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"The Devil Ties My Tongue" by Amy Seiwert performed for the SKETCH Series, 2013. Photo by David DeSilva. Courtesy of Amy Seiwert's Imagery

wfmt: Where Are the Women Composers? How Classical Music is Faring in the Fight for Gender Equality

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By Hannah Schiller

13 May 2019

American orchestras have taken some steps to represent women composers, but that there is still a long way to go. So says a newly-released study by Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy (WPA). This non-profit organization, which promotes the performance of works by women composers, analyzed the subscription series of 2019-20 seasons of the 21 American orchestras with the highest operating budgets.

Here were the two main findings of WPA’s research for the 2019-20 season:

  • 19% of composers featured will be women — 53 women composers out of 277 total across the 21 sampled orchestras
  • 8% of works that will be performed are composed by women — 79 works by women out of 927 works total programmed by the 21 sampled orchestras

These numbers both represent an increase from previous years. As WPA points out, all 21 orchestras have included at least one work by a woman in their 2019-20 season. The same could not be said for 2018-19, in which four orchestras (Chicago, Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Houston) did not present a single work by a woman composer in their flagship series. This uptick may suggest that orchestras are slowly but surely expanding the presence of women composers in their programming.

Read the full article on wfmt.

New York Times: Frida Kahlo Could Barely Walk. In This Ballet, She Dances.

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By Nina Siegal

17 January 2019

AMSTERDAM — Frida Kahlo’s vibrant art, turbulent life and tragic death at age 47 are certainly operatic. But the Mexican surrealist painter, who was left disabled by polio and a bus accident, might seem an unlikely subject for a ballet.

But that’s the medium Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, a choreographer who has also worked in flamenco, hip-hop and contemporary dance, has for her newest work, “Frida,” which will have its world premiere at the Dutch National Ballet on Feb. 6.

The ballet, which is based on the painter’s life — including her tempestuous relationship with her husband, the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera — does not linger on Kahlo’s physical disability, Ms. Lopez Ochoa said in a recent interview. Instead, it will animate her emotional world and artistic legacy, using dance.

Read the full article in the NY Times.

American Alliance of Museums: Women’s Locker Room Talk: Gender and Leadership in Museums

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By Kaywin Feldman

17 October 2016

Kaywin Feldman is the Duncan and Nivin MacMillan Director and President of the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) since 2008. She also serves on the boards of National Arts Strategies, the Chipstone Foundation, and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). She is a past president of the Association of Art Museum Directors, and a past chair of AAM. You can find Kaywin on Twitter @kaywinfeldman.

I turned 50 this summer and my father passed away last year. Both events led me to do a lot of thinking about who I am, where I came from, and what I want to leave behind (commonly referred to as a mid-life crisis). At around the same moment AAM generously invited me to take 10 minutes at the annual meeting to talk about any subject I wanted to address. So I spoke about gender bias from a personal perspective. A friend said to me, “someone offered you the bully pulpit and you took it.”

I am at a point in my career where I can speak about the subject of gender bias, and have plenty of experience to share. After 23 years as a museum director, it is gratifying to have the platform to speak out, coupled with a secure position. I knew when I was told at the start of my career that I was “too young and too female for a curator to report” to me that I had to keep quiet and move on; I had too much to lose and not much to gain by speaking out at that time.

I think a lot — and worry a lot — about our field becoming almost entirely female. We are a stronger, healthier, and more relevant profession the more diverse we are in every possible way. And, as noted in my speech given at the 2016 AAM Annual Meeting, when professions become mostly female, they become less well respected and more poorly paid. After all, if so many women can do the job, how hard can it really be? I am very worried about this gradual change and to be honest, not sure what to do about it. I hope that others will join me in grappling with this issue before it just happens and we have to claw our way back.

Read the full article on the American Alliance of Museums blog.

Nonprofit Quarterly: The Gender Divide in Ballet Leadership and Choreography

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By Jeanne Allen

September 18, 2015; WBUR (Boston Public Radio, “The ArtEry”)

In 1963, the Ford Foundation used the power of its grants to help create eight ballet companies across the U.S. Most of these companies were founded and cultivated by leading female artistic directors. Today, all of these companies are headed by men. Additionally, men also head the choreography.

According to a recent article on NPR, many of the current female leaders in the arts, and in ballet, seem to share similar perspectives. According to scholar Lynn Garafola,  “The more professional a company becomes, in my observation, the more likely women are going to disappear from the leadership positions, and they’re going to be replaced by men. I think this is very typical of organizations when they get larger, when they get more important.”

And, indeed, this is a dynamic that cuts across organizational types, as is reflected in this recent review of studies of nonprofit diversity profiles.

Twyla Tharp, the famous choreographer who started her own dance troupe 50 years ago, is touring this year to celebrate that lifetime achievement. She comments, about the vanishing number female choreographers, “It’s not a woman’s prerogative to be an artist. We all know women have a high hill to climb whatever they do.”

Why the change? Well, in ballet schools, girls outnumber boys by almost 20 to 1. This creates a “culture in which the boys are trained to be much more individuals, to do solos,” according to Rachel Moore, who will serve as CEO of the American Ballet Theatre until October 5th, when she leaves to take on the role of president and CEO of the Los Angeles Music Center. “Girls are taught to stand in line and be obedient.”

Read the full article on Nonprofit Quarterly.

Berks-Mont: Dance Theatre of Harlem performs at Kutztown University

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10 January 2020

KUTZTOWN — KU Presents! welcomes the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a singular presence in the ballet world celebrating its 50th anniversary season for a multi-day residency at Kutztown University.

Founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, the company tours internationally presenting a powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century. The 18-member, multi-ethnic company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics, neoclassical works by George Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland, as well as innovative contemporary works that use the language of ballet to celebrate African American culture. Through performances, community engagement, and arts education, the company carries forward Dance Theatre of Harlem’s message of empowerment through the arts for all.

Dance Theatre of Harlem will take the stage on Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Schaeffer Auditorium on the Kutztown University campus. Tickets are $42; $38 for students and seniors and can be purchased at www.KutztownPresents.org, or by calling the KU Presents! Box Office Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 610-683-4092.

In addition to the public performance, the Dance Theatre of Harlem will be offering a lecture and demonstration for K-12 schools at 10 a.m. on Feb. 5. In this assembly performance, the company will speak about their history, how they started as a revolutionary, multi-ethnic dance company, and perform excerpts of their new works that highlight female choreographers, women of color, and African-American themes. 

Read the full article here.

New York Times: After Oscar Season’s Wildest Week, a Troubling Takeaway

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By Kyle Buchanan

8 January 2020

The week before the Oscar nominations on Jan. 13 was meant to be the most exciting phase of awards season yet: After a glittery Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday, many of the most important industry guilds and groups weighed in with their own nominations during the next two days, helping to clarify the Oscar race and winnow down the ultimate list of contenders.

So why is your Carpetbagger in no mood to celebrate?

Because that narrowing list has begun to exclude not just some of the most exciting performances and films of the season, but also many of the movies directed by women or featuring people of color. And though the academy, which is due to release its nominations next week, has taken great pains to diversify itself since the years of #OscarsSoWhite, this past week suggests that other awards bodies still have a lot of soul-searching to do, and that this issue may require a total shift in what’s considered weighty and worthy.

Read the full article in the New York Times.

The Simple Dollar: How Women Shoppers Can Beat the Pink Tax

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By Nicki Escudero

16 December 2019

Products marketed to women are often more expensive than similar products and services for males. From haircuts to medication, gender-based pricing is problematic for female and male consumers alike, and it’s costing tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.

A report by the Joint Economic Committee of the United States Congress found that women pay:

  • 92% more than men for dry cleaning dress shirts
  • 54% more than men for a haircut
  • 13% more for personal care products

The report contains many instances where the same product, in pink, costs several dollars more than its male-targeted counterpart.  This discrepancy is what is commonly known as the pink tax.

Read the full article and download the report on The Simple Dollar’s blog.

AP: Soul-searching in opera world after tumultuous #MeToo year

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By JOCELYN GECKER

29 December 2019

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It was a tumultuous year in the opera world, a year in which sexual harassment allegations against superstar Placido Domingo prompted his disappearance from American stages and sparked deep soul-searching.

Opera performers are applauding new official efforts to create a workplace free of sexual misconduct, but say many in the industry remain fearful of speaking up about predators, particularly those in positions of power.

“The problem is so much bigger than Placido Domingo. It’s the whole environment,” said American soprano Lauren Flanigan, adding that in her decades-long career “almost every rehearsal I was ever in was sexualized — literally every rehearsal.”

Two investigations into Domingo’s behavior were opened after Associated Press stories in which more than 20 women said the legendary tenor had pressured them into sexual relationships, behaved inappropriately and sometimes professionally punished those who rebuffed him. Dozens of others told the AP that they had witnessed his behavior.

One of the ongoing investigations is at Los Angeles Opera, where Domingo was general director since 2003. He resigned from the company in October, saying the allegations had “compromised” his ability to continue.

Read the full article in the Associated Press.

BBC News: Outrage in Pakistan after feminism panel includes no women

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By Riaz Sohail

22 November 2019

The Arts Council of Pakistan has been forced to backtrack after it emerged that a discussion on feminism it is hosting was to have an all-male panel.

An outcry on social media resulted in two women guests being added, and Friday’s event in Karachi was renamed.

The original title, Feminism: The Other Perspective, drew derision and has now been recast as Understanding Feminism.

Organisers say male decision-makers were to share views on feminism, but many critics questioned the very idea.

In overwhelmingly patriarchal Pakistan, having an all-male panel discuss feminism didn’t seem the obvious way to tackle gender inequality.

The only woman included in the original line-up was discussion host Uzma al-Karim, whose name was put at the bottom of the promotional literature.

Read the full article on BBC News.

Hyperallergic: W.A.G.E. Calls for New Museum to Fully Compensate Artists

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By Claire Voon

Artist advocacy group Working Artists and the Greater Economy (W.A.G.E.) is calling for the New Museum to receive certification to ensure all its artists earn fair pay as the building plans for expansion, funded by an ongoing $80 million capital campaign. In an open letter, the New York-based group expressed concerns that the museum will not properly compensate the people “upon whose work [its] existence is predicated,” the letter reads, as its programming naturally also grows. W.A.G.E. Certification is a voluntary program that signals an organization’s commitment to fees that meet a minimum pay standard.

The $80 million will pay for the takeover of the neighboring building, currently home to museum-led incubator New INC, but it will also triple the New Museum’s endowment. The museum has so far raised over half its fundraising goals thanks in part to a gift from collector Toby Devan Lewis, who provided an undisclosed amount that represents its largest single donation in its history, as the New York Times reported. W.A.G.E. is also asking the museum to request that Lewis provide the funds to make certification possible.

New Museum Director Lisa Phillips noted that the millions of dollars is intended to present an opportunity “to do things that museums haven’t done yet or maybe even imagined,” according to the New York Times. W.A.G.E. cites her statement as reason for its confidence that the New Museum will be open to certification; if the museum accepts to join the program, it will become the first WAGE-certified museum. The next application deadline is June 1. Hyperallergic has reached out to the New Museum but has not received a response.

Read the full article on Hyperallergic.