“Three weeks after handing in her resignation, the superintendent of Florence’s museums, Cristina Acidini, is under investigation by the Italian authorities for abuse of office. Also under investigation are the city’s former superintendent Antonio Paolucci, now the director of the Vatican Museums, and Marco Fossi, another employee in Florence’s soprintendenza (now renamed the Polo Museale).”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Will Quebec Close Its Regional Music And Drama Schools? Not Exactly
The arts community in the province has been up in arms since the leak of a document suggesting that the government planned to close the five regional branches of the Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec, leaving only the schools in Montreal and Quebec City. (The network is running a $14m deficit.) In the face of public pleas and protest concerts, the province’s culture minister has promised that all instruction currently offered will remain available, though the buildings may close. (in French)
Vienna State Opera Boss Defends Himself Following Conductor Walkouts
Early this month Franz Welser-Möst suddenly (but discreetly) quit as the house’s principal conductor; eleven days later, Bertrand de Billy angrily resigned, hurling accusations at the company’s Intendant, Dominique Meyer. Now Meyer is responding, saying, “We went into the summer season at peace. Now these allegations. I cannot understand where they’ve come from.”
How a Second Language Trains Your Brain for Math
The key is executive function, and you’ll find it in the basal ganglia.
If Only The Subjunctive Didn’t Trip Everyone Up
Consider this sentence: Even Rupert Murdoch, who opened a new London headquarters for his UK newspapers last week, is insisting that each of the titles turns a profit, rather than relying on subsidies from other parts of his media empire.
Maria Callas’s House In Athens To Become Opera School
“Dubbed the Maria Callas Opera Academy, the project was a long-term goal of soprano Vasso Papantoniou and her husband, writer Vassilis Vassilikos. Yesterday at a gala concert, the artistic director of the Greek National Opera Myron Michailidis announced the organization would support the construction plans.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 09.25.14
Why we don’t do it
AJBlog: Sandow | Published 2014-09-25
Mission Accomplished: Another Delaware Deaccessioning
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts | Published 2014-09-25
To send or to trash
AJBlog: The Artful Manager | Published 2014-09-25
Switching Sides in the Digital War
AJBlog: CultureCrash | Published 2014-09-26
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Pennsylvania Ballet Under The New Regime
“Last year, PA Ballet asked art consultant Michael M. Kaiser to study their organization top to bottom and make some recommendations. As a result, they dropped an executive director, an artistic director, plus the ballet master and mistress – and hired the 38-year-old, Madrid-born [Ángel] Corella to take their company to bigger and better places. Now, the public gets to bear witness to the new leader’s new direction in about three weeks.”
EU Considers Banning Cadmium Pigments; Artists See Red
“The EU is weighing a restriction on the chemical following pressure from Sweden, which argues that artists pollute the food chain when they rinse their brushes in the sink. Cadmium ends up in sewage sludge and is then spread on agricultural land.” Responds one pigment maker, “Artists are not rotters; they are not tipping this stuff down the drain, it’s an expensive substance.”
Joshua Bell To Try Busking In The D.C. Metro Again
But this time he’s doing it during lunchtime instead of morning rush hour, he’s announcing the place and date in advance, and there will be a video crew.