I would like to address some issues that have been brought up some members.
I realize that many of Trump's actions are going to be more harmful than what happens at the Kennedy Center.
There have been politics involved in the admiration of the Kennedy Center. But in the fifty years history of the Center, Trump is the first President who is trying to impose his aesthetics on the administration of it.
Latest travesty:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/music/trump-s-kennedy-center-cancels-pride-concert-that-would-have-featured-gay-men-s-chorus-of-washington/ar-AA1zkcZc?ocid=BingNewsSerp
I had no plans of attending the concert. That does not mean I support the cancellation.
Maybe they will ban the programming of any music by Tchaikovsky.
I wonder how much damage that the Trump's administration does to the arts before we can question their actions.
Expect to see a surge in attendance wherever the concert does go ahead.
Elected officials often do things like this. Bloomberg wanted to ban large carbonated drinks. Giulani closed down an art exhibit he felt insulted Christians. And many more. These days the "cancel culture" has produced many examples of being overly sensitive to something.
These things pass.
I really don't think the carbonated drinks thing is in remotely the same category! It was a recognition of what serving sizes do to psychology, and hence health.
Lumping that in with decisions about art just doesn't make sense to me.
We should not stray too far from the subject of the OP or we risk having this thread locked.
If you think about it, patrons dictating what kind of art they want is nothing at all new or remarkable. Composers in the past worked to order and musicians (including composers) were indeed employed by a specific prince or church. Pleasing their employer was fundamentally the job.
I think the differences now are:
1. In much more recent times we had moved away from that model to a much more pluralistic one, with arts organisations trying to attract and please a range of segments of "the market".
2. Many of us would find the basis for these new artistic tastes to be... well, distasteful.
Distaste is a completely different question to whether or not Trump and the new administration have the power and authority to decide what concerts get put on (and whether Trump had the power/authority to insert himself into the process). If they do, then the "remedy" is for people to "vote" with their feet and wallets. If ticket sales and attendances change enough, in either direction, that will send a messsage about the path the Kennedy Center. If ticket sales and attendances don't really change then that says people didn't care that much, or that people who left were replaced by newcomers.
(https://favim.com/pd/s11/orig/7/778/7784/77847/avengers-vingadores-gwyneth-paltrow-Favim.com-7784732.gif)
Latest link concerning what has happened at the Kennedy Center:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/what-s-going-on-with-the-kennedy-center-under-trump/ar-AA1zogSB?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=facfe733c3c248479586ba4e2a11f5ee&ei=32
Note: I am a resident of the Washington, DC area. I have attended performances at the Kennedy Center at a regular basis since it opened in 1972.
A few of my favorite performances:
Two great performances of the Britten War Requiem. One with Rostropovich conducting with Peter Pears. The other with Noseda conducting.
Slatkin conducting the original version of Williams Schuman's Third Sympphony.
Heggie's opera Moby Dick.
Great production of Britten's Billy Budd with the National Opera.
There are many, many others.
Musk and his minions are destroying our government. I don't care about the Kennedy Center.
Quote from: Daverz on February 19, 2025, 05:13:56 PMMusk and his minions are destroying our government. I don't care about the Kennedy Center.
As I have stated in another post, I have acknowledged that there are other actions that Trump is doing that are much worse.
I am concerned that if we start going down that path that the thread may be locked down.
Maybe one can start another thread which can address Trumps's other policies.
Quote from: arpeggio on February 19, 2025, 05:22:35 PMAs I have stated in another post, I have acknowledged that there are other actions that Trump is doing that are much worse.
I am concerned that if we start going down that path that the thread may be locked down.
Maybe one can start another thread which can address Trumps's other policies.
My apologies that that came off as attacking the messenger. I can barely watch the news these days without wanting to scream.
As we see here, people are willing to normalize this behavior with the cynical "both sides do it" dismissal.
Quote from: Madiel on February 19, 2025, 03:57:27 PMIf you think about it, patrons dictating what kind of art they want is nothing at all new or remarkable. Composers in the past worked to order and musicians (including composers) were indeed employed by a specific prince or church. Pleasing their employer was fundamentally the job.
I think the differences now are:
1. In much more recent times we had moved away from that model to a much more pluralistic one, with arts organisations trying to attract and please a range of segments of "the market".
2. Many of us would find the basis for these new artistic tastes to be... well, distasteful.
Distaste is a completely different question to whether or not Trump and the new administration have the power and authority to decide what concerts get put on (and whether Trump had the power/authority to insert himself into the process). If they do, then the "remedy" is for people to "vote" with their feet and wallets. If ticket sales and attendances change enough, in either direction, that will send a messsage about the path the Kennedy Center. If ticket sales and attendances don't really change then that says people didn't care that much, or that people who left were replaced by newcomers.
@Madiel says it very well without getting dangerously "political". The thing to do nowadays is to vote with your feet and wallets, support those organisations you believe in and "cancel" those you don't 8) .
The expectation that an institution operate indefinitely under the very same conditions in which it was founded is unwarranted, especially in the case of an institution heavily dependent on political patronage.
In the case at hand, the question to be asked is this: are the actions of the new management legal? If they are not, then all those concerned about and affected by them should take the issue to court. If they are, then complaint is moot.
I'm sure that a moribund institution (if that will indeed be the case) can be replaced by others. After all, the financial and intellectual resources that can be put at the service of art are not all belonging to the government. Or are they?
I of course should not be understood as having anything but a negative view of the merits of cancelling a concert by a gay men's singing group. I've given serious consideration to joining the local equivalent.
Latest article about the Trump takeover:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/not-what-we-signed-up-for-inside-trump-s-shocking-kennedy-center-takeover/ar-AA1zGaEV?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=dab1133338ee4f5ca448b3e9da074d15&ei=15
Now they are going after NPR.
As of 2/11/2025 a House Bill has been introduced to defund National Public Radio and the Public Broadcast System. As of 2/24/2025 the full text has not yet been released.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1216/text (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1216/text)
- Many, perhaps most, of the radio stations carrying the Met broadcasts are NPR stations. The few remaining Met telecasts are carried on PBS. New York's station WQXR, the "originating station" for the Met broadcasts, is not an NPR station but is a New York Public Radio station and may or may not receive some Federal funding.
You might want to start planning your bake-sales now.
Today the Kennedy Center, tomorrow the Lincoln Center.
Quote from: arpeggio on February 25, 2025, 12:20:52 AMNow they are going after NPR.
As of 2/11/2025 a House Bill has been introduced to defund National Public Radio and the Public Broadcast System. As of 2/24/2025 the full text has not yet been released.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1216/text (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1216/text)
- Many, perhaps most, of the radio stations carrying the Met broadcasts are NPR stations. The few remaining Met telecasts are carried on PBS. New York's station WQXR, the "originating station" for the Met broadcasts, is not an NPR station but is a New York Public Radio station and may or may not receive some Federal funding.
