The Objective Image - Is There Such A Thing? When it comes top journalism, facts are not just facts. A case in point - Americans are fascinated by pictures of the war, yet, "difficult" images of the war - dead bodies, for example - aren't being shown, as they are elsewhere. "At issue are several questions central to reporting and consuming news in the era of 24-hour television coverage and the burgeoning independent news media on the World Wide Web: Are images facts or illustrations? If a fact is ugly, should it be kept at a distance from readers and viewers? And what do news organizations do with the simple fact that there is both an eager appetite for, and a sincere disgust with, graphic images?" Washington Post 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 7:22 am
Seagram Art To Hit The Block "The famous Seagram art collection, including a 1919 curtain mural painted by Picasso, is to be auctioned in New York through the spring and summer by Christie's auction house, it was announced yesterday... Last year, Vivendi Universal, the heavily indebted Paris-based media group that owns Seagram, decided it didn't want to be an art owner and ordered the 'liquidation' of the 2,500-piece collection, setting off a storm of controversy." The company's collection of photos will be sold by Phillips De Pury & Luxembourg at a separate auction in late April. The Globe & Mail (Canada) 03/26/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 5:43 am
Injunctions, Donations, And Auctions, Omai! London's Tate museum has been given a surprise £12.5 million gift in order for it to purchase a valuable British painting at risk of leaving the country. Sir Joshua Reynolds "Portrait of Omai" was sold at auction for £10.3 million last year, and a concerted effort was launched by the government to insure that the portrait stayed in the UK. An injunction was put in place barring the work's export temporarily, while a UK buyer was sought. The Tate had previously tried to purchase the work in 2001, but its offer was turned down. BBC 03/26/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 4:48 am
- Previously: Will Tate Use Profit to Save Painting? Last week the Tate was mounting a campaign to raise money to prevent the sale and eexport of Joshua Reynolds' "Portrait of Omai". Then the museum came into a £14.6 million profit in a deal that recovered two Turners stolen from the museum in 1994. So will Tate use the money to rescue the Reynolds? Er... The Guardian (UK) 12/23/02
We're Watching You - The Eye Project British artist Antony Gormley travelled to China and enlisted the help of 300 villagers to create thousands of small figures with only eyes for features. "He and the villagers got stuck in to 100 tonnes of clay. He hoped for 120,000 figures but in five days 192,000 were produced." Now they're all arranged to fill up a room - 384,000 eyes all staring at whoever comes to see them. The Guardian (UK) 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 7:22 pm
India's National Museum To Expand India's National Museum in New Delhi has got the go-ahead for a major expansion. "Pending for more than a decade now, this ambitious project will not only provide the museum with much needed space but also result in the headquarters of the Archaeological Survey of India being shifted to a new location." The Hindu 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 7:11 pm
Art - The New (Old) Investment "In a year when many business investments have suffered, the value of art has kept rising. Over recent decades, everyone from Madonna to the Queen Mother discovered that if you invested in a Monet, you could end up making a lot of money. Collecting art today is perhaps more widespread than it has ever been. Once the prerogative of those with inherited wealth, auction houses are enjoying a new and varied clientele, including millionaire rock musicians and actors. Professional collectors will tell you it is addictive: there is always another - better - acquisition on the next horizon. Part of the thrill is the chase." The Scotsman 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 6:55 pm
Preemptive Cuts at Boston Lyric Boston Lyric Opera unveiled its plans for next season recently, and shocked local observers with the announcement that it will trim its schedule of large productions by 25%. Despite the tough economy, the Lyric Opera has thrived over the past decade, and has earned much praise for its artistic leadership. But donations to the Lyric are down significantly, and management decided to trim the season now rather than face a budget crisis later. But not to worry, says the company's general director: the Lyric plans to expand its season again once finances improve. Boston Herald 03/26/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 5:24 am
Racing The Clock In Colorado "Colorado Springs Philharmonic leaders formally announced nine days ago the creation of the orchestra to replace the defunct Colorado Springs Symphony, and already time is running short to carry through on their plans to present a 2003-04 season... The philharmonic is scrambling to find guest artists and secure dates at the Pikes Peak Center, work that normally would have been done months ago. If that weren't hard enough, the organization has to quickly begin raising enough money to get the orchestra off the ground. Fundraising is tough any time but especially on such a tight deadline when community feelings are still unsettled in the wake of the symphony's bankruptcy." Denver Post 03/25/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 5:12 am
