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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
theatre
What Will Broadway Look Like Next Year?
"While everyone suspects that there might be a handful of empty Broadway theaters in the spring, at the moment the big theaters are still largely booked, and most nonprofits have finished their fund-raising for this fiscal year. More significant, though, is what happens when the next fall season comes round. Those in the industry wonder not only about empty theaters, but also about the effect on the stream of creative work."
"While everyone suspects that there might be a handful of empty Broadway theaters in the spring, at the moment the big theaters are still largely booked, and most nonprofits have finished their fund-raising for this fiscal year. More significant, though, is what happens when the next fall season comes round. Those in the industry wonder not only about empty theaters, but also about the effect on the stream of creative work."
The New York Times 11/19/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:46AM
visual Eli Broad To Build His Own Museum
"Less than a year after the Los Angeles County Museum of Art opened a $56 million museum for contemporary art named for Eli Broad, the billionaire philanthropist who is its largest benefactor, Mr. Broad has decided to build his own museum and is considering a site just down the street."
"Less than a year after the Los Angeles County Museum of Art opened a $56 million museum for contemporary art named for Eli Broad, the billionaire philanthropist who is its largest benefactor, Mr. Broad has decided to build his own museum and is considering a site just down the street."
The New York Times 11/19/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:45AM
visual UN Unveils New Painting
"An intricate ceiling painting worth 18m euros [$23m] has been unveiled at the United Nations offices in Geneva. The coloured dome took Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo more than a year to produce, using 100 tons of paint with pigments from all over the world... However, the Spanish opposition party has criticised the country's government for spending some public money on it."
"An intricate ceiling painting worth 18m euros [$23m] has been unveiled at the United Nations offices in Geneva. The coloured dome took Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo more than a year to produce, using 100 tons of paint with pigments from all over the world... However, the Spanish opposition party has criticised the country's government for spending some public money on it."
BBC 11/19/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:40AM
visual UK Heritage Fund Chips In To Help Keep Titian In Country
"The campaign to keep Titian's masterpiece Diana and Actaeon on public display [in the UK] has been given a £10m boost. The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) announced it would donate the sum to The National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery. The two institutions are hoping to raise £50m to jointly buy the painting."
"The campaign to keep Titian's masterpiece Diana and Actaeon on public display [in the UK] has been given a £10m boost. The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) announced it would donate the sum to The National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery. The two institutions are hoping to raise £50m to jointly buy the painting."
BBC 11/19/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:37AM
visual LA's MOCA In Deep Trouble
"Los Angeles' prestigious but chronically underfunded Museum of Contemporary Art has fallen into crisis... The museum has burned through $20 million in unrestricted funds and borrowed $7.5 million from other accounts. Cash from donors is being sought. A merger has not been ruled out."
"Los Angeles' prestigious but chronically underfunded Museum of Contemporary Art has fallen into crisis... The museum has burned through $20 million in unrestricted funds and borrowed $7.5 million from other accounts. Cash from donors is being sought. A merger has not been ruled out."
Los Angeles Times 11/19/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:32AM
music Indy Symphony Back To Deficits, But Not Panicking
The Indianapolis Symphony ended the fiscal year in the red for the first time in five years. "The board and managers are re-evaluating the orchestra's current 'business model,' with hopes of beefing up the roughly $120 million endowment, increasing earned income and containing costs."
The Indianapolis Symphony ended the fiscal year in the red for the first time in five years. "The board and managers are re-evaluating the orchestra's current 'business model,' with hopes of beefing up the roughly $120 million endowment, increasing earned income and containing costs."
Indianapolis Star 11/19/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:32AM
music What Can Music Do For Math?
Academics are divided on whether or not studying music can help students get better at other subjects like math, but the people who believe it can are passionate about the connection. "[Music lessons have] given them discipline, confidence and self esteem to perform well under adverse conditions..."
Academics are divided on whether or not studying music can help students get better at other subjects like math, but the people who believe it can are passionate about the connection. "[Music lessons have] given them discipline, confidence and self esteem to perform well under adverse conditions..."
Washington Post 11/19/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:28AM
music Musicians On Fire
The wildfires ravaging Southern California are producing some stunning video. "A group of classical musicians on their way to a Riverside Philharmonic concert this weekend were on the 91 freeway as the fire literally crossed it." Being musicians, they filmed their adventure and set it to a Shostakovich soundtrack...
The wildfires ravaging Southern California are producing some stunning video. "A group of classical musicians on their way to a Riverside Philharmonic concert this weekend were on the 91 freeway as the fire literally crossed it." Being musicians, they filmed their adventure and set it to a Shostakovich soundtrack...
LAist 11/18/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:23AM
music Another Orchestra On The Brink
"In its 72-year history, the Charleston [SC] Symphony Orchestra has had its moments of near demise. But rarely have things looked this bleak. CSO board president Ted Legasey shocked some audience members Saturday during intermission of the Masterworks concert when he announced they could be attending the final CSO concert of 2008 unless the group raises $250,000 immediately to pay for the month of December."
"In its 72-year history, the Charleston [SC] Symphony Orchestra has had its moments of near demise. But rarely have things looked this bleak. CSO board president Ted Legasey shocked some audience members Saturday during intermission of the Masterworks concert when he announced they could be attending the final CSO concert of 2008 unless the group raises $250,000 immediately to pay for the month of December."
Charleston Post & Courier (SC) 11/18/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:16AM
music CBC Offers To Help Orchestra Transition
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which drew fire for its decision to stop funding the CBC Radio Orchestra, says that it has offered to help the ensemble in its quest to become a standalone orchestra. "The CBC has offered to give the rebranded orchestra three broadcasts next year and to commission more new works... [The orchestra] would also be able to use the CBC's facilities in Vancouver for rehearsals and its library of sheet music."
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which drew fire for its decision to stop funding the CBC Radio Orchestra, says that it has offered to help the ensemble in its quest to become a standalone orchestra. "The CBC has offered to give the rebranded orchestra three broadcasts next year and to commission more new works... [The orchestra] would also be able to use the CBC's facilities in Vancouver for rehearsals and its library of sheet music."
The Globe & Mail (Canada) 11/19/08
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Posted 11/19/08@06:05AM
music Philly Concert Hall Weighing Major Renovation
"Just months after paying off construction bills dating from its opening seven years ago, [Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts] is undertaking its next act: renovations... The scope of the project is still fuzzy, though Kimmel leaders are taking this moment in time to think big."
"Just months after paying off construction bills dating from its opening seven years ago, [Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts] is undertaking its next act: renovations... The scope of the project is still fuzzy, though Kimmel leaders are taking this moment in time to think big."
Philadelphia Inquirer 11/19/08
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Posted 11/19/08@05:57AM
Tuesday, November 18, 2008theatre
Fierstein And Winokur Are Back In Hairspray
Marissa Jaret Winokur, who won a Tony for playing the hefty, happy Tracy Turnblad in the John Waters-inspired musical, is returning to the show Dec. 9. Harvey Fierstein, who drew raves as Tracy's very downscale mother, came back earlier this month.
Marissa Jaret Winokur, who won a Tony for playing the hefty, happy Tracy Turnblad in the John Waters-inspired musical, is returning to the show Dec. 9. Harvey Fierstein, who drew raves as Tracy's very downscale mother, came back earlier this month.
Playbill.com 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:49PM
music Royal Concertgebouw Tops Gramophone's List Of World's Best Orchestras
A poll of critics from Europe and North America named Amsterdam's favorite band no. 1 in its list of the globe's 20 best symphony orchestras. The U.S. has seven orchestras on the list (with Chicago, Cleveland and L.A. at nos. 6, 7 and 8); Germany has four (including the second-place Berlin Phil), and Russia has three.
A poll of critics from Europe and North America named Amsterdam's favorite band no. 1 in its list of the globe's 20 best symphony orchestras. The U.S. has seven orchestras on the list (with Chicago, Cleveland and L.A. at nos. 6, 7 and 8); Germany has four (including the second-place Berlin Phil), and Russia has three.
Bavarian Radio (Munich) 11/18/08 (in German; includes complete list)
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Posted 11/18/08@09:27PM
media WNET To Open Studio At Lincoln Center
New York's flagship public television station will produce arts programming in a new glass-walled studio on the ground floor of the newly-renovated and expanded Alice Tully Hall, which opens early next year.
New York's flagship public television station will produce arts programming in a new glass-walled studio on the ground floor of the newly-renovated and expanded Alice Tully Hall, which opens early next year.
New York Times 11/19/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:25PM
music Yo-Yo Ma Musical America's 2009 Musician Of The Year
The musically peripatetic cellist takes the honors on the 10th anniversary of his Silk Road Project. Other Musical America "Of The Year" winners include Marin Alsop (Conductor), Christopher Rouse (Composer), Stephanie Blythe (Vocalist) and the Pacifica Quartet (Ensemble).
The musically peripatetic cellist takes the honors on the 10th anniversary of his Silk Road Project. Other Musical America "Of The Year" winners include Marin Alsop (Conductor), Christopher Rouse (Composer), Stephanie Blythe (Vocalist) and the Pacifica Quartet (Ensemble).
Musical America 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:24PM
visual Kimbell Art Museum Plans Extension By Renzo Piano -
"The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth will unveil preliminary plans today for a $70 million addition designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. The plans call for a separate two-level building west of the original 1972 structure, a revered design by the late Louis Kahn. Final blueprints should be in hand by late 2009 or early 2010, with construction to begin shortly after and opening expected in 2012."
"The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth will unveil preliminary plans today for a $70 million addition designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. The plans call for a separate two-level building west of the original 1972 structure, a revered design by the late Louis Kahn. Final blueprints should be in hand by late 2009 or early 2010, with construction to begin shortly after and opening expected in 2012."
Dallas Morning News 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:22PM
visual - And It's Going In Front of Louis Kahn's Original
"As anticipated, or dreaded, the Renzo Piano-designed facility is going to be built on the west lawn, directly in front of the existing building." But he's leaving 180 feet between them - and creating the sort of entrance Kahn wanted. "Kahn did not understand Texans' desire to park as closely as possible to a door, so almost all of the Kimbell's visitors enter by way of the parking lot and through what is ostensibly the garage door of the museum. Piano is going to fix that."
"As anticipated, or dreaded, the Renzo Piano-designed facility is going to be built on the west lawn, directly in front of the existing building." But he's leaving 180 feet between them - and creating the sort of entrance Kahn wanted. "Kahn did not understand Texans' desire to park as closely as possible to a door, so almost all of the Kimbell's visitors enter by way of the parking lot and through what is ostensibly the garage door of the museum. Piano is going to fix that."
Fort Worth Star-Telegram 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:21PM
people Gustavo Dudamel Says Life Hasn't Changed All That Much
Only four years after he first led a professional orchestra, the boy wonder of conductors has two big music director jobs and a DG contract. But the 27-year-old says his life isn't so very different now - he's always conducted a lot, he's just doing more of it outside Venezuela. He's never intimidated, either - except for this one time in Vienna …
Only four years after he first led a professional orchestra, the boy wonder of conductors has two big music director jobs and a DG contract. But the 27-year-old says his life isn't so very different now - he's always conducted a lot, he's just doing more of it outside Venezuela. He's never intimidated, either - except for this one time in Vienna …
WRTI-FM (Philadelphia) (audio) 11/15/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:20PM
ideas 'The Chelsea Hotel Of The Mad'
Mark Harris looks at the place of Bellevue Hospital in the popular imagination of New York and the country at large - and at how the reality of the hospital and its image relate to and affect each other.
Mark Harris looks at the place of Bellevue Hospital in the popular imagination of New York and the country at large - and at how the reality of the hospital and its image relate to and affect each other.
New York 11/16/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:18PM
media Academy Releases 15-Film Shortlist For Documentary Oscar
Leading the pack is the post-Katrina doc Trouble the Water, the odds-on favorite; other semifinalists include Werner Herzog's trip to the Antarctic, the Philippe-Petit-skywalks-the-Twin-Towers film, and Errol Morris's examination of Abu Ghraib.
