“Increased competition from Christie’s, particularly in the fields of impressionist, modern and contemporary art, contributed to an $18.1m (or 12%) fall in turnover at Sotheby’s for the first three months of 2008, compared with the same period last year.”
Month: June 2008
Who Killed The Columbus Symphony?
So what really happened to the Columbus Symphony? Orchestras its size generally don’t just up and die, after all. One group working to save the CSO says that media coverage of the crisis was badly slanted and that the ensemble’s management seemed uninterested in building audience.
Religious Group Protests Student Art Show
“A Roman Catholic watchdog group is protesting a student art exhibition in which religious symbols including a crucifix and rosary are depicted in sexually explicit paintings.”
Study: Smarter Flies Have Shorter Lives Than Dumb Flies
“This is most probably because the increase in neural activity weakens the fly’s life-support systems, they speculated. This would explain why flies, like most other animals, have hardly developed their neural capacities.”
How Private Museums Are Changing The Art Market
“Unsurprisingly, at Art Basel an increasing number of collectors are buying not just for themselves but to build a museum collection. The trend is changing the dynamic of the market–and its unwritten rules for buyers and sellers.”
Say It Isn’t So: Hockey Night In Canada Without The Song?
“The tune, which has opened the Canadian Broadcasting Corp’s Saturday night National Hockey League broadcasts since the late 1960s, will not be renewed as the broadcaster has chosen to move in a new direction.”
Ex-Guard Caught Vandalizing Painting He Didn’t Like
A former guard at the Carnegie Museum of Art has been charged with vandalizing a million-dollar painting he apparently didn’t like, damaging it beyond repair.
Protests Over Proposed Sound Of Music Museum
“Salzburg officials say a museum containing memorabilia from the film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer could draw 140,000 visitors a year. But not everyone is enthusiastic about the idea.”
Report: Writers’ Strike Cost California Economy $2.1 Billion
The WGA strike will cost the California economy a projected 37,700 jobs and $2.1 billion in lost output through the end of 2008, according to a report from the Milken Institute.
Canadian Mayors Say Proposed Bill Threatens Film Production
“Hammered by accusations that she is attempting to censor Canada’s artistic community, Heritage Minister Josée Verner has said she will ask the entertainment industry to help craft guidelines to govern what material no longer qualifies for tax credits. Representatives of the industry have rejected that offer.”