“More than 70% of cinema screens in Catalonia, one of the richest regions in Spain, were dark Monday as exhibitors staged a one-day strike in protest against the regional government’s move to force them to screen more films in the Catalan language.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Richard Wright: Friendship With Turner Judge Irrelevant
“The 49-year-old painter from Glasgow said there was nothing ‘dubious’ about his relationship with Charles Esche, one of the four [Turner Prize] judges, and that there was no way he could have decided the result. Last week, critics claimed the pair’s friendship undermined the integrity of the £25,000 prize.”
V&A Plan To Break Up Instrument Collection Draws Fire
“More than 3,000 people have signed a petition on the Downing Street website calling on the Prime Minister ‘to ensure that all members of the public have continued, free and open access to the complete historic and valuable musical instrument collection,'” which the museum is to break up to increase room for the fashion collection.
Cameron Mackintosh To Endow His London Theatres
“He plans to use some of his estimated £635m fortune to endow each of his seven London playhouses with enough cash to keep them open after his death, staging only musicals and plays. The move throws down a challenge to his friend and rival Andrew Lloyd Webber to follow suit.”
Uh, Tech Companies? Women Don’t Need Stuff To Be Pink
“Diamond encrusted phones, pink fairy princess laptops, pink headphones… The list goes on. … So why do technology companies still think the way to attract women is to ‘pink it and shrink it’? How do we put an end to the genderisation of technology?”
When Museums Have The Courage To Say ‘We’re Not Sure’
“In a bold move, two museums have built exhibitions around objects they think are previously unknown works by major artists, in one case Leonardo da Vinci and in the other Michelangelo. The shows open a window onto an aspect of museums the public rarely sees–the world of fathoming authorship and making judgments.”
Ruling: Berlin Museum Can Keep Nazi-Looted Posters
“Berlin’s court of appeals upheld an earlier ruling that Peter Sachs, the son and heir of Hans Sachs, is the rightful owner of the collection, which is valued at 4.5 million euros ($6.3 million). Yet the appeals court overturned a decision that Sachs is entitled to demand the return of the posters,” which are in the Deutsches Historisches Museum.
One Publishing Powerhouse Isn’t Eager For The iPad
“Possibly the biggest surprise about the new iBooks application of the new device was that Random House’s logo was left out of the onstage display of the participating partners. All six other major New York publishers, including Hachette Book Group and Simon & Schuster, were included….”
Indie Film Biz At Sundance: No Longer Manic, But Healthy
“[T]he dealmaking at this year’s Sundance, which concludes Sunday, reverted to what one producer with a film in play called a ‘rational approach.’ It’s the start of a new decade, and patience and thoroughness have become the catchwords in the condos, theater lobbies and lounges here.”
If City Of L.A. Cuts Jobs, Arts Will Be Hit Harder Than Most
A plan to cut 1,003 jobs in Los Angeles government would fall disproportionately on the arts. “Libraries would see a 10% reduction in staff,” while the city’s “Cultural Affairs Department would experience a loss of 30 employees, or 48% of its workforce.”