“On July 14, an artwork equal in length to 14 blue whales placed in a line will go on display in its entirety for the first time in more than half a century. Incidentally, those colossal creatures are central to the work. At 1,275 feet long, the Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World, which was painted in 1848 in New Bedford, Massachusetts by Benjamin Russell, an artist and merchant, and Caleb Purrington, a sign painter, is the longest painting in North America, according to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which is staging the work’s big return.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Defendants In Oakland Ghost Ship Fire Case Plead No Contest To Manslaughter
Three dozen people were killed in a December 2016 fire at the warehouse known as the Ghost Ship, which had been illegally occupied as an artists’ colony. Derek Almena, who held the lease to the building, and Max Harris, who assisted Almena as a sort of super, initially pled not guilty but have now pleaded no contest to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter and are expected to serve several years in prison.
How Ohad Naharin’s Dance Technique Helped ‘The Band’s Visit’ Win Ten Tonys
Gaga, the now-famous style/vocabulary/training method developed by the Israeli choreographer, played a key role in the development of both the staging of the musical and its performances.
Figuring Out The Mess At Barnes And Noble
“[CEO Demos] Parneros’s termination is the latest in a long line of setbacks for a retail giant trying to stay afloat in the e-commerce era. It’s also the latest reminder of the extent to which Barnes & Noble, once the most disruptive company in publishing, has lost its way.” Alex Shephard looks at what he describes as “quite a lot of strategic incoherence.”
Barnes And Noble Fires Fourth CEO In Five Years, This Time For Cause
In a statement issued the afternoon before the Fourth of July holiday, the troubled bookstore chain announced that Demos Parneros had been terminated without severance pay for unspecified “violations of the Company’s policies.” (The statement did say that Parneros’s dismissal had nothing to do with financial malfeasance or fraud.)
Comics Legend Stan Lee Drops $1 Billion Lawsuit Against Company He Co-Founded
“In May, the 95-year-old Marvel superhero creator launched the suit against [Pow! Entertainment’s] co-founder Gill Champion and its CEO, Shane Duffy, after it was alleged Lee had been tricked into signing a document giving away rights to use his name and likeness.” In his statement announcing the end of the suit, Lee said, “The whole thing has been confusing to everyone, including myself and the fans.”
Composer Oliver Knussen Dead At 66
“Few musicians have broken free of the questionable tag ‘child prodigy’ as completely as Knussen, who transformed himself from the nervous teenager who conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in his own symphony at the age of 15 to a consummate musician: a composer, conductor and teacher who became one of the most respected figures in contemporary music.”
U.S. Court Of Appeals Rules Artists Aren’t Owed Royalties When Their Work Is Resold
“On Friday, the Ninth Circuit of the US Appeals Court essentially struck down a California state law that required fine artists to be paid royalties when their work is resold. The three-judge panel said that the law, called the 1977 California Resale Royalties Act (CRRA), is pre-empted by the federal Copyright Act. The decision brings to an end a seven-year legal battle.”
Henry Butler, 69, Pianist Who Took New Orleans Jazz ‘To The Brink Of The Avant-Garde’
“Mr. Butler’s music was encyclopedic, precise and wild. He was acclaimed as a member of a distinctively New Orleans piano pantheon alongside Jelly Roll Morton, James Booker, Tuts Washington, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John. He was also a forthright, bluesy singer who often used New Orleans standards as springboards for improvisation.”
French And UK Governments Sign Agreement For Loan Of Bayeux Tapestry
“The Bayeux Tapestry is a step closer to returning to the UK after the British and French governments finalised a deal earlier this week. … The 70-metre-long tapestry tells the story of the Norman victory over the English at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Bayeux Museum in Normandy, where the work is kept, is due to close for renovations and reopen spring 2024. The historic embroidered piece has not left France since the 11th century.”