LA's MOCA In Deep Trouble
"Los Angeles' prestigious but chronically underfunded Museum of Contemporary Art has fallen into crisis... The museum has burned through $20 million in unrestricted funds and borrowed $7.5 million from other accounts. Cash from donors is being sought. A merger has not been ruled out." Los Angeles Times 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:32AM

Divine Revelation And Linguistics A recently discovered inscription dating from 644AD, the oldest ever found in Arabic, isn't much more than graffiti. But it has potentially serious implications for the study of Islam. Why? It all comes down to diacritical marks. Discovery 11/18/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:56PM

Warsaw Ghetto - The Musical! "In Imagine This, a new musical about the Holocaust, a group of actors in the Warsaw ghetto stage a play. The play is about a community of Jews in Masada who, in AD73, are surrounded by the Roman army and, rather than surrender, choose to kill themselves en masse." The Guardian (UK) 11/10/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:42PM

Obama Doc Draws Strong Interest From Industry "A documentary, more than two years in the making, about President-elect Barack Obama's campaign is gathering significant interest from international distributors just days after being picked up in the United States by HBO." New York Times 11/13/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:41PM

Could Obama's Election Be Good for Country Music? Wait - wasn't much of the country music world (and its fans) behind John McCain? Sure - "The GOP and Nashville hitched themselves to each other as far back as the Nixon years." But, says David Browne, as country ruled the charts through the years of conservative political dominance, Nashville churned out "too many Southern-adult-contemporary ballads and obnoxious power chords." Some time in eclipse might be just what country music needs. The New Republic 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:40PM

Katharina Wagner Survives Freak Autobahn Incident "Katharina Wagner, the co-director of the Bayreuth Festival and great-granddaughter of the composer Richard Wagner, was in a car on the German autobahn when the driver died at the wheel." Bloomberg 11/14/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:39PM

Porgy And Bess - It's Not Just A Show, It's Sociology "Gershwin's tune-laden slice of life in the Charleston slum known as Catfish Row (based on Heyward's 1925 novel and the subsequent play) did not flinch from confronting issues of race and class. Those issues - grinding poverty, domestic abuse, racist bigotry, crime, drugs and prostitution - remain very much with us today." Chicago Tribune 11/16/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:38PM

Lego Loses Its Trademark - Does It Matter? An EU court has upheld a decision to strip the interlocking plastic bricks of trademark status - because how can you trademark a simple brick? "But, does it matter to you and me? Perhaps not. No one will force you to buy [competitor] MEGA Brands' brick-locking equivalent and Lego is such a big name that it seems unlikely sales will be particularly affected… Children - like adults - often develop loyalties to toy brands." The Guardian (UK) 11/14/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:37PM

What Is (And Isn't) Michael Kaiser Doing To Save NY City Opera? The arts world's Mr. Turnaround, called in by board chair Susan Baker in the wake of the company's dark season and the loss of Gérard Mortier as artistic director, isn't taking the helm himself. "I've been asked by Susan and the board of the opera to help them write a plan for going forward. It's very specific… If they asked me [to take over], I'd say no." New York Times 11/20/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:36PM

Is The Recession Hurting Reality TV? Unscripted shows such as Survivor, Deal or No Deal and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? are hemorrhaging viewers. Some of this is overexposure and the age of the shows, but can the plummeting ratings be blamed on the recession? "Well, hard times may not have any direct effect on what people choose to watch. But there's little doubt that during times of upheaval, viewers' tastes can shift." Los Angeles Times 11/18/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:35PM

Pittsburgh Symphony Raises $48 Million "The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announced today that it has raised more than $48 million toward its goal of $80 million to increase its endowment and repair and enhance Heinz Hall." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:23PM

Chagall Was 'A Colossal Mama's Boy' A new biography of the painter says that he freely went from one parental figure to another to another for sustenance and nourishment. "Everyone embraced him, nursed him, held him aloft." He was also, it seems, "a social climber and a prince of self-pity. He thrived in a bloody century that killed many friends… But he saw himself as Christ on the cross." International Herald Tribune 11/13/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:22PM

China Launches First Contemporary Ballet Company The Beijing Contemporary Dance Theater, China's first modern dance troupe, gives its inaugural performances next month. The company's founder and director, 35-year-old choreographer Wang Yuanyuan, is a frequent collaborator of star filmmaker Zhang Yimou. Xinhua News Agency 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:21PM

Even Damien Hirst Says It's Out Of Control "[J]ust months after the success of a ground-breaking sale at Sotheby's that brought him nearly £100m, Hirst has described the art market as over-priced, and welcomed the prospect of selling his work at cheaper rates in the present climate of recession." The Independent (UK) 11/17/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:20PM

