An interesting overview of Trader Joe’s in the New York Times (also summarized here) sheds some light on this quirky but successful grocery chain: There is nothing quite like the chain anywhere else on the American food landscape. ”Trader Joe’s is radically different in many ways from other food retailers,” said Stephen Dowdell, editor in […]
Archives for March 2006
Do we ”age into” arts attendance?
In a comment to my post yesterday about demographic shifts in the labor market, a weblog reader asked the essential question: Won’t the aging Boomers come into the demographic that attends cultural events? Older, empty nesters with education and assets? Or are they too glued to their TV’s? It’s a common question and a core […]
Attracting the ‘young and the restless’
A December 2005 study from CEOs for Cities (available for download here, and discussed in the Washington Post) puts a finer point (or perhaps an exclamation point) on the ”Creative Class” hysteria of the past few years. Beyond the hazy competition among cities in luring creative workers, this study suggests the real competition should be […]
To be of use
While searching for something else, I stumbled onto a great (as usual) 2004 keynote by Ben Cameron of Theatre Communications Group (you can find the keynote here), which led me to a wonderful poem by Marge Piercy that Ben invokes in his comments. A favorite passage: I want to be with people who submerge in […]
Martinis and art, shaken and stirred
If you weren’t sure whether large quantities of distilled beverages, big crowds, and invaluable contemporary artworks would make a good mix, a celebration in February pretty much settled the issue. By many reports, the martini-themed rental event at the Milwaukee Art Museum’s stunning Calatrava addition was about as bad as you can imagine: People threw […]
John Kani and the spirit of UBUNTU
The International Society for the Performing Arts has posted an audio stream and a transcription from a recent conference keynote by Dr. John Kani, South African actor, director, and playwright. It runs about 40 minutes, but is well worth a listen as you work. The topic is ”UBUNTU,” an African aphorism with a rich and […]
Sandow on classical music…again
My weblog neighbor, Greg Sandow, has been attempting a bold experiment in publishing — ”performing” a book on-line, posting chapters as he writes them for feedback from the world. When he’s done, he’ll publish it the old-fashioned way. After some months of wonderful prose and intriguing comments on the future of classical music, Greg has […]