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February 9, 2010
How DC-Area Arts Groups Weathered The Storm "Many of the city's museums and theaters went dark over the weekend" as the mammoth snowstorm struck, but the Newseum remained open, and "despite the snowdrifts and lack of public transportation, the show did go on at a few area venues." So did some rehearsals.
Washington Post 02/09/10
February 8, 2010
Brooklyn Cultural District Construction To Begin "The projects include the long-awaited new building for Theatre for a New Audience; a renovation of the Strand Theater building; [and] a third theater venue for BAM.... But the nascent arts neighborhood has had so many setbacks, it's easy to question whether these projects will be completed as scheduled, especially during a major recession."
Crain's New York Business 02/07/10
The USA's Sixty Biggest Donors Arts givers in 2009's top 10: Michael Bloomberg (No. 4), Louise Dieterle Nippert (No. 5) and Eli and Edythe Broad (No. 7).
Slate 02/05/10
Obama Names Chuck Close, Jhumpa Lahiri To Arts Panel Newly appointed to the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, Chuck Close and Jhumpa Lahiri "will become the first visual artist and writer on an advisory panel weighted with actors and business people."
Los Angeles Times 02/05/10
How Eli Broad Has Changed LA Culture "Mr. Broad dominates the arts here with a force that has no parallel in any major city. Los Angeles would literally not look the same had Mr. Broad not chosen it as his home 40 years ago, and his business-focused method of managing his giving has earned him a reputation as both a genius and a despot."
The New York Times 02/08/10
Rethinking The Venerable University Of California "Should UC increase its use of online classes? Could bachelor's degrees be earned in three years? Should campuses eliminate small departments that are duplicated elsewhere? Enroll more out-of-state students to raise revenue? Boost research ties with private industry?"
Los Angeles Times 02/08/10
February 7, 2010
Has Pasadena Lost Its Way With Culture? "At the turn of the last century, Pasadena's love of the arts was part of what historian Kevin Starr called a "genteel tradition," which included a Shakespeare Club and a Grand Opera House. But these days, Pasadena's art scene is in flux."
Los Angeles Times 02/07/10
UK Universities Change Entry Requirements "Universities have introduced the changes partly because of surging numbers of applications -- with a rise of nearly 12% expected in national figures to be released this week."
The Times 02/07/10
When High Art Was Part Of The Ordinary Aspiration "In those days it was taken for granted that the upward mobility of middle-class Americans extended to cultural matters, and that anyone, educated or not, could appreciate highbrow art so long as it was presented in an accessible and engaging way."
The Wall Street Journal 02/06/10
February 5, 2010
Buried Under The Online Avalanche "Falling behind is the permanent state of being online. There's too much stuff. No one can see it all. (Or should -- becoming a pop culture connoisseur in the age of a bazillion memes would require such relentless viewing that you couldn't be a connoisseur of anything else. Like bathing.)"
Washington Post 02/05/10
Los Angeles City Council Saves Arts Funding "The Los Angeles City Council unanimously shot down a proposal Wednesday that would have eliminated guaranteed city funding for the arts, after listening to often-impassioned pleas during a public hearing on cutting government services and jobs in the face of a municipal budget crisis."
Los Angeles Times 02/05/10
February 4, 2010
World's Oldest Christian Monastery Completes Restoration "Egypt's antiquities chief on Thursday unveiled the completion of an 8-year, $14.5 million restoration of the world's oldest Christian monastery," St. Anthony's in the Red Sea Mountains. The monastery, which is still in operation, was completed in 350AD by the followers of its namesake saint, who is considered the founder of Christian monasticism.
Yahoo!/AP 02/04/10
Pop-Culture Smackdown: Indianapolis Vs. New Orleans One city is "famous for its sinful food and its scrumptious music and its freewheeling spirit, for legendary jazz performers such as Jelly Roll Morton. The other is a stolid, serious and responsible locale famous for ... well, Jared, the Subway guy. ... But America loves an underdog. And Indianapolis is no slouch in the cultural realm."
Chicago Tribune 02/03/10
February 3, 2010
Should There Be Driver's Licenses For The Internet? "I can hear the worldwide scream go up: 'But we're
entitled to anonymity on the Internet!' Really? Are you? Why do you think that?