Leading the pack is the post-Katrina doc Trouble the Water, the odds-on favorite; other semifinalists include Werner Herzog's trip to the Antarctic, the Philippe-Petit-skywalks-the-Twin-Towers film, and Errol Morris's examination of Abu Ghraib.
Los Angeles Times 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:17PM
media - And Andrew O'Hehir Says It's A 'Goddamn Travesty'
Of the Documentary Oscar shortlist, Salon.com's "Beyond the Multiplex" columnist fumes, "Margaret Brown's wonderfully nuanced and profoundly personal film about the racially segregated Mardi Gras traditions of Mobile, Ala., The Order of Myths, was left off, as was Laura Dunn's gorgeous The Unforeseen, which I've described as the Chinatown of Texas real-estate documentaries. Those were two of the best examples of American filmmaking to be seen on screen all year … It's a complete and total goddamn travesty, is what it is."
Of the Documentary Oscar shortlist, Salon.com's "Beyond the Multiplex" columnist fumes, "Margaret Brown's wonderfully nuanced and profoundly personal film about the racially segregated Mardi Gras traditions of Mobile, Ala., The Order of Myths, was left off, as was Laura Dunn's gorgeous The Unforeseen, which I've described as the Chinatown of Texas real-estate documentaries. Those were two of the best examples of American filmmaking to be seen on screen all year … It's a complete and total goddamn travesty, is what it is."
Salon 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:15PM
music When Tenors Go Bad
The Cape Town Opera has fired tenor Richard Mbovane after he was caught on camera - twice - stealing electronics from a store in Berlin, where the company was touring.
The Cape Town Opera has fired tenor Richard Mbovane after he was caught on camera - twice - stealing electronics from a store in Berlin, where the company was touring.
The Times (South Africa) 11/16/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:14PM
people Nicole Kidman Wonders Aloud About Retirement
At the Sydney launch of her latest film, the Baz Luhrmann epic Australia, she said, "In terms of my future as an actor, I don't know. I'm in a place in my life where I've had some great opportunities but I may just choose to have some more children… There's many things I want to do besides act."
At the Sydney launch of her latest film, the Baz Luhrmann epic Australia, she said, "In terms of my future as an actor, I don't know. I'm in a place in my life where I've had some great opportunities but I may just choose to have some more children… There's many things I want to do besides act."
The Age (Melbourne) 11/19/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:13PM
dance Orlando Ballet's Artistic Director Resigns Unexpectedly
"In an abrupt upheaval at the Orlando Ballet, artistic director Bruce Marks quit Saturday night and was replaced Monday morning by Robert Hill, a former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre."
"In an abrupt upheaval at the Orlando Ballet, artistic director Bruce Marks quit Saturday night and was replaced Monday morning by Robert Hill, a former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre."
Orlando Sentinel 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:12PM
dance AD Of Cleveland's Verb Ballets Departs Suddenly, Evidently Fired
"Hernando Cortez, the former member of noted New York dance companies who raised Cleveland's Verb Ballets to national status, is stepping down immediately as Verb's artistic director." The company's board president says Cortez is leaving "to follow other artistic interests," but an internal e-mail suggests otherwise.
"Hernando Cortez, the former member of noted New York dance companies who raised Cleveland's Verb Ballets to national status, is stepping down immediately as Verb's artistic director." The company's board president says Cortez is leaving "to follow other artistic interests," but an internal e-mail suggests otherwise.
Plain Dealer (Cleveland) 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:11PM
music Young Tenor With Chicago Lyric Dies At 31
Ryan Smith, a first-year member of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago and a 2007 winner of the Met's National Council Auditions, died last week at age 31 of lymphoma.
Ryan Smith, a first-year member of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago and a 2007 winner of the Met's National Council Auditions, died last week at age 31 of lymphoma.
Chicago Tribune 11/17/08
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Posted 11/18/08@09:08PM
visual Manchester Gets £1.7M In Settlement Over Failed Sculpture
"Mancunians nicknamed it Kerplunk after the well-known 1970s children's game -- an apt description for a £1.42 million sculpture of giant spikes that began to fall off soon after it was completed. Now, the creator of B of the Bang has agreed with subcontractors to pay £1.7 million in damages to Manchester City Council over the failure of what was supposed to be one of the country's most exciting pieces of public art."
"Mancunians nicknamed it Kerplunk after the well-known 1970s children's game -- an apt description for a £1.42 million sculpture of giant spikes that began to fall off soon after it was completed. Now, the creator of B of the Bang has agreed with subcontractors to pay £1.7 million in damages to Manchester City Council over the failure of what was supposed to be one of the country's most exciting pieces of public art."
The Times (UK) 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@07:39AM
music S.F. Opera Director Addresses Financial Future
"General Director David Gockley acknowledged the obvious truth in a brief address to the audience before Sunday's opening performance of 'La Bohème': The financial picture at the San Francisco Opera isn't pretty. ... There had been a small drop in ticket sales, he said, but the more pressing problem was the decline in the value of the company's endowment and fears about possible future shortfalls in contributions."
"General Director David Gockley acknowledged the obvious truth in a brief address to the audience before Sunday's opening performance of 'La Bohème': The financial picture at the San Francisco Opera isn't pretty. ... There had been a small drop in ticket sales, he said, but the more pressing problem was the decline in the value of the company's endowment and fears about possible future shortfalls in contributions."
San Francisco Chronicle 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@07:24AM
dance Rahm And Billy Are Making Ballet Cool For Boys
"With the flurry of attention for the ballet history of congressman Rahm Emanuel (President-elect Obama's pick for White House chief of staff), it's suddenly become a lot cooler to be a guy who knows his way around toeshoes, turnouts and tights." But it's not just because of Emanuel. "'Billy Elliot the Musical,' which opened this week to enthusiastic reviews, has thrust boys and ballet into the bright Broadway spotlight."
"With the flurry of attention for the ballet history of congressman Rahm Emanuel (President-elect Obama's pick for White House chief of staff), it's suddenly become a lot cooler to be a guy who knows his way around toeshoes, turnouts and tights." But it's not just because of Emanuel. "'Billy Elliot the Musical,' which opened this week to enthusiastic reviews, has thrust boys and ballet into the bright Broadway spotlight."
Daily News (New York) 11/17/08
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Posted 11/18/08@07:09AM
issues In Milwaukee, The Giving Climate Is Chilly
Following Milwaukee Shakespeare's swift and unexpected closure last month, area nonprofits are understandably watchful. "There is one firm lesson, several people knowledgeable about the giving scene said: Organizations should do all they can to broaden the base of their support so they're not as vulnerable to the distresses of one or a handful of donors. A second one that applies across the board: Now is a time to be wary."
Following Milwaukee Shakespeare's swift and unexpected closure last month, area nonprofits are understandably watchful. "There is one firm lesson, several people knowledgeable about the giving scene said: Organizations should do all they can to broaden the base of their support so they're not as vulnerable to the distresses of one or a handful of donors. A second one that applies across the board: Now is a time to be wary."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 11/16/08
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Posted 11/18/08@06:57AM
issues Smithsonian Regents Meet The Public
"At its first-ever public meeting, the regents of the Smithsonian Institution sat around a red-covered table and announced they wanted 'a lively dialogue.' The audience did not hold back. The first volley from the public, gathered in an auditorium at the National Museum of Natural History, was essentially this: Why didn't all of you resign, since you are the people who picked the last secretary?"
"At its first-ever public meeting, the regents of the Smithsonian Institution sat around a red-covered table and announced they wanted 'a lively dialogue.' The audience did not hold back. The first volley from the public, gathered in an auditorium at the National Museum of Natural History, was essentially this: Why didn't all of you resign, since you are the people who picked the last secretary?"
Washington Post 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@06:08AM
music Covering Classics Is Safe, But It Doesn't Help Young Writers
If established singers "don't have to pay attention to new songwriters, what happens to the great American songbook? Even modern pop songs need interpretation. ... Performed at a different tempo, transposed to another key, given a new arrangement or sung by a gifted singer, a song takes on a new life." But older singers looking for cover songs tend to look to classics, not new work.
If established singers "don't have to pay attention to new songwriters, what happens to the great American songbook? Even modern pop songs need interpretation. ... Performed at a different tempo, transposed to another key, given a new arrangement or sung by a gifted singer, a song takes on a new life." But older singers looking for cover songs tend to look to classics, not new work.
Wall Street Journal 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@05:51AM
media Lab Project: Making Movie Storytelling Meaningful
"The movie world has been fretting for years about the collapse of stardom. Now there are growing fears that another chunk of film architecture is looking wobbly: the story. In league with a handful of former Hollywood executives, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory plans to do something about that on Tuesday, with the creation of a new Center for Future Storytelling."
"The movie world has been fretting for years about the collapse of stardom. Now there are growing fears that another chunk of film architecture is looking wobbly: the story. In league with a handful of former Hollywood executives, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory plans to do something about that on Tuesday, with the creation of a new Center for Future Storytelling."
The New York Times 11/18/08
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Posted 11/18/08@05:29AM
music U Of Cincinnati's Tall Order (Maybe): 165 Steinways
"A vast fleet of pianos is expected to arrive in Cincinnati next month, part of the largest order -- by number of instruments -- ever filled by the Steinway & Sons piano company. The College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati said it is plunking down $4.1 million for 165 pianos, to be delivered over the course of the academic year."
"A vast fleet of pianos is expected to arrive in Cincinnati next month, part of the largest order -- by number of instruments -- ever filled by the Steinway & Sons piano company. The College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati said it is plunking down $4.1 million for 165 pianos, to be delivered over the course of the academic year."
The New York Times 11/17/08
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Posted 11/18/08@05:03AM
music Royal Opera House: If No State Funding, No Manchester
"London's Royal Opera House, which seeks to open a branch in Manchester that would cost 60 million pounds to 80 million pounds ($90 million to $120 million), said the project would be dropped if it failed to receive state money."
"London's Royal Opera House, which seeks to open a branch in Manchester that would cost 60 million pounds to 80 million pounds ($90 million to $120 million), said the project would be dropped if it failed to receive state money."
Bloomberg 11/17/08
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Posted 11/18/08@04:47AM
issues Prop. 8 Opponents Target Sundance
"With activists against Proposition 8 -- California's ban on same-sex marriage -- turning to threats of boycotts, attention is focusing on a surprising target: The Sundance Film Festival. The festival has been fielding calls and emails from activists calling for Sundance to pull its films from a Park City fourplex operated by Cinemark Theaters.... Other activists have called on a boycott of Sundance altogether, merely because of its ties to Utah, where the Mormon Church is headquartered."
"With activists against Proposition 8 -- California's ban on same-sex marriage -- turning to threats of boycotts, attention is focusing on a surprising target: The Sundance Film Festival. The festival has been fielding calls and emails from activists calling for Sundance to pull its films from a Park City fourplex operated by Cinemark Theaters.... Other activists have called on a boycott of Sundance altogether, merely because of its ties to Utah, where the Mormon Church is headquartered."
Variety 11/17/08
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Posted 11/18/08@04:43AM
Monday, November 17, 2008people
Ab-Ex Painter Grace Hartigan Dies At 86
"Her bold canvases made her a bright star in the 1950s New York art world, but she 'sank from view faster than the Titanic' when she moved to Baltimore, The New York Times said. Grace Hartigan, who ultimately found a second career offering her wisdom and advice to generations of young painters at the Maryland Institute College of Art, died of liver failure today at the a Lorien Mays Chapel in Timonium nursing home."
"Her bold canvases made her a bright star in the 1950s New York art world, but she 'sank from view faster than the Titanic' when she moved to Baltimore, The New York Times said. Grace Hartigan, who ultimately found a second career offering her wisdom and advice to generations of young painters at the Maryland Institute College of Art, died of liver failure today at the a Lorien Mays Chapel in Timonium nursing home."
Baltimore Sun 11/16/08
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Posted 11/17/08@06:54PM
visual Kulik Photos Seized As Porn In Paris
"French police seized a number of works by the Ukrainian performance artist Oleg Kulik on the stand of Moscow's XL gallery during Fiac (Foire international d'art contemporain).... The police were acting on a complaint of pornography brought by the French customs against photographs from the 1990s depicting Kulik performances, sometimes naked and sometimes simulating sexual acts with animals."
