Many parts of Britain, it turns out, devote less than a single pence per citizen to culture funding. I may not have to point out to ArtsJournal readers that the recent budget proposed by Sen. Paul Ryan takes a scalpel to the NEA and NEH budget. He\u2019s said recently that the arts are only enjoyed by the rich, leaning on the old \u201ccultural elite\u201d argument. I can guarantee you that not all conservatives or Republicans are so hostile to public support of the arts.<\/p>\n
ALSO: One of the youngish artists around LA who gives me hope for the future of classical music is Yuval Sharon, a founder of the group The Industry and instigator of the experimental operas Crescent City<\/em> and Invisible Cities<\/em>. The latter, especially, is among the most challenging and successful work I\u2019ve seen in years.<\/p>\n The Industry\u2019s latest project is an eccentric performance<\/a> (is there any other kind?) of Terry Riley\u2019s In C<\/em> \u2013 perhaps the founding document of musical minimalism, at the Hammer Museum.<\/p>\n From “In C”; courtesy The Hammer<\/p><\/div>\n This extends a strong record by the Hammer of risky, free public performances. In C<\/em> \u2013 which goes on this Saturday and next \u2013 comes amidst the LA Philharmonic\u2019s Minimalist Jukebox festival, which I\u2019ll try to track on this page.<\/p>\n FINALLY: I keep hearing from optimists that the worst is over in terms of job losses in journalism. But the Newark Star-Ledger \u2013 the strongest paper in a state with both a strong arts tradition and a deep culture of corruption \u2013 has announced<\/a> it will slash a quarter of its (non-unionized) newsroom. This is the paper, after all, that broke the Chris Christie bridge scandal.<\/p>\n The cuts will mean the loss of 40 of the 156 reporters, editors, photographers and support staff in The Star-Ledger newsroom, which had already seen a parade of people leaving in recent weeks over concerns about the paper\u2019s future and the continuing fiscal pressures affecting newspapers across the country.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"From](\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/culturecrash\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/0-300x137.jpg\")
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