[In] the physical world we are implicitly comfortable with the notion that there are certain places we're not allowed to go without identifying ourselves."
Time 01/30/10
New York Times 02/01/10
Philadelphia Unveils An Arts Festival (Minus The Content) The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts was hailed "as a breakthrough for what [the city's mayor] called 'the arts-and-culture-economy community,'" but what the festival will be remains a mystery. Organizers' strategy, "unveiling packaging before content" for the 2011 extravaganza, created puzzlement.
Philadelphia Inquirer 02/03/10
The Guardian (UK) 02/01/10
L.A.'s Arts Cuts Could Be Even Worse Than You Think "What's proposed? Cut the Cultural Affairs Department almost in half, laying off 48% of staff.
What else? Terminate existing contracts for arts grants that have already been awarded but whose projects have not yet begun. Suspend the grant program for 2010-11. That's right: Zero it out."
Los Angeles Times 02/02/10
Michael Kaiser: Where Are The Arts Important? Everywhere. "I was reflecting on the claims of too many politicians that the arts are the province of the elite in big coastal cities like New York and Los Angeles.
[But people] of all backgrounds and income levels are involved with the arts across the United States. Why else would 400 enthusiastic people come to my presentation in Kalamazoo, Michigan and 750 attend in Kansas City, Missouri?"
Huffington Post 02/01/10
February 2, 2010
Journalists, Stop Giving Away Your Work For Free! Alan Mutter: "Apart from the sheer righteousness of being paid an honest dollar for an honest day's work, journalists need to stand together - and stand tall - to reassert the stature of their profession. The reason is simple: If they don't put a value on what they do, then no one else will, either."
Reflections of a Newsosaur 02/01/10
Stop Writing Completely Except For Pay? That'll Be The Day Christopher Lloyd: "[When my newspaper clients lost their freelancer budgets entirely,] I had a choice to make. Take
Mutter's high road, and refuse to keep supplying film reviews for free.
Or, I could keep slaving away without pay.
I opted to go the second way. After all, I knew I wasn't going to drop my passion for film criticism. If I was going to do it, I might as well have it published."
Captain Critic 02/01/10
February 1, 2010
In Obama Budget, Arts Funding Holds Steady "Should the Obama administration get its way, funding for the nation's major arts and cultural institutions will stay largely flat, although a few organizations ... will see increases over what the president requested last year. In general, arts organizations seemed grateful that things didn't turn out worse."
Washington Post 02/02/10
Obama Budget May Be Bad News For Philanthropy Under the plan, "tax deductions for charitable donations will be capped at 28% starting in 2011 for individuals earning more than $200,000 and joint-filers whose income tops $250,000. ... So an arts philanthropist donating a $1-million gift to a museum or performance group would get a $350,000 tax break this year, but only $280,000 in 2011."
Los Angeles Times 02/01/10
January 31, 2010
Do We Take The Arts Too Seriously? "Art is often discussed in reverent tones, we invest in it, create daunting palaces for it.
The idea that seriousness is somehow a measure of value and that art needs to be treated seriously all the time is a weird one. Much of the time, people value things that make them laugh, cry, scream, think or [get] inspired - much more than they value the worthy and the serious."
The Age (Melbourne) 02/01/10
Arts Funding: Good Politics As Well As Good Economics The British Columbia government slashed arts funding last year, and the province's arts community expects the cuts to remain in place. But some advocates are adding another point to the usual argument that arts funding has a multiplier effect on the larger economy. "More importantly, despite what some politicians think, it's good and shrewd politics to support the arts. That's what Prime Minister Stephen Harper found out in Quebec."
Vancouver Sun 01/29/10
Bloomington, Ind. Eliminates Staff At Arts Center "The Bloomington Area Arts Council has laid off the entire paid staff at a financially struggling arts center. The five employees at the John Waldron Arts Center were told about the layoffs Wednesday. The center is expected to remain open, staffed by volunteers."
