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Weekend, December 17-18




Ideas

God: That Peculiarly American Obsession "If anyone still requires proof of the gulf of difference between the US and everywhere else, look no further than the current storm-in-a-cappuccino about The Chronicles of Narnia. For weeks, it seems, there have been spats in the papers about C.S. Lewis' classic children's fantasy series, the first instalment of which has just been adapted as a lush blockbuster by Andrew Adamson, who directed the Shrek films, for Disney. The storm is over religion. C.S. Lewis had it; the Americans have a lot of it; the rest of us don't, supposedly, or at least we don't like to put a hat on it and give it a ticker-tape parade." The Age (Melbourne) 12/18/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 9:52 am

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Ideas stories submitted by readers
Bacteria Makes Living Photograph Discovery 12/15/05
Hold the Photons! Wired 12/15/05
The meaning of life The Observer (UK) 12/11/05
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Visual Arts

The Golden Age Of Art Collecting? "That rarefied practice of collecting high art — from canonized old masters to contemporary works by both international art stars and marketable young upstarts — is experiencing a surge it hasn't seen since the explosive moment in the late 1980s when the market ballooned to a thinly stretched bubble, before bursting, finally, along with the stock market, in the 1990s. According to Artprice, a Paris-based information service that lists auction prices from more than 300,000 artists, prices for contemporary art alone had risen 40 per cent this year, pushing past even the heyday of the '80s explosion... Contemporary art, traditionally a tough sell, has also caught the fever... Put simply, the art world is in a full-blown boom." Toronto Star 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 9:23 am

ROM Offers An In-Progress Preview The Royal Ontario Museum, in the messy midst of a $200 million expansion project, is unveiling ten new finished galleries for public viewing, beginning December 26. Kate Taylor is impressed with ROM's direction, up to a point: "[The museum's planners] are exercising a particular museum philosophy here. They wanted to restore rather than hide the heritage building, and the galleries are now being asked not to impinge on the architecture." The Globe & Mail (Canada) 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 9:08 am

Fireworks At True Trial "Tempers became heated [Friday] as the Italian state presented new evidence in its case against Marion True, a former antiquities curator at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, who is on trial [in Rome] on charges of dealing in looted antiquities. Ms. True's defense lawyers shouted out objections when Maurizio Pellegrini, a document and photography analyst with the Italian Culture Ministry who testified as an expert witness for the state, began commenting on correspondence between Ms. True and the antiquities dealer Giacomo Medici, a co-defendant in the case who was sentenced to 10 years in prison last December." The New York Times 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 8:40 am

Art Theft Writ Large It can't be easy to make off with a bronze sculpture that measures 3.5 meters long, and better than one meter high. But that's exactly what someone (or, more accurately, three someones and a crane) have done with a Henry Moore sculpture north of London. The theft took place Thursday night, and officials at the Henry Moore Foundation are afraid that the thieves could be planning to melt the work down to sell as scrap metal, since it would be difficult if not impossible to sell as is. The sculpture, entitled "A Reclining Figure," is valued at $5.3 million. Yahoo! News 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 8:18 am

  • Getaway Vehicle Found Police have recovered the truck believed to have been used in the Henry Moore sculpture theft. The truck itself was also stolen, and was abandoned by the thieves some distance from the scene of the crime. BBC 12/18/05
    Posted: 12/18/2005 8:17 am

The Importance of the Critical Eye In today's world of instant information and do-it-yourself media, the world of the critic, based as it is on an assumption of expertise and some vague notion of "the eye," seems increasingly old-fashioned. But Jerry Saltz writes that the trend towards art criticism that is all ideas and no expertise is a dangerous one. "Having an eye in criticism is as important as having an ear in music. It means discerning the original from the derivative, the inspired from the smart, the remarkable from the common, and not looking at art in narrow, academic, or "objective" ways. It means engaging uncertainty and contingency, suspending disbelief, and trying to create a place for doubt, unpredictability, curiosity, and openness." Village Voice (NY) 12/16/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 8:12 am

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Music

Met Opera To Slash Budget Facing slumping ticket sales and rising costs, the Metropolitan Opera is reportedly looking to cut its operating budget by 5% for the current season. "In the late 1990s, the Met often sold more than 90 percent of tickets for each season, but the box office slowed after the 2001 terror attacks," and has never fully recovered. Projections for the current season were made with an assumption of 80% capacity, but actual ticket sales have been closer to 76%. Backstage 12/16/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 10:29 am

