All articles tagged with #arts and culture
Defector contributor Soraya Roberts, a sharp yet generous arts critic who helped freelancers navigate a tough industry, has died at 46. In a personal tribute, Tom Ley recalls her breezy warmth in calls about pitches and budgets, her dedication to developing a personal aesthetic in criticism, and the plan to celebrate her work by curating her pieces on the homepage.
News 9’s Movie Man Dino Lalli previews this weekend’s film lineup, led by The Rivals of Amziah King from Oklahoma filmmaker Andrew Patterson, with cast highlights and insights into the production scale and budgeting, plus four other openings: Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, The Brink of War, The End of Oak Street, and Nimrods.
The Hollywood Reporter delves into Life of M, Rachel Cusk’s autofiction-inspired portrait of a Hollywood star widely read as Natalie Portman, and examines how the novel’s blurred lines between fiction and real life have sparked debates about consent, privacy, and the ethics of writing about real people. Legal and constitutional questions are weighed—especially U.S. defamation standards versus French privacy protections—while scholars defend the work as a contemporary reflection on fame and the performative self.
WNDR Museum in Chicago's West Loop will close on Sept. 7 after eight years, with its Boston location closing Aug. 30. The venue was known for Instagram-friendly interactive installations, events and classes, and had reopened in 2021 after a pandemic shutdown.
Tickets to visit the Obama Presidential Center’s museum in Woodlawn are sold out through the end of the year, but a new batch will be released at 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month for select dates through Jan. 3; tickets cost $15–$30 and cover museum entry only (other center spaces are free). Expect a long virtual queue and have multiple date options ready; the center is at 6001 S. Stony Island Ave and upcoming events include Encanto screenings and talks.
Gary B. Martin, a longtime Upper West Side illustrator and animator, talks about life in the neighborhood as depicted in his Sunday Rag cartoons, points readers to his work at martoons.com, and recommends listening to his Rag Radio interview.
On Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, Lollapalooza gates opened at 11 a.m. and hundreds sprinted from the main entrances across Grant Park to secure front-row barricade spots, braving muddy ground after overnight rain; fans rushed to see headliners like Tate McRae at the T-Mobile stage, while VIP viewing has made barricades harder to reach since 2023, and security prepared for long lines as festivalgoers waited hours for prime views.
Rain delayed Lollapalooza’s third day in Grant Park, turning the grounds to mud but delivering standout moments as Olivia Dean and Jennie headlined, several acts were cut to protect instruments, an impromptu Lesbian Mud Wrestling match drew a large crowd, and 14 Chicago teens joined via a My Block, My Hood, My City and Airbnb partnership to experience the festival.
Lollapalooza on Saturday is delayed, with doors pushed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. due to heavy overnight rain; organizers say to stay tuned for updated schedules as the festival opens at 2 p.m. The lineup for the evening still includes Olivia Dean, DJ Trixie Mattel, and Jennie, with Geese, Wolf Alice and Whethan also on the bill. Chicago remains under a flood advisory/warning, with more rain expected; Sunday is not forecast to rain, per the National Weather Service. This is a developing story with updates to follow.
Day one of Lollapalooza in Grant Park brought scorching heat, a pop-leaning lineup and several surprises: John Summit headlined the Bud Light stage with a high-energy EDM set (including a guest appearance by Absolutely), while Lorde closed the night on the T-Mobile stage with hits and a Charli XCX guest for “Girl, So Confusing.” The festival also featured acts like Five Seconds of Summer and SB19, and introduced new activations such as a free Ferris wheel and carnival games at the north entrance—albeit with some maintenance hiccups. Fireworks capped the evening as the festival continues through Sunday.
Nature’s summer book round-up gathers ten contributors’ obsessions, pairing science, ecology, and cultural history across a diverse slate of titles—from Robert Macfarlane’s Is a River Alive? and Jessica Riskin’s Living Medicine to Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water and Simon Marginson’s Global Higher Education in Times of Upheaval—with brisk, personal reflections that explore rivers’ aliveness, conservation ethics, medical science, AI, education, and the human stories that thread through them.
A sharp literary review of Julie Buntin’s Famous Men that unsettles the standard coming-of-age arc by placing an aspiring writer under a famous male mentor’s influence; it traces how Will’s pursuit of Nathaniel Fellow’s world becomes a study in agency, coercive mentorship, and the ethical costs of ambition, culminating in a MeToo reckoning that reshapes her personal and artistic formation.
The 11th‑century Bayeux Tapestry, a 70‑meter wool embroidery depicting the Hastings saga, arrived in London in a tightly planned overnight operation with police escort and a specialist art‑transport firm, for display at the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027. The loan—likely created in Canterbury for Bayeux Cathedral—highlights Franco‑British cultural ties, drew praise from Macron and UK officials, and coincided with record first‑day ticket sales for the exhibition.
A federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center’s plan for a full two-year closure for renovations, and the venue says it will operate in a limited mode after July 5 with public spaces open but stages largely silent; the center will present renovation options to the board for a mid-July vote, including partial closures and continued access, while critics argue the campus could effectively shutter if programming isn’t restored.
In a conversation with Defector, John Early explains his total commitment to Maddie’s Secret, a melodrama about a dish-washing influencer whose viral fame dredges up trauma and bulimia. He discusses choosing sincerity over irony, the audacious balance of humor and real emotion, and how fully embodying a role—even transforming into a woman—drives the film’s stark, moving impact and its critique of celebrity culture.