“The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has decided to auction three paintings by Thomas Eakins, the 19th-century American artist, to raise money for its acquisition fund. The works, which are being sold by Christie’s in a public sale May 20, have been culled from the 220 pieces by Eakins in the museum’s collection.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Baltimore Symphony Musicians Volunteer $1M In Cuts
“[I]t’s far from routine for an orchestra’s musicians to volunteer a cut of their own accord. Yesterday, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra announced that its players had unanimously agreed to forgo wage and pension rate increases and other promised elements of their 2009-10 contract packages, taking an 8 percent cut to make what amounts to a $1 million donation to the orchestra. The donation was presented in the form of a challenge grant.”
Marketers Give Broadway Audience A Reason To Be Texting
“Desperate times call for desperate text messages. In a bid to attract a younger audience — well, any audience maybe — promoters of [Neil LaBute’s Broadway play ‘Reasons to be Pretty’] have introduced a texting game in which audience members are invited to rate their own attractiveness as well as the attractiveness of those seated next to them on a scale of Carrot Top to Angelina Jolie.”
Global Movie Slump Looks Likely To Impact Cannes Deals
“Given all that’s gone wrong in the economy, it’s not surprising that this year’s Cannes Film Festival will be more restrained than in recent years. And that could present a problem for independent filmmakers and their financial backers hoping to score a big sales payday or even land a theatrical distribution deal.”
German Cultural Institutions Benefit From Stimulus Funds
“Germany’s museums, theaters and libraries are benefiting from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s economic stimulus plan, using unexpected windfalls to fix leaky roofs, crumbling facades and drafty windows. … ‘We are winners of the economic crisis,’ Wolfgang Heckl, director general of the Deutsches Museum, said….”
Does Unesco World Heritage Do More Harm Than Good?
For “the planet’s most precious places,” Unesco’s “World Heritage seal is a guarantee of preservation. … At least that’s the perception. But now many within the conservation community are convinced Unesco is failing. They say the moribund organisation is teetering on its once sound foundations as its principles and priorities crumble under the weight of bureaucracy and outside influence.”
Harnoncourt: Mozart’s Last 3 Symphonies Are An Oratorio
“I have just discovered that the last three Mozart symphonies are an instrumental oratorio,” Nikolaus Harnoncourt told interviewer Tom Service, who explains: “[A]ll that he had time to tell me was that it’s because the 39th Symphony is the only one with an introduction, and the 41st, the Jupiter, the only one with a proper finale; and that there are thematic connections across all three symphonies – and not just the four-note tag that dominates the finale of the Jupiter.”
Panicked About The Future Of Publishing? This Is For You.
“Luckily, in the confusion and chaos of the current publishing rEvolution, there are some people who are profiting. Like me. I’ve been offering my services to various terrified publishing companies. I’m a Post-Paper Evolution Consultant. My credentials are impeccable: I’m 29. I was practically raised by an original Nintendo….”
Managing Your Own Attention Span: Yes, You Can!
“Mention the fact that you’re finding it harder and harder to concentrate lately. The complaint appears to be universal, yet everyone blames it on some personal factor: having a baby, starting a new job, turning 50, having to use a Blackberry for work, getting on Facebook, and so on. … Winifred Gallagher’s new book, ‘Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life’ argues that it’s high time we take more deliberate control of this stuff.”
How The Millionth English Word Is A Lot Like Bull Semen
“I don’t blame you for losing track, but today was supposed to be the day the English language reached 1 million words. For a few years now, Paul Payack of the Global Language Monitor in Austin, Tex., has been issuing these deadlines like a millennialist preacher predicting the end of the world. Don’t worry: He’s already moved the magic date to sometime in June.”