You might want to start planning your bake-sales now.
Today the Kennedy Center, tomorrow the Lincoln Center.
You and others might find this to be of interest. I hadn't realized how high the percentages of non-individual (or business) donations there were vs. funding. https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/3950550-the-truth-about-nprs-funding-and-its-possible-future/
K
Another cancellation:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/kennedy-center-appearance-for-bay-area-performing-arts-group-abruptly-canceled/ar-AA1zLsBB?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=fdba954a9f2a44e4c1128dc2f7cba714&ei=44 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/kennedy-center-appearance-for-bay-area-performing-arts-group-abruptly-canceled/ar-AA1zLsBB?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=fdba954a9f2a44e4c1128dc2f7cba714&ei=44)
Not much chance of the CIA funding another Darmstadt then? :'(
The CIA's Cold War-era cultural funding, like its support for Darmstadt, was part of an ideological battle, but today's mechanisms are more subtle, diversified, and increasingly driven by funding from Russia and other players with their own agendas.
Quote from: AnotherSpin on February 25, 2025, 08:38:59 PMThe CIA's Cold War-era cultural funding, like its support for Darmstadt, was part of an ideological battle, but today's mechanisms are more subtle, diversified, and increasingly driven by funding from Russia and other players with their own agendas.
There are so many conspiracies nowadays it's impossible to keep up :o . In this game of us and them, who exactly is "us"? ::)
Quote from: steve ridgway on February 25, 2025, 09:47:32 PMThere are so many conspiracies nowadays it's impossible to keep up :o . In this game of us and them, who exactly is "us"? ::)
For me, the concept of
us is meaningless, and even more so,
them. These groupings and distinctions seem entirely imaginary and illusory. I exist — there is no doubt about that — while every thing else arises from nowhere and disappears into nothing. Sometimes it lasts for an hour or a day, and then it dissolves, as if it never existed.
Quote from: AnotherSpin on February 25, 2025, 10:35:12 PMFor me, the concept of us is meaningless, and even more so, them. These groupings and distinctions seem entirely imaginary and illusory. I exist — there is no doubt about that — while every thing else arises from nowhere and disappears into nothing. Sometimes it lasts for an hour or a day, and then it dissolves, as if it never existed.
Hey, your avatar's gone blank - watch out ;D .
Quote from: steve ridgway on February 25, 2025, 11:20:26 PMHey, your avatar's gone blank - watch out ;D .
Thanks for the alert. It was done with a purpose :)
Quote from: AnotherSpin on February 26, 2025, 12:14:02 AMThanks for the alert. It was done with a purpose :)
Well not blank, all colours #FFFFFF 🌈.
Quote from: steve ridgway on February 26, 2025, 09:43:04 AMWell not blank, all colours #FFFFFF 🌈.
You can use HEX, but you can also use RGB or CMYK instead. The mind sees things and perceives differences where there are none :)
Quote from: AnotherSpin on February 26, 2025, 06:16:46 PMYou can use HEX, but you can also use RGB or CMYK instead. The mind sees things and perceives differences where there are none :)
🧙666 then >:D .
Quote from: steve ridgway on February 26, 2025, 06:49:48 PM🧙666 then >:D .
#666666 is an almost perfect shade of gray. In Indian spiritual texts, gray is mentioned as the color of transition from the darkness of night to the light of day, symbolizing the ideal thoughtless state of deep meditation.
Quote from: arpeggio on February 19, 2025, 03:49:01 AMMaybe they will ban the programming of any music by Tchaikovsky.
Based on the current administration's deference to Putin, I have to imagine that Tchaikovsky will get a pass, and not simply because he is Russian but because he was, as Gergiev once put it, 'a person without a family'.
The administration's latest assault on the arts:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/music/following-executive-orders-the-president-s-own-marine-band-scraps-concert/ar-AA1zQKSL?ocid=BingNewsSerp
Geez Louise!
K
Make American Music Great Again!🇺🇸
Quote from: arpeggio on February 27, 2025, 01:16:21 PMThe administration's latest assault on the arts:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/music/following-executive-orders-the-president-s-own-marine-band-scraps-concert/ar-AA1zQKSL?ocid=BingNewsSerp
Yeah well, they said a bad word.
Quote from: Madiel on February 28, 2025, 04:17:52 AMYeah well, they said a bad word.
Was it " democracy " ?
Quote from: LKB on February 28, 2025, 04:25:02 AMWas it " democracy " ?
Given that word doesn't appear anywhere in the article, no.
The word does appear - "equity"
I'm currently wondering whether the Ode to Joy in Beethoven's 9th would clear the new administration's word checker.
I gather various performers have been cancelling their own shows or disassociating themselves from the Kennedy Center in other ways.
Quote from: Madiel on February 28, 2025, 11:38:10 AMI'm currently wondering whether the Ode to Joy in Beethoven's 9th would clear the new administration's word checker.
It depends on who Joy was, and how they presented ;) .
Quote from: steve ridgway on March 02, 2025, 04:46:23 PMIt depends on who Joy was, and how they presented ;) .
And how much she was owed.
Quote from: KevinP on March 02, 2025, 04:48:06 PMAnd how much she was owed.
And whether she signed an NDA :-X .
Vice President yesterday attended a performance of the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center. He was booed by the audience when he arrived. After the outburst, patrons quickly settled into an attentive audience. The concert included Dmitri Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 2 and Igor Stravinsky: Petrushka. I may disagree with Vance's politics but it appears he likes Stravinsky and Shostakovich.
He likes Dmitri Shostakovich. And Igor Stravinsky.
Nope. Not saying it. :blank:
Quote from: arpeggio on March 13, 2025, 09:52:11 PMVice President yesterday attended a performance of the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center. He was booed by the audience when he arrived. After the outburst, patrons quickly settled into an attentive audience. The concert included Dmitri Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 2 and Igor Stravinsky: Petrushka. I may disagree with Vance's politics but it appears he likes Stravinsky and Shostakovich.
I just read in another source that it is Mrs. Vance who follows classical music.
And the soloist was Leonidas Kavakos. I would go to that concert.
My disability makes it difficult for me to attend the Kennedy Center anymore.
At one time I would have attended that concert.
Quote from: arpeggio on March 15, 2025, 06:05:39 AMMy disability makes it difficult for me to attend the Kennedy Center anymore.
At one time I would have attended that concert.
Sorry to hear that. :(
K
Quote from: arpeggio on March 13, 2025, 09:52:11 PMVice President yesterday attended a performance of the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center. He was booed by the audience when he arrived. After the outburst, patrons quickly settled into an attentive audience. The concert included Dmitri Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 2 and Igor Stravinsky: Petrushka. I may disagree with Vance's politics but it appears he likes Stravinsky and Shostakovich.
This is PR agent / spin doctor / photo op territory.
I infer nothing from the episode.
