“Brandeis University announced that it will form a committee to consider the future of its Rose Art Museum, which university trustees voted to shut down on Jan. 26 with the goal of selling art to raise money.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Gehry’s Art Gallery Of Ontario Plagued By Leaks, Dampness
“The new Frank Gehry-designed Art Gallery of Ontario, designed as an impregnable fortress against the harsh Canadian weather, is already showing cracks in its armour. Recent visitors to the newly reopened and much celebrated Toronto gallery have been shocked to find condensation fogging up and streaming down many of its outer windows, while buckets dot its famed Douglas fir central staircase, catching errant drips.”
Searching For Authors, Google Embarks On Print Campaign
“As part of the class-action settlement” of a federal lawsuit over book scanning, “Google will pay $125 million to create a system under which customers will be charged for reading a copyrighted book, with the copyright holder and Google both taking percentages; copyright holders will also receive a flat fee for the initial scanning, and can opt out of the whole system if they wish. But first they must be found.” Thus Google’s $7 million advertising effort “in that relic of the pre-Internet age: print.”
Why Green Rooms Are ‘Green’ — Even Though They Aren’t
Here’s one of a half dozen possibilities: “Green is considered a soothing color, advantageous for someone about to go onstage or to someone who has just performed.”
Tough Crowd: Mary Zimmerman’s Bumpy Ride At The Met
“The Chicago director Mary Zimmerman, by several accounts, is having a rough time at New York’s Metropolitan Opera with her production of Vincenzo Bellini’s ‘La Sonnambula.’ … And then last night at the Met, Zimmerman and her team of Chicago designers were met with boos and catcalls when they took the stage during the bows.”
Showtime Makes Emmy Screeners Viewable On iPhone
“After leading the charge to put Emmy screeners online, Showtime will show off its wares to TV Academy voters this year on both the iPhone and the iPodTouch. Emmy voters with the Apple mobile devices will be able to screen full episodes of Showtime series including ‘Dexter,’ ‘Weeds’ and ‘United States of Tara’ simply by entering a passcode.” The channel says the tiny screens won’t compromise the experience.
For Publisher Of Holocaust Novel, Its Value Is Controversy
“Jonathan Littell’s nearly 1,000-page Holocaust novel, ‘The Kindly Ones,’ went on sale Tuesday, but critics already have drawn fiercely partisan battle lines.” HarperCollins is sure to welcome the dust-up after having paid $1 million for the American rights to the book, which has “what publishers are increasingly searching for these days: controversy, splashiness, something for readers to get worked up about,” no matter “the quality of the prose or story therein.”
Amazon Enters Apple Territory With E-Books
“Amazon.com Inc. plans to release a program Wednesday for reading electronic books on Apple Inc.’s iPhone, extending Amazon’s sales of digital books to devices beyond its Kindle e-book reader. Amazon’s software application, which can be downloaded free of charge, allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to read books or periodicals purchased on the Web or through their dedicated Kindle device, usually for $9.99.”
France Tainted Itself By Allowing Auction, China Says
“China said France has tarnished its own ‘good tradition’ by permitting the sale of two Qing Dynasty bronzes that were taken by foreign troops in 1860. ‘The auction will not add anything positive to the good tradition of the country in which it was hosted,’ said Li Zhaoxing, spokesman of China’s legislature and ex-foreign minister, at a Beijing press conference, ahead of the annual meeting of lawmakers.”
As Deep-Pocketed Donors Cut Back, Arts Are A Tough Sell
“Corporations and wealthy individuals are donating less to nonprofits, with arts groups taking the biggest hit, according to two new studies. Of 158 companies polled by the economic-research group the Conference Board in February, 45 percent said they have reduced their 2009 philanthropy budget and 16 percent are considering it. The survey said 35 percent of the companies will make fewer grants in 2009 and 22 percent are thinking about it.”