“Appearances matter. In this case, there is no way to determine whether the relationship between the gallery and the museum is philanthropic or business-driven. That’s not the gallery’s problem, but it is the museum’s. MOCA is stumbling into troublesome territory.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Celebrating Sondheim’s 80th (One Week Early)
“In recent years the tributes to Mr. Sondheim have come so thick and fast that they have begun to blur. While such celebrations tend to be messy affairs, ‘Sondheim: The Birthday Concert’ (directed by Lonny Price), was a model of organization, with a suave host (David Hyde Pierce) and witty leitmotifs woven into its structure.”
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Subtitled
“[W]ith the hit Swedish film version opening March 19 in the U.S., a question looms: Will fans be as willing to squint at subtitles as they were to read a translated book?”
Few Southern Calif. Billionaires Are Big Arts Patrons
“By Culture Monster’s count, 73 of the 1,011 souls that Forbes pegs as worth $1 billion to $53.5 billion (the estimated worth of Mexican magnate Carlos Slim, top dog on this year’s list) have their main residences in California. Thirty-one live in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, and 42 in Silicon Valley and points north.”
Elmore Leonard’s Hometown Tour
“On a nice day in Detroit, you might take your kids to Bell Isle, near downtown, to feed the geese. Or, if you’re a crime writer, you might set a scene here. Perhaps, in the icy dark, a murder weapon goes into the Detroit River, or a car blows up on the bridge. … ‘That house was on fire last time I saw it,’ Leonard says, pointing at a red house. ‘That’s the opening scene in Mr. Paradise. Three bodies.'”
SFMOMA Mulls Boldface-Name Architects For Expansion
“[G]rand masters like Renzo Piano and Norman Foster as well as emerging stars like Norway’s Snohetta and London-based Tanzanian designer David Adjaye” are among those being considered, alongside “Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, Rem Koolhaas, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Steven Holl, and Mexican architect Enrique Norton.”
Michigan State Breaks Ground On Modern Art Museum
“Designed by Zaha Hadid, the Baghdad, Iraq-born architect who ranks among the world’s foremost designers, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum features a sharply angular, glass and pleated stainless steel skin that boldly goes where no Michigan building has gone before.”
Study: LA Local TV News Is Missing Both Local And News
“From what a USC Norman Lear Center study has concluded — Los Angeles television news stations manage just 22 seconds of local government coverage for every half hour on the air — broadcasters follow FCC rules like L.A. drivers follow stop signs: as helpful reminders for anyone who doesn’t happen to be in a big hurry.”
Museum Quadruples Visitors With Terra Cotta Warriors
“In anticipation of the crowds, the [National Geographic Museum] doubled its exhibition space and, for the first time in its long history, charged admission. … During the show, the museum has counted upwards of 2,200 people a day, as opposed to the 550 visitors it normally receives. The financial payoff? An estimated $2.7 million in gross revenue.”
Where Musicians Go For Help Navigating US Visa Hassles
Tamizdat, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is “a nonprofit group with an official mission of promoting international cultural exchange, and a docket each year of hundreds of visa applications that need I’s precisely dotted and T’s precisely crossed. Its clients include classical, ethnic and pop musicians from around the world….”