Chicago Tribune (AP) 01/29/10
Could Escondido's Arts Center Become A Shopping Center? "Escondido's performing arts center might become a conglomeration of government offices and retail businesses if city officials follow through on a budget-cutting plan that would shut down the financially struggling facility, but such proposals face a wide variety of hurdles."
North County Times (San Diego County, CA) 01/31/10
January 28, 2010
The Messy Intersection Of Copyright, 'Fair Use', Books, Film And Google Under the doctrine of fair use, a writer may freely quote a limited amount of copyrighted material. Documentary filmmakers, in an analogous situation, must get licenses for even small amounts of archival footage. Once those licenses expire, renewing them is complicated and expensive, but without such renewals, a documentary cannot legally be distributed or even restored. Could the Google Books-Authors Guild settlement push nonfiction books into a similar limbo?
The New Republic 01/26/10
'Housework Is An Academic Issue' "Since René Descartes, Western culture has stringently separated matters of mind from body. Housework is, however, related to the life of the mind. Scientists wear clean clothes to the lab (at least from time to time), eat food procured and prepared by someone, and live in reasonably clean houses. This labor used to be done by stay-at-home wives."
Academe (AAUP) January-February 2010
Aging Audiences? Hey, Who're You Calling 'Old'? "Those people in your audience who are currently 60, the ones who get hammered as 'conservative' and 'unimaginative'? They were born in 1950, which means they were graduating from high school in 1968. Maybe you've read about 1968
it was the year America was on fire."
The Guardian (UK) 01/28/10
If City Of L.A. Cuts Jobs, Arts Will Be Hit Harder Than Most A plan to cut 1,003 jobs in Los Angeles government would fall disproportionately on the arts. "Libraries would see a 10% reduction in staff," while the city's "Cultural Affairs Department would experience a loss of 30 employees, or 48% of its workforce."
Los Angeles Times 01/28/10
January 27, 2010
At Davos, Margaret Atwood Schools The Global Elite "Unlike the discipline of economics, and indeed unlike money - a lately-come tool we invented to facilitate trading at a distance - art is very old. The anthropologists and neurologists are now telling us how old - it's as old as humanity. It isn't a frill. Art isn't only what we do, it's who we are."
The Globe and Mail (Canada) 01/27/10
Seiji Ozawa To Curate Carnegie Hall Japan Festival In 2010-11 The festival "will feature dance, Noh theater, taiko drumming, art exhibitions, manga and jazz, as well as performances by orchestras partly founded by Mr. Ozawa: the Saito Kinen Orchestra and the Seiji Ozawa Ongaku-juku." Much of the programming will also play at the Orange County PAC in California.
New York Times 01/28/10
The Cartoonists Who Chronicled Gay Liberation They "put everyday gay experience on the page. By default they were documenting the history of gay liberation in Britain. They turned gay people from the butt of the joke to those delivering the punch lines."
The Times (UK) 01/27/10
January 26, 2010
Have We Been Going At Arts Advocacy The Wrong Way? "It is intrinsically impossible to justify public investment in creativity using (economic) tools, because art's essence is its ability to engage us fully in body, emotions, mind and spirit,
Trying to explain or demonstrate this with numbers is like trying to describe a rainbow without mentioning color."
Orange County Register (Calif.) 01/26/10
'London In 2010, As Predicted In 1990' "Twenty years ago we published a magazine that looked ahead to London in 2010. Our team of experts foresaw futuristic monorails, machines to control the rain, and a city riven by class wars. Instead we have the London Eye, the Gherkin and a population in thrall to the iPod and the mobile phone. We went back to those experts to ask: how did we get here?"
The Observer (UK) 01/24/10
The Guardian (UK) 01/25/10
January 25, 2010
The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) 01/24/10
January 24, 2010
Haiti Culture In Ruins "Its vibrant arts scene celebrated the country's creation, and its public buildings sought to capture the elegance of a past that Haitians held onto though political trauma, staggering violence and a string of natural disasters. That alone has made the depth of the destruction of Haiti's heritage hard to fully capture."
The New York Times 01/24/10
In Bad Times, How Artists Make A Living These days, artists are "more likely to be stacking supermarket shelves, waiting tables or writing advertising copy by day, and acting, dancing or sculpting by night."
The Guardian (UK) 01/24/10