CODE RED #SaveOurStages On September 1, from 9:00 PM to midnight, arts venues across the country, including The Fox, Kranzberg Arts Foundation’s buildings, The Muny, Opera Theatre, The Pageant and Delmar Hall, Powell Hall, The Rep, The Sheldon, The Factory, production company facilities, and union halls will be lit up in red. The goal is to raise public awareness about…
By Jonnae Miller Juris Doctor Candidate 2021, Southern University Law Center From beautifully composing musical pieces, endlessly traveling the world for performances, and earning extensive studio fees, to making intimidating courtroom visits, life as a musician can be extremely rewarding, yet tough. Unfortunately, quarrels in the courtroom may be inevitable for those who experience copyright infringement of their works, but…
By Jonnae Miller Juris Doctor Candidate 2021, Southern University Law Center Would you steal a car? Handbag? Television? Or a DVD? These are questions posed in a 47-second anti-piracy ad that was created to discourage illegal downloading and purchasing of illegally downloaded movies. Piracy is a form of copyright infringement. Copyright infringement occurs when an individual substantially copies someone else’s…
As the presidential election approaches, don’t let your enthusiasm jeopardize your arts organization’s tax-exempt status. Be aware that 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to candidates for public office. The prohibition applies to campaigns at the federal, state and local level. Violation of this prohibition could result in…
BRIEFLY STATED MILESTONE The pandemic has brought many side effects and a few of them are surprisingly positive. Last week, we sent our 20th weekly e-blast to the bi-state arts community. More than 1,000 readers opened it — our largest open rate to date. We’re grateful for your interest. WEEKLY UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS TO BE BOOSTED BY $300 Missouri is among…
By Spenser Jaenichen Juris Doctor Candidate 2022, University of Illinois College of Law Starting in 2010, hundreds of thousands of everyday individuals gained the opportunity to become self-proclaimed creatives through photography, modeling, designing, painting, performing, and many other forms of art through the development of a single app: Instagram. Users began to inhabit various areas of the app and develop…
POLITICS, PRESIDENTS, AND PLAYLISTS For years, songwriters and musicians have balked when candidates — who the artists haven’t endorsed — play their songs at rallies. On August 4, Neil Young took legal action. He filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump campaign over the use of “Rockin’ the Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk.” Young could have a good case. Check out…
By Alec Williams Juris Doctor Candidate 2022, Georgetown University Law Center Since the countercultural movements of the 1960s, pop musicians have nurtured an important bond with politics. As songs like A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall by Bob Dylan and Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud by James Brown surged in mainstream popularity, the unity between sociopolitical issues and…
SLOUP IS BACK! SLOUP, a pop-up soup dinner that crowdfunds microgrants for arts and community initiatives, is returning on September 27. The organizers are reimagining the popular event in the wake of COVID-19. For details, subscribe to SLOUP’s email list. PROPOSED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT LEGISLATIVE FIX As Congress debates the extension of the expired $600 per-week federal unemployment benefit subsidy, proposed…
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: THE DIVIDED CITY The Divided City 2020 initiative will award grants of up to $10,000 to individuals and organizations in the St. Louis metro region engaged in creative practice or community work related to urban segregation. The initiative is housed in Washington University’s Center for the Humanities. There’s an info session on August 11. The application deadline is…