Ticket sales and donations slump:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/not-getting-the-donations-dc-insider-notes-kennedy-center-decline-after-trump-takeover/ar-AA1B1lsS?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=ab2381cadfdb4e93a3ea0a3673968f31&ei=13
Another assault:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-wants-more-say-on-kennedy-center-honorees/ar-AA1B2qMm?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=f2c8c4fcd90f4af4a53ed7207ab36c43&ei=23
Another post about the cancelled Marine Band Concert:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-administration-dei-order-forces-cancellation-of-concert-with-students/ar-AA1B2BCL?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=0e9342d979124bf99cbaf9d1eb162050&ei=22 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-administration-dei-order-forces-cancellation-of-concert-with-students/ar-AA1B2BCL?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=0e9342d979124bf99cbaf9d1eb162050&ei=22)
The President's latest act. It is actually kind of ludicrous.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/03/17/trump-kennedy-center-honors-board-meeting/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/03/17/trump-kennedy-center-honors-board-meeting/)
I have no problem with recognizing late artists like Elvis Presley.
But honoring sports figures like Babe Ruth? OK, he did appear in Pride of the Yankees.
Two interesting editorials about the Kennedy Center from the Washington Post:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/it-s-conan-o-brien-s-big-night-at-donald-trump-s-kennedy-center/ar-AA1BizK7?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=5e36cb64f5334cc48bca8e7671e35e70&ei=13 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/it-s-conan-o-brien-s-big-night-at-donald-trump-s-kennedy-center/ar-AA1BizK7?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=5e36cb64f5334cc48bca8e7671e35e70&ei=13)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/19/trump-kennedy-center-overhaul/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/19/trump-kennedy-center-overhaul/)
Note: The Kennedy Center has always been more conservative in its programming than other venues. With the new administration it will probably become even more conservative.
Quote from: arpeggio on March 18, 2025, 11:38:33 PMThe President's latest act. It is actually kind of ludicrous.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/03/17/trump-kennedy-center-honors-board-meeting/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/03/17/trump-kennedy-center-honors-board-meeting/)
I have no problem with recognizing late artists like Elvis Presley.
But honoring sports figures like Babe Ruth? OK, he did appear in Pride of the Yankees.
Dumbing down is the essence of the GQP.
Expect pro wrestlers next (Linda McMahon has been tasked with terminating the Dept. of Education, for crissake).
Hulk Hogan? Andre the Giant? (nah, he's a furriner) The Iron Sheikh? (oops ;D )
🤮
Another cancellation:
https://theviolinchannel.com/pianist-sir-andras-schiff-cancels-u-s-appearances-for-2025-2026-season/ (https://theviolinchannel.com/pianist-sir-andras-schiff-cancels-u-s-appearances-for-2025-2026-season/)
Quote from: arpeggio on March 20, 2025, 05:53:27 PMAnother cancellation:
https://theviolinchannel.com/pianist-sir-andras-schiff-cancels-u-s-appearances-for-2025-2026-season/ (https://theviolinchannel.com/pianist-sir-andras-schiff-cancels-u-s-appearances-for-2025-2026-season/)
This has got nothing to do with Kennedy Center and imho Schiff's move is both absurd and sanctimonious.
Quote from: Florestan on March 21, 2025, 07:09:00 AMThis has got nothing to do with Kennedy Center
This much I agree with.
And really, if we're going to start having a generic "artists who don't like the Trump administration" thread it will probably be a long list.
Quote from: Madiel on March 21, 2025, 04:12:24 PMThis much I agree with.
And really, if we're going to start having a generic "artists who don't like the Trump administration" thread it will probably be a long list.
If someone wants to start a generic "artists thread", go ahead.
Quote from: Madiel on March 21, 2025, 04:12:24 PMThis much I agree with.
And really, if we're going to start having a generic "artists who don't like the Trump administration" thread it will probably be a long list.
Disliking the Trump administration is one thing, which I approve of. Cancelling one's concerts in the USA because of that is quite another thing, which I strongly disagree with.
Quote from: arpeggio on March 22, 2025, 12:08:59 AMIf someone wants to start a generic "artists thread", go ahead.
Well, I think the point was that it was you who had deviated from this being a thread about the Kennedy Center. Schiff's decision doesn't seem to be specifically related to that unless I'm missing something.
I'm also beginning to wonder whether the cancelled Marine Band concert, which you've referred to several times, had anything to do with the Kennedy Center either. Clearly that story has something to do with Trump's views on DEI, but was the concert ever going to be at the Kennedy Center, or have you just decided this thread is about the interaction between Trump and music?
It was you who warned on the first page of the thread not to stray too far from the topic. And it's you who seems to be straying.
Latest on Kennedy Center:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/cancellations-and-missed-deadlines-kennedy-center-in-free-fall-since-trump-takeover/ar-AA1BrN4s?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=679e5df9ddc047e1b95c9245efbf65ee&ei=14 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/cancellations-and-missed-deadlines-kennedy-center-in-free-fall-since-trump-takeover/ar-AA1BrN4s?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=679e5df9ddc047e1b95c9245efbf65ee&ei=14)
Latest on Kennedy Center:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/03/26/kennedy-center-social-impact-team-trump/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/03/26/kennedy-center-social-impact-team-trump/)
I realize that many here may not care about what happens with the Kennedy Center. I am a resident of Northern Virginia. I have been attending performances at the Center since it opened. I am a member of the City of Fairfax band. We have performed a few times at the Center. Playing on the stage has been a great experience.
The administration's policies may go beyond the Center. One area that concerns me are actions that may affect the military bands: Marine, Army, Navy and Air Force. They are an important part of the cultural life of the Washington, DC area. My wife and I are regular attendants of the Marine Band concert series. The Marine Band has already cancelled a concert because of the administration.
Just speaking entirely generally of course, fascists always want to control the arts -- I guess it's a testimony to the power of the arts in fact. Hitler and Stalin wrote the instruction manual for modern dictators to follow.
Quote from: Mandryka on March 27, 2025, 04:27:19 AMJust speaking entirely generally of course, fascists always want to control the arts -- I guess it's a testimony to the power of the arts in fact. Hitler and Stalin wrote the instruction manual for modern dictators to follow.
True.
I'm really surprised that I haven't read any news stories about NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) funding. I expect that to be drastically slashed, and the remaining funds MAGA-ized. I sincerely hope that people who receive arts grants have been planning for this.
Quote from: Mandryka on March 27, 2025, 04:27:19 AMJust speaking entirely generally of course, fascists always want to control the arts -- I guess it's a testimony to the power of the arts in fact. Hitler and Stalin wrote the instruction manual for modern dictators to follow.
Why is that? Why do fascists want to control the arts? Isn't it enough to control the press?
Just speaking entirely generally of course, let us not permit this thread to degenerate into an outright political discussion. If it does, it will be immediately closed. Thanks for your understanding!
