COVID cases and political tensions soar.

This past week, the United States officially surpassed 11 million Covid cases in the country. And in the wake of a tumultuous election year, thousands of Trump supporters, far right conservatives, and Proud Boys defied all social distancing rules and mask mandates as they flooded Washington DC for their “Million MAGA March” on Saturday, Nov. 14th.

These protestors came from all across the country and gathered in our nation's capitol to protest the supposed election fraud which led to Donald Trump’s presidential re-election loss. Photojournalists captured the scenes of the protest which documented thousands of mask-less protestors chanting “Stop the Steal” and “Trump for Life”. These images not only document the terrifying political divide in our country but also the horrifying disregard of a global pandemic which has taken the lives of over 240,000 Americans.

A Botched Restoration… Again

Spain is dealing with another botched restoration of a female statue in the city of Palencia and surprisingly, this is not their first. The female figure was meant to have its face gently restored but instead, in the hands of a so-called amateur restorer, it has turned into more of a cartoon that resembles a potato or a snowman. The face’s soft yet realistic features were completely destroyed.

This begs the question, how does this continue to happen to art in Spain? How are cities hiring art restorers with lack of experience and allowing them to wildly damage the art in the city? Lastly, Spanish citizens are curious as to what steps will be taken to fix the botched restoration?

"The Bronx Museum" by Jules Antonio is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Bronx Museum names new leader.

Klaudio Rodriguez was named the new Director of the Bronx Museum of the Arts this past weekend. Rodriguez has been the interim director since the start of 2021 after previous executive director, Deborah Cullen-Morales, an outside hire left in December of 2019 after 18 months at the museum.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts is situated in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in New York and it strives to represent diverse artists and connect with it’s melting-pot community. It is continuing that mission as Mr. Rodriguez becomes part of the small but growing three percent of Latinos in leadership positions at museums across our country.

Happy Diwali to you and your family.

This past weekend, millions across the world celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights. This annual festival takes place across five days and is celebrated on the third night which was this past Saturday. The celebration is meant to commemorate the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. The festival of lights usually involves illuminating homes, temples, and gathering spaces with candles and lanterns in celebration. In the past, this festival has included mass gatherings, with families and communities coming together to enjoy parades, dances, and fireworks. But this year, many families had to celebrate individually or remotely as the COVID pandemic continues to expand across the world.

In commemoration of the holiday, the Empire State Building in New York was once again lit in Orange on Saturday night for the third year in a row.