Education - Ticket To Nerd-dom Some communities in America have great distrust of "mindwork." "There was lots of room for people who wanted to learn to become mechanics or electricians, for those were tangible, practical jobs that existed in the world. Mind work, beyond figuring the price of cotton or how to pay bills or the technicalities of being mechanics or electricians, was troubling, not well understood, and generally to be feared. There was a strange inconsistency in that persons educated out of practical usefulness still served as a source of pride to their families. Folks could respect you, for example, for earning a doctoral degree and could exclaim loudly to neighbors about your success; they just had little practical use for you and many times didn't know what to do with you. To become thus educated is to become a nerd, and black nerds are strange creatures indeed." Chronicle of Higher Education 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 1:23 am
Canada Stands Up For Greece The British Museum says it's a dead issue, but Canadian Greeks are applying all the pressure they can to the UK in an effort to force the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece. This month, the Canadian House of Commons passed a resolution calling on the British Museum to return the marbles, which have been in Britain for over 100 years. The Canadian push follows similar resolutions by other governments around the world, but the UK has repeatedly said that the marbles will stay right where they are. Montreal Gazette 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 6:32 am
Utzon Wins Pritzker Prize "Joern Utzon, the Danish architect whose Sydney Opera House is among the world's most recognizable buildings, has won the 2003 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the profession's most prestigious award. The Pritzker jury singled out the Opera House, a sculptural cascade of shells that appear to sail across the harbour of the Australian city, as among the most iconic buildings of the 20th century." The Pritzker is a lifetime achievement award - or, perhaps, a virtual hall of fame of contemporary architecture - so the fact that the Opera House was completed 30 years ago made no difference to the selection committee. Edmonton Journal (AP) 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 6:10 am
Thieves Steal Pompeii Frescoes Thieves stole two frescoes from the ancient city of Pompeii over the weekend. "Selling such rare art on the open market would be almost impossible so the theft may have been commissioned. 'This is 1st-century Roman art from Pompeii. It is not something you can find in the window of an antique dealer'." Washington Post (AP) 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 2:57 am
Protesting Andre Breton Sale Protesters gathered outside the Paris auction house where the contents of Andre Breton's apartment were being auctioned off. "The flat was an expression of Surrealist thought. Selling it off piecemeal in 4,100 lots is like taking apart a Rimbaud poem word by word and scattering them to the winds. Once broken up, the collection has no meaning." The Guardian (UK) 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 1:43 am
Pritzker Winner's Sense Of Building As Art The Sydney Opera House is so perfect for its site, so right as a national symbol, it seems like it was inevitable. But before architect Joern Utzon's masterpiece was built, the design was the subject of national controversy. Certainly the opera house was the compelling reason Utzon won this year's Pritzker Prize, but the judges noted that Utzon's career demonstrates a succession of buildings infused with "a sense of architecture as art, and natural instinct for organic structures related to site conditions." Sydney Morning Herald 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 12:53 am
Seeking Solace At The Museum In New York, record crowds are turning out at blockbuster art exhibits, but not for the usual reasons. "The popularity of shows here ranging from Da Vinci to Manet - an unusual confluence of big-name artists even for New York - is partly a commentary on New Yorkers' magnetic attraction to anything with buzz. But in a city beset by budget cuts, rising homelessness, and a steady stream of war news, it's also about something more. To the crowds waiting in lines that spill out onto the streets here, these timeless masters offer timely beauty and insight to a world desperately in need of it." The Christian Science Monitor 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 12:41 am
London Tower - A Fight For The Soul Of A City The proposed London Bridge Tower skyscraper soars 1000 feet tall; it would be the tallest building in Europe. But London - which historically hasn't allowed giant buildings, is debating the wisdom of such a building. It's not just an argument about architecture but a fight over how development is determined. And it looks - at least for the moment - as though developers have the upper hand. "Until we have world peace, socialism triumphant and pigs with wings, we have chosen, in Britain especially, to have private capital gamble with our space. It's property developers who give us most of our architecture." The Times (UK) 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 12:12 am
Art That Defaces Is No "Art" Eric Gibson wonders why the art world accepts the altering - read "vandalism" - of important classic artworks. Tying string around a Rodin sculpture or defacing Goya prints isn't art, he writes, and it doesn't make sense to dignify these acts with serious consideration. "It says something that in our own time it has always been the lesser talents who have left their imprint on the works of their superiors. And you can be sure that, whatever motivated Rubens, it had to do with an artistic impulse far more profound than simply "thinking again about a familiar image." OpinionJournal.com 04/07/03
