The highly profitable sale of a collection of Chinese jade pieces recently displayed at a Boston museum is raising eyebrows in the art world. Ethicists have concerns “about a nonprofit museum giving its imprimatur to works owned by wealthy collectors who are generous donors to the institution.”
Author: sbergman
Dodging Bullets, Writing Novels
National Novel Writing Month is a cute concept, a way for a lot of people to challenge their creative spirit, even if it rarely produces great literature. But for a group of American soldiers serving overseas, NaNoWriMo has become a lifeline, a creative escape from the horrors of war.
NJSO Sells Controversial Collection
The New Jersey Symphony has sold the collection of 20 valuable Italian instruments it purchased in 2003 from now-disgraced financier Herbert Axelrod. “The deal resolves an embarrassing episode for the orchestra,” and best of all, the purchasers will lend most of the instruments back for the NJSO’s continued use.
If You Want To Dance, You Should Get To Dance
An Alabama native reinventing classical dance in Paris might seem like an unlikely scenario. But Brooke Desnoës’s unconventional ballet school has become known for its “fresh approach in France that seeks to include not only students with perfect bodies but also anyone who takes pleasure in dance.”
Could The Grinch Save Broadway’s Christmas?
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical is officially back open on Broadway despite the stagehands’ strike that has shut down most other shows. “Performers, ticket takers and union officials said they hoped the reopening would push both sides in the strike toward a resolution in time to reawaken Broadway for the holidays.”
Hollywood Forced To Hedge Its Bets For The Future
In recent weeks, studios “have had to pay a premium of as much as 10 to 15 percent over actors’ normal salaries to book them into the dozens of movies that are filming between now and June, when the Screen Actors Guild’s contract expires. But with talks set to resume on Monday between striking writers and the movie and television companies, the chance of a quick settlement has added a gust of uncertainty.”
Deconstructing The Cult Of Gould
25 years after his death, Glenn Gould remains, arguably, the most popular pianist in the world. But do his accomplishments really justify all the breathless adulation? “The Gould legacy is of great value if we put it in the right place…”
What Museum Wouldn’t Notice A Missing $300K?
The former CFO of Washington state’s Bellevue Art Museum was charged this week with embezzling more than $300,000 from her employer. “Prosecutors say Ellinger stole most of the money by writing checks to herself and then covering them up with fake entries in the museum’s financial ledger.”
NYC Losing Millions During Strike
“The New York city comptroller, William Thompson Jr., estimated that the city was losing about $2 million per day because of the [stagehands’] strike… But the League of American Theaters and Producers, which includes production costs and theater maintenance in its figure, says it believes a more accurate estimate is about $17 million per day.”
US Networks Not Interested In Canadian Shows
Despite some reports to the contrary, US TV networks won’t be looking to pick up many Canadian shows to replace the ones left in the lurch by striking writers, say producers. “U.S. networks already own a wealth of reality shows, previously aired series and movies that can be slotted in” more cheaply.