"French police seized a number of works by the Ukrainian performance artist Oleg Kulik on the stand of Moscow's XL gallery during Fiac (Foire international d'art contemporain).... The police were acting on a complaint of pornography brought by the French customs against photographs from the 1990s depicting Kulik performances, sometimes naked and sometimes simulating sexual acts with animals."
The Art Newspaper 11/17/08
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Posted 11/17/08@05:07PM
media Great News! Wii Won't Turn Your Kid Into A Killer!
"A new study suggests that games that feature motion-controlled violent actions, like the Wii version of Manhunt 2 ..., don't affect players any differently than traditional violent games. Phew!" Critics had claimed "that young children would be rehearsing violent moves, and converting them into real physical violence."
"A new study suggests that games that feature motion-controlled violent actions, like the Wii version of Manhunt 2 ..., don't affect players any differently than traditional violent games. Phew!" Critics had claimed "that young children would be rehearsing violent moves, and converting them into real physical violence."
Wired 11/17/08
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Posted 11/17/08@04:51PM
visual The World's First Superscraper (Final Height Unknown)
"When you stand under the Burj Tower it doesn't look that tall at all. Bizarre. Alone on the flat desert landscape of Dubai, apart from the generic glitzy towers of the Sheikh Zayed Road, it seems slightly abstract, with nothing for your eye to compare it with." Nonetheless: "This is literally a step change in the future of skyscrapers. Welcome to the world's first superscraper."
"When you stand under the Burj Tower it doesn't look that tall at all. Bizarre. Alone on the flat desert landscape of Dubai, apart from the generic glitzy towers of the Sheikh Zayed Road, it seems slightly abstract, with nothing for your eye to compare it with." Nonetheless: "This is literally a step change in the future of skyscrapers. Welcome to the world's first superscraper."
The Times (UK) 11/18/08
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Posted 11/17/08@04:39PM
media About Those Sign-Language Interpreters On TV ...
"So, there I was, idling late at night in front of the telly, when on came the late film: John Schlesinger's 1967 work, Far from the Madding Crowd." Then up popped the on-screen sign-language interpreter, inescapably covering a substantial chunk of the picture. "Please, someone, answer me this: what the hell is wrong with subtitles?"
"So, there I was, idling late at night in front of the telly, when on came the late film: John Schlesinger's 1967 work, Far from the Madding Crowd." Then up popped the on-screen sign-language interpreter, inescapably covering a substantial chunk of the picture. "Please, someone, answer me this: what the hell is wrong with subtitles?"
The Guardian (UK) 11/17/08
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Posted 11/17/08@04:24PM
theatre Restoring Chekhov's Dacha (Not Just Wallpaper, Please!)
The Yalta dacha where Chekhov wrote "Three Sisters" and "The Cherry Orchard" is plagued by mold and a leaky roof. A campaign to save it is under way, sans state aid. As the head of the campaign explained, "The Russian government didn't want to fund the restoration because the house is in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian government didn't want to pay to promote a Russian author."
The Yalta dacha where Chekhov wrote "Three Sisters" and "The Cherry Orchard" is plagued by mold and a leaky roof. A campaign to save it is under way, sans state aid. As the head of the campaign explained, "The Russian government didn't want to fund the restoration because the house is in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian government didn't want to pay to promote a Russian author."
The Guardian (UK) 11/17/08
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Posted 11/17/08@03:55PM
music On His Way Out The Door, LA Phil Fetes Salonen
"If any city knows how to hype someone, it's LA. But it says something that even in a place more internationally famous for its silicon implants than its orchestral music, they can really put out the bunting - literally, since Salonen's mugshot is all over downtown LA - for their music director."
"If any city knows how to hype someone, it's LA. But it says something that even in a place more internationally famous for its silicon implants than its orchestral music, they can really put out the bunting - literally, since Salonen's mugshot is all over downtown LA - for their music director."
The Guardian (UK) 11/17/08
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Posted 11/17/08@03:34PM
people Lee, De Havilland, Ford's Theatre Get Arts Medal From Bush
"Stan Lee, who helped create hundreds of comic book superheroes, including 'Spider-Man,' and Olivia de Havilland, 92, who was nominated for an Academy Award in 1939 for her portrayal of Melanie Hamilton in 'Gone With the Wind,' were among the recipients of the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal at the White House yesterday."
"Stan Lee, who helped create hundreds of comic book superheroes, including 'Spider-Man,' and Olivia de Havilland, 92, who was nominated for an Academy Award in 1939 for her portrayal of Melanie Hamilton in 'Gone With the Wind,' were among the recipients of the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal at the White House yesterday."
Washington Post 11/18/08
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Posted 11/17/08@03:22PM
visual Gormley's Maquette Isn't Actually An Antique, But ...
"Anthony Gormley's design model for his Angel of the North sculpture has become the first £1m object to be valued on BBC One's Antiques Roadshow. The model was one of a number Gormley made to win over sceptical councillors ahead of the statue's commissioning."
"Anthony Gormley's design model for his Angel of the North sculpture has become the first £1m object to be valued on BBC One's Antiques Roadshow. The model was one of a number Gormley made to win over sceptical councillors ahead of the statue's commissioning."
BBC 11/16/08
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Posted 11/17/08@03:10PM
ideas To Avert Further Collapse, Build (Beautifully) For The Future
"We need to do for the 21st century what FDR did for the twentieth--invest in worn-out highways, our frail electrical grid, our public transit, brittle bridges, and water supplies. ... This late-model WPA would take advantage of a moment when great architecture, buoyed by a long construction boom and debilitated by the bubble's pop, is looking for a purpose."
"We need to do for the 21st century what FDR did for the twentieth--invest in worn-out highways, our frail electrical grid, our public transit, brittle bridges, and water supplies. ... This late-model WPA would take advantage of a moment when great architecture, buoyed by a long construction boom and debilitated by the bubble's pop, is looking for a purpose."
New York Magazine 11/24/08
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Posted 11/17/08@02:39PM
visual With Jobs Scarce, Architects Will Tone Down The Glamour
Work for architects dries up in recessions; in the last one, 40 percent of architects lost their jobs. As for what does get built, it won't be the sort of thing we've seen in recent years. "Indeed, what we may see is a swing towards a less showy architecture, with invention squeezed into pint pots. "
Work for architects dries up in recessions; in the last one, 40 percent of architects lost their jobs. As for what does get built, it won't be the sort of thing we've seen in recent years. "Indeed, what we may see is a swing towards a less showy architecture, with invention squeezed into pint pots. "
The Guardian (UK) 11/17/08
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Posted 11/17/08@02:29PM
visual On Darwin £10 Note, A Bit Too Much Artistic License
"It is the ultimate, infallible tribute to a Briton: placing their portrait on a banknote alongside images of their life and work. But now a leading UK biologist has announced that pictures on the £10 note, which commemorates the achievements of Charles Darwin, are 'little better than fiction'." The problem is the hummingbird....
"It is the ultimate, infallible tribute to a Briton: placing their portrait on a banknote alongside images of their life and work. But now a leading UK biologist has announced that pictures on the £10 note, which commemorates the achievements of Charles Darwin, are 'little better than fiction'." The problem is the hummingbird....
The Observer (UK) 11/16/08
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Posted 11/17/08@02:25PM
music Post-Mortier, What's City Opera's New New Direction?
"[D]espite the Mortier fiasco, a bold, exciting (but cheaper) agenda remains exactly what the company needs," Justin Davidson prescribes. "It needs to reconnect with the reasons Fiorello La Guardia founded the 'People's Opera' in the first place--as a frothier, less pretentious, and more affordable alternative to the Met."
"[D]espite the Mortier fiasco, a bold, exciting (but cheaper) agenda remains exactly what the company needs," Justin Davidson prescribes. "It needs to reconnect with the reasons Fiorello La Guardia founded the 'People's Opera' in the first place--as a frothier, less pretentious, and more affordable alternative to the Met."
New York Magazine 11/24/08
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Posted 11/17/08@02:16PM
ideas Caution: Your Digital Camera Has Fingerprints
"It turns out that digital cameras leave a telltale fingerprint buried in the pixels of every image they capture. Now forensic scientists can use this fingerprint to tell what camera model was used to take a shot."
"It turns out that digital cameras leave a telltale fingerprint buried in the pixels of every image they capture. Now forensic scientists can use this fingerprint to tell what camera model was used to take a shot."
New Scientist 11/14/08
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Posted 11/17/08@06:27AM
issues Houston TV Station Questions City's Arts Funding Process
It's a piggy bank full of your money being spent on art. But is the bureaucracy of art in Houston now costing more than a Picasso?
It's a piggy bank full of your money being spent on art. But is the bureaucracy of art in Houston now costing more than a Picasso?
KTRK-TV 11/10/08
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Posted 11/17/08@06:11AM
theatre Why We Need More Political Diversity In Theatre
"There is an obvious paucity of right-leaning voices in theater. There are many reasons for this, but it is to the detriment, I believe, of the community as a whole. My own political posture leans distinctly to the left. But we will not, in the long run, benefit from casting out all those whose opinions offend us. And there are sure to be many tests of tolerance ahead."
"There is an obvious paucity of right-leaning voices in theater. There are many reasons for this, but it is to the detriment, I believe, of the community as a whole. My own political posture leans distinctly to the left. But we will not, in the long run, benefit from casting out all those whose opinions offend us. And there are sure to be many tests of tolerance ahead."
Time Out New York 11/14/08
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Posted 11/17/08@06:04AM
visual Losses Pile Up For Art Auction Houses
"Each time the hammer fell, it seemed to signal a new era in sales, one that featured the return of the seasoned collector and more-sober business practices. Still, given the depth of the global economic crisis, auction house experts were expecting worse. Late Friday afternoon Sotheby's reported that it had lost $28.2 million from guarantees at its contemporary art auctions last week. That brought its total losses to about $52 million this fall, all from guarantees."
"Each time the hammer fell, it seemed to signal a new era in sales, one that featured the return of the seasoned collector and more-sober business practices. Still, given the depth of the global economic crisis, auction house experts were expecting worse. Late Friday afternoon Sotheby's reported that it had lost $28.2 million from guarantees at its contemporary art auctions last week. That brought its total losses to about $52 million this fall, all from guarantees."
The New York Times 11/17/08
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Posted 11/17/08@05:43AM
music Diversifying Classical Music
"A recent survey by the League of American Orchestras showed that blacks made up less than 2 percent of professional American orchestra musicians, while Latinos made up less than 3 percent. They are similarly underrepresented among chamber musicians and soloists. But that is slowly changing, thanks largely to the Sphinx Organization, a nonprofit venture dedicated to increasing the presence of blacks and Hispanics in classical music as composers, performers and listeners."
"A recent survey by the League of American Orchestras showed that blacks made up less than 2 percent of professional American orchestra musicians, while Latinos made up less than 3 percent. They are similarly underrepresented among chamber musicians and soloists. But that is slowly changing, thanks largely to the Sphinx Organization, a nonprofit venture dedicated to increasing the presence of blacks and Hispanics in classical music as composers, performers and listeners."
The New York Times 11/16/08
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Posted 11/17/08@05:38AM
media A New Life For French Film
"These are heady times for French film, which seems finally to have found a new voice after many years spent emerging from the long shadows of the Nouvelle Vague and battling the influence of Hollywood. French films are taking centre stage around the world and the names of French directors are once again rolling off the tongues of cinephiles: Cantet, Abdellatif Kechiche, Olivier Assayas, Agnès Jaoui. Is this the start of a new New Wave?"
"These are heady times for French film, which seems finally to have found a new voice after many years spent emerging from the long shadows of the Nouvelle Vague and battling the influence of Hollywood. French films are taking centre stage around the world and the names of French directors are once again rolling off the tongues of cinephiles: Cantet, Abdellatif Kechiche, Olivier Assayas, Agnès Jaoui. Is this the start of a new New Wave?"