Quote from: relm1 on March 27, 2025, 05:32:08 AMWhy is that? Why do fascists want to control the arts? Isn't it enough to control the press?
I recommend this book (which includes several chapters about classical music)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71jt1lUll8L._SL1500_.jpg)
Three main reasons that I can remember:
(a) the arts are such a good propaganda mechanism;
(b) the purpose of fascism is to enforce by law a specific race and culture, so they have a natural interest in cultural output as an expression of the master race or as an expression of the society that they want to see. e.g. banning Jewish composers
(c) the aesthetic of fascism is primarily about projecting power, for example, designing buildings that show that the government is powerful, filming rallies in ways that glorify the power of the speaker. I don't think it's political or contentious at all to say that the aesthetic of the Tesla CyberTruck is intended to display power. I recently also read an article suggesting that today's right wing politicians love AI-generated artwork because of this same element: the fact that they don't need human artists to create "art" is more important than the fact that AI "art" is terrible and bad.
Quote from: T. D. on March 27, 2025, 05:29:49 AMTrue.
I'm really surprised that I haven't read any news stories about NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) funding. I expect that to be drastically slashed, and the remaining funds MAGA-ized. I sincerely hope that people who receive arts grants have been planning for this.
Wikipedia:
"2017-18 proposed defunding
The budget outline submitted by then-president Donald Trump on March 16, 2017, to Congress would have eliminated all funding for the program.[26][27] Congress approved a budget that retained NEA funding. The White House budget proposed for fiscal year 2018 again called for elimination of funding, but Congress retained the funding for another year.[28]"
I had previously thought he had succeeded and it was gone.
Quote from: Brian on March 27, 2025, 05:47:15 AMI recommend this book (which includes several chapters about classical music)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71jt1lUll8L._SL1500_.jpg)
Three main reasons that I can remember:
(a) the arts are such a good propaganda mechanism;
(b) the purpose of fascism is to enforce by law a specific race and culture, so they have a natural interest in cultural output as an expression of the master race or as an expression of the society that they want to see. e.g. banning Jewish composers
(c) the aesthetic of fascism is primarily about projecting power, for example, designing buildings that show that the government is powerful, filming rallies in ways that glorify the power of the speaker. I don't think it's political or contentious at all to say that the aesthetic of the Tesla CyberTruck is intended to display power. I recently also read an article suggesting that today's right wing politicians love AI-generated artwork because of this same element: the fact that they don't need human artists to create "art" is more important than the fact that AI "art" is terrible and bad.
By contrast, the Kremlin champions Russian classical music — from Tchaikovsky to Rachmaninoff — as the official soundtrack of its ideological ambitions in last decades. State-backed initiatives wrap these composers in patriotic messaging, casting them as cultural cornerstones of the so-called
Russian World, a grand civilizational concept conveniently deployed against Western influence.
Putin's cultivated image as a classical music aficionado — he often mentions Tchaikovsky as a personal favorite — neatly complements this cultural nationalism. It's a familiar playbook: turning heritage into something sacred to justify power, sponsoring WWII-themed operas through presidential grants, and presenting Russia as the noble guardian of "high culture" against the supposed moral decline of the West. Of course, the control here is more refined than the old-fashioned book-burning — instead, dissenting voices are politely drowned out by a flood of subsidized patriotism. In today's Moscow, nobody's setting fire to manuscripts anymore; they're too busy unveiling golden statues of state-approved artists.
I am concerned that some members may object to this because it has nothing to do with the Kennedy Center.
The MAGA movement and the administration is now going after the Smithsonian Institute:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-wants-to-reshape-the-smithsonian-who-funds-the-vast-institution/ar-AA1BPyF9?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=ef0cd8e1152940f094a17bacccb113e0&ei=68 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-wants-to-reshape-the-smithsonian-who-funds-the-vast-institution/ar-AA1BPyF9?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=ef0cd8e1152940f094a17bacccb113e0&ei=68)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-wants-to-reshape-the-smithsonian-who-funds-the-vast-institution/ar-AA1BPyF9?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=ef0cd8e1152940f094a17bacccb113e0&ei=68 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-wants-to-reshape-the-smithsonian-who-funds-the-vast-institution/ar-AA1BPyF9?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=ef0cd8e1152940f094a17bacccb113e0&ei=68)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2025/03/27/trump-issues-executive-order-eliminate-anti-american-ideology-smithsonian/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2025/03/27/trump-issues-executive-order-eliminate-anti-american-ideology-smithsonian/)
Quote from: SimonNZ on March 27, 2025, 08:51:15 PMWikipedia:
"2017-18 proposed defunding
The budget outline submitted by then-president Donald Trump on March 16, 2017, to Congress would have eliminated all funding for the program.[26][27] Congress approved a budget that retained NEA funding. The White House budget proposed for fiscal year 2018 again called for elimination of funding, but Congress retained the funding for another year.[28]"
I had previously thought he had succeeded and it was gone.
Apparently it rebounded and still exists.
Per Wiki, MAGA has begun the elimination process.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_the_Arts
Quote from: arpeggio on March 28, 2025, 02:47:24 AMI am concerned that some members may object to this because it has nothing to do with the Kennedy Center.
The MAGA movement and the administration is now going after the Smithsonian Institute:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-wants-to-reshape-the-smithsonian-who-funds-the-vast-institution/ar-AA1BPyF9?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=ef0cd8e1152940f094a17bacccb113e0&ei=68 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-wants-to-reshape-the-smithsonian-who-funds-the-vast-institution/ar-AA1BPyF9?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=ef0cd8e1152940f094a17bacccb113e0&ei=68)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-wants-to-reshape-the-smithsonian-who-funds-the-vast-institution/ar-AA1BPyF9?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=ef0cd8e1152940f094a17bacccb113e0&ei=68 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-wants-to-reshape-the-smithsonian-who-funds-the-vast-institution/ar-AA1BPyF9?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=ef0cd8e1152940f094a17bacccb113e0&ei=68)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2025/03/27/trump-issues-executive-order-eliminate-anti-american-ideology-smithsonian/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2025/03/27/trump-issues-executive-order-eliminate-anti-american-ideology-smithsonian/)
I posted that in the "unimportant news" thread last night.
Quote from: AnotherSpin on March 27, 2025, 09:27:00 PMBy contrast, the Kremlin champions Russian classical music — from Tchaikovsky to Rachmaninoff — as the official soundtrack of its ideological ambitions in last decades. State-backed initiatives wrap these composers in patriotic messaging, casting them as cultural cornerstones of the so-called Russian World, a grand civilizational concept conveniently deployed against Western influence.
Putin's cultivated image as a classical music aficionado — he often mentions Tchaikovsky as a personal favorite — neatly complements this cultural nationalism. It's a familiar playbook: turning heritage into something sacred to justify power, sponsoring WWII-themed operas through presidential grants, and presenting Russia as the noble guardian of "high culture" against the supposed moral decline of the West. Of course, the control here is more refined than the old-fashioned book-burning — instead, dissenting voices are politely drowned out by a flood of subsidized patriotism. In today's Moscow, nobody's setting fire to manuscripts anymore; they're too busy unveiling golden statues of state-approved artists.
