Museums begin to announce COVID-19 closures amidst rising infection rates.

With COVID-19 rates climbing higher throughout the nation, a number of museums have made the decision to close down for a second time. Beginning November 23rd, the Smithsonian will close all of its Washington, DC facilities—its New York City museums have not reopened since they initially shut their doors in early March. The pandemic’s death toll recently passed 250,000, and with so many lives tragically lost already, precautions are certainly necessary.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art, which will now remain closed through December due to a city mandate, faced backlash after choosing to furlough employees for a second time this year. Other tensions are becoming more evident as well—LACMA director Michael Govan, alongside other LA residents, expressed disappointment in city and state decisions to keep museums shut down while allowing indoor retail and nonessential businesses to operate at reduced capacity. Overall, concern about the current state of museums is growing, especially after the American Alliance of Museums predicted that one-third of U.S. museums could be vulnerable to permanent closure.

Brittany M. Powell gives a platform to Americans living in debt with her latest book.

Because debt is so taboo for a vast number of people, it is refreshing to see a book like Powell’s focus on personal stories with vulnerability and honesty. Debt is an issue often manufactured by unforeseeable circumstances; the majority of debt in America is accounted for by outstanding medical expenses and student loans, for example. Powell’s book began with the idea of photographing ninety-nine Americans living with debt and including handwritten notes by her subjects addressing what they owe, and to whom. She originally selected the number ninety-nine because of the slogan “We are the ninety-nine percent.” The result of this was The Debt Project: 99 Portraits Across America, which travels the nation from home to home, allowing an open discussion about debt and thereby removing some of the shame we associate with it.

Photo Vogue Festival 2020 celebrates fashion photography’s fresh perspective

PVF 2020, curated by Alexandra von Fuerst, Camila Falquez, Nadine Ijewere, and Ruth Ossai, is a dialogue between these four influential artists who produce socially conscious fashion photographs. Fashion itself is highly political as it directly relates to a sense of self and a sense of being in the world. All driving forces in their field, they view fashion photography as self-reflection; they are not interested in passively observing. Their images tackle subjects like race, gender, and womanhood while upholding the glamour and vibrancy that have become defining aspects of fashion photography. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will primarily take place digitally. View the exhibition online here.

A recent survey sheds light on Americans’ attitudes about the arts.

Based on the answers of over 5,000 adults throughout the United States, a survey by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences concluded that the majority of Americans—about 80%— harbor a positive attitude toward the arts.

The survey offers valuable insight into how factors such as race, education, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status relate to experiences of the arts. For one, education level appears to impact individuals’ propensity to attend art events but does not seem to have a similar effect on the attendance of literary events. Self-identified conservatives are not as likely as self-identified liberals and moderates to believe early art education is important. And interestingly enough, despite the generally positive attitude measured, a mere 10% of those surveyed remembered their parents speaking frequently about art.

Nov 23 This N' That: 11/23/2020

Nov 24 Tuesday Reads: Walter Guadagnini

Nov 23 Everyday Joy in Jack Sharp’s Street Photography

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