New York
April 29, 2020
Letter from the editor:
I’ve been doing a lot of dancing around my apartment in pajamas lately (gotta stay active somehow), and today I’ve got a bit of extra pep because we’re just a few contributions away from reaching 2,000 supporters for our recently launched membership program. So if you haven’t yet, and have the means, I hope you’ll consider supporting us by becoming a member. (Extra shoulder shimmies and thanks to those of you who have already signed up.)
If you’re craving a break from the news cycle, check out one of these exciting talks from artists, curators, and an architectural historian — all of which loosely focus on the intersections between public space, artistic practice, and memory, and in my opinion, make for a worthy balm after too many deep dives into YouTube conspiracy theories. If you’re looking for another distraction, fellow editor Seph Rodney delves into the history of hip-hop, as presented by the International Center for Photography exhibition Contact High.
On the news side, our staff writer Hakim Bishara shares a grave report of the latest round of art museum layoffs, this time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On a more hopeful note, Hakim also writes of several international museums which will soon begin reopening, and shares that the Met continues to look forward to a reopening date of July 1. Our news editor Jasmine Weber also sends word of a new direct grant for freelance and contract art workers in the New York tri-state area. Read more about it here to see if you qualify. In the meantime, I’ll keep my fingers and toes crossed for more good news.
Stay safe (and selective about your streaming).
Metropolitan Museum Lays Off 81 Employees; Now Estimates $150M in Losses
The laid-off workers belong to the visitor services and retail departments. The Met’s director and president will take 20% pay cuts.
Hakim Bishara
Event Pick
What to Do (Online) This Week: Talks about Art, Race and Public Space, and More
This week, join an exciting range of artists, historians, and curators for conversations about art and culture — all from the very same couch where you’ve been falling asleep after one too many deep dives into conspiracy theories.
Dessane Lopez Cassell | Friday, May 1, 4pm EST, Zoom
News
95% of US Artists Have Lost Income Due to Pandemic, Survey Says
Over 11,000 artists responded to a survey by the organizations Americans for the Arts and Artist Relief.
A New Emergency Grant Benefits Non-Salaried Art Workers in NY, NJ, and CT
The Tri-State Relief Fund will give $2,000 grants to freelance and contracted workers, including art handlers, archivists, and others.
Museums Worldwide Post the Creepiest Objects in Their Collections
A social media challenge by the Yorkshire Museum prompted institutions to share chilling photos of objects, including a preserved a taxidermic “mermaid” and a pincushion made to look like childrens’ heads.
Art for a Time of Uncertainty
Jude Tallichet’s art is a reminder that, although our world has changed, something weird and wonderful may await us on the other side.
Joy Sperling
A Brief (and Very Commercial) History of Hip-Hop
Hip-hop once offered more than stereotypes of masculinity and femininity, but Contact High feels focused on valorizing commercial might above all else.
Seph Rodney
Taking a Walk on the Lower East Side
Anton van Dalen represents a lesser acknowledged artist archetype: the non-heroic, civic-minded observer and chronicler.
John Yau
A View From the Easel During Times of Quarantine
This week, artists reflect on quarantining from their studios in Mill Valley, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, and Basel, Switzerland.
Elisa Wouk Almino
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