“The state budget approved Monday by Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee may be nothing more than an opening salvo. But its zero funding for the arts, film offices, selected museums and public television threw a scare into arts leaders and prompted a viral campaign urging protests. The full Senate could vote on the bill as early as today. ‘It’s a disaster,’ said Philip Horn, director of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts….”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Canada’s Doc Makers: New Funding Model Imperils Us
“Canada’s documentary filmmakers are calling for changes to the newly established Canada Media Fund, claiming the current setup threatens their very existence. At a news conference staged in the midst of the Hot Docs film festival in Toronto yesterday, members of the Documentary Organization of Canada said they are concerned that the structure of the new fund will create conflicts of interest that could shut their industry out of crucial financing.”
Host Departs, So ITV Arts Series Is Canceled After 30 Years
“ITV is to its axe flagship arts strand The South Bank Show after more than 30 years on air next summer, when Melvyn Bragg retires as presenter and series editor.”
A Real-Life Toddler’s Murder: Suitable Topic For Drama?
“The abduction, torture and murder of two-year-old James Bulger is an event that is seared into the public memory. … Now, 16 years on, a play about the murder is due to open in London. Originally written in Swedish by Niklas Radstrom, Monsters has been translated into English and will be performed by four adult actors at the Arcola theatre in Hackney, north London.”
Wedgwood Is In Trouble, But The Museum Is Looking Good
“A museum dedicated to Wedgwood, the world-famous pottery company, has been shortlisted for the Art Fund Prize. The Wedgwood Museum, in Stoke-on-Trent, is one of four museums competing for the £100,000 prize. … The Wedgwood Museum’s inclusion on the shortlist comes months after Waterford Wedgwood went into administration due to the financial crisis.”
In Indian Elections, An Influx Of Bollywood-Star Candidates
“On Thursday, Indian voters in Patna, capital of the unruly state of Bihar, will face a stark choice for the national Parliament: Will it be ‘Shotgun’ or ‘Shaker’? The two aren’t local toughs. They’re Bollywood stars. … The two men are part of a surge of Indian celebrities throwing their hats in the ring this year.”
The Tonys: Terrific Actors. Too Bad About The Shows.
“A glut of great acting talent and a scarcity of distinguished new plays and musicals — the Tony nominations for the 2008-09 season, announced this morning, reveal that the more things economically change, the more they commercially stay the same. … The Tony nominating committee members have had no choice but to become connoisseurs of Happy Meals, differentiating among burgers and fries as they wipe the grease from their upper lips.”
A Royal Ballet Star, Late Of NYCB, On Leaving Dance At 28
“To anyone who has seen [Alexandra] Ansanelli dance, it’s hard to imagine her as a civilian. Some dancers seem like regular people who just happen to have found themselves onstage. Others, like Ms. Ansanelli, appear to belong to a more rarefied universe. … [I]f she were to play a fictional ballerina, it would be a Vicki Baum-like character, ready to sacrifice everything for her art. But perhaps that’s exactly why Ms. Ansanelli is leaving ballet.”
With No Sign Of Poet Missing In Japan, Search Reined In
“Authorities have scaled down their search for an award-winning U.S. poet who disappeared while hiking up a volcano on a remote Japanese island because their efforts have yielded no clues for more than a week, police said Wednesday. University of Wyoming assistant professor Craig Arnold, 41, was reported missing April 27….”
Recession In Full Swing At Sotheby’s Impressionist Sale
“The art market flunked a stress test last night as Sotheby’s posted its lowest total for a New York Impressionist and modern art auction since November 2001. The top two lots, by Picasso and Alberto Giacometti, failed to sell. The $61.4 million total was about a quarter of the tally of a year ago….”