“The guards you see at museums may seem like ciphers standing silently in their blue uniforms, and only speaking when you ask a question or get too near that work of art. But the 35 artists showcased in this journal give the world a very different picture of themselves.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Uh-Oh, Amazon: Two More Publishers Make Apple Deals
“The Perseus and Workman agreements come as Amazon.com, the largest e-book seller in the United States and the maker of the Kindle e-reader, is pressuring publishers that have not yet signed deals with Apple to refrain from doing so. With Apple’s iPad coming on the scene, Amazon is fighting to keep as much of its market lead as possible.”
LA Drama Critics Hand Out Rather A Lot Of Awards
“‘The Gogol Project,’ which was presented by Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater, took four prizes at the 41st annual awards ceremony, which was held at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. Four productions–‘The Browning Version,’ ‘Life Could Be a Dream,’ ‘Minsky’s’ and ‘Stick Fly’–received three prizes each.”
When Scientific Research Is The Portrait Painter’s Guide
“Rather than being separated from their subjects by thousands of miles,” like artists were before long-distance travel was easy, “today’s artists are separated by thousands of years — even millions of them. Fortunately, they have a lot more scientific information on which to base their images. But they cannot eliminate the gap between reality and image.”
No Charges For Children In Suicide Of Conductor, Wife
“Caractacus Downes was told there was sufficient evidence to prosecute him for assisting his parents’ suicide but it was not considered to be in the public interest to do so. Sir Edward [Downes] died alongside his wife Joan at the Dignitas clinic in Zurich in July last year, leaving £2.6 million to Caractacus and his sister Boudicca, 38.”
Art Institute Of Chicago’s Modern Wing Is Certified Green
The LEED Silver rating for the Renzo Piano-designed wing “is part of a broader trend in which cultural institutions, in keeping with their charge to conserve society’s aesthetic treasures, are also taking care to help save the world from global warming.”
Henry Miller’s Theatre Will Become The Stephen Sondheim
“At a gala performance on Monday night of the new Broadway musical ‘Sondheim on Sondheim,’ the director James Lapine and the musical book writer John Weidman were to announce that Henry Miller’s Theater, which re-opened on Broadway last fall after a nearly complete overhaul, will be renamed the Stephen Sondheim Theater.”
Is A Black Writers’ Conference Still Necessary?
“Black authors are part of the broader society’s struggles with the legacy of discrimination and exclusion, [writers and editors] said, and often need a more strategic approach to getting their work promoted, reviewed and sold. … But some in the book world worry that conference attendees end up talking mostly to themselves.”
James Levine Is Out For Remainder Of BSO Season
The Boston Symphony Orchestra said “that Levine, 66, will be replaced in a series of concerts over the next three weeks that were to have been his final performances of the 2009-2010 [season]. Levine underwent surgery for a herniated disc last fall, forcing him to miss months at the BSO and the Metropolitan Opera, where he also serves as music director.”
Michael Gielen Wins €200K Ernst Von Siemens Music Prize
“German-born Gielen was director of Frankfurt Opera and general music director of the City of Frankfurt for 10 years from 1977, where he worked to transform music theatre traditions. … His commitment to contemporary and avant-garde styles was cemented during his tenure as chief conductor of South West German Radio from 1986-1999. “