpose. This is especially true of stadiums with their straightforward program – a pitch for a game to be played and seating from which to observe it. – Dezeen
  
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• Should We Stop Listening To Technocrats?

  31-07-2026 18:31 via aeon.co
  International civil servants do not in fact escape power. They rearticulate it with the help of technical experts. By framing this rearticulation as real impartiality, however, they conflate technocracy and expertise. This conflation lies at the heart of the legitimacy crisis that international organisations face today. – Aeon
  
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• Translator Emily Wilson On Reaction To Her Scathing Review Of “The Odessey”

  31-07-2026 18:15 via ew.com
  “You can disagree about some or all of it! I may well be wrong!” she added. “But it’s not ‘personal’ to analyze a film or other work of art, even negatively. Criticism is more than ‘Hurray!’ or ‘Hiss!’” – Entertainment Weekly
  
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• At Tanglewood This Summer, Things Are Feeling Pretty Tense

  31-07-2026 18:04 via nytimes.com
  “During a recent week on the grounds, it felt anxious, angry, combustible. It was impossible to escape the warfare that the Boston Symphony is waging on itself: a crisis that is drowning out the music. Somebody needs to quiet things down before even more serious damage is done.” – The New York Times
  
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• Universal Music Posts A Blockbuster Revenue Quarter

  31-07-2026 17:44 via hollywoodreporter.com
  
  Recorded revenues grew about 13 percent to 2.516 billion euros ($2.89 billion), while publishing revenue grew about 8 percent to 616 million euros (about $710 million). – The Hollywood Reporter
  
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• Filmmakers Sue Netflix For $105 Million Over Stolen Hard Drive With Unreleased Nicolas Cage Film

  31-07-2026 17:01 via hollywoodreporter.com
  
  “In a lawsuit filed on Thursday in California federal court, writer-producer Simon Afram and his company, Op-Fortitude, accuse Netflix of compromising the sale of the World War II spy thriller” — titled Fortitude — by losing a copy of the movie that was shared for screening. He seeks at least $105 million.” – The Hollywood Reporter
  
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• Historic Japanese Castle Damaged By Earthquake For Second Time In Ten Years

  31-07-2026 16:33 via hyperallergic.com
  
  Kumamoto Castle, built in 1607 on the island of Kyushu, is considered one of Japan’s three great surviving castles. A portion of its moat wall collapsed following Tuesday’s 7.1 earthquake. In 2016, a different portion of the wall came down in another temblor. – Hyperallergic
  
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• Kennedy Center Stops Public Tours Three Days After NY Times Feature On Tour Guide

  31-07-2026 16:05 via nytimes.com
  On Monday, The New York Times posted an article featuring a longtime volunteer tour guide who said of the currently-dormant institution, “Now it’s a black hole.” On Thursday, a Kennedy Center official sent a memo to all volunteer tour guides telling them not to come there “until further notice.” – The New York Times
  
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• Trump Administration Organizes “Patriotic” Art Exhibition Near White House. Yes, There’s Cronyism Involved.

  31-07-2026 15:32 via nytimes.com
  What with all the complaints Trump has about the Smithsonian’s “bias,” the State Department has decided to “make visual arts great” (their phrase) with the exhibition “Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy.” No historians or professional curators are involved, and the show includes pieces by the planners’ friends. – The New York Times
  
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• What Curtis Institute Has Planned For Its Latest Building, Which It Bought After UArts Collapse

  31-07-2026 15:04 via msn.com
  The old Art Alliance building near Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square had belonged to the University of the Arts, which abruptly closed in 2024. Curtis bought it in January 2025; it was badly damaged in a fire that July 4. Repairs are underway, and the conservatory will house its vocal/opera department there. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
  
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• Florida College Professor Fired For Assigning Ottessa Moshfegh Short Story

  31-07-2026 14:36 via tallahassee.com
  
  Vinita Prabhakar, until recently an adjunct professor at South Florida State College, had used Moshfegh’s “Bettering Myself” in an introductory reading-and-writing course there without incident since 2023. But someone complained about the story’s content to the college president, who fired Prabhakar, who’s now suing. – Tallahassee Democrat
  
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• Trump Administration’s Overhaul Of Historical Preservation Rules Alarms Preservationists

  31-07-2026 14:00 via nytimes.com
  “A draft of the rule changes that circulated in recent weeks prompted an outcry from preservationists, architects, archaeologists and organizations representing Native American tribes. … ‘It’s both a scalpel and a bludgeon,’ said Greg Werkheiser, a lawyer who specializes in preservation cases.” – The New York Times
  
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• Remembering Bill McGlaughlin: 1943-2026

  31-07-2026 04:16 via artsjournal.com
  
  I once described Bill McGlaughlin, who has died at the age of 82, as manifesting “a singular combination of gravitas,
  
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• New York Theatre Ballet seeks Executive Director

  31-07-2026 03:19 via artsjournal.com
  New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB) seeks an Executive Director to lead the organization’s strategic direction, drive fundraising and revenue growth, and oversee both operational and artistic functions. The ED partners closely with the Artistic Director, the School Director, and Board of Directors to ensure NYTB’s artistic and educational excellence, financial sustainability, and community impact. Key Responsibilities • Lead organizational strategy and deliver a Board approved multi
  
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