Apr 26, 2021 • View in browser

Good morning. ☀️ Today, activists are calling for the firing of a Penn Museum curator after it was discovered the museum held remains of a Black Philadelphian killed in 1985, a “minority intern” at a DC museum in the 1990s opines about the impact of the experience, and reviews of Melissa Joseph, Nikita Gale, and a lovely book of historical watercolors commissioned by the US Department of Agriculture.

— Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief

My Experience as a “Minority Intern” at a Museum in the 1990s

There were three “minority interns” at the National Gallery of Art in 1991. I was the “Hispanic” in the group.

Rachael Arauz

What's Happening

The Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (courtesy the Penn Museum)

Philadelphia activists are demanding a Penn Museum curator be fired after reports last week revealed that for decades, the museum kept the remains of a Black citizen who was killed in the 1985 MOVE bombing.
Hundreds of cultural workers denounce inequity in New York City’s real estate development in an open letter.
Activists plan to escalate their weekly protests against the Museum of Modern Art with a tour throughout midtown Manhattan next week.

Reviews of 2021 Oscar Nominees

An Easy Guide to Watching This Year’s Oscar Nominees

Here’s how to stream the Academy’s favorite movies of 2020, including Mank, Judas and the Black Messiah, Minari, and more.

Dan Schindel

Latest Reviews

Nikita Gale Makes the Labor of Tina Turner’s Performances Visible

Gale considers the work occurring behind the scenes and how technologies structure our experience of live performances.

Allison Conner

Melissa Joseph’s Felted Tributes to Family Archives

Joseph’s work exudes both playfulness and gravity, evoking fond memories while channeling the sorrow of the last year.

Billy Anania

Before Photography, Watercolorists Documented the Luscious Variety of Fruits and Nuts

Between 1886 and 1942, the US Department of Agriculture commissioned watercolorists to document the food from farms and orchards.

Lauren Moya Ford