Artist Exchange: In Conversation with Peter Acheson
by Ben La Rocco

The origin of what’s written here is a continuing conversation I’ve been having with the painter Peter Acheson over the course of the last few years. Acheson is currently exhibiting a collection of his paintings, recent and past, at Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects.

Increasingly, the curatorial role is focused on audience engagement and collaboration, rather than specialized knowledge.
BY ERINN ROOS-BROWN

There has been a lot of chatter in recent years about the “death of the curator.” But is the role of the curator really dead, or is it just evolving? Once a position that glorified specialized knowledge on niche-like topics, this role is expanding, becoming user-friendly and reaching beyond the walls of institutions. It has grown well beyond the selection and placement of art or artifacts in a space; it has equally become about empowering the audience, collaboration, and innovation, both in a physical space and in the virtual world.

Hey Tumblr Users, Why Is This Man Smiling? Because he sold your content and you worked for him for free.
by Chris Castle

Great news for Tumblr users–the eponymous Mr. Dave Karp just sold your content for id="mce_marker".1 billion!  In cash!  And of course, he’s sharing that money with you, right?

No, he’s not.  But then again, record companies, movie studios, newspapers and music publishers don’t share the proceeds with their artists, journalists, songwriters or actors, when they’re sold either.  Of course…that’s not an apt comparison because all those companies paid for the “content” they’re selling.

To read the full article: http://musictechpolicy.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/hey-tumblr-users-why-is-this-man-smiling-because-he-sold-your-content-and-you-worked-for-him-for-free/

Healthy Artists Take on Health Care Reform
by Danielle Nicole

A little over a year ago, a friend lent Julie Sokolow a book by New York Times bestselling author T.R Reid, titled "The Healing of America." The book gives a comprehensive breakdown of the U.S. health care system compared to other countries. " "It was eye-catching," says the 25-year-old acclaimed musician turned indie filmmaker. "Every other first world nation offers healthcare to its citizens. We spend more on healthcare, but we don't take care of everyone. This is the great American injustice of the 21st century."

The O+ Festival: Bartering the medicine of art for the art of medicine
by TheGreatLeapForward

Last year, I got involved with a great group of folks up in Kingston, NY. In 2010, they started the O+ Festival, a music/art/wellness festival that pays participating artists and musicians with healthcare instead of money.

The Return of Orphan Works: Trojan Horse: Orphan Works and the War on Authors
by Brad Holland

We at the Trichordist are expecting another push at so-called “orphan works” legislation in the U.S. Congress during the upcoming legislative session.  We take a dim view of the “orphan works” theory–it seems to be yet another way of undermining copyright through a back-door safe harbor.  If the last effort at “orphan works” legislation was any guide, it will another excuse for copyright infringement–if the infringer doesn’t quite qualify for a “fair use” defense, then they will say that their use of the infringed work is an “orphan” because they tried really, really hard to find the copyright owner, but couldn’t quite seem to find them.  We think that “orphan works” puts the fox squarely in the henhouse, and is another clear example of the law creating another moral hazard to the detriment of artists.