Cubism in the Cubicles
June '24, Vol. 1, Iss. 5. We're talking about priceless paintings in the bathroom, bringing your boyfriend to work with you, and our monthly favorites.
Welcome to our fifth issue of Muse New Monthly! AH! We’re so sorry we skipped two months. It was a crazy ‘lil time for us both and the summer scaries got us all wound up and before you knew it, boom! July. So here you go!
In this issue you’ll find:
Top Art News from June 🎨
Top Music News from June 🎵
Stauney & Sadie’s Monthly Favorites 💕
There was a LOT to talk about, but at the end of the day, nothing quite caught my attention like this story.
Cubism in the Cubicles 🚽🖼️
If you heard our “Men We Hate in Art and Music” episode, you’ll know our long-standing gripe with Picasso. And there’s a certain amount of justice in learning that some of his major masterpieces have been regulated to the women’s bathroom stalls in the MONA (Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art). But that’s not the whole story.
Artist Kirsha Kaechele’s exhibit "Ladies Lounge" the MONA was an exhibit exclusively for women. The $500 ticket “high tea” experience originally opened in 2020 welcoming women patrons to be waited on by male butlers, admire the museum’s most acclaimed works, sip 400-year-old wine, and eat “preposterous morsels” prepared by the museum’s executive chef, all in a “tremendously lavish space,” all inspired by Kaechele’s “scandalous socialite” great-grandmother who hosted lavish ladies-only parties.
However, when a male patron bought a ticket, showed up, and was refused admission, he sued the museum based on discrimination. The controversial judge’s ruling mandated admission for all genders, which led to the closing of the Ladies Lounge exhibit.
So, Kaechele relocated Pablo Picasso’s works to women’s restrooms. In a social media post, Kaechele stated, "We never had female toilets at MONA before, they were all unisex. But then the Ladies Lounge had to close thanks to a lawsuit brought on by a man. And I just didn’t know what to do with all those Picassos…”
During the trial, Kaechele and her supporters also staged a striking protest. Clad in navy blue outfits and bold red lipstick, they performed a synchronized routine of stillness and gestures, making a visual statement about women’s space in art. Kaechele emphasized the lounge’s significance, stating, "The ladies’ lounge serves as a sanctuary for women, addressing the historical exclusion and imbalance in artistic representation." She also states an exclusive exhibit like the Ladies Lounge would be allowed under laws that define spaces for minorities, and even shared plans to reopen the museum as a boutique space, which would allow limited admission under the law.
Despite the setback, Kaechele remains defiant, announcing plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The controversy surrounding "Ladies Lounge" has ignited debates on gender inclusivity in art spaces, drawing attention to both legal rights and artistic expression.
The music girlies are taking over the headlines with a bunch of new music and live performances, and we have been flooded with content, which has been such a joy. A recent duo of occurrences however was attention-grabbing enough to take over the headlines completely after each event and caused some chuckles on our end.
Bring Your Boyfriend to Work Day 🎤💖
Sabrina Carpenter may have ended her opening gig internationally for Taylor Swift, but their recent escapades make it look like the two are definitely on the same page and also know how to make front-page news… by bringing their boyfriends to work!
Sabrina Carpenter’s most recent song “Please Please Please” instantly became a huge hit and hasn’t slowed down much in its popularity. But what is also incredible, was the instant love that so many people had for the music video. In large part because of who she chose to co-star with her. Barry Keoghan, an Irish actor known for his recent role in Saltburn, was first linked to Sabrina in December of 2023 and they have had some public appearances together since then. However, no one was expecting her to throw her actor boyfriend into the starring role of her new single, especially when you realize the song is basically a plea for the new beau to not embarrass her in front of the public.
The move was surprising, but quickly gained even more favor for Sabrina despite some unfavorable history from Barry surfacing at the same time. After all, she tells him in the song to clean up his act. It’s a modern “You’re the One that I Want,” except this Sandy isn’t changing *anything* about herself and isn’t afraid to drop the f-bomb to get a point across.
In another power move from our favorite celebrity couple, Taylor Swift invited her footballer boyfriend Travis Kelce up onto the stage during her Era’s Tour performance in London as one of the hype men before “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart.” What could have been seen as impromptu, was immediately debunked when the audience realized he had a tailored costume and custom red bottoms, and knew all the choreography, playing his part perfectly.
She also broke her Instagram silence on the relationship and posted TWO posts featuring Travis, first a selfie with the royal family and then a couple of shots of the performance with part of the caption saying “And I’m still cracking up/swooning over killatrav’s Eras Tour debut.”
Pretty ironic considering her most recent album features the song “So Long London” due to her tortured relationship with the place she called home during her long relationship with Alwyn. What better way to get back at your ex than to show off your new American arm candy with the Royal Family of his country AND on stage in Wembley Stadium?
Stauney
💿 Tunes & Tracks: Gracie Abrams Risk has been on constant repeat!
🎬 Cinema Spotlight: I’ve been stuck on 00’s movies lately. Mean Girls, John Tucker Must Die, She’s the Man and 10 Things I Hate About You. Just a nostalgic binge haha.
🎨 Masterpiece: This Instagram account Furia.co is run by two Spanish sisters and they do artwork & t-shirts that blend history and art (two of our favorite things) and it’s incredible.
Sadie
💿 Tunes & Tracks: The Girl, so confusing version with Lorde and Charlie XCX!
📖 Page-Turner: This Summer Will Be Different by Carly Fortune
📺 Must-See Series: GHOSTS
Hooray! We’ve got some merch 🇺🇸
We dropped a little patriotic collection of a hat and shirt for y’all to wear this month! It’s at morethanamusepodcast.com/store and we hope y’all love it!
