“Normally the crisis of an orchestra is defined by money — look at what’s happened over the years with the Louisville Orchestra, or most recently, the apparent demise of the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra. But every so often nature asserts itself, cascading floodwaters into unprotected basements and lower floors, destroying property, making refugees of staff and musicians. Cedar Rapids’ plight brings to mind what befell the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra after Hurricane Katrina.”
Month: June 2008
An Artist Investment (Or Slavery?)
“My friend, a young artist at the start of his career, offered to sell me a 1 percent share in him for $9,000. I would receive a portion of his lifetime earnings but would have no say in the sort of work he did. This seems like a good deal for us both, but it does feel a bit like slavery. Is this agreement ethical?”
Hollywood’s Second Strike Imminent?
“The contract between the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires Monday, and negotiations have dragged on for weeks with no apparent headway.”
16-Year-Old Wins Prestigious Gina Bachauer Competition
“Si Jing Ye, who now resides in New York City, beat out five other finalists for the gold medal on Saturday night with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in B-flat Minor. Ye will also get $8,000 US for his first-place finish. Californian Kenric Tam, 18, of California, was second and Jonathon Flori, 18, of Spain, was third.”
Next Up In The TV Competition Shows – Design
Philippe Starck is to front a new BBC2 series in which he will attempt to discover the next generation of British design talent.
The High Other Costs Of Going Out To The Arts
There’s food and drink of course. And parking. And about those nasty add-on ticket-booking fees…
Boston’s MFA Raises A Record $500 Million
The Museum of Fine Arts has reached its $500 million fund-raising goal, the largest sum for a campaign by an arts institution in Boston history.
Man Caught While Trying To Sell Stolen Monet
“A Frenchman living in Florida was charged with attempting to sell a Claude Monet painting and three other artworks stolen at gunpoint last year from the Museum of Fine Arts in Nice, France.”
Chinese Writers Getting Established On The Web
City of Books, Shanghai’s largest book store, takes up six stories, and more and more, books that first showed up on the Internet are turning up on the shelves there.
Why The Screen Actors Guild Won’t Strike
“If (when) the AFTRA deal is approved, SAG seems likely to be left as the lone holdout. At some point, it seems clear that SAG will have to sue for peace. Perhaps the studios will give SAG a fig leaf–allow the union to say it improved on AFTRA’s terms in a couple of respects. But entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel, who keeps a watchful eye on Hollywood’s labor turmoil, puts it this way: SAG has overplayed a weak hand.”