Sharing the Wealth: This past week the Seattle Symphony Orchestra received a surprise $50,000 donation from famous singer Taylor Swift. Swift wrote in a letter to music director Ludovic Morlot that she was moved by a recording of “Become Ocean,” a Grammy-winning piece by John Luther Adams commissioned and performed by the Seattle Symphony. The piece reminded Swift of attending her local symphony with her grandmother when she was younger. The money is set to go to two programs within the Seattle Symphony: Link Up, a music-education program connecting artists with elementary school children, and the pension fund. This is not the first philanthropic gift Swift has made–she is known for her large donations to disaster-relief organizations and arts education programs. Swift’s generosity will help ensure that generations to come can appreciate and experience symphonic music.

Generous Gift for Minnesota Orchestra: Another orchestra benefitted from a generous gift this past week–as The Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra dissolved, its $250K funds have been given to the Orchestral Association of the Minnesota Orchestra. The Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra was a nonprofit organization formed by the players who were locked out by the Minnesota Orchestra contract dispute of 2012-2014. The money was raised from self-produced concerts and donations to the musicians during the lockout. The gift will support education and community programming and was given in memory of orchestra advocate Lee Henderson, a proponent of cooperation who sought solutions during the lockout. Another inspiring example of musicians supporting musicians!

Breaking the “Crazy Cat Lady” Stereotype…One Man at a Time: Photographer David Williams’ project Men & Cats aims to break the stereotype of the “crazy cat lady” by showing men in their homes and on the street with their feline friends. Men & Cats provides a fascinating look inside the homes and lives of these men–in many of the photos, litter boxes, toys, and cat-themed artwork are visible. Williams explains: “I wanted to show that regardless of gender, many people have found the joy that cat companionship can bring.” Williams knows from experience–as he lives in Brooklyn with his own feline companion. Hopefully his work can help people see the very real (and adorable) bonds between men and their cats and break down the gendered stereotypes that haunt female cat-owners.

Dancing in the Shadows: Pilobolus is a contemporary dance company that blends ballet, circus, and shadow theater and storytelling in creating surreal performances for its audiences. Founded by a group of Dartmouth grads with no formal training back in 1971, the company plays with light and shadow to create images that resemble animals, plants, and even famous buildings. Their show “Shadowland” gained much attention in 2013 when a video of their performance went viral, being shared nearly 800,000 times on Facebook alone. The company tours globally, led by lead dancer Heather Jeane Favretto and catering to audience members of all ages. Most performers aim to be in the light, but these artists allow the beauty of the shadows to shine through.