Danail Rachev To Eugene Symphony The 38-year-old Bulgarian maestro Danail Rachev, currently assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, will succeed Giancarlo Guerrero as music director of the Eugene (Oregon) Symphony Orchestra as of next season. Other predecessors in the job include Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Marin Alsop. The Oregonian (Portland) 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:19PM

Florida's Carbonell Awards Suspended "In a surprise move, the board of directors of the Carbonell Awards has voted to suspend the program for 2009. A ceremony honoring the best work in South Florida theater during 2008 will still take place in the spring, but no productions that open during 2009 will be given awards." Miami Herald 11/18/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:18PM

Well, It's One Way To Get Into A Sold-Out Concert Adriano Graziano rang up Welsh National Opera looking for a last-minute ticket to a gala concert. The response from the man on the phone: "You're a tenor, aren't you? I don't suppose you are free tonight? Our tenor is ill." The Times (London) 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:15PM

Alberto Vilar Convicted Of Fraud And Money Laundering "A federal jury convicted Alberto W. Vilar of all 12 counts in his securities fraud trial on Wednesday, a final fall from grace for a man who gave millions of dollars to musical and other causes but was ostracized for falling short on his pledges." New York Times 11/20/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@11:33AM

Clive Barnes, 81 "Clive Barnes, who as a critic in Britain and later for The New York Times helped bring dance to a broad audience with an exuberant, highly personal style in his reviews, died early this morning... His death, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, was caused by complications of cancer." The New York Times 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@09:04AM

Ashes To Ashes, Dust To... Paint? Memorializing the dead has always led to some creative thinking, but using ashes to create art? The artist offering the service "paid his way through Philadelphia's Hussian School of Art by working as a gravedigger at a local cemetery." Now, he mixes cremated remains with his paints to create textured paintings for grieving families. Philadelphia Inquirer 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:57AM

Canadian Auctions Start Tonight; More Carnage Ahead? Canada's art auction houses are bracing for the worst in the wake of disappointing fall auction sales in the US and Europe. "Artprice predicts values will drop 40 per cent by year's end." But some have hope that the market for Canadian art will not fall as far or as hard. Toronto Star 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:50AM

What Will Broadway Look Like Next Year? "While everyone suspects that there might be a handful of empty Broadway theaters in the spring, at the moment the big theaters are still largely booked, and most nonprofits have finished their fund-raising for this fiscal year. More significant, though, is what happens when the next fall season comes round. Those in the industry wonder not only about empty theaters, but also about the effect on the stream of creative work." The New York Times 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:46AM

Eli Broad To Build His Own Museum "Less than a year after the Los Angeles County Museum of Art opened a $56 million museum for contemporary art named for Eli Broad, the billionaire philanthropist who is its largest benefactor, Mr. Broad has decided to build his own museum and is considering a site just down the street." The New York Times 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:45AM

UN Unveils New Painting "An intricate ceiling painting worth 18m euros [$23m] has been unveiled at the United Nations offices in Geneva. The coloured dome took Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo more than a year to produce, using 100 tons of paint with pigments from all over the world... However, the Spanish opposition party has criticised the country's government for spending some public money on it." BBC 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:40AM

UK Heritage Fund Chips In To Help Keep Titian In Country "The campaign to keep Titian's masterpiece Diana and Actaeon on public display [in the UK] has been given a £10m boost. The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) announced it would donate the sum to The National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery. The two institutions are hoping to raise £50m to jointly buy the painting." BBC 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:37AM

LA's MOCA In Deep Trouble "Los Angeles' prestigious but chronically underfunded Museum of Contemporary Art has fallen into crisis... The museum has burned through $20 million in unrestricted funds and borrowed $7.5 million from other accounts. Cash from donors is being sought. A merger has not been ruled out." Los Angeles Times 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:32AM

Indy Symphony Back To Deficits, But Not Panicking The Indianapolis Symphony ended the fiscal year in the red for the first time in five years. "The board and managers are re-evaluating the orchestra's current 'business model,' with hopes of beefing up the roughly $120 million endowment, increasing earned income and containing costs." Indianapolis Star 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:32AM

What Can Music Do For Math? Academics are divided on whether or not studying music can help students get better at other subjects like math, but the people who believe it can are passionate about the connection. "[Music lessons have] given them discipline, confidence and self esteem to perform well under adverse conditions..." Washington Post 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:28AM

