Ted Hartwell, longtime curator of photography at Minneapolis Institute of Arts and a pioneer in the field, died this week at his home in Wisconsin. “Hartwell was among the first generation of photography curators in American museums,” working tirelessly at a time when many museums believed photographs to be something less than art. Hartwell was 73.
Author: sbergman
Canadian Booksellers To Drop Prices (Finally)
The Canadian dollar is now almost an even exchange with American currency, which is good news for the country’s economy as a whole, but bad news for consumers, who are still paying hefty markups on products like books despite the new strength of the loonie. But relief is on the way: “Last week, some major publishers that distribute U.S. books began to offer retailers 5 per cent discounts to take into account the soaring loonie. That’s on top of publisher reductions of up to 20 per cent last year.”
Canadian Oppo Leader Promises More Arts Support
The leader of Canada’s opposition Liberal party, Stéphane Dion, has been meeting with cultural leaders lately in an attempt to shore up support for the party in the next federal election. Banking on the Canadian public’s traditional support for arts subsidies, Dion is guaranteeing that “a Liberal government would reverse the Conservative government’s $11.8-million cut to cultural diplomacy, and add another $11-million to promote and tour Canadian artists abroad.”
London’s Loss Will Be Toronto’s Gain
Toronto will be the home of a soon-to-be-built museum housing an impressive collection of Islamic art. The Aga Khan Museum is still in the planning stages, but its future collection is on display this week in London. “The Toronto site was announced in 2002, after two attempts by the Aga Khan Foundation to find suitable London properties failed.”
Meet Your Architect
Dallas’s Museum of Nature & Science is in the final stages of selecting an architect for its new home, and last month, took the unusual step of inviting the four finalists to address a public gathering and lay out their vision for the museum and the city around it.
Bringing The Real Africa To Light
A landmark exhibit of the work of artist Simon Njami is aiming to change global perceptions of African life and culture, a mission the artist has embraced throughout his career. Born in Europe, Njami sees the world’s affection for traditional African art as an incomplete interest in the subject. “Art and artists can tell their own stories – and in those stories is truth about what it is to be African. Part of the truth, at least.”
An Architecturally Significant Merry-Go-Round?
“The architects at Weisz + Yoes didn’t set out to reinvent the merry-go-round. But when the firm was asked to transform Manhattan’s Battery Park into a tourist magnet, that’s exactly what it ended up doing… Instead of garishly painted horses, the seats will be translucent fiberglass molded into dolphins, turtles, clownfish, and other marine life. And unlike a traditional carousel, which spreads out from a center column like an umbrella, these creatures will be supported from below on a turntable, allowing unobstructed 360-degree views.”
And We Wonder Why TV Doesn’t “Get” The Arts
Fox’s formulaic TV competition, “So You Think You Can Dance” isn’t really about serious dance, any more