The Observer (UK) 11/16/08
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Posted 11/17/08@05:19AM
issues LA Gets Its First Arts High School
"Unlike New York City, whose original Fiorello H. LaGuardia high school for the arts dates back to 1936, Los Angeles has never had such a school even though it's home to the Hollywood film, television and music industries. Students at High School No. 9 will specialize in dance, music, theater or visual arts, with separate buildings for each discipline.
"Unlike New York City, whose original Fiorello H. LaGuardia high school for the arts dates back to 1936, Los Angeles has never had such a school even though it's home to the Hollywood film, television and music industries. Students at High School No. 9 will specialize in dance, music, theater or visual arts, with separate buildings for each discipline.
Bloomberg 11/17/08
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Posted 11/17/08@05:14AM
ideas What It Takes To Be The Best At Something
"In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice-skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or 20 hours a week, of practice over 10 years... No one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery."
"In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice-skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or 20 hours a week, of practice over 10 years... No one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery."
The Guardian (UK) 11/16/08
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Posted 11/17/08@05:07AM
theatre Why Making A Living As An Actor In Seattle Isn't Possible
"The institutions have grown large, metastasized, at the expense of the actors, the designers - the artists. The weekly acting salary at the big Seattle theatres was between $700 and $900 back in the early nineties. The price range for acting at the big theatres in 2008 is . . . between $700 and $900. It hasn't changed in over fifteen years!"
"The institutions have grown large, metastasized, at the expense of the actors, the designers - the artists. The weekly acting salary at the big Seattle theatres was between $700 and $900 back in the early nineties. The price range for acting at the big theatres in 2008 is . . . between $700 and $900. It hasn't changed in over fifteen years!"
City Arts Seattle 11/08
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Posted 11/17/08@05:00AM
Sunday, November 16, 2008visual
Chicago Art Institute Gets A New Home For The New
"With its north-facing view of Millennium Park and a stack of roof-level sunshades that will filter the daylight entering the Modern Wing's third-floor galleries, Piano's design opens up a type of building that is typically an introverted treasure box. While that may satisfy Piano's desire to make the Modern Wing transparent and contemporary, as opposed to the museum's original Beaux-Arts building, it has necessitated... a 'healthy conversation' among [architect Renzo] Piano, his staff and the museum's curators."
"With its north-facing view of Millennium Park and a stack of roof-level sunshades that will filter the daylight entering the Modern Wing's third-floor galleries, Piano's design opens up a type of building that is typically an introverted treasure box. While that may satisfy Piano's desire to make the Modern Wing transparent and contemporary, as opposed to the museum's original Beaux-Arts building, it has necessitated... a 'healthy conversation' among [architect Renzo] Piano, his staff and the museum's curators."
Chicago Tribune 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@08:37PM
music And With Only The Briefest Talk, Famed Guarneri Quartet Decides To Retire
The storied quartet, together since 1964, is playing its final concerts. "People always ask do we have a five-year plan or a 10-year plan. The truth is that we've never had more than a one-year plan. I don't think we ever talked about retiring someday."
The storied quartet, together since 1964, is playing its final concerts. "People always ask do we have a five-year plan or a 10-year plan. The truth is that we've never had more than a one-year plan. I don't think we ever talked about retiring someday."
San Francisco Chronicle 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@08:28PM
theatre Amateur Theatre Association Protests Free Tickets Plan
The UK group doesn't like the plan to give away free theatre tickets to professional productions. "If... the Arts Council really want to encourage young people to participate in the arts, they should be focusing on funding those very young people to participate at a local level in the first instance as opposed to issuing such gimmicks."
The UK group doesn't like the plan to give away free theatre tickets to professional productions. "If... the Arts Council really want to encourage young people to participate in the arts, they should be focusing on funding those very young people to participate at a local level in the first instance as opposed to issuing such gimmicks."
The Guardian (UK) 11/14/08
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Posted 11/16/08@08:22PM
media Subtitles That Sing
Why do movie subtitles have to be boring? Enough of those black-and-white lines of text at the bottom of the screen. Perhaps they should look like comic boook balloons...
Why do movie subtitles have to be boring? Enough of those black-and-white lines of text at the bottom of the screen. Perhaps they should look like comic boook balloons...
Washington Post 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@08:18PM
visual Are Art Auction Prices Even Worse Than Reported?
Yup. Prices announced by the auction houses don't make across-the-board comparisons. "They almost invariably compare the estimate of hammer price to a figure arrived at by adding hammer price to the commission that the auction house charges the buyer. The result is an apples-to-oranges comparison that makes the sale results look better than they actually are."
Yup. Prices announced by the auction houses don't make across-the-board comparisons. "They almost invariably compare the estimate of hammer price to a figure arrived at by adding hammer price to the commission that the auction house charges the buyer. The result is an apples-to-oranges comparison that makes the sale results look better than they actually are."
Wall Street Journal 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@08:08PM
music Reich To Obama: Take Some Jazz To D.C.
Could President Obama give the original American music form a major boost by inviting it back into the White House? "Obama's mixed-race heritage reflects the genome of jazz, which first blossomed when multiple cultures and classes converged in New Orleans at the turn of the previous century."
Could President Obama give the original American music form a major boost by inviting it back into the White House? "Obama's mixed-race heritage reflects the genome of jazz, which first blossomed when multiple cultures and classes converged in New Orleans at the turn of the previous century."
Chicago Tribune 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@11:34AM
visual The Coming Asian Art Shift
"Of the world's 20 top-selling artists, 13 are from Asia, with 11 coming from China. Asian artists make up six of the top 10 biggest sellers at auction, five of which are Chinese. Experts predict that within a decade, the term 'Asian art' will be as widely used as 'Western art' and will be responsible for most global sales."
"Of the world's 20 top-selling artists, 13 are from Asia, with 11 coming from China. Asian artists make up six of the top 10 biggest sellers at auction, five of which are Chinese. Experts predict that within a decade, the term 'Asian art' will be as widely used as 'Western art' and will be responsible for most global sales."
The Independent (UK) 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@11:25AM
theatre Billy Boosts Broadway
"Billy Elliot, which tells the story of a boy from a working-class city in England who wants to be a ballet dancer, is shaping up to be the one bright spot on an otherwise gloomy-looking Broadway, where shows are crashing with the speed of emerging markets in Southeast Asia."
"Billy Elliot, which tells the story of a boy from a working-class city in England who wants to be a ballet dancer, is shaping up to be the one bright spot on an otherwise gloomy-looking Broadway, where shows are crashing with the speed of emerging markets in Southeast Asia."
New York Post 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@11:20AM
visual What To Do With Your Old Wal-Mart
Architecturally speaking, big box retailers are a blight on the American landscape. So when they fail, should the shells simply be left to rot? Maybe not - a new book argues that "those who gaze at the big-box stores...and fail to see future cathedrals, museums or artists' communities have no sense of history. Or imagination."
Architecturally speaking, big box retailers are a blight on the American landscape. So when they fail, should the shells simply be left to rot? Maybe not - a new book argues that "those who gaze at the big-box stores...and fail to see future cathedrals, museums or artists' communities have no sense of history. Or imagination."
Washington Post 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@11:10AM
people Jazz Biographer Peter Levinson, 74
"Peter J. Levinson, a music publicist who parlayed his close familiarity with jazz personalities into rich and sometimes intimate biographies of them, died on Oct. 21 at his home in Malibu... He eventually started his own publicity firm in New York and later expanded it to Los Angeles."
"Peter J. Levinson, a music publicist who parlayed his close familiarity with jazz personalities into rich and sometimes intimate biographies of them, died on Oct. 21 at his home in Malibu... He eventually started his own publicity firm in New York and later expanded it to Los Angeles."
The New York Times 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@11:08AM
dance Is Balanchine's Legacy Ill-Served In New York?
25 years after his death, George Balanchine remains a giant of the dance world. But the company that made him famous, New York City Ballet, "has become less incisive, more lightweight, less disturbing" in presenting his work, says Alistair Macaulay.
25 years after his death, George Balanchine remains a giant of the dance world. But the company that made him famous, New York City Ballet, "has become less incisive, more lightweight, less disturbing" in presenting his work, says Alistair Macaulay.
The New York Times 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@11:01AM
music MN Opera Makes Major Commitment To New Rep
"The Minnesota Opera will commit $5.5 million over seven years to contemporary repertoire under a new program just announced. Minnesota OperaWorks envisions three commissions, three revivals of American works and an international co-production."
"The Minnesota Opera will commit $5.5 million over seven years to contemporary repertoire under a new program just announced. Minnesota OperaWorks envisions three commissions, three revivals of American works and an international co-production."
Star Tribune (Minneapolis/St. Paul) 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@10:39AM
issues Measuring The Arts' Rate Of Return
"Houston is an economic powerhouse in energy, technology, international trade and medical research... But Houston is also an economic powerhouse in the arts. When you compare this to the city of Houston's $10 million public investment in the arts and the state's symbolic $3.9 million investment, the citizens of Houston are getting a fifty-four percent rate of return on their tax investment."
"Houston is an economic powerhouse in energy, technology, international trade and medical research... But Houston is also an economic powerhouse in the arts. When you compare this to the city of Houston's $10 million public investment in the arts and the state's symbolic $3.9 million investment, the citizens of Houston are getting a fifty-four percent rate of return on their tax investment."
Houston Chronicle 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@10:36AM
dance Major Cuts At OBT
Oregon Ballet Theatre is dumping its live orchestra for all but a few performances of The Nutcracker to save money. In addition, "nine senior staffers took a 5 percent pay cut, and salaries were frozen across the rest of the staff. The company also made production cuts for a total savings of a little more than $300,000, or about 5 percent of its $6.7 million budget."
Oregon Ballet Theatre is dumping its live orchestra for all but a few performances of The Nutcracker to save money. In addition, "nine senior staffers took a 5 percent pay cut, and salaries were frozen across the rest of the staff. The company also made production cuts for a total savings of a little more than $300,000, or about 5 percent of its $6.7 million budget."
The Oregonian (Portland) 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@10:31AM
issues St. Louis Arts Feeling The Pinch
"Theaters, museums and cultural centers across [St. Louis] have cut budgets, jobs and programs in response to the economic downturn. Box office numbers are off only slightly -- for now. But ticket sales only cover part of nonprofit groups' costs... The downturn has had an immediate impact on arts programming, capital improvements and fundraising."
"Theaters, museums and cultural centers across [St. Louis] have cut budgets, jobs and programs in response to the economic downturn. Box office numbers are off only slightly -- for now. But ticket sales only cover part of nonprofit groups' costs... The downturn has had an immediate impact on arts programming, capital improvements and fundraising."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch 11/16/08
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Posted 11/16/08@10:29AM
music Parsing Andre
Violinist/showman Andre Rieu "insists that musical categorisation is meaningless; that there is no difference between classical and non-classical music, or high art and low art... He depicts his critics as members of a stuffy musical elite with narrow aesthetic tastes, yet regularly demeans in interviews music that is not to his taste and classical musicians who choose not to perform in his manner." But then, Rieu isn't as much a musician as a profit-driven industry.
Violinist/showman Andre Rieu "insists that musical categorisation is meaningless; that there is no difference between classical and non-classical music, or high art and low art... He depicts his critics as members of a stuffy musical elite with narrow aesthetic tastes, yet regularly demeans in interviews music that is not to his taste and classical musicians who choose not to perform in his manner." But then, Rieu isn't as much a musician as a profit-driven industry.
The Australian 11/17/08
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Posted 11/16/08@10:19AM
ideas The Pervasive Power of Punk
"Punk's reach extends far beyond that original fistful of fast, loud bands, and its influence goes much deeper than a rebellious musical moment. Punk's legacy is vast. From the do-it-yourself philosophy that informs indie rock to the anti-elitism that fuels the blogosphere, the spirit of authenticity and embrace of amateurism that were the pillars of punk now permeate modern art and culture."
