“The [Washington, D.C.-based] Corcoran Gallery of Art, testing new ways to regain its foothold as a high-profile Washington exhibition space, drew modest crowds to its recent sprawling exhibition on modernism. [But] the Corcoran increased its admission from $8 [to $14] for the show. The numbers… suggest that local residents and tourists are accustomed to free first-class shows. No matter how exquisite the exhibitions, museums that charge struggle to find a broad audience.”
Author: sbergman
Letting The Author Out of The Kid’s Body
Ben Dolnick may not be your typical debut novelist – 24 years old, low-key, and getting plenty of press for his first book – but his journey from kid obsessed with Vonnegut to professional writer reads like the fantasy story every creative writing teacher dreams of. “Praised for his ability to evoke the self-conscious flailings of people close to his own age, he is an acute observer of his elders as well.”
Wood Jumping To New Yorker
Literary critic James Wood is joining The New Yorker after 12 years with The New Republic. “In some literary circles Mr. Wood has been described as a brutal critic who has blasted many of the country’s most admired writers, including Don DeLillo, Toni Morrison and Thomas Pynchon. He is also regarded as one of the most respected critics of his generation.”
Why Are Off Broadway Theatres Shutting Their Doors?
“The announcement that another Off Broadway theater is closing has become almost routine over the past few years… A reasonable assumption might be that the closing of all these theaters — six in the last two years alone — is ushering in the decline of commercial Off Broadway. But it turns out the situation is more complicated than that.”
Cable’s Big Summer
Cable networks in the US have been taking full advantage of the summer lull in network programming this year, launching ambitious new hourlong dramas to compete directly with the entertainment giants at CBS, ABC, Fox, and NBC. And the strategy is working, to a remarkable extent, drawing not only viewers, but also writers and actors who might previously have been loathe to do a show on basic cable.
Met To Expand Simulcasts Globally
“The Metropolitan Opera plans to expand still further its live high-definition simulcasts into movie theaters around the world for the 2007-8 season, potentially tripling the audience for these broadcasts to an estimated one million viewers… The total includes more than 300 screens in the United States, up from 113 last season.”
What Could Be More Contemporary Than Handbags?
“In a move that seems sure to offend art world purists, [L.A.’s] Museum of Contemporary Art will merge the worlds of art and commerce this fall by including a fully operational Louis Vuitton boutique as part of a retrospective of the work of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.”
Never A Good Idea To Publish Your Murder Plot
A Polish author is on trial for allegedly committing the brutal crime he later detailed in a bestselling novel. The author claims he was inspired by a newspaper account of the torture and murder of a businessman. Prosecutors say that “the book contained intimate details of the murder that could be known only to police — or the killer. Further investigations revealed that the victim was an acquaintance of [the author’s] estranged wife.”
Is UK Running Out Of Money For The Arts?
Rupert Christiansen says the UK’s National Lottery is neglecting its considerable role in funding the country’s arts and culture. “The Lottery’s achievement is considerable, but, as the Cassandras prophesied when its guidelines were originally being drawn up, the problem it leaves unresolved is the dearth of cash – either from the Treasury or from ticket-buyers – to sustain the day-to-day running of [the] splendid edifices” it has built over the last decade.
Losses Continue For CDs
American record label Warner Music lost $17m in the third quarter despite several hit albums, and analysts are attributing the decline to continued consumer embrace of music downloads. “Digital revenue jumped 27% to $112m, although this was not sufficient to make up for a fall in CD sales.”