I am half Turkish and Erdogan has engaged in a very similar campaign over his autocracy, reclaiming Ottoman leaders and "heroes" and converting museums back into houses of worship.
Quote from: Brian on March 27, 2025, 05:47:15 AMI recommend this book (which includes several chapters about classical music)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71jt1lUll8L._SL1500_.jpg)
Three main reasons that I can remember:
(a) the arts are such a good propaganda mechanism;
(b) the purpose of fascism is to enforce by law a specific race and culture, so they have a natural interest in cultural output as an expression of the master race or as an expression of the society that they want to see. e.g. banning Jewish composers
(c) the aesthetic of fascism is primarily about projecting power, for example, designing buildings that show that the government is powerful, filming rallies in ways that glorify the power of the speaker. I don't think it's political or contentious at all to say that the aesthetic of the Tesla CyberTruck is intended to display power. I recently also read an article suggesting that today's right wing politicians love AI-generated artwork because of this same element: the fact that they don't need human artists to create "art" is more important than the fact that AI "art" is terrible and bad.
So art is seen as an extension of media...controlling the message/information to minimize critical information while projecting propaganda.
Just speaking entirely generally of course, fascists present their control of the arts as though it's benign, merely a project to restore truth and sanity and to reverse the spread of divisive ideologies which diminish the strengths and achievement of the state.
For example, Hitler said certain forms of art were "degenerate" using precisely this sort of language.
The playbook for today's fascists was written by Hitler and Stalin.
Trump is going to remove critical history from the national museums. I guess he doesn't believe slavery should be mentioned in our history.
https://thegrio.com/2025/03/28/trump-executive-order-on-smithsonian-targets-funding-for-programs-with-improper-ideology/ (https://thegrio.com/2025/03/28/trump-executive-order-on-smithsonian-targets-funding-for-programs-with-improper-ideology/)
Latest articles from the Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/03/28/kennedy-center-finances-cuts/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/03/28/kennedy-center-finances-cuts/)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2025/03/28/trump-smithsonian-institution-order/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2025/03/28/trump-smithsonian-institution-order/)
Quote from: relm1 on March 28, 2025, 05:48:05 AMSo art is seen as an extension of media...controlling the message/information to minimize critical information while projecting propaganda.
In totalitarian regimes, art becomes a weapon of ideology. Lenin claimed that "art belongs to the people," but in truth, it belongs to power — a tool to shape the masses. In modern Russia, Tchaikovsky is no different from long-range missiles: both serve the will of the dictator.
Of course, art influences people in any society, including non-totalitarian ones. It does this by promoting certain ideas, shaping public opinion, and playing on emotions. In non-totalitarian societies, art is often used to push social or political ideas, like those connected to woke culture, etc.
Reforming the National Zoo's cellists:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/30/national-zoo-trump-executive-order/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/30/national-zoo-trump-executive-order/)
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Slightly off-topic, but since the above (paywalled) was apparently an April Fools column:
The Challenge of the Satire-Proof Presidency
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-21/can-comedy-rise-to-the-occasion-of-a-second-trump-term
I know that this has nothing to do with the Kennedy Center but it is an example of another assault on the arts by the current administration:
https://www.amsmusicology.org/neh-funding-cuts/#:~:text=On%202%20April%202025%20at%2011%3A30pm%20ET%2C%20the,grants%20had%20been%20terminated%2C%20effective%201%20April%202025. (https://www.amsmusicology.org/neh-funding-cuts/#:~:text=On%202%20April%202025%20at%2011%3A30pm%20ET%2C%20the,grants%20had%20been%20terminated%2C%20effective%201%20April%202025.)
https://www.amsmusicology.org/civicrm/mailing/view/?id=10894 (https://www.amsmusicology.org/civicrm/mailing/view/?id=10894)
Quote from: arpeggio on April 06, 2025, 12:06:57 AMI know that this has nothing to do with the Kennedy Center but it is an example of another assault on the arts by the current administration:
https://www.amsmusicology.org/neh-funding-cuts/#:~:text=On%202%20April%202025%20at%2011%3A30pm%20ET%2C%20the,grants%20had%20been%20terminated%2C%20effective%201%20April%202025. (https://www.amsmusicology.org/neh-funding-cuts/#:~:text=On%202%20April%202025%20at%2011%3A30pm%20ET%2C%20the,grants%20had%20been%20terminated%2C%20effective%201%20April%202025.)
https://www.amsmusicology.org/civicrm/mailing/view/?id=10894 (https://www.amsmusicology.org/civicrm/mailing/view/?id=10894)
Get mailing all the orchestras in the US
@Karl Henning so they have something American to play ;) .
I'm gonna apply for a grant to make velvet Elvis paintings. All materials sourced from USA only.
This is partially off topic (but not that far) that JD Vance was quoting Nixon saying, "Professors are the enemy of the people". To me, the arts and scholars being the enemy are sort of close. Doesn't it seem you're on the wrong side of history if you believe arts, education, free speech should be restricted/eliminated? That these are the enemy of the people? Or is it that those are the enemies of authoritarians since they tend to challenge others and question authority through scholarship and critical thinking? What is the responsibility of the arts in times like this where the arts and scholars are the targets?
Quote from: relm1 on April 07, 2025, 06:13:17 AMThis is partially off topic (but not that far) that JD Vance was quoting Nixon saying, "Professors are the enemy of the people". To me, the arts and scholars being the enemy are sort of close. Doesn't it seem you're on the wrong side of history if you believe arts, education, free speech should be restricted/eliminated? That these are the enemy of the people? Or is it that those are the enemies of authoritarians since they tend to challenge others and question authority through scholarship and critical thinking? What is the responsibility of the arts in times like this where the arts and scholars are the targets?
I think it's ethically/morally unambiguous that arts, educators, scholars have at least the right (and I personally believe an obligation) to speak up. And there still exists a First Amendment (for a while, at least).
The question is more one of whether governments have a duty/obligation (whatever that means) to fund the arts (particularly), scholarship, education, etc. And/or whether political strings should be attached to such funds.
Re the US Government and the arts, it has inspired one artist to create this fabulous drawing.
(https://i.ibb.co/1JJGRkV9/IMG-1147.jpg)
Thanks. An excellent one [I can no longer stand the word "very" for related reasons, so try to avoid "v. good" and related expressions], though the point took an embarrassingly long time to sink in.
Another article from the Washington Post concerning the cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2025/04/07/neh-grants-canceled-cuts/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2025/04/07/neh-grants-canceled-cuts/)
Quote from: T. D. on April 07, 2025, 04:02:06 PMThanks. An excellent one [I can no longer stand the word "very" for related reasons, so try to avoid "v. good" and related expressions], though the point took an embarrassingly long time to sink in.