The Critic Takes The Stage If anyone was expecting the music world Andrew Porter has spent his career critiquing to turn its back when the famed critic brought his own production of Mozart's The Magic Flute to the Canadian Opera Company stage this weekend, such hopes were dashed last summer, when the entire run of the show sold out months in advance. "Porter may well be the most eminent living music critic in the English-speaking world, a man who for 50 years has set the standard for erudition, fairness and grace in the writing of music criticism... [He] has no immediate plans to continue his directorial career, but he has a dream -- to direct Beethoven's Fidelio." The Globe & Mail (Canada) 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 8:50 am

The Overachieving Octogenarian Japan's Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra has named the Polish-born composer/conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski as its new principal conductor, beginning in spring 2007. What makes the appointment unusual is that Skrowaczewski, a former music director of the Minnesota Orchestra and of Manchester's Halle Orchestra, will be 84 years old when his tenure in Japan begins. Playbill Arts (NY) 12/16/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 8:06 am

You Never Give Me Your Money The surviving Beatles (and the heirs of the non-surviving ones) are suing the EMI recording company in an effort to recover what they claim are $53 million in unpaid royalties. Minneapolis Star Tribune (AP) 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 7:19 am

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Music stories submitted by readers
Why we look so miserable "The Guardian 12/16/2005"
Spano deflects questions about taking CSO baton Chicago Sun-Times 12/15/05
Worlds apart: Masterpiece turns cryptic in 33 years Philadelphia Inquirer 12/15/05
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Arts Issues

Non-Profits Rack Up Revenue in Minny The arts economy may still be uncertain nationally, but in Minnesota, non-profit groups including major arts organizations are thriving, according to year-end numbers. "A slew of completed, or nearly completed, building projects from organizations in nearly every category underscores the sector's health and vitality... Overall revenue rose 11.8 percent to $29.4 billion in 2004 from $26.3 billion in 2003." Minneapolis Star Tribune 12/18/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 10:57 am

Dallas PAC Fundraising Ahead of Schedule Major bucks are flowing in Dallas, where the foundation set up to raise $275 million over nine years for the construction of a new performing arts center has passed the $200 million mark well ahead of schedule. The foundation also announced that less than 5% of the funds raised have been used to support the fundraising operation, an unusually small percentage. The foundation's next goal is to raise $30 million in the next year by offering naming opportunities within the center. Dallas Morning News 12/18/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 10:41 am

Is New York Losing Its Stranglehold On American Culture? The unthinkable is occurring. New York City, the center of the cultural universe (and if you don't believe it, just ask a New Yorker), is losing its ability to attract and retain what has come to be called 'the creative class.' "Skyrocketing prices on housing and professional space have driven many artists out of the very neighborhoods they helped to pioneer, and other cities, including Philadelphia and Minneapolis, have been very aggressive at luring artists their way with marketing campaigns and housing incentives." The New York Times 12/18/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 10:21 am

KC Arts: Where's The Buzz? Kansas City has a thriving performing arts scene, but residents could be excused for failing to notice that fact. "The little-discussed truth is that in Kansas City, the performing arts often remain a slumbering giant. Their head counts number in the hundreds of thousands annually, and their concentration of world-class talent, both imported and residing locally, is way out of scale to our city’s population... But somehow the message is not yet getting across, for reasons not easily explained. A buzz doesn’t happen overnight. But every group large and small is responsible for its part. And the time is now to start." Kansas City Star 12/18/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 10:10 am

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Arts Issues stories submitted by readers
Task force delivers future plan for the arts The Mississauga News 12/14/05
City OKs operating deal for new arts center Dallas Morning News 12/15/05
Council set to OK arts funding Wichita Eagle 12/13/05
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People

James Ingo Freed, 75 Architect James Ingo Freed, who designed Washington, D.C.'s Holocaust Museum and San Francisco's Main Public Library, has died aged 75 of complications from Parkinson's Disease. Freed was a longtime business partner of architect I.M. Pei, and though he never reached the "superstar" status of some of his contemporaries, he was responsible for some of his era's most beloved buildings. The New York Times 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 9:25 am

  • Complexity Coalesced Benjamin Forgey says that James Ingo Freed's legacy rings particularly true in the nation's capital, where Freed's vision for the Holocaust Museum became the cornerstone of the architect's legacy. "As a man, [Freed] combined lots of complex opposites. He was incredibly intense yet delightfully considerate. He was brave -- in the graceful way he refused to give in to the debilitation of Parkinson's disease. His movements had almost a dancer's grace. He was gentle yet fierce. His talents and growing independence, however, had been hidden. The Holocaust Museum changed that. It was, indubitably, Freed's building from start to finish." Washington Post 12/17/05
    Posted: 12/18/2005 9:20 am