Posted: 04/07/2003 7:15 pm
- Previously: But Does He Hate Conceptual Art Or Just Kissing? Police were called to the Tate Modern gallery in London this weekend, after a visitor to the museum reportedly "attacked" a statue. The statue in question was Auguste Rodin's classic marble sculpture The Kiss, which is in the Tate because conceptual artist Cornelia Parker has wrapped it in string to represent "the claustrophobic nature of relationships." The attacker broke free from a tour group, and used scissors to cut some of the twine before being subdued. He has been released on bail. BBC 04/06/03
Back On Stage, But Still In Crisis The Houston Symphony is performing again, following a bitter 24-day strike, but the organization's financial woes are far from resolved. "Executive director Ann Kennedy came on stage Saturday to welcome back the audience and to laud the musicians, who then received a strong standing ovation from the crowd (which, due to the perennial problem of no-shows, filled only about two-thirds of the auditorium). With music director Hans Graf on the podium, the musicians then demonstrated through superb playing exactly what is still at stake in the financially desperate organization." Houston Chronicle 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 6:22 am
Detroit To Make Hall Safe For Sensitive Tushes "By the end of April, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will have replaced the bottom cushions of the 1,800 seats at Orchestra Hall that have been a literal pain in the rear since they were installed last fall. Then, when the symphony is away in the summer, entirely new seats will be installed. The bottom line? The DSO is out $500,000." The offending seats were originally installed with metal plates in their upholstery, so as to meet building codes. As it turns out, metal plates tend to decrease the comfort level of upholstery. Who knew? Detroit Free Press 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 6:05 am
All Avril, All The Time At Junos The Juno Awards, Canada's answer to the Grammys, turned into a near-sweep Sunday night as teen rock sensation Avril Lavigne took home several awards, including Artist of the Year. Lavigne was up against stiff competition, including mainstays Celine Dion and Shania Twain, and many observers saw her dominance as a significant shift in the direction of the Canadian music industry. Calgary Herald (CanWest) 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 5:49 am
- Classical Winners Are No Surprise Pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, composer Bramwell Tovey, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra were among the mostly predictable winners of the classical Junos. Diana Krall won for best vocal jazz album, and Richard Underhill took home the award for best contemporary jazz release. CBC 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 5:48 am
San Diego Chooses Ling In an era of fiscal crisis at most American orchestras, the San Diego Symphony has had the unusual luxury of sitting back and waiting to find the perfect person to lead them in a time of newfound wealth. The orchestra received an unexpected and unprecedented $120 million gift last year, and now they may have scored something of a coup in the baton-waving department, reaching an agreement with Jahja Ling to be the orchestra's next music director. Ling is the director of the Cleveland Orchestra's summer festival, and a former music director of the Florida Orchestra. San Diego had previously offered the position to up-and-comer David Robertson, who declined the job. San Diego Union Tribune 04/05/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 5:31 am
The Underwater Symphony The German Symphony Orchestra is performing in a health club, playing a piece of music for which the audience will have to be submerged in a pool. "The cellists will be on the poolside, playing electric instruments and the sound will be put through a mixing desk and modified. There will be no sound to hear unless you are under the water." The Guardian (UK) 04/06/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 1:47 am
Boston Aims For The Middle The lack of mid-sized (300-to-500 seat) venues has long been a problem for theater troupes and other performers in Boston. But now, a new economic redevelopment plan promises to fill the gap with a wealth of renovations and restorations in the city's Midtown district. Still, a number of significant hurdles remain to be cleared before the projects can be completed. Boston Herald 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 5:43 am
This Year's Arts Pulitzer Winners The New York Times on this year's winners of The Pulitzer Prizes for Letters, Drama and Music:
• Fiction: ' Middlesex ' by Jeffrey Eugenides
• General Nonfiction: ' "A Problem From Hell" ' by Samantha Power
• Biography: ' Master of the Senate ' by Robert A. Caro
• History: ' An Army at Dawn ' by Rick Atkinson
• Poetry: ' Moy Sand and Gravel ' by Paul Muldoon
• Drama: ' Anna in the Tropics ' by Nilo
• Music: ' On the Transmigration of Souls ' by John Adams The New York Times 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 1:55 am
What Will Happen If Oregon Zeroes Out Arts Funding The Oregon state legislature is considering zeroing out the state arts commission. Arts commission director Christine D'Arcy says her agency would try to reinvent. "You could see the commission continue as a service agency rather than a grant maker. We?re clearly looking at partnerships, revenue resources. I would say there is a lot of creative thinking under way." Salem Statesman Journal (Oregon) 04/07/03