"Punk's reach extends far beyond that original fistful of fast, loud bands, and its influence goes much deeper than a rebellious musical moment. Punk's legacy is vast. From the do-it-yourself philosophy that informs indie rock to the anti-elitism that fuels the blogosphere, the spirit of authenticity and embrace of amateurism that were the pillars of punk now permeate modern art and culture."
Boston Globe 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@10:13AM
visual A Reawakening In Toronto?
Is the new Art Gallery of Ontario teaching Toronto's leaders a valuable lesson about the power of architecture? "Chances are this sense of engagement alone will be enough to win over sceptics, those modern architecture haters who believe the 20th century was the worst thing that ever happened. They may be right, but let's not forget, this is the 21st century. Things have changed."
Is the new Art Gallery of Ontario teaching Toronto's leaders a valuable lesson about the power of architecture? "Chances are this sense of engagement alone will be enough to win over sceptics, those modern architecture haters who believe the 20th century was the worst thing that ever happened. They may be right, but let's not forget, this is the 21st century. Things have changed."
Toronto Star 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@10:10AM
issues Smithsonian Regents Abandon Closed Door Policy
"For the first time in its 162 years, the Smithsonian Board of Regents is going public... The move is part of an exhaustive revision made by the regents to work for more transparency and open themselves up to a broader accountability."
"For the first time in its 162 years, the Smithsonian Board of Regents is going public... The move is part of an exhaustive revision made by the regents to work for more transparency and open themselves up to a broader accountability."
Washington Post 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@10:07AM
visual Saving Buffalo
Buffalo is a city with problems. But it's also a city filled with architectural treasures, many of which are at risk of demolition or decay. "Now the city is reaching a crossroads. Just as local preservationists are completing restorations on some of the city's most important landmarks, the federal government is considering a plan that could wipe out part of a historic neighborhood."
Buffalo is a city with problems. But it's also a city filled with architectural treasures, many of which are at risk of demolition or decay. "Now the city is reaching a crossroads. Just as local preservationists are completing restorations on some of the city's most important landmarks, the federal government is considering a plan that could wipe out part of a historic neighborhood."
The New York Times 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@10:01AM
visual Pointing Out What Was Always There
Estrellita Brodsky, a graduate student and well-known New York philanthropist, is leading a movement to "raise the profile of Latin American art in museums, the academy and the international art market... Only in the last 15 years have scholars fully embraced the contributions of Latin American artists to 20th-century abstract movements, particularly in the areas of installation and performance."
Estrellita Brodsky, a graduate student and well-known New York philanthropist, is leading a movement to "raise the profile of Latin American art in museums, the academy and the international art market... Only in the last 15 years have scholars fully embraced the contributions of Latin American artists to 20th-century abstract movements, particularly in the areas of installation and performance."
The New York Times 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@09:57AM
visual The Softer Side Of Gehry
Nicolai Ouroussoff says that Frank Gehry's reimagining of the Art Gallery of Ontario "may catch some fans of the architect off guard. Rather than a tumultuous creation, this may be one of Mr. Gehry's most gentle and self-possessed designs. It is not a perfect building, yet its billowing glass facade, which evokes a crystal ship drifting through the city, is a masterly example of how to breathe life into a staid old structure."
Nicolai Ouroussoff says that Frank Gehry's reimagining of the Art Gallery of Ontario "may catch some fans of the architect off guard. Rather than a tumultuous creation, this may be one of Mr. Gehry's most gentle and self-possessed designs. It is not a perfect building, yet its billowing glass facade, which evokes a crystal ship drifting through the city, is a masterly example of how to breathe life into a staid old structure."
The New York Times 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@09:54AM
visual Reviving A National Treasure
"When a fire ripped through Deyrolle, the beloved taxidermy establishment here, early one morning last February, it was as if a dagger had been plunged into the heart of Paris... Deyrolle has been a natural history emporium with the look and feel of a museum, except that just about everything was for sale." Now, the difficult task of restoring the shop has begun, and all of Paris seems to be involved.
"When a fire ripped through Deyrolle, the beloved taxidermy establishment here, early one morning last February, it was as if a dagger had been plunged into the heart of Paris... Deyrolle has been a natural history emporium with the look and feel of a museum, except that just about everything was for sale." Now, the difficult task of restoring the shop has begun, and all of Paris seems to be involved.
The New York Times 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@09:48AM
people Hundreds Gather To Remember Makeba
"Large crowds have flocked to a memorial service in Johannesburg for South African singer Miriam Makeba, who died last weekend after a concert in Italy. Musicians, poets and politicians paid tribute to the 76-year-old performer... The singer, who was known as Mama Africa, spent more than 30 years in exile after lending her support to the campaign against apartheid."
"Large crowds have flocked to a memorial service in Johannesburg for South African singer Miriam Makeba, who died last weekend after a concert in Italy. Musicians, poets and politicians paid tribute to the 76-year-old performer... The singer, who was known as Mama Africa, spent more than 30 years in exile after lending her support to the campaign against apartheid."
BBC 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@09:41AM
music CBC Radio Orchestra Not Going Quietly
The Vancouver-based CBC Radio Orchestra plays its final concert this weekend, and fans of the ensemble are expected to protest the CBC's decision to scrap it. And while the orchestra is expected to continue performing, at least for now, under a new name, the sting of the CBC's slap is still fresh.
The Vancouver-based CBC Radio Orchestra plays its final concert this weekend, and fans of the ensemble are expected to protest the CBC's decision to scrap it. And while the orchestra is expected to continue performing, at least for now, under a new name, the sting of the CBC's slap is still fresh.
The Globe & Mail (Canada) & Montreal Gazette 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@09:34AM
issues Seven Words You Can't Say Anywhere, Apparently
"George Carlin's 'Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television' was so far ahead of its time -- or maybe just so plain profane -- in 1972 that you still can't utter the Big Seven on prime-time broadcast television... And as it happens, you can't necessarily hear them at the Kennedy Center, either," where the routine was mercilessly bleeped during a ceremony honoring the late comic. Some in attendance found it ironic - others were merely annoyed.
"George Carlin's 'Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television' was so far ahead of its time -- or maybe just so plain profane -- in 1972 that you still can't utter the Big Seven on prime-time broadcast television... And as it happens, you can't necessarily hear them at the Kennedy Center, either," where the routine was mercilessly bleeped during a ceremony honoring the late comic. Some in attendance found it ironic - others were merely annoyed.
Washington Post 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@09:31AM
dance The Dancing Seagull
Canada's National Ballet is giving the North American premiere of a newly choreographed version of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. "Chekhov's original play is about actors and playwrights. In [John Neumeier's] ballet, they have become dancers and choreographers."
Canada's National Ballet is giving the North American premiere of a newly choreographed version of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. "Chekhov's original play is about actors and playwrights. In [John Neumeier's] ballet, they have become dancers and choreographers."
The Globe & Mail (Canada) 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@09:24AM
issues Music Is Back In Baghdad
"After years on the run from Shiite and Sunni militias and morality police, Iraqi musicians are slowly returning to the streets of Baghdad, looking to fill the silence left by the fading civil war... Under the strict interpretation of Islamic law imposed by Al-Qaeda on the areas it controlled, musicians were considered a threat to morality, along with alcohol vendors, barbers and women who did not cover their hair."
"After years on the run from Shiite and Sunni militias and morality police, Iraqi musicians are slowly returning to the streets of Baghdad, looking to fill the silence left by the fading civil war... Under the strict interpretation of Islamic law imposed by Al-Qaeda on the areas it controlled, musicians were considered a threat to morality, along with alcohol vendors, barbers and women who did not cover their hair."
Agence France Presse (Google) 11/15/08
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Posted 11/16/08@09:21AM
Friday, November 14, 2008visual
Protests Over Giant Ads In Venice's St. Mark's Square
"Plakativ is paying E3.5m to restore the Correr Museum side of the Square in exchange for a 240-sq. m advertising space (half the size of an Olympic swimming pool) on the scaffolding of the façade. Near the bell tower there will shortly be a 60,000 sq. m ad, which has already been let out, and for which the asking price was E165,000 a month."
"Plakativ is paying E3.5m to restore the Correr Museum side of the Square in exchange for a 240-sq. m advertising space (half the size of an Olympic swimming pool) on the scaffolding of the façade. Near the bell tower there will shortly be a 60,000 sq. m ad, which has already been let out, and for which the asking price was E165,000 a month."
The Art Newspaper 11/12/08
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Posted 11/14/08@07:51AM
visual Want Funding? Before You Work With Our Kids, There Are These Conditions...
"Visual artists who want to work with children and who apply for government funding for their projects will have to sign a contract agreeing to a raft of conditions, according to the Australia Council's draft protocols for working with children."
"Visual artists who want to work with children and who apply for government funding for their projects will have to sign a contract agreeing to a raft of conditions, according to the Australia Council's draft protocols for working with children."
The Australian 11/14/08
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Posted 11/14/08@07:37AM
theatre Will Indie Kids Kill The Musical?
"Having already destroyed one art form - alternative pop music - Morrissey's grandchildren, the shock troops of self-obsessed and willfully underachieving middle-class miserabilism, are setting out to destroy another, the musical. They must be stopped."
"Having already destroyed one art form - alternative pop music - Morrissey's grandchildren, the shock troops of self-obsessed and willfully underachieving middle-class miserabilism, are setting out to destroy another, the musical. They must be stopped."
The Guardian (UK) 11/14/08
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Posted 11/14/08@07:30AM
music UK Study: People Consuming More Music
"The study found 44 per cent of people polled claimed to have consumed more music this year than in 2007. As well as the swelling market for live music, this surge may have something to do with commercial harnessing of music through means other than record sales, since 69 per cent of "the most passionate music fans" agreed that brand affiliations provide a valuable new revenue stream for artists."
"The study found 44 per cent of people polled claimed to have consumed more music this year than in 2007. As well as the swelling market for live music, this surge may have something to do with commercial harnessing of music through means other than record sales, since 69 per cent of "the most passionate music fans" agreed that brand affiliations provide a valuable new revenue stream for artists."
The Guardian (UK) 11/14/08
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Posted 11/14/08@07:23AM
media NBC Cancels Show... Now What About The Product Placements?
"The demise of My Own Worst Enemy highlights the risks of the advertiser partnerships that NBC and other broadcasters are turning to. But the network is not backing away from the model; if anything, it is doubling down."
"The demise of My Own Worst Enemy highlights the risks of the advertiser partnerships that NBC and other broadcasters are turning to. But the network is not backing away from the model; if anything, it is doubling down."
The New York Times 11/14/08
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Posted 11/14/08@07:21AM
people Former Arts Patron Alberto Vilar's Fraud Case Goes To Jury
"More accustomed to listening to performances he financed, Mr. Vilar heard a prosecutor on Wednesday accuse him of stealing from clients and call him a liar dozens of times during closing arguments, while defense lawyers lauded him as a top-notch financial brain who had no need to steal. The case, they said, was built on disputes that really belonged in civil court."
"More accustomed to listening to performances he financed, Mr. Vilar heard a prosecutor on Wednesday accuse him of stealing from clients and call him a liar dozens of times during closing arguments, while defense lawyers lauded him as a top-notch financial brain who had no need to steal. The case, they said, was built on disputes that really belonged in civil court."
The New York Times 11/13/08
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Posted 11/14/08@07:19AM
visual Philips Auction Disaster - 40 Percent Unsold, And Prices Slide
"The sales totaled just $9.6 million, less than half of the low estimate of $23 million. Yet the diehards came -- collectors and dealers who hung in after a tough two days and nights of auctions."
"The sales totaled just $9.6 million, less than half of the low estimate of $23 million. Yet the diehards came -- collectors and dealers who hung in after a tough two days and nights of auctions."
The New York Times 11/14/08
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Posted 11/14/08@07:12AM
issues Suddenly-Cash-Rich Minnesota Arts Think About Spending
Last week state voters passed a measure that will pump millions into the arts. "The amendment could raise about $54 million for arts funding each year, which is 19.75 percent of the $270-odd million expected from the sales tax increase." So, how to spend it?
Last week state voters passed a measure that will pump millions into the arts. "The amendment could raise about $54 million for arts funding each year, which is 19.75 percent of the $270-odd million expected from the sales tax increase." So, how to spend it?