A New Opera Masterpiece? John Rockwell heads off to New York City Opera for Mark Adamo's "Little Women" with low expectations and comes away believing he's heard "some sort of masterpiece." Almost everything in the production work, from the libretto to the music and cast. "The two styles blend effectively, the modernism not rigorously alienating and the lyricism genuine and heartfelt. Nearly all the big moments in the opera work." The New York Times 03/26/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 7:42 pm
British Radio Restricts Songs During The War British radio stations are restricting the songs they play. " 'We do not want to upset listeners by playing anything which is inappropriate in the current climate. We continue to monitor our output on a daily basis in light of the war to ensure we are sensitive to the expectations of our listeners'. Producers have been asked to play music with a 'light, melodic' feel before and after news bulletins, especially if the reports contained distressing news." The Guardian (UK) 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 7:30 pm
Nothing From Nothing Leaves Nothing The recent slash in California's arts funding isn't worth all the hand-wringing, says Christopher Knight, simply because the state wasn't really doing anything helpful for actual artists even before the cuts. In the 1990s, artists learned that the way to get funding from an increasingly hostile set of lawmakers is to tie absolutely everything they do to education and social services, which results in mandates that funding be spent on repetitive and pointless programs rather than on the creation of actual art. "Why the inverted priority in the real world? No mystery: Artists don't have advocates in Sacramento. The arts bureaucracy does." Los Angeles Times 03/26/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 5:53 am
Pooling Resources In Massachusetts A unique conference in Boston has brought together arts organizations, cultural advocates, and state politicians in an effort to better educate the disparate artistic community in the more pragmatic aspects of financial survival in tough economic times. Participants shared fundraising and lobbying techniques, heard from high-ranking legislators concerning what tactics work best at the statehouse, and discussed methods for broadening the diversity of audiences. Boston Globe 03/26/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 5:17 am
- Finneran's Wake Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas Finneran stepped into the lion's den this week, appearing at an arts conference to explain the legislature's decision to slash the state arts budget, and to advise activists on how to avoid future cuts. "He admitted most politicians still regard the arts as 'elitist' and added 'the two most compelling areas for us' are education and health care... Finneran also noted legislators break down budget appropriations into three levels of funding: 'essential,' which he said is 'in the eye of the beholder'; 'desirable'; and 'Nice, but...' This is not a good time to be part of that third group." Boston Herald 03/26/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 5:16 am
UK Artists Get Funding Boost Arts Council England has announced a large increase in arts funding. "Overall, the Arts Council - funded by government money and lottery receipts - will distribute £410 million by 2005/6, compared with £335 million in 2003/4. A host of new groups, which do not usually get funding from the Arts Council, will get £123 million. Individual artists will benefit from a £25 million fund for the next three years - double what is available to them now." BBC 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 6:33 pm
NJ Arts Supporters Enlist Businesses To Lobby State For Arts Funding New Jersey Governor James McGreevey says he's reconsidering zeroing out the state's arts budget, but for now the budget line still reads empty. "Arts organizations in New Jersey feel they now have a better chance of persuading state officials to restore funding because business groups have added their backing. Some chambers of commerce have made an effort to rally businesses that have a direct interest in arts activities." Trenton Times 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 6:09 pm
A Philanthropist On The Ropes Alberto Vilar, the philanthropist and opera-lover who has donated more than $300 million to arts organizations around the world, has missed mortgage payments on three vacation homes in Colorado, and local banks are foreclosing. Vilar, who was one of the first investors on the high-tech bandwagon of the 1990s, appears not to have gotten off in time to avoid heavy investment losses. In recent months, he has missed payments to several arts organizations to which he had pledges outstanding, and the current overdue mortgage payments reportedly total $2.74 million. Vilar is said to be furious with the banks' decision to foreclose. Denver Post 03/25/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 5:06 am
Top Programmer Leaves CBC Adrian Mills, who was brought in last year to revamp the CBC's programming, has resigned from the public broadcaster. "Mills' departure was described by one observer as 'reassuring,' and it will certainly be applauded by those listeners who became disgruntled with CBC Radio's dramatic changes under his leadership." Mills had said his mandate was to go after a "younger, more diverse, audience. 'Canada is changing, and society has changed, so CBC Radio needs to make sure it is as relevant to future generations as it was to previous ones." National Post (Canada) 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 7:06 pm