Posted: 04/07/2003 7:23 pm
Arts As Economic Engine "In an era when public and private coffers are depleted, it's easy to ask why arts investment should be a priority." Real estate consultant Wendi Wheeler writes: "Culture helps build community by influencing commercial and residential development, which in turn attracts workers and residents. When companies make decisions to relocate, they seek markets with concentrations of talented workers. In turn, the power of industry to attract talented workers depends largely upon a city's quality of life." Minnesota Business Journal 04/07/03
Posted: 04/07/2003 7:05 pm
This Year's Pulitzer - The Little Play That... Nilo Cruz's little-known play "'Anna in the Tropics" wins the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, triumphing over high-profile Broadway competition - Edward Albee's "The Goat or Who is Sylvia?" and Richard Greenberg's "Take Me Out." "Anna" was born when Cruz got the idea of writing a play about a cigar-factory tradition brought years ago from Cuba to Florida. The Nando Times (AP) 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 12:26 am
Where Are Broadway's Musicals? There have been plenty of plays this season on Broadway, but only a few musicals - and none besides "Hairspray" (and maybe "La Boheme") - have emerged as genuine hits. Why? The Dallas Morning News 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 12:07 am
University of Texas Buys Watergate Papers "In one of the largest such purchases in American history, the University of Texas at Austin has bought the Watergate papers of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein for $5 million, the university announced today... As part of the extraordinary deal to purchase the materials, the university agreed to honor Woodward and Bernstein's long-standing commitment to protect the identity of a number of confidential sources until their deaths, including 'Deep Throat,' the Nixon administration official whose deep-background information was crucial to The Post's pursuit of the Watergate story." Washington Post 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 6:48 am
Macfarlane Walter & Ross To Cease Publication Another Canadian publishing house is going under. This time, it's the "elite nonfiction" publisher Macfarlane Walter & Ross, which had been operating as a division of McLelland & Stewart since 1999. MW&R had been put up for sale by McLelland & Stewart, but no buyer has been found, and publisher Doug Gibson says that MW&R will cease publication at the end of the month. However, Gibson also said that most if not all of the titles slated for publication by MW&R will be put out by McLelland & Stewart. Toronto Star 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 6:15 am
Libraries - Shredding The Patriot Act Librarians across the US have protested provisions in the Patriot Act that require libraries to turn over records about their patrons. Librarians in Santa Cruz have turned to the shredder for their protest. Daily they shred records that might identify patrons in some way. "The basic strategy now is to keep as little historical information as possible." The New York Times 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 2:16 am
SARS Hits European FilmFest Despite the fact that Severe Acute Repiratory Syndrome (SARS) has yet to sigificantly impact Europe, fear of the outbreak is wreaking havoc with Italy's Far East Cinema Festival, which screens films and features filmmakers from throughout Asia. Organizers insist that there is no danger to the Italian populace, but there is a distinct possibility of government intervention in the festival's guest list. "22 actors, directors and producers from Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai may be uninvited because of the concerns of local people about the spread of SARS." BBC 04/07/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 5:23 am
Kids Shows - All About The Merchandise "With the death of Fred Rogers in late February, the children's television industry said good-bye to one of the last creators who didn't sell merchandise to finance his show. Today, more than 20 programs draw on his pedagogical legacy to educate the preschoolers he gently welcomed to 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,' but with one big difference: Unless kids buy the goods, their favorite shows and characters disappear." The Christian Science Monitor 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 12:45 am
Reading On The Radio As people find themselves with less time and less inclination to read, a digital radio station called Oneword is filling the gap with a simple and soothing format idea: reading stories aloud. "I defy anyone stumbling across it not to draw up a metaphorical chair, pour a mug of virtual cocoa and snuggle. If everyone needs a bosom for a pillow, Oneword is it, down-filled and probably frilled." The Times (UK) 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 12:21 am
Wanna Dance? Better Stay Young. India has an enviable tradition of government support for the arts, a system which requires a large bureaucracy and intricate rules to administer. A recent Delhi High Court ruling, however, threatens to establish a maximum age for performing dancers, a move which, according to Lewis Segal, would be devastating to the counry's dance community. The court "ruled that dancers over 45 cannot be said to give performances, merely lecture-demonstrations. The ruling came in response to a petition filed in the court by Komala Varadan, a 62-year-old classical dancer insisting that she be listed as a performing artist in the files of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations." Los Angeles Times 04/08/03
Posted: 04/08/2003 6:26 am
