Academy Seeks to Diversify: In the wake of the recent backlash to this year’s Oscar nominations, the Motion Picture Academy has pledged to double the number of female and minority members by the year 2020. Actors, actresses, and audiences alike took to social media this past week with the hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite” in reaction to the announcement that, for the second year in a row, all twenty contenders for acting awards are white and films with mainly black cast members have been almost entirely shut out for other categories as well. Many prominent Hollywood figures, including Spike Lee, Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith, have publicly announced their plans to boycott the awards ceremony next month. This past Friday, the Academy sent a memo to members announcing new standards for eligibility, and Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs released a statement saying that “The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up.” Many are hoping this is the first step in the right direction when it comes to supporting and recognizing minority and female artists and audiences.

Punishment Looms for Those Who Scratched King Tut’s Mask: In a news conference this past week, German conservator Christian Eckmann explained that it has been discovered that the iconic mask of King Tutankhamun was found to have been damaged and glued back together by Museum of Cairo employees in 2014. The employees, “in an attempt to cover up the damage they inflicted…used sharp instruments such a scalpels and metal tools to remove traces of adhesive on the mask, causing damage and scratches that remain,” prosecutors explained in a statement. The mask has been back on display since December 2015, after conservation specialists replaced the epoxy with beeswax. The eight employees involved in the blunder were brought to disciplinary court for “gross negligence.” The incident certainly serves as a reminder of how fragile and irreplaceable ancient artifacts and works of art really are.

An Art Journal that Believes Everyone Is an Artist: Art Journal “Raw Vision,” founded by John Maizels in 1989, is devoted to what is called “Outsider Art,” and welcomes creations on the fringe of the art world–creations by artists with no knowledge of art theory, art history, or necessarily anything else. The term “Outsider Art” was not widely used until 1972, which, Maizels argues, has now come to mean “anything a little outside the mainstream.” Today’s Outsider Art, which has roots in the “Art Brut” of the 1940s, recognizes the value and beauty of art not typically believed fit to hang on museum and gallery walls. Read on here for a fascinating look at some Outsider Art as well as a glimpse into the life’s work of some prominent figures in the genre.

BroadwayCon Brings Theater Fans Together: This past week, 5,000 theater lovers from around the world came together in New York City for the first-ever “BroadwayCon,” a “three-day fan-fest for those who want to belt out show tunes, attend panels about how to break into the industry–and, of course, rub shoulders with the stars.” Like the ComicCon conventions offered for multimedia pop culture fans, BroadwayCon saw attendees arrive in elaborate costumes and sport show merchandise. According to the event organizers, 50% of registrants were between the ages of 18-35, and most were women. Hopefully the event can become a tradition and allow theater fans from around the world to share their passion and celebrate the art they love.