The Star-Tribune (Mpls) 11/14/08
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Posted 11/14/08@07:04AM
music Deeply Troubled Columbus Symphony Fires Music Director
"Junichi Hirokami, a native of Japan, took over the baton in June 2006 and had one year remaining on his contract. He was openly critical of the symphony board during labor negotiations with musicians in the last year. The contract dispute led the symphony to suspend operations for almost five months before reaching an agreement in September."
"Junichi Hirokami, a native of Japan, took over the baton in June 2006 and had one year remaining on his contract. He was openly critical of the symphony board during labor negotiations with musicians in the last year. The contract dispute led the symphony to suspend operations for almost five months before reaching an agreement in September."
Columbus Dispatch 11/13/08
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Posted 11/14/08@06:57AM
issues Activists Angry About California's Prop 8 Passage Boycott Movie Theatre Chain
"There has been talk of a boycott of the Cinemark movie chain, whose CEO gave money to "Yes on 8." This could have a major effect on the Sundance Film Festival, which uses the chain's theaters to show movies."
"There has been talk of a boycott of the Cinemark movie chain, whose CEO gave money to "Yes on 8." This could have a major effect on the Sundance Film Festival, which uses the chain's theaters to show movies."
Los Angeles Times 11/13/08
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Posted 11/14/08@06:54AM
Thursday, November 13, 2008dance
L.A. Music Center Cancels Nederlands Dans Theater
The Music Center's dance season has called off one of its six remaining programs this season: three June performances by Nederlands Dans Theater I. The decision was made "solely on the basis of our desire to manage our resources in the most prudent fashion." The series has recently seen "reduced donor giving, a decline in investment revenue and a shortfall in ticket sales."
The Music Center's dance season has called off one of its six remaining programs this season: three June performances by Nederlands Dans Theater I. The decision was made "solely on the basis of our desire to manage our resources in the most prudent fashion." The series has recently seen "reduced donor giving, a decline in investment revenue and a shortfall in ticket sales."
Los Angeles Times 11/10/08
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Posted 11/13/08@09:54PM
issues Is Newfangled 'Philanthrocapitalism' Really Different From Good Old-Fashioned Philanthropy?
"Venture philanthropy" ("non-profit in nature, entrepreneurial in spirit" à la Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) - is it really revolutionary? One veteran argues that most such organizations have always been "extremely results-oriented… and the use of business principles has been in the foundation world for a long time." Another contends that "some private sector principles… simply do not translate. Long-term 'social transformation,' for example, is neither easy to measure nor always cost-effective in profit-maximizing terms." And what happens as the value of endowments plummets?
"Venture philanthropy" ("non-profit in nature, entrepreneurial in spirit" à la Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) - is it really revolutionary? One veteran argues that most such organizations have always been "extremely results-oriented… and the use of business principles has been in the foundation world for a long time." Another contends that "some private sector principles… simply do not translate. Long-term 'social transformation,' for example, is neither easy to measure nor always cost-effective in profit-maximizing terms." And what happens as the value of endowments plummets?
Slate 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@09:41PM
music Newsflash: Opera In America Is Not Dying
From "High School Night" in San Francisco to the city-wide Ring festival in L.A. to the Met's HD moviecasts to the fact that "Nearly every opera company in the country has a new work somewhere in its schedule" (per the chairman of Opera America), the art form is in good health, despite the financial crisis.
From "High School Night" in San Francisco to the city-wide Ring festival in L.A. to the Met's HD moviecasts to the fact that "Nearly every opera company in the country has a new work somewhere in its schedule" (per the chairman of Opera America), the art form is in good health, despite the financial crisis.
Christian Science Monitor 11/14/08
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Posted 11/13/08@08:58PM
visual Ukraine Unlikely To Return Paintings Taken In War
"Ukraine is unlikely to return more than a dozen paintings by Western European artists brought here from a German museum as Soviet war trophies during World War II, an official said Thursday… Ukrainian law prohibits the return of World War II trophy art, she noted, adding that many Ukrainian paintings seized during the war have been exhibited in Germany but 'nobody is returning them to us.'"
"Ukraine is unlikely to return more than a dozen paintings by Western European artists brought here from a German museum as Soviet war trophies during World War II, an official said Thursday… Ukrainian law prohibits the return of World War II trophy art, she noted, adding that many Ukrainian paintings seized during the war have been exhibited in Germany but 'nobody is returning them to us.'"
Boston Globe (AP) 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@08:57PM
theatre Patti LuPone's Gypsy To Close March 1
"Patti LuPone is irreplaceable. So say the producers of Broadway's Gypsy, who yesterday announced they would shutter the hit musical revival on March 1, 2009, rather than try to replace its bold, bossy and critically beloved leading lady."
"Patti LuPone is irreplaceable. So say the producers of Broadway's Gypsy, who yesterday announced they would shutter the hit musical revival on March 1, 2009, rather than try to replace its bold, bossy and critically beloved leading lady."
Newsday 11/14/08
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Posted 11/13/08@08:46PM
music Must Be Better Than The Liverpool Oratorio
Peter Maxwell Davies has written a new piece dedicated to Paul McCartney: a 20-minute choral ode called Liber Pulsationis Fabulatoris. No, that's not "the book of fabulous vibrations" - it's a text by Hildegard von Bingen with the typically not-quite-sensical title "The Book of Pulsations of the Creator of Legends." (By the way, PMax says that "Paul is as great as Schubert and still has not received the full recognition that his talent deserves.")
Peter Maxwell Davies has written a new piece dedicated to Paul McCartney: a 20-minute choral ode called Liber Pulsationis Fabulatoris. No, that's not "the book of fabulous vibrations" - it's a text by Hildegard von Bingen with the typically not-quite-sensical title "The Book of Pulsations of the Creator of Legends." (By the way, PMax says that "Paul is as great as Schubert and still has not received the full recognition that his talent deserves.")
The Times (UK) 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@08:24PM
theatre Sunset Boulevard To Return To West End
The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, once a big Broadway-style extravaganza, is coming to London in an admired small-scale production from the Watermill Theatre in West Berkshire, where it completely sold out.
The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, once a big Broadway-style extravaganza, is coming to London in an admired small-scale production from the Watermill Theatre in West Berkshire, where it completely sold out.
BBC 11/12/08
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Posted 11/13/08@08:24PM
music Guarneri Quartet Violinist Stricken With Cancer
"The Guarneri String Quartet has postponed its Portland concerts on Feb. 14 and 15. John Dalley, the group's second violinist, has cancer and needs to undergo treatment , according to Linda Magee of Chamber Music Northwest."
"The Guarneri String Quartet has postponed its Portland concerts on Feb. 14 and 15. John Dalley, the group's second violinist, has cancer and needs to undergo treatment , according to Linda Magee of Chamber Music Northwest."
The Oregonian 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@08:14PM
media It's Not Just Newspaper Journalists In Trouble Anymore
"Sorry, news anchors - you might soon have to share your job with avatars. A virtual news technology is turning heads by quickly creating news stories and commentary, no humans required… News At Seven (newsatseven.com) is an automated system combining 3-D avatars, images, video, opinion and generated speech. The website collects news stories from the Web, edits them automatically and formats the content for artificial anchors."
"Sorry, news anchors - you might soon have to share your job with avatars. A virtual news technology is turning heads by quickly creating news stories and commentary, no humans required… News At Seven (newsatseven.com) is an automated system combining 3-D avatars, images, video, opinion and generated speech. The website collects news stories from the Web, edits them automatically and formats the content for artificial anchors."
NOW (Toronto) 11/12/08
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Posted 11/13/08@08:07PM
dance Sydney Dance Company Finally Gets Artistic Director
London-based choreographer Rafael Bonachela has just begun his tenure leading the popular and dynamic troupe. The SDC had been somewhat rudderless since longtime directors Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon quit in 2006 over persistent money trouble; their planned successor, Tanja Liedtke, was killed in an accident shortly before she assumed the post.
London-based choreographer Rafael Bonachela has just begun his tenure leading the popular and dynamic troupe. The SDC had been somewhat rudderless since longtime directors Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon quit in 2006 over persistent money trouble; their planned successor, Tanja Liedtke, was killed in an accident shortly before she assumed the post.
The Australian 11/14/08
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Posted 11/13/08@08:04PM
ideas This Is Older Than Any "Knock-Knock" Joke
"Monty Python's famous Dead Parrot sketch is actually a lot older than thought - 1,600 years older. An ancestor of the comedy sketch has been found in a joke book dating back to Greece in the 4th Century."
"Monty Python's famous Dead Parrot sketch is actually a lot older than thought - 1,600 years older. An ancestor of the comedy sketch has been found in a joke book dating back to Greece in the 4th Century."
Metro (UK) 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@08:01PM
music Met Drops Next Season's Ghosts Of Versailles
"Cutting costs in the wake of the economic downturn, the Met[ropolitan Opera] is dropping next season's highly anticipated revival of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles that was to feature the company debut of Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth. Angela Gheorghiu and Thomas Hampson, who also were to appear, instead will sing in a less-costly revival of Verdi's La Traviata, Met general manager Peter Gelb said Thursday."
"Cutting costs in the wake of the economic downturn, the Met[ropolitan Opera] is dropping next season's highly anticipated revival of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles that was to feature the company debut of Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth. Angela Gheorghiu and Thomas Hampson, who also were to appear, instead will sing in a less-costly revival of Verdi's La Traviata, Met general manager Peter Gelb said Thursday."
MSN (AP) 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@07:33PM
visual V&A's Medieval and Renaissance Wing To Open In 2009
"The Victoria & Albert museum in London will open its £30 million Medieval and Renaissance galleries as planned next year, its director has announced. Ten galleries, occupying an entire wing of the South Kensington landmark, will open in November 2009, said Mark Jones."
"The Victoria & Albert museum in London will open its £30 million Medieval and Renaissance galleries as planned next year, its director has announced. Ten galleries, occupying an entire wing of the South Kensington landmark, will open in November 2009, said Mark Jones."
BBC 11/12/08
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Posted 11/13/08@06:27AM
media After Pockmarked Big Bird, WGBH Sues Over 'Digital Mural'
"First of its kind in the region, the state-of-the-art display covering the western wall of the new WGBH headquarters debuted amid fanfare last year, when it began beaming an ever-changing array of images ... to the half-a-million Boston-bound motorists who pass by it each week on the Massachusetts Turnpike." But the screen, "marred by dark spots," was turned off in June, and WGBH is suing the maker of its "digital mural."
"First of its kind in the region, the state-of-the-art display covering the western wall of the new WGBH headquarters debuted amid fanfare last year, when it began beaming an ever-changing array of images ... to the half-a-million Boston-bound motorists who pass by it each week on the Massachusetts Turnpike." But the screen, "marred by dark spots," was turned off in June, and WGBH is suing the maker of its "digital mural."
Boston Globe 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@05:49AM
issues Some Foundation Officials Keep Their Eyes Off Asset Levels
For now, that is. "Why officials are willing to avoid obsessive worrying can be attributed to the way formal grantmaking is calculated. Though assets and endowments determine the level of giving, endowment size is generally determined by taking a multiyear average. Such averaging - which is based on an endowment's market value on a specific date, such as the end of the third or fourth fiscal quarter - tends to 'smooth out' market highs and lows...."
For now, that is. "Why officials are willing to avoid obsessive worrying can be attributed to the way formal grantmaking is calculated. Though assets and endowments determine the level of giving, endowment size is generally determined by taking a multiyear average. Such averaging - which is based on an endowment's market value on a specific date, such as the end of the third or fourth fiscal quarter - tends to 'smooth out' market highs and lows...."
Philadelphia Inquirer 11/12/08
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Posted 11/13/08@05:26AM
issues S.F. May Limit Exec Salaries At City-Funded Nonprofits
"As compensation for executives of large corporations has come under scrutiny nationwide, San Francisco lawmakers are considering a proposal to limit the salaries of executives at nonprofit organizations that receive city funds. The proposal by Supervisor Jake McGoldrick seeks to limit salaries and benefits for executives to six times the total compensation of their lowest-paid full-time employee."
