Many of the projects under Vulcan’s Arts + Entertainment division stemmed from Vulcan co-founder Paul Allen’s personal interests, and served as showplaces for his collections: his movie costumes and memorabilia at Cinerama; his vintage computer collection at the Living Computers: Museum + Labs; and his military aircraft, vehicles and artifacts at the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum. – Seattle Times
Month: May 2020
How Natalia Makarova Made ‘La Bayadère’ Into A Worldwide Audience Favorite
“An icon of the stage, Makarova was beloved for her grandeur and spontaneity, the same qualities that led her, in 1970, to become the first Russian ballerina to escape the Soviets. But she had never put together a full-length ballet. The one she chose — an overhaul of the 1877 original by the great Marius Petipa, who gave the world Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty — had never been seen in the West,” writes Sarah Kaufman. Says the 79-year-old legend now, “How I had the guts to do it, I don’t know.” – The Washington Post
How To Reopen Your Museum? Here’s What To Think About
The prospect of reopening under the current circumstances also raises vexing strategic dilemmas. In recent years, museums have developed a sophisticated understanding of the many barriers to entry they inadvertently create, and how to overcome them, in order to pursue agendas informed by equity and social justice. No one wishes to raise additional barriers now. But visiting museums will inevitably become more difficult, not less, for the foreseeable future, and this will affect some visitors more than others. – Artnet
English Is Everywhere In Japan, Everyone There Studies It In School — Why Can So Few Japanese Actually Speak It?
Despite the fact that American pop culture and the ability to speak English are considered very cool in Japan, multinational companies want their employees to know the language, and the Japanese government stresses the importance of learning English and constantly rejiggers the curriculum in the subject (which is required), well under a third of the population there speaks any English at all, with the percentage of people who are fluent in the single digits. An American journalist and translator in Nagoya looks at the structural and cultural reasons for this conundrum. – Foreign Policy
How To Make A Theatre Season More Flexible? Here’s One Version
Exact performance dates will be announced for each offering throughout the year, along with such “details” as venue (Writers has two stages), and the names of the full casts and creative teams. In addition, patrons are advised, according to the theater’s press release, that “some titles and artists may change as the production schedule shifts for reasons of health and safety.” – WTTW
Sculptor Peter Alexander Dead At 81
“[He] is most commonly associated with the Light and Space movement, which was pioneered by a group of artists working in California during the 1960s. … Alexander wound up producing understated, sleek objects that seemed at times to reinterpret Minimalism with a less chilly aesthetic. Often, the resin works take on semi-translucent cuboidal shapes, with colors that appear to fade depending on where the viewer stands with respect to the object.” – ARTnews
Philadelphia Orchestra Creates Special In-House Music Channel For UPenn Hospitals
“Patients and health-care workers at Penn Medicine’s six sites can now access a service that brings them archived performance videos of the Philadelphia Orchestra. … New performances will be added each week, and orchestra leaders hope to expand the pilot program to other health systems.” Says one hospital’s CEO, “Patients have given us feedback that they are utilizing it, that they find it helpful, and that they find it comforting.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Michael Kaiser Has Become Therapist/Life Coach For Pandemic-Panicked Arts Orgs
The former CEO of the Kennedy Center and his colleagues at the DeVos Institute of Arts Management are giving pro bono consultations to more than 400 organizations. “In phone calls with groups as varied as Mosaic Theater Company in [D.C.] and the Women’s Museum of California in San Diego, Kaiser tosses out suggestions as each outlet lays out its predicament.” – The Washington Post
Walt Disney World In Orlando Sets July Reopening Dates
“[The] Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom plan to open again on July 11, while Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will resume business on July 15. SeaWorld, meanwhile, will reopen to the public on June 11. … New requirements include temperature checks upon arrival, physical distancing, enhanced cleaning, hand-washing and sanitizing stations and ‘limited-contact enhancements,’ such as contactless payments and mobile orders at restaurants.” – Variety
Movie Theaters May Be Reopening In Some States, But Audiences Aren’t Flocking Back
In places such as Georgia (the first state to reopen), Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah, independent cinemas are operating again. (The chains are staying closed for now.) Yet attendance is generally around a quarter of what it would be this time of a normal year. Even so, say owners, it’s important to get used to running with new safety procedures in place before customers start arriving in larger numbers. – Variety