Musicians On Fire The wildfires ravaging Southern California are producing some stunning video. "A group of classical musicians on their way to a Riverside Philharmonic concert this weekend were on the 91 freeway as the fire literally crossed it." Being musicians, they filmed their adventure and set it to a Shostakovich soundtrack... LAist 11/18/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:23AM

Another Orchestra On The Brink "In its 72-year history, the Charleston [SC] Symphony Orchestra has had its moments of near demise. But rarely have things looked this bleak. CSO board president Ted Legasey shocked some audience members Saturday during intermission of the Masterworks concert when he announced they could be attending the final CSO concert of 2008 unless the group raises $250,000 immediately to pay for the month of December." Charleston Post & Courier (SC) 11/18/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:16AM

CBC Offers To Help Orchestra Transition The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which drew fire for its decision to stop funding the CBC Radio Orchestra, says that it has offered to help the ensemble in its quest to become a standalone orchestra. "The CBC has offered to give the rebranded orchestra three broadcasts next year and to commission more new works... [The orchestra] would also be able to use the CBC's facilities in Vancouver for rehearsals and its library of sheet music." The Globe & Mail (Canada) 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@06:05AM

Philly Concert Hall Weighing Major Renovation "Just months after paying off construction bills dating from its opening seven years ago, [Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts] is undertaking its next act: renovations... The scope of the project is still fuzzy, though Kimmel leaders are taking this moment in time to think big." Philadelphia Inquirer 11/19/08

email this story | Posted 11/19/08@05:57AM

Governor-General's Literary Award Winners Revealed Nino Ricci won the English-language fiction award for The Origin of Species, while two Globe and Mail writers took honors for non-fiction (Christie Blatchford for Fifteen Days, about Canadian Army units in Afghanistan) and children's literature (John Ibbitson for The Landing). The prizes, seven each for English- and French-language work, are worth C$25,000. CBC 11/18/08

email this story | Posted 11/18/08@09:56PM

Sumit Roy's "Dancing Queen," shot on cell phone

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Divine Revelation And Linguistics - Discovery 11/18/08
Ashes To Ashes, Dust To... Paint? - Philadelphia Inquirer 11/19/08

China Launches First Contemporary Ballet Company - Xinhua News Agency 11/19/08

Lego Loses Its Trademark - Does It Matter? - The Guardian (UK) 11/14/08

Obama Doc Draws Strong Interest From Industry - New York Times 11/13/08
Is The Recession Hurting Reality TV? - Los Angeles Times 11/18/08

Could Obama's Election Be Good for Country Music? - The New Republic 11/19/08
What Is (And Isn't) Michael Kaiser Doing To Save NY City Opera? - New York Times 11/20/08
Pittsburgh Symphony Raises $48 Million - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 11/19/08
Danail Rachev To Eugene Symphony - The Oregonian (Portland) 11/19/08
Well, It's One Way To Get Into A Sold-Out Concert - The Times (London) 11/19/08
Indy Symphony Back To Deficits, But Not Panicking - Indianapolis Star 11/19/08
What Can Music Do For Math? - Washington Post 11/19/08
Musicians On Fire - LAist 11/18/08
Another Orchestra On The Brink - Charleston Post & Courier (SC) 11/18/08
CBC Offers To Help Orchestra Transition - The Globe & Mail (Canada) 11/19/08
Philly Concert Hall Weighing Major Renovation - Philadelphia Inquirer 11/19/08

Katharina Wagner Survives Freak Autobahn Incident - Bloomberg 11/14/08
Chagall Was 'A Colossal Mama's Boy' - International Herald Tribune 11/13/08
Alberto Vilar Convicted Of Fraud And Money Laundering - New York Times 11/20/08
Clive Barnes, 81 - The New York Times 11/19/08

Warsaw Ghetto - The Musical! - The Guardian (UK) 11/10/08
Porgy And Bess - It's Not Just A Show, It's Sociology - Chicago Tribune 11/16/08
Florida's Carbonell Awards Suspended - Miami Herald 11/18/08
What Will Broadway Look Like Next Year? - The New York Times 11/19/08

Even Damien Hirst Says It's Out Of Control - The Independent (UK) 11/17/08
Canadian Auctions Start Tonight; More Carnage Ahead? - Toronto Star 11/19/08
Eli Broad To Build His Own Museum - The New York Times 11/19/08
UN Unveils New Painting - BBC 11/19/08
UK Heritage Fund Chips In To Help Keep Titian In Country - BBC 11/19/08
LA's MOCA In Deep Trouble - Los Angeles Times 11/19/08

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