"As compensation for executives of large corporations has come under scrutiny nationwide, San Francisco lawmakers are considering a proposal to limit the salaries of executives at nonprofit organizations that receive city funds. The proposal by Supervisor Jake McGoldrick seeks to limit salaries and benefits for executives to six times the total compensation of their lowest-paid full-time employee."
San Francisco Chronicle 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@04:59AM
media Social Networking Could Be TV's Next Big Thing
"As television audiences migrate online, media companies are eyeing social networking as a possible killer app for hooking viewers through their laptops. From simple chat rooms to unique games, the race is on to develop content that complements traditional shows -- the more creative and addictive the better."
"As television audiences migrate online, media companies are eyeing social networking as a possible killer app for hooking viewers through their laptops. From simple chat rooms to unique games, the race is on to develop content that complements traditional shows -- the more creative and addictive the better."
Wired 11/12/08
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Posted 11/13/08@04:43AM
people NEH Chairman Cole To Step Down In January
"Bruce Cole, the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities for the past seven years, announced yesterday he is leaving in January to join the American Revolution Center in Valley Forge, Pa. His departure gives the incoming administration of Barack Obama the opportunity to name the heads of both national endowments."
"Bruce Cole, the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities for the past seven years, announced yesterday he is leaving in January to join the American Revolution Center in Valley Forge, Pa. His departure gives the incoming administration of Barack Obama the opportunity to name the heads of both national endowments."
Washington Post 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@04:37AM
music Smithsonian Nurtures Native American Composers
"For the last three years, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian has been mounting one of the more adventurous concert series in town, showcasing new classical music by Native American composers. Admit it -- you didn't know there was such stuff."
"For the last three years, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian has been mounting one of the more adventurous concert series in town, showcasing new classical music by Native American composers. Admit it -- you didn't know there was such stuff."
Washington Post 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@04:33AM
visual SoHo Mural Needs Restoration (And Maybe A Cat Upgrade)
"Using only oil paint, the artist Richard J. Haas created an entire cast-iron facade in SoHo more than 30 years ago. Ever since, his five-story trompe l'oeil mural at 114 Prince Street, near Greene Street, has beguiled so many people that it might be thought of as New York's first big two-dimensional architectural landmark. ... Today, however, ... Mr. Haas's mural stands defaced, its entire second-story base covered by tags."
"Using only oil paint, the artist Richard J. Haas created an entire cast-iron facade in SoHo more than 30 years ago. Ever since, his five-story trompe l'oeil mural at 114 Prince Street, near Greene Street, has beguiled so many people that it might be thought of as New York's first big two-dimensional architectural landmark. ... Today, however, ... Mr. Haas's mural stands defaced, its entire second-story base covered by tags."
The New York Times 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@04:14AM
media Armchair Travelers' Latest Destination: Ancient Rome
"Now Google Earth has embraced a frontier dating back 17 centuries: ancient Rome under Constantine the Great. Soaring above a virtual reconstruction of the Forum and the Palatine Hill or zooming into the Colosseum to get a lion's-eye view of the stands, Google Earth's 400 million users will be able to explore the ancient capital as easily 'as any city can be explored today,' Michael T. Jones, chief technology officer of Google Earth, said Wednesday...."
"Now Google Earth has embraced a frontier dating back 17 centuries: ancient Rome under Constantine the Great. Soaring above a virtual reconstruction of the Forum and the Palatine Hill or zooming into the Colosseum to get a lion's-eye view of the stands, Google Earth's 400 million users will be able to explore the ancient capital as easily 'as any city can be explored today,' Michael T. Jones, chief technology officer of Google Earth, said Wednesday...."
The New York Times 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@03:59AM
visual A Bacon Goes Unsold As Art Market Shows Flickers Of Life
"In a bumpy sale of contemporary art at Christie's on Wednesday, some paintings, drawings and sculptures were eagerly sought, but there were also big disappointments as the art market struggled to adjust to today's financial climate. What was expected to be the star -- a 1964 self-portrait by Francis Bacon that was estimated at $40 million -- went unsold without so much as a bid. But other works brought prices that surprised even Christie's executives."
"In a bumpy sale of contemporary art at Christie's on Wednesday, some paintings, drawings and sculptures were eagerly sought, but there were also big disappointments as the art market struggled to adjust to today's financial climate. What was expected to be the star -- a 1964 self-portrait by Francis Bacon that was estimated at $40 million -- went unsold without so much as a bid. But other works brought prices that surprised even Christie's executives."
The New York Times 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@03:42AM
media All Grown Up, Can The Kids Who Loved Kotter Save TV?
"It's never good news to discover that your generation, broadly speaking, is in charge of things. ... But it's nice, sort of, that the people tasked with putting stuff on TV at least remember what it was like to love it, to love Bosley, to love Squiggy, to love Les Nessman, to know who Skippy and Mallory are. If you're going to fix something, it helps to love it first."
"It's never good news to discover that your generation, broadly speaking, is in charge of things. ... But it's nice, sort of, that the people tasked with putting stuff on TV at least remember what it was like to love it, to love Bosley, to love Squiggy, to love Les Nessman, to know who Skippy and Mallory are. If you're going to fix something, it helps to love it first."
KCRW 11/12/08
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Posted 11/13/08@03:33AM
theatre Sacramento A.D. Resigns Over His Support Of Prop. 8
"The artistic director of the California Musical Theater, a major nonprofit producing company here in the state's capital, resigned on Wednesday in the face of growing outrage over his support for a ballot measure this month that outlawed same-sex marriage in California." Scott Eckern donated $1,000 to the campaign for Proposition 8.
"The artistic director of the California Musical Theater, a major nonprofit producing company here in the state's capital, resigned on Wednesday in the face of growing outrage over his support for a ballot measure this month that outlawed same-sex marriage in California." Scott Eckern donated $1,000 to the campaign for Proposition 8.
The New York Times 11/13/08
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Posted 11/13/08@03:19AM
Wednesday, November 12, 2008ideas
Does Religion Make You Nice And Atheism Make You Mean?
In the U.S., "atheists are less charitable than their God-fearing counterparts: They donate less blood, for example, and are less likely to offer change to homeless people on the street." Yet "the Danes and the Swedes [are] probably the most godless people on Earth. They don't go to church or pray in the privacy of their own homes; they don't believe in God or heaven or hell. But, by any reasonable standard, they're nice to one another. They have a famously expansive welfare and health care service. They have a strong commitment to social equality."
In the U.S., "atheists are less charitable than their God-fearing counterparts: They donate less blood, for example, and are less likely to offer change to homeless people on the street." Yet "the Danes and the Swedes [are] probably the most godless people on Earth. They don't go to church or pray in the privacy of their own homes; they don't believe in God or heaven or hell. But, by any reasonable standard, they're nice to one another. They have a famously expansive welfare and health care service. They have a strong commitment to social equality."
Slate 11/07/08
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Posted 11/12/08@09:39PM
music Pierre Boulez Curates Art Exhibition At Louvre
"[T]he art show titled 'Work:Fragment' gathers 70 works by artists such as Ingres, Cézanne, Degas, Delacroix, Kandinsky, Klee, Giacometti and Picasso alongside scores from Wagner, Bartók and Varèse and works by writers from the 19th and 20th centuries." The program, the first at the Louvre ever to be curated by a musician, also includes 11 live and six filmed concerts.
"[T]he art show titled 'Work:Fragment' gathers 70 works by artists such as Ingres, Cézanne, Degas, Delacroix, Kandinsky, Klee, Giacometti and Picasso alongside scores from Wagner, Bartók and Varèse and works by writers from the 19th and 20th centuries." The program, the first at the Louvre ever to be curated by a musician, also includes 11 live and six filmed concerts.
Agence France-Presse 11/06/08
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Posted 11/12/08@09:26PM
dance Dancing About Architecture, Sort Of
"But choreographer Tere O'Connor, 50, who also calls himself 'an advanced architectural hobbyist,' sees plenty of connections between the two [disciplines]." His piece Rammed Earth, named after an ancient building technique, makes "conceptual links between solid and moving architecture."
"But choreographer Tere O'Connor, 50, who also calls himself 'an advanced architectural hobbyist,' sees plenty of connections between the two [disciplines]." His piece Rammed Earth, named after an ancient building technique, makes "conceptual links between solid and moving architecture."
Miami Herald 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@09:25PM
visual Damien Hirst's Latest Bloody Carcass: Sienna Miller
In a new music video art-directed by Hirst - for "See the Light," a single by the indie-rock duo The Hours - the English film actress "dons a hospital gown, gets trapped in a glass case in a bag shop, smokes, talks about suicide, cries a lot, undergoes an MRI scan, and smears herself in cow's blood in front of four eviscerated, wall-mounted bovine carcasses."
In a new music video art-directed by Hirst - for "See the Light," a single by the indie-rock duo The Hours - the English film actress "dons a hospital gown, gets trapped in a glass case in a bag shop, smokes, talks about suicide, cries a lot, undergoes an MRI scan, and smears herself in cow's blood in front of four eviscerated, wall-mounted bovine carcasses."
The Guardian (UK) 11/12/08 (with video)
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Posted 11/12/08@09:07PM
people Malcolm Gladwell - Geek Superstar Or Parasite?
The author of The Tipping Point and Blink may be a pop-intellectual rock star who rakes in "stratospheric" speaking fees, but he says, "At the end of the day, I'm just a journalist […] I spend my time talking to people who tell me things, and then I write them down. I'm necessarily parasitic in a way. I have done well as a parasite. [pause] But I'm still a parasite."
The author of The Tipping Point and Blink may be a pop-intellectual rock star who rakes in "stratospheric" speaking fees, but he says, "At the end of the day, I'm just a journalist […] I spend my time talking to people who tell me things, and then I write them down. I'm necessarily parasitic in a way. I have done well as a parasite. [pause] But I'm still a parasite."
New York 11/09/08
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Posted 11/12/08@09:05PM
music Michael Kaiser To The Rescue Once Again
Faced with money troubles, a nearly dark season and the departure of artistic director-designate Gérard Mortier, New York City Opera is turning for help to "the performing arts world's Mr. Fix-It," Kennedy Center CEO Michael Kaiser, who has famously presided over turnarounds at Covent Garden and American Ballet Theater and helped steady Miami's teetering Adrienne Arsht Center.
Faced with money troubles, a nearly dark season and the departure of artistic director-designate Gérard Mortier, New York City Opera is turning for help to "the performing arts world's Mr. Fix-It," Kennedy Center CEO Michael Kaiser, who has famously presided over turnarounds at Covent Garden and American Ballet Theater and helped steady Miami's teetering Adrienne Arsht Center.
Musical America 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@09:04PM
media Trivial Pursuit Becomes A Game Show
"At the show's Web site, average Americans (or 'folks,' as one always wants to call them after an election season) upload video clips of themselves asking questions. In the studio, standing on a six-spoked set paying homage to the home game, three pleasant contestants attempt to answer them."
"At the show's Web site, average Americans (or 'folks,' as one always wants to call them after an election season) upload video clips of themselves asking questions. In the studio, standing on a six-spoked set paying homage to the home game, three pleasant contestants attempt to answer them."
Slate 11/11/08
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Posted 11/12/08@09:03PM
visual Gehry's Beachfront Project In Brighton Is Killed
Funding for Frank Gehry's £290 million King Alfred Leisure Center in the English seaside resort town has collapsed. The architect's design plan, which featured a pair of wavy towers, is being scrapped.
Funding for Frank Gehry's £290 million King Alfred Leisure Center in the English seaside resort town has collapsed. The architect's design plan, which featured a pair of wavy towers, is being scrapped.
The Architects' Journal (UK) 11/10/08
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Posted 11/12/08@09:02PM
issues The Death Of Newspapers: It's Not Journalists' Fault
"When the obituaries are written for America's newspapers, count on journalists to indict themselves in their own demise… We could have saved ourselves, goes the refrain, if only we had been more creative and aggressive and less risk averse. To which I can only reply: Oh, please… Newspapers are in trouble for reasons that have almost nothing to do with newspaper journalism, and everything to do with the newspaper business."