Mid-Sized Theatres Struggling In a time of fiscal crisis in the arts, large organizations will often survive, simply because they are large. Small groups often slip below the radar because their expenses are low anyway. But the middle class of arts organizations often takes a brutal hit when funding sources run dry. Such is the case with a large number of Twin Cities theatre troupes. "With little in the way of economic cushions and small staffs that already have employees doing two and three jobs apiece, these theaters are struggling to economize without having to cannibalize." St. Paul Pioneer Press 03/25/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 6:04 am
West End Theatre - It Really Was The Good Old Days Michael Billington wonders if West End theatre is at its lowest ebb ever. So he does a little research on what was offered decades ago compared to today. "After comparing what is on offer today with the same week over the past four decades, I have come to the melancholy conclusion that the West End is dwindling into neon-lit irrelevance. What seems to have gone out of the window is the idea that the commercial sector should offer a kaleidoscope of possibilities: musicals, comedies, farces, thrillers, straight plays and classic revivals. The irony is that it is probably better run than at any time in recent memory." The Guardian (UK) 03/26/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 7:34 pm
Opportunity Through Shakespeare Is Shakespeare the new opportunity for female actors? "From solo plays to plays using music, dance, and original monologues and dialogues, women are freely appropriating almost anything relating to the Bard - his plays, his sonnets, even his biography - to forge highly original works that showcase female sensibilities, perspectives, and talent." Backstage 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 6:26 pm
Dumb And Dumber - Just How Do These Books Get Published? It's supposed to be really difficult to get a book published, right? So how to account for all the really dumb books out there? "What were they thinking? I'm not talking here about bad books. Though they exist, books that are just plain and irredeemably awful are too sad to waste time thinking about. No: the books I'm presently pondering aren't necessarily bad - though some of them are - they're just so... well... dumb and unplaceable, it's difficult to imagine book store owners knowing what to do with them, let alone book buyers." January Magazine 03/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 9:24 pm
Publishers Scramble For Sales With War Backdrop "The weak economy and the growing availability of books at discounted prices have made this an especially difficult retail climate for publishers." In addition, war coverage is pushing everything else off the usual publicity circuit. But publishers have high hopes for two books about Iraq due to come out this week... Yahoo! (WSJ) 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 6:39 am
Toronto Fest Looks For New Digs "Plans are well underway to build dedicated new theatre and office space for the Toronto International Film Festival which, after Cannes and Sundance, is regarded as the most important movie celebration in the world... Individuals and organizations associated with TIFF's plans have been extremely tight-lipped. Still, it is known that the festival began to look seriously at having a dedicated, year-round space of its own about 18 months ago, surveying major cultural players as to the value and tourist potential of such a space... Three award-winning architectural firms are in competition for the project's design." The Globe & Mail (Canada) 03/26/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 5:41 am
Valenti Vs. The Pirates Several Hollywood unions are banding together to launch a major push aimed at curbing the spread of digital media piracy. The groups, led by MPAA president Jack Valenti, will lobby U.S. policymakers to crack down on piracy, and will "also [target] foreign countries with poor records on protecting copyrighted material." BBC 03/26/03
Posted: 03/26/2003 4:59 am
Hollywood Must Reinvent To Stay Viable "The champagne has been flowing all around Hollywood lately. Box-office receipts jumped 13.5%, to $9.5 billion, in 2002 - the biggest year-over-year increase in two decades. DVD sales grew 71%, to more than $11 billion. That doesn't even include DVD rental revenues, which grew from $1.4 billion to $2.9 billion, according to DVD Entertainment Group, an industry association. You can't blame Hollywood for not wanting to rock the boat." But big trouble is looming - and unless the movie business reinvents its distribution as download times shrink, a major case of heartburn awaits. BusinessWeek 03/24/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 6:05 pm
Dance After Ballet "The audience today loves dancing, no doubt about that. What it doesn’t love is the aura of preciousness and affectation that clings to ballet. Classical ballet companies have yet to find convincing ways to erase these misconceptions and hook the permanent audience they need — and still preserve the idea of classicism. Meanwhile, other dance enterprises thrive by applying ballet’s components to performance that doesn’t intimidate." Boston Phoenix 03/25/03
Posted: 03/25/2003 9:08 pm