A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe
Latest Kennedy Center news:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/04/18/kennedy-center-layoffs/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/04/18/kennedy-center-layoffs/)
Latest Kenndy Center news:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2025/04/25/kennedy-center-classical-music-american-arts/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2025/04/25/kennedy-center-classical-music-american-arts/)
Quote from: arpeggio on April 25, 2025, 03:04:54 AMLatest Kenndy Center news:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2025/04/25/kennedy-center-classical-music-american-arts/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2025/04/25/kennedy-center-classical-music-american-arts/)
You need to be a subscriber to the WaPo to read that news... :(
Sorry about that. I copied out the article and pasted it.
The Kennedy Center's future will shape the history of American arts
The nation's premier arts institution has played a key part in telling a new history of American classical music. Can it continue?
April 25, 2025 at 6:00 a.m. EDTToday at 6:00 a.m. EDT
6 min
20
A conceptual illustration depicts an orchestra conductor's hands in front of the audience. The wave of the conductor's baton releases music notes in a flag-like shape, featuring the American colors of red, white, and blue.
(Illustration by Alla Dreyvitser/The Washington Post; iStock)
Column by Michael Andor Brodeur
"If sometimes our great artists have been the most critical of our society, it is because their sensitivity and their concern for justice, which must motivate any true artist, makes him aware that our Nation falls short of its highest potential," President John F. Kennedy wrote. "I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist."
Kennedy penned these remarks as part of his acceptance of an honorary degree from Amherst College in October 1963. Roughly a year into launching an ambitious $30 million fundraising campaign to construct a world-class National Cultural Center — one that would require bipartisan support (as well as a deadline extension) — the function of the arts in America weighed heavily on Kennedy's mind.
But in the headier space of his speech, Kennedy was also mulling over the role of the artist, a figure whom he called the "last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state." And he considered the ways the arts create history by confronting the present, providing an engine for cultural change.
One month after Kennedy delivered this speech, he was assassinated. And two months after that, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation designating the proposed arts center as a "living memorial" to be known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — i.e. the place of the artist in America had Kennedy's name on it.
His words from Amherst are chiseled into the center's walls — though lately, little about the Kennedy Center seems set in stone.
A round of layoffs across the Kennedy Center's government, media and marketing staffs this past week were just the most recent shake-ups at the center since President Donald Trump effectively appointed himself as chair and installed Richard Grenell as interim executive director. The sitting board was dismissed and replaced. The entire social impact department was eliminated along with its programming, including the ambitious commissioning initiative "The Cartography Project." Waves of artist cancellations — including an anticipated run of "Hamilton" and an appearance by Issa Rae — prompted the center to release a statement clarifying that it had canceled performances only because of "lack of sales or artist availability."
Trump and Co. want the place more profitable, less "woke" (it was?) and more closely aligned with the administration's "Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture," as Trump called it on Truth Social.
Marc Bamuthi Joseph, seen in 2019, headed the Kennedy Center's social impact team, which was recently eliminated. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
At operational and ideological levels, the shake-ups at the center have inspired questions about its present health (with staffers pushing back on the new leaders' diagnosis) and speculation about its future vitality. For his part, Grenell has trained his public focus on the financial woes of the Kennedy Center, promoting a "common sense" approach to programming with an emphasis on attendance and ticket sales.
But Trump's executive orders targeting programs that fall under the "DEI" umbrella (for diversity, equity and inclusion) point to a larger desire to more broadly recalibrate the role of the arts in America, prioritizing spirited patriotism over institutional critique. (In 2025, a presidential affirmation such as Kennedy's that "any true artist" is defined by "a concern for justice" feels all but unimaginable.)
In remarks to reporters in the Oval Office upon appointing Grenell, Trump signaled a clear divergence from the mission laid out in the Kennedy Center's authorizing statute requiring programs and policies that "meet the highest level of excellence and reflect the cultural diversity of the United States."
"We're going to make sure that it's good," he said, "and it's not going to be woke."
This anti-woke prescription won't just affect what artists and performances come to the center's stages; it will reshape the story of American performing arts that the Kennedy Center has spent decades telling. After all, the Kennedy Center is more than a venue, it's a "living monument" — a place where the story of American culture plays out onstage. Whatever happens at the Kennedy Center becomes part of the history it exists to preserve. That's the part that worries me.
The late composer George Walker, whose "sinfonias" were performed as part of the National Symphony Orchestra's "Beethoven and American Masters" series. (Mike Derer/AP)
Since the great reset of the pandemic, the Kennedy Center has served as one of the primary venues for the slow recovery of American arts, including a reconstruction of their history.
Like many orchestras, the National Symphony Orchestra has taken steps over the past few years to diversify its repertoire, commissioning new works by composers including Carlos Simon, Adolphus Hailstork, Tania León, Billy Childs, Anna Clyne and Julia Wolfe. (According to recent statistics from the League of American Orchestras, works by women and composers of color account for 22.6 percent of U.S. orchestras' programming, up from 4.5 percent in 2015-2016.)
But under maestro Gianandrea Noseda, the NSO has also attempted to fill in some historical blanks. His "Beethoven and American Masters" series with the NSO in 2023 situated a cycle of the composer's well-known symphonies alongside a companion cycle of George Walker's alluring "sinfonias" (composed between 1984 and 2016) as well as William Grant Still's 1937 "Symphony No. 2 in G Minor" (his "Song of a New Race").
Over the past few years, the NSO has also offered me some of my first encounters with the music of composers who have only recently found their way into the repertoire through scholarship and a mix of fortitude and fortune: Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and some of my favorite performances of the recently rediscovered work of Florence Price. The Fortas Chamber Music series has also contributed to a larger history project, hosting performances of the all-Black-and-Latino Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and Sphinx Virtuosi, mixing contemporary works by immigrant composers with restored gems from Scott Joplin and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
American composer Florence Beatrice Price, whose work was recently rediscovered. (University of Arkansas Libraries)
And beyond the in-house institutions at the Kennedy Center, outside organizations such as Choral Arts, the Washington Chorus, Washington Performing Arts and others have contributed to a culture of historical exploration and expansion at the Kennedy Center. Nothing radical, just a relatively gentle zoom-out, a widening of the frame that allows for a broader landscape.
Logistics and scheduling move slowly in the performing-arts world. It will probably take a few seasons for the programming at the Kennedy Center to reveal any hints of ideological tilt or cautious omission. But whatever makeover awaits in the future, it feels important that we remain mindful of these historical repairs and restorations that have only just begun. Abandoning this work is a choice to leave the story of American music incomplete.
In the same speech at Amherst, Kennedy warned that a nation that "disdains the mission of art" invites, in the words of Robert Frost, "nothing to look backward to with pride, and nothing to look forward to with hope."