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People stories submitted by readers
Despite all, Vonnegut can't help laughing Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 12/11/05
The World's Most Popular Gay Postmodern Harpsichord Nerd The New York Times 12/11/05
Pinter's Prize Prattle Yahoo! (Reuters) 12/08/05
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Theatre

Do They Sell Tickets And Paint Scenery, Too? The revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd currently playing on Broadway is making headlines for its embrace of what could be called the ultimate in multitasking. Where most shows employ actors who traverse the stage and musicians who stay hidden in the pit, this Sweeney Todd asks everyone onstage to play their parts (and sing their songs) while simultaneously playing important instrumental parts along with the main orchestra. The New York Times 12/18/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 9:43 am

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Theatre stories submitted by readers
City pursues theater redevelopment Charlotte Business Journal 12/13/05
Character issue: smoking Los Angeles Times 12/12/05
There is nothing like a dame ... So don't make panto pos The Observer (UK) 12/11/05
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Publishing

The Exploding Trend Of The "Stupid Book" We've all been there. You've been Christmas shopping for weeks, scouring the stores looking for just the right gift for that one impossible-to-shop-for friend, when your eyes light on a brightly colored, snappily titled tome in a stack of books by the register. In an instant, you know two things: 1) this is a decidedly useless book, devoid of any literary or substantive value; and 2) it's pretty funny, it's vaguely clever in a cynical, pop-culture-saturated way, and you are unquestionably about to buy it for your friend. The Globe & Mail (Canada) 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 9:13 am

The Next DaVinci. And The Next, And The Next... When it comes right down to it, imitation is not only the sincerest form of flattery, it's also a surefire method of marketing success. So no one should be surprised that the publishing world is about to start churning out countless books whose plotlines sound an awful lot like a certain bestselling novel concerning religious sects, freemasons, and old Italian artist/inventors. Some are comparing the rush to duplicate the success of The DaVinci Code to the explosion of the "legal thriller" genre in the early 1990s, which was sparked by the commercial success of author John Grisham. Chicago Tribune 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 8:43 am

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Media

Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Satellite? For all the hoopla and hype surrounding satellite radio and the criticism concerning corporate consolidation of terrestrial radio, local stations across the U.S. are continuing to plug along just like they always have. "Traditional commercial-radio executives aren't running scared just yet. And local talk show hosts aren't particularly interested." The fact is that, while satellite radio may yet capture the imagination (and dollars) of the broader public, it hasn't yet. And even if it eventually becomes a widely used service, it's simply unlikely that terrestrial radio would be seriously threatened. Denver Post 12/18/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 10:01 am

Hollywood Wants You(r Butts In Its Seats) With moviegoers fast becoming a valuable (and comparatively rare) commodity, the film industry is mounting a campaign to get Americans back in the theatres, in part by (finally) addressing longstanding consumer complaints. Cell phone rings interrupting the screening? We'll ban 'em. Screeching children? We'll restrict 'em to daylight hours. Pre-show ads? We'll make 'em less intrusive. Ticket prices? Ummmm, well... how about a snazzy new PR blitz all about the glories of going out to the movies? The New York Times 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 8:25 am

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Media stories submitted by readers
That's `Mr.' Spike to you Toronto Star 12/15/05
Hollywood's Faulty 'Memoirs' Washington Post 12/15/05
Web film tells his view of the French riots Philadelphia Inquirer 12/15/05
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Dance

D.C. Ballet Kills Off Nutcracker "Facing a stubborn impasse with its dancers over labor issues, the Washington Ballet has canceled all remaining performances of The Nutcracker, which was to have run through Dec. 24 at the Warner Theatre." The company and its dancers disagreed over whether the dispute, which had already led several performances to be canceled, was a strike or a lockout. The head of the dancers' union was shocked by the cancellation of the entire, and accused the company of having no interest in reaching an agreement. Washington Post 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 10:36 am

Louis's Living Legacy Murray Louis had quite the eclectic upbringing in the dance world, and his dizzying array of experiences made him one of the late 20th century's most intriguing choreographers. Along with his personal and professional partner, Alwin Nikolais, "he evolved a distinct choreographic signature that came out of the movement technique he and Mr. Nikolais developed. Most choreographers, including George Balanchine and Martha Graham, would extend a dance vocabulary through their choreography and then bring the 'new' movement to classroom training. Mr. Nikolais and Mr. Louis did the reverse." Still, he fears for the future of the form: "Creatively strong leaders are not coming out of dance... There is a lot of splintering." The New York Times 12/17/05
Posted: 12/18/2005 8:31 am

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Dance stories submitted by readers
Dancer reaches a turning point Boston Globe 12/15/05
I Dance, Therefore I Am Wired News 12/13/05
MOVING AROUND NEW YORK Seeing Things 12/12/05
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