“The upcoming movie from Marvel Studios was originally to be filmed in Los Angeles,” but the studio ultimately opted for London “largely because the story is set in Europe and will feature a number of scenes in London such as Piccadilly Circus, and also because of favorable tax incentives.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Narrative Is Key To Gehry’s Las Vegas Brain Center
“In the case of … the riotously sculptural $100-million Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, the story is about the depths — and ultimately the limits — of the human mind. It’s the poignancy of that architectural narrative that ultimately helps the building … overcome its reliance on some of Gehry’s most recognizable architectural gestures.”
The Secret Photo Albums We Carry In Our Minds
“All the poets who loved colorful street life, starting with Whitman and Baudelaire, knew that the unforeseen was one of the inherent qualities of the beautiful. We come face to face with someone, or we catch a peek at them from the corner of our eye and the camera in our heads clicks, suspending the image.”
Palladio In America
Andrea Palladio is “the godfather of American civic architecture.” The Renaissance master “combines practicality with grandeur…, which particularly appealed to American sensibilities. Since Palladio’s designs could be achieved in a variety of materials, and with a variety of means–grand and modest–they particularly suited a democracy.”
Taggers Scribble On Banksy’s Latest
“Street artists in the city seem to be under siege at the moment. The Banksy markings come on the heels of a massive tagging attack on Shepard Fairey’s mural on East Houston Street. … Police say they’re investigating the tagging, and note that Banksy lacked a permit for at least one of his drawings.”
It’s Not You, It’s Us: How Curators Say ‘No, Thank You’
“Most museums acquire 90% or more of their collections as donations, but they don’t want everything…. Responding to inquiries for donations requires considerable tact, if for no other reason than a collector offering one unwanted object may have one or more others in which the museum would be far more interested.”
Elie Wiesel Objects, Theatre Backs Away From Madoff Play
“In the fictional play, Madoff in his prison cell recalls a long-ago, all-night discussion with Wiesel in the author’s study. No such meeting ever took place.” Playwright Deb Margolin said that “the 81-year-old Wiesel wrote a letter to her describing the play as ‘obscene’ and ‘defamatory’ and stating that he would have his lawyer stop the production.”
Baltimore Tries To Create A Third Arts District (But Why?)
“Maryland already has 18 state-approved arts districts, including two in Baltimore. In each district, developers receive property tax reductions for building or renovating arts-related properties. In addition, artists are exempt from Maryland income tax for work created in the district.” The cost of the exemption to the state is unknown.
The Impossible Achieved: Lincoln Center Looks Nearly Hip
Diller, Scofidio & Renfro “have conjured … magical yet subtle alterations throughout the complex” in “[t]he latest phase in a years-long, $1.2 billion overhaul” that has “transformed the tired bombast of the architectural ensemble. None of the three theaters can be mistaken for great architecture, but now they seem to stand tall and throw their shoulders back.”
Feds Ask: Does Cincinnati Ballet Dancer Deserve A Visa?
“According to Ballet spokesperson Missie Santomo, the Immigration Service is delaying visa renewal and has asked for specific evidence that [Liang] Fu has achieved ‘distinction’ through a high level of achievement in his field, substantially above that ordinarily encountered, and an explanation of why an American dancer could not bring the same ability to the stage as Fu.”