If the goal is to bring more people into the Kennedy Center, a commitment to embracing and preserving a history that makes room for everyone is just common sense.
Thanks for the above,
@arpeggio !
Latest assault on the arts:
Trump proposes eliminating the NEA and NEH as arts grants are canceled
Trump's proposed budget follows his attempts to reshape the nation's arts landscape and defund institutions.
May 3, 2025 at 3:34 p.m. EDTToday at 3:34 p.m. EDT
3 min
By Samantha Chery
President Donald Trump's budget proposal would eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, reviving his failed first-term attempts to scrap the grantmaking agencies as he moves to reshape the nation's artistic and cultural landscape.
The proposed cuts come even after the NEH slashed its workforce and the NEA canceled grants in compliance with Trump's directives to reduce the federal workforce and shut down diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The tentative budget plan also targets the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as part of $163 billion in proposed cuts across much of the federal government.
Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA serves as the largest funder of the arts and arts education for communities across the country, primarily through grantmaking. The NEH helps fund humanities programs by supporting museums, libraries, universities and public television and radio stations. Since Trump returned to office, he has enacted and proposed drastic changes to both agencies to fit his agenda for the arts, which includes extinguishing efforts to extend the reach of the arts to diverse communities and shifting funding to causes he deems more patriotic, including celebrations for the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
In February, the NEA announced the cancellation of its Challenge America grant — reserved for projects supporting underserved communities — and the introduction of the Grants for Arts Projects — for initiatives that "celebrate the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity by honoring the semiquincentennial of the United States of America."
Trump's 2026 fiscal year budget proposal must be approved by Congress and signed by him before it can be implemented. Shortly after it was released, the NEA reportedly rescinded grants for several theaters, citing Trump's artistic priorities, according to the American Theatre magazine.
Last month, after the administration eyed plans to make NEH cuts, at least 1,200 NEH grants were canceled, according to the National Humanities Alliance. Many NEH employees also received reduction-in-force notices about a week later.
Then, NEH acting chair Michael McDonald told the National Council of Humanities that some funds from the NEH and NEA would be repurposed to pay for the National Garden of American Heroes and next year's Declaration of Independence celebrations.
Trump initially announced his plans for the garden during his first term, signing two executive orders related to the project, but both orders were rescinded by President Joe Biden.
Trump has unsuccessfully fought to defund the NEA and NEH for years. In 2017, he proposed nixing the 2018 fiscal year federal funding for the agencies, along with the similarly targeted library and public broadcasting agencies, threatening the future of thousands of arts and culture programs across the country. At the time, the proposed budget for the four agencies accounted for about 0.02 percent of the overall federal budget.
Congress ultimately rejected the plan, along with Trump's similar attempts to drastically reduce funding for the programs in the 2019, 2020, and 2021 fiscal year budgets. Instead, NEA and NEH funding increased with bipartisan support throughout Trump's first term.
Janay Kingsberry, Anne Branigin, Travis M. Andrews and Peggy McGlone contributed to this report.
Worth a read.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/project-2025-blueprint-canceling-american-democracy (https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/project-2025-blueprint-canceling-american-democracy)
Quote from: relm1 on May 04, 2025, 05:35:12 AMWorth a read.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/project-2025-blueprint-canceling-american-democracy (https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/project-2025-blueprint-canceling-american-democracy)
Thanks, but the date on the story is 16 July 2024.
The details of Project 2025 were known long before the election and received ample coverage. Everything has been happening according to the script.
I have a pdf copy of Project 2025.
I just checked it out and it does not contain anything concerning the arts.
Quote from: T. D. on May 04, 2025, 08:28:18 AMThanks, but the date on the story is 16 July 2024.
The details of Project 2025 were known long before the election and received ample coverage. Everything has been happening according to the script.
See what you think of this
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/02/project-2025-trump-100-days
Where's
@Todd ?
Quote from: Mandryka on May 04, 2025, 01:32:33 PMSee what you think of this
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/02/project-2025-trump-100-days
Many sources have been writing about this. What's sad/funny is that many of those same (dopey second-guessing) sources totally underestimated the dangers pre-election. It's almost incredible how many respectable journos
believed Cheeto Mussolini's campaign disavowals of Project 2025. :'( 🤣😱
Quote from: T. D. on May 04, 2025, 08:28:18 AMThanks, but the date on the story is 16 July 2024.
The details of Project 2025 were known long before the election and received ample coverage. Everything has been happening according to the script.
True...that script that trump knew nothing of. More people should have listened to the warnings of articles like this.
As far as the NEA and NEH, it was extremely easy to read the tea leaves. I'm shocked that so many people (with whom I deeply sympathize, BTW) had their collective heads so far in the sand.
Musk was ranting about NPR and saying it should be defunded for years, long before DOGE existed.
The NEA has long (decades) been a target of the GQP.
With the vendetta against Ivy League and other universities, Nostradamus was not required to foresee that NEH would be targeted.
Quote from: relm1 on May 05, 2025, 05:55:33 AMTrue...that script that trump knew nothing of. More people should have listened to the warnings of articles like this.
Yeah, he knew nothing of the script. And then appointed Project 2025 guru Russell Vought to head OMB! 🤣
There is a great music festival that my wife and I attend: Stauton Music Festival in Stauton, VA (Woodrow Wilson is from Stauton).
We have just learned that one of the casualties of the administration cutting the grants from the NEA is the Festival:
https://augustafreepress.com/news/staunton-music-festival-loses-10k-nea-grant-because-yes-trump-how-you-can-help/ (https://augustafreepress.com/news/staunton-music-festival-loses-10k-nea-grant-because-yes-trump-how-you-can-help/)
There is an interesting opinion piece in the Washington Post that it discusses the possible motivation for Trump's actions concerning the Kennedy Center and the arts.
Here is the link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/05/08/trump-broadway-kennedy-center/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/05/08/trump-broadway-kennedy-center/)
In order to see the article one must subscribe to the Washington Post.
If anyone is interested, I could copy the article into a post.
Washington Post: A Trump-hosted fundraiser, a 'Les Mis' cast boycott and more Kennedy Center layoffs.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/05/08/trump-les-miserables-kennedy-center/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/05/08/trump-les-miserables-kennedy-center/)
Tony-nominated musical "Dead Outlaw" cancels Library of Congress performance after Trump fires Librarian of Congress:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/tony-nominated-musical-dead-outlaw-cancels-library-of-congress-performance-after-trump-fires-librarian-of-congress/ar-AA1EuMBN?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=795c2a6a97fa4fa18bbd93b6a510196d&ei=16 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/tony-nominated-musical-dead-outlaw-cancels-library-of-congress-performance-after-trump-fires-librarian-of-congress/ar-AA1EuMBN?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=795c2a6a97fa4fa18bbd93b6a510196d&ei=16)
Do any of you mind if we broaden this topic beyond arts to science as well? For me, they are very closely related and equally foolishly destroyed.
https://www.planetary.org/articles/billions-wasted-mysteries-unsolved-the-missions-nasa-may-be-forced-to-abandon (https://www.planetary.org/articles/billions-wasted-mysteries-unsolved-the-missions-nasa-may-be-forced-to-abandon)
I have no complaints. My only concerned is if the discussions become too political and the moderators are compelled to shut the thread down.