"When the obituaries are written for America's newspapers, count on journalists to indict themselves in their own demise… We could have saved ourselves, goes the refrain, if only we had been more creative and aggressive and less risk averse. To which I can only reply: Oh, please… Newspapers are in trouble for reasons that have almost nothing to do with newspaper journalism, and everything to do with the newspaper business."
American Journalism Review October/November 2008
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Posted 11/12/08@08:55PM
issues But Dan Savage Has An Idea To Save Them
"I mean, daily newspapers all need to put 'f***' in a headline above the fold one day - it'll solve all their problems. That's my prescription. And then in one fell swoop they'll get rid of all those 80-year-old subscribers who won't let them drop 'Blondie.' Catering to the 80-year-olds? Where's that getting newspapers? Making sure there's nothing in your paper that's inappropriate for an eighty-year-old to read?"
"I mean, daily newspapers all need to put 'f***' in a headline above the fold one day - it'll solve all their problems. That's my prescription. And then in one fell swoop they'll get rid of all those 80-year-old subscribers who won't let them drop 'Blondie.' Catering to the 80-year-olds? Where's that getting newspapers? Making sure there's nothing in your paper that's inappropriate for an eighty-year-old to read?"
MediaBistro 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@08:54PM
theatre Video Game Goes Online, Onscreen And Real-World In Real Time, All At Once
The London theater company Punchdrunk has teamed up with HP Labs, gaming company Hide & Seek, and web design firm Seeper to create Last Will, a "hybrid experience" for two on-site players, one in a "physical realm" and the other in a "virtual realm."
The London theater company Punchdrunk has teamed up with HP Labs, gaming company Hide & Seek, and web design firm Seeper to create Last Will, a "hybrid experience" for two on-site players, one in a "physical realm" and the other in a "virtual realm."
The Independent (UK) 10/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@08:53PM
music Latest Candidate For The Strad Secret: Mushrooms
"A Swiss researcher said Thursday he had hit on an unlikely way of recreating the unique sound of a Stradivarius violin - by treating the wood of a replica instrument with mushrooms."
"A Swiss researcher said Thursday he had hit on an unlikely way of recreating the unique sound of a Stradivarius violin - by treating the wood of a replica instrument with mushrooms."
Agence France-Presse 11/06/08
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Posted 11/12/08@08:52PM
visual Botero Scrutinized For Tax Evasion In Italy
"Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero is being investigated on suspicion of tax evasion, Italian authorities said Tuesday.
"Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero is being investigated on suspicion of tax evasion, Italian authorities said Tuesday.
CBC 11/11/08
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Posted 11/12/08@08:51PM
people Fury In China As Gong Li "Defects" To Singapore
The People's Republic's most famous actress, who "embodies Chinese womanhood in the way Helen Mirren sets British hearts racing, or the way Catherine Deneuve is an icon in France," has taken the citizenship of her Singaporean husband. Her erstwhile compatriots are fuming: "She earned enough money in China, didn't she? Then she becomes a foreigner! Why do we make her money for her, just so she can take the money and run."
The People's Republic's most famous actress, who "embodies Chinese womanhood in the way Helen Mirren sets British hearts racing, or the way Catherine Deneuve is an icon in France," has taken the citizenship of her Singaporean husband. Her erstwhile compatriots are fuming: "She earned enough money in China, didn't she? Then she becomes a foreigner! Why do we make her money for her, just so she can take the money and run."
The Independent (UK) 10/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@08:50PM
visual How Malcolm Rogers Completely Shook Up The Boston Museum Of Fine Arts
In which a mild-mannered administrator from London's National Portrait Gallery turned into a "maverick with the Midas touch," perpetrated a "Boston Massacre," and is massively expanding the MFA's fundraising, programs and even physical space.
In which a mild-mannered administrator from London's National Portrait Gallery turned into a "maverick with the Midas touch," perpetrated a "Boston Massacre," and is massively expanding the MFA's fundraising, programs and even physical space.
The Independent (UK) 10/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@08:49PM
theatre August: Osage County To Get Movie Version
The Weinstein brothers have acquired the film rights to Tracy Letts's Tony-winning drama about a ferociously dysfunctional Oklahoma family. Actresses are already lobbying for the juicy female roles in the film, which is planned for 2011 release.
The Weinstein brothers have acquired the film rights to Tracy Letts's Tony-winning drama about a ferociously dysfunctional Oklahoma family. Actresses are already lobbying for the juicy female roles in the film, which is planned for 2011 release.
Variety 11/10/08
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Posted 11/12/08@08:48PM
music Dallas Symphony Cancels Concert Butterfly
The DSO is replacing its concert performances of Madama Butterfly, scheduled for next May, with a conventional orchestra-and-chorus program. For once, it's not due to the current economic mess: the orchestra is avoiding conflict with The Dallas Opera's new Butterfly planned for the following spring.
The DSO is replacing its concert performances of Madama Butterfly, scheduled for next May, with a conventional orchestra-and-chorus program. For once, it's not due to the current economic mess: the orchestra is avoiding conflict with The Dallas Opera's new Butterfly planned for the following spring.
Dallas Morning News 11/13/08
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Posted 11/12/08@08:44PM
issues Newspaper Music Coverage: Dismal, But Not New
"Music critics write basically for three important audiences: First, the people who attend concerts. Second, a larger group of intensely interested people who read reviews of concerts they aren't going to hear. And third, the critic's bosses. Ignore the third audience at your peril."
"Music critics write basically for three important audiences: First, the people who attend concerts. Second, a larger group of intensely interested people who read reviews of concerts they aren't going to hear. And third, the critic's bosses. Ignore the third audience at your peril."
MinnPost (Minneapolis/St. Paul) 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@07:10AM
visual Settling Old Scores In AGO Revamp
"Emerging from the debris of decades of squabbles and hundreds of pages of legal documents, Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario unveils its revamped and redesigned home this week in a state of happy detente with neighbourhood residents who once voiced fierce opposition to its transformational plans."
"Emerging from the debris of decades of squabbles and hundreds of pages of legal documents, Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario unveils its revamped and redesigned home this week in a state of happy detente with neighbourhood residents who once voiced fierce opposition to its transformational plans."
The Globe & Mail (Canada) 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:56AM
theatre Tony Boss Ousted
"Producer Elizabeth I. McCann, who guided the Tony Awards through some choppy times, had a lot to do with the success of this year's telecast, a program that won an Emmy and good reviews from the press." But McCann was relieved of her duties this week, reportedly at the hands of "Charlotte St. Martin, who heads the Broadway League, and Howard Sherman, who looks after the nonprofit American Theater Wing."
"Producer Elizabeth I. McCann, who guided the Tony Awards through some choppy times, had a lot to do with the success of this year's telecast, a program that won an Emmy and good reviews from the press." But McCann was relieved of her duties this week, reportedly at the hands of "Charlotte St. Martin, who heads the Broadway League, and Howard Sherman, who looks after the nonprofit American Theater Wing."
New York Post 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:51AM
visual Should Pittsburgh Fest Drop Visual Art?
"One of the decisions that the principals deciding the future of the Three Rivers Arts Festival will have to make is what role the visual arts will play, and perhaps it's time to consider whether they should be included at all... The event is as popular as ever," but with no admission charge, it's become harder and harder to pay for, and tough decisions may have to be made.
"One of the decisions that the principals deciding the future of the Three Rivers Arts Festival will have to make is what role the visual arts will play, and perhaps it's time to consider whether they should be included at all... The event is as popular as ever," but with no admission charge, it's become harder and harder to pay for, and tough decisions may have to be made.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:45AM
visual Gehry On Gehry: The AGO Redesign
The starchitect speaks: "Putting things on a pedestal hurts the art and I didn't want to do that. It's a miracle, but the galleries for [Ken Thomson's] Canadian collection are the best I've ever done. Even with white cubic spaces we managed to give them soul... We did the best thing we could do on our budget; a very complicated way of interweaving things within a structure that had been remade many times."
The starchitect speaks: "Putting things on a pedestal hurts the art and I didn't want to do that. It's a miracle, but the galleries for [Ken Thomson's] Canadian collection are the best I've ever done. Even with white cubic spaces we managed to give them soul... We did the best thing we could do on our budget; a very complicated way of interweaving things within a structure that had been remade many times."
Toronto Star 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:37AM
media NPR Taps NY Times Exec As New CEO
"Vivian Schiller, 47, will take over as president and CEO of Washington-based NPR at a time when many media companies are under severe economic stress due to declining advertising support and rapidly shifting consumer tastes." So far, NPR has avoided fiscal trouble, but "Schiller takes over an organization... that has been roiled by internal disagreement."
"Vivian Schiller, 47, will take over as president and CEO of Washington-based NPR at a time when many media companies are under severe economic stress due to declining advertising support and rapidly shifting consumer tastes." So far, NPR has avoided fiscal trouble, but "Schiller takes over an organization... that has been roiled by internal disagreement."
Washington Post 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:33AM
visual Philly Children's Museum Quadruples Its Space
"To the adult eye, [the Please Touch Museum's] $88 million new home in [Philadelphia's Memorial Hall,] a Beaux-Arts-style granite palace built for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Fairmount Park, is super-size in every way... The reborn children's museum, which reopened last month, offers 38,000 square feet of exhibit space, almost four times that of its previous location."
"To the adult eye, [the Please Touch Museum's] $88 million new home in [Philadelphia's Memorial Hall,] a Beaux-Arts-style granite palace built for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Fairmount Park, is super-size in every way... The reborn children's museum, which reopened last month, offers 38,000 square feet of exhibit space, almost four times that of its previous location."
Washington Post 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:31AM
music Hip-Hop Artists Celebrate Obama
"Since last week, hip-hop artists have issued a host of new songs in tribute to Obama's victory... There's obvious joy and celebration, but also a sense of historic moment, and almost a tragicomic awareness of what it took to get to this point."
"Since last week, hip-hop artists have issued a host of new songs in tribute to Obama's victory... There's obvious joy and celebration, but also a sense of historic moment, and almost a tragicomic awareness of what it took to get to this point."
Washington Post 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:23AM
visual Manhattan Artists' Club Selling Off Its Studio Space
The Pen & Brush, "a century-old former club in Greenwich Village devoted to female artists and writers," is selling its longtime home after concluding that it can no longer afford to maintain the space. "Those who rent the artist studios on the upper floors, are distressed by the prospect of losing work and exhibition spaces to which they have grown attached."
The Pen & Brush, "a century-old former club in Greenwich Village devoted to female artists and writers," is selling its longtime home after concluding that it can no longer afford to maintain the space. "Those who rent the artist studios on the upper floors, are distressed by the prospect of losing work and exhibition spaces to which they have grown attached."
The New York Times 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:13AM
visual The Recession Comes To Sotheby's
"In a salesroom overflowing with collectors like the actor Steve Martin, the financier Eli Broad and the fashion designer Valentino, Sotheby's barely managed to sell $125.1 million worth of contemporary art on Tuesday night, well below the low estimate of $202.4 million."
"In a salesroom overflowing with collectors like the actor Steve Martin, the financier Eli Broad and the fashion designer Valentino, Sotheby's barely managed to sell $125.1 million worth of contemporary art on Tuesday night, well below the low estimate of $202.4 million."
The New York Times 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:10AM
visual "New" Caravaggios Make Their Debut
"Two newly discovered paintings by the Italian artist Caravaggio will go on display in Scotland for the first time... the pieces were verified as Caravaggio originals during the cleaning process, when specialists were able to carry out detailed examinations of several paintings and assess their status with scholars in the field."
"Two newly discovered paintings by the Italian artist Caravaggio will go on display in Scotland for the first time... the pieces were verified as Caravaggio originals during the cleaning process, when specialists were able to carry out detailed examinations of several paintings and assess their status with scholars in the field."
BBC 11/12/08
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Posted 11/12/08@06:04AM
media Last-Minute Filmmaking
"Director Ba
"Director Ba