Frequently the Pritzker has gone “either to stars with overinflated reputations” or to “lesser-known architects whose reputations could not be inflated by any accolade…. This year’s selection of Sejima and Nishizawa, however, marks a significant departure from past Pritzker practices–including those that adversely affected the prize’s credibility.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
The Gods’ Little Joke On Musicians
“When it comes to the tuning of instruments, especially keyboards and fretted instruments, nature drops a giant hairball in our path. Here’s a short course on the arcana of tuning.”
Berkeley Art Museum Is Shopping For An Architect (Again)
The museum “already traveled this path – in 2006, when it selected Toyo Ito to design a new home. The Japanese architect’s response was seductive – an abstract egg crate with thin steel walls – but also prohibitively expensive. Ito and Cal parted ways last fall, and the institution” now intends to “move to the old University of California printing plant.”
B&N Updates Nook To Fix Screen Freezes
“Hundreds of Nook owners have posted complaints online, including on Barnes & Noble’s Web site. ‘It freezes almost daily,’ Stacey Hendricks, a student at University of Louisiana at Lafayette, said in an e-mail to Bloomberg. ‘Assuming Barnes & Noble doesn’t whip this situation into shape pronto, I’ll likely be switching over to the iPad.'”
Groundbreaking Film Editor Dede Allen Dies At 86
“Allen was the first film editor — male or female — to receive sole credit on a movie for her work. The honor came with ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ a film in which Allen raised the level of her craft to an art form that was as seriously discussed as cinematography or even directing.”
Live Event Screenings Broaden Cinemas’ Audience Base
“Although not yet a big money maker for the major chains, theater operators are betting that it will be one day, and are booking more such events on slow weekday nights in hopes of coaxing consumers to leave their homes and pay $20 for a premium ticket.”
Sans Getty Support, What’s The Future Of Art Bibliography?
The Getty Research Institute recently withdrew “financial support for one of its programs, the Bibliography of the History of Art,” a “searchable database” that “is the most trusted and second most used (slightly behind JSTOR) resource of its kind.” Now “an international conclave of art scholars, librarians and art-history devotees is gathering” to brainstorm.
Soprano Takes Cab From Poland To Royal Opera House
Aleksandra Kurzak is one of many musicians whose ability to travel has been challenged by the volcanic ash cloud. “Last heard, the Dutch Nieuw Ensemble was stuck in Hong Kong, the Asko Ensemble wasn’t leaving New York anytime soon, the Ensemble Modern was still in Istanbul and the Dresden Philharmonic was stranded on the Spanish island of Mallorca….”
Orange Prize Shortlist’s Big Non-Surprise: Hilary Mantel
“The winner will be chosen from Mantel, Rosie Alison (for The Very Thought of You), Barbara Kingsolver (for The Lacuna), Attica Locke (for Black Water Rising), Lorrie Moore (for A Gate at the Stairs), and Monique Roffey (for The White Woman on the Green Bicycle).”
NY Phil, Lincoln Center Give Themselves Breathing Room
“Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the New York Philharmonic have decided to extend their operating agreement to give both parties more time to resolve questions about a renovation of the orchestra’s home, Avery Fisher Hall.”