An interesting bit of self-serving research comes from scientists in Utrecht, who discovered that an hour a day of fairly lame computer games can increase productivity and job satisfaction. Researchers allowed a target group of corporate employees to play up to an hour of computer games each day at work (they chose when), while a […]

In an addendum to yesterday’s post about the Boston Ballet being bumped for the Rockettes holiday spectacular, the Boston Globe now reports that its a national phenomenon. Since 1994, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular has entered 17 markets nationwide, with five units now touring to eight cities. Denver and Boston are the next in line […]

Pointe shoes are flying in Boston after the Wang Center for the Performing Arts announced that it’s bumping the Boston Ballet in 2004 from their traditional performances of The Nutcracker, possibly replacing that slot with the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular”. The Wang Center has been the home for the Boston Ballet’s cash cow holiday performances […]

I’ve gone on before about economic impact studies on the arts and their hazy logic (but astounding power among legislators). Now, two researchers in Toronto are attempting a different tack in assessing the civic impact of arts and cultural activity. Instead of taking the macro view of a city or community and its arts-related activity, […]

More plot twists and bad news in Miami-Dade, as the opening day of their massive performing arts center (PAC) is delayed again. As some will recall, I touched on this soap opera back in an early weblog entry. But it’s now become a ‘whodunnit’. Major errors in the construction of the facility, according to the […]

I’m pleased to note that frequent reader and commenter on this blog, Drew McManus, today launched his own weblog on ArtsJournal, called ‘Adaptistration‘. It’s focus will be specifically on the status, potential, and challenges of the orchestra in American society. He and I have been flinging comments back and forth since this blog began, and […]

Faithful blog reader Drew McManus had a bone to pick with me about my most recent post, that questioned whether cultural facilities behave as assets (as they are booked) or as liabilities. I’m hoping other will join the argument, as well. With his permission, I quote: Actually, I think you are wrong. A building is […]

Here’s a story in the Guardian about the current status of the UK’s arts building boom, funded in part by their public lottery fund a few years back. Many of the new facilities are struggling to find audiences to fill their glorious new spaces, and stumbling for income streams to keep the lights on. It’s […]

As I mentioned last week, I participated in the annual Grantmakers in the Arts conference in Seattle, as part of a panel discussing web technology and the arts. The travel and time kept me from posting much to the weblog, but as usual, launched a thousand new questions in my head. Here’s one for today: […]

I’m in Seattle early this week at the Grantmakers in the Arts conference…lots of foundations and program officers trying to make sense of a down economy. The upshot is that I’ll likely be patchy in my posts this week, but that I’ll also emerge with some new links and fresh thoughts (okay, perhaps not fresh, […]