I would still be sticking to the effects on the arts.
Michael Feinstein response to the Kennedy Center axing his Pride shows:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/michael-feinstein-has-a-fiery-response-to-the-kennedy-center-axing-his-pride-shows/ar-AA1Ev55L?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=b16a3f7c402548dfa5f871065c92d6a3&ei=23 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/michael-feinstein-has-a-fiery-response-to-the-kennedy-center-axing-his-pride-shows/ar-AA1Ev55L?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=b16a3f7c402548dfa5f871065c92d6a3&ei=23)
Quote from: relm1 on May 09, 2025, 05:13:44 PMDo any of you mind if we broaden this topic beyond arts to science as well? For me, they are very closely related and equally foolishly destroyed.
https://www.planetary.org/articles/billions-wasted-mysteries-unsolved-the-missions-nasa-may-be-forced-to-abandon (https://www.planetary.org/articles/billions-wasted-mysteries-unsolved-the-missions-nasa-may-be-forced-to-abandon)
That's a very sad article. When I think of America being Great it's the exploration of space that has impressed me the most.
Trump hosts the Kennedy Center board as he seeks to remake arts and culture in America.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-hosts-the-kennedy-center-board-as-he-seeks-to-remake-arts-and-culture-in-america/ar-AA1F4QKL?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=d12a611f0cef4f39bf258d4fd80c7744&ei=46 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-hosts-the-kennedy-center-board-as-he-seeks-to-remake-arts-and-culture-in-america/ar-AA1F4QKL?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=d12a611f0cef4f39bf258d4fd80c7744&ei=46)
Trump's woke-free Kennedy Center announces season packed with drag shows:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-woke-free-kennedy-center-announces-season-packed-with-drag-shows/ar-AA1F7OkP?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=fc3eb954c03f458ca01f9dcfc0222277&ei=12 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-woke-free-kennedy-center-announces-season-packed-with-drag-shows/ar-AA1F7OkP?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=fc3eb954c03f458ca01f9dcfc0222277&ei=12)
I just saw the upcoming season for the Kennedy Center.
One of the operas scheduled for May, 2026 is Robert Ward's The Crucible. I am a fan of this opera and will try to attend. It is based on Arthur Miller's play.
Quote from Copilot:
"Set during the Salem witch trials, this play serves as an allegory for McCarthyism, reflecting the hysteria and paranoia of the time. It examines themes of fear, reputation, and the consequences of mass hysteria, making it a powerful commentary on the dangers of extremism and scapegoating."
Quote from: relm1 on May 09, 2025, 05:13:44 PMDo any of you mind if we broaden this topic beyond arts to science as well? For me, they are very closely related and equally foolishly destroyed.
https://www.planetary.org/articles/billions-wasted-mysteries-unsolved-the-missions-nasa-may-be-forced-to-abandon (https://www.planetary.org/articles/billions-wasted-mysteries-unsolved-the-missions-nasa-may-be-forced-to-abandon)
I will add to that, Physics departments shrinking and sometimes eliminating graduate programs due to federal budget cuts:
https://www.aip.org/fyi/us-physics-departments-expect-to-shrink-graduate-programs (https://www.aip.org/fyi/us-physics-departments-expect-to-shrink-graduate-programs)
Man who bankrupted casino discovers arts need funding:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/man-who-bankrupted-casino-discovers-arts-need-funding/ar-AA1F9BCn?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=5b279d794a174708b519ca4fb1b85cfc&ei=13 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/man-who-bankrupted-casino-discovers-arts-need-funding/ar-AA1F9BCn?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=5b279d794a174708b519ca4fb1b85cfc&ei=13)
The following is related to the above post.
This is an article from the Washington Post. One needs to subscribe to the Post to read it. If one wants to read it, I could copy it here. Let me know.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/05/20/trump-kennedy-center-claims-financial-mismanagement/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/05/20/trump-kennedy-center-claims-financial-mismanagement/)
Article about the Washington Performing Arts:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/major-dc-performing-arts-org-will-skip-kennedy-center-for-new-season/ar-AA1Fi43M?ocid=BingNewsSerp (https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/major-dc-performing-arts-org-will-skip-kennedy-center-for-new-season/ar-AA1Fi43M?ocid=BingNewsSerp)
I have read in several sources that Yo Yo Ma and Joshau Bell have cancelled performances with the Kennedy Center.
Kennedy Center subscription sales fall 36 percent from previous year.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/kennedy-center-subscription-sales-fall-36-percent-from-previous-year/ar-AA1G13G4?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=05f70635f1654436a642da8abc90c822&ei=55 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/kennedy-center-subscription-sales-fall-36-percent-from-previous-year/ar-AA1G13G4?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=05f70635f1654436a642da8abc90c822&ei=55)
Quote from: arpeggio on June 03, 2025, 10:34:20 AMKennedy Center subscription sales fall 36 percent from previous year.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/kennedy-center-subscription-sales-fall-36-percent-from-previous-year/ar-AA1G13G4?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=05f70635f1654436a642da8abc90c822&ei=55 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/kennedy-center-subscription-sales-fall-36-percent-from-previous-year/ar-AA1G13G4?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=05f70635f1654436a642da8abc90c822&ei=55)
Really sad to hear that. Well, it's making a statement to the PTB; however, I expect that it's falling on deaf ears. I hope that it can hang in there.
K
Les Miserables understudies set to take center stage as cast boycotts Trump-Vance attendance at Kennedy Center.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/les-miserables-understudies-set-to-take-center-stage-as-cast-boycotts-trump-vance-attendance-at-kennedy-center/ar-AA1Gwoja?cmp_prftch=2&ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=d17e4fcccd2946398af4163756f934a4&ei=15 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/les-miserables-understudies-set-to-take-center-stage-as-cast-boycotts-trump-vance-attendance-at-kennedy-center/ar-AA1Gwoja?cmp_prftch=2&ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=d17e4fcccd2946398af4163756f934a4&ei=15)
The following has nothing to do with the banning but it is hoot :laugh:
Drag queens fill seats at Trump's big night out at the theatre.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/drag-queens-fill-seats-at-trump-s-big-night-out-at-the-theatre/ar-AA1GxRbi?cmp_prftch=2&ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=c5a7fa48f18b4e29b7229971f0e1675d&ei=18 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/drag-queens-fill-seats-at-trump-s-big-night-out-at-the-theatre/ar-AA1GxRbi?cmp_prftch=2&ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=c5a7fa48f18b4e29b7229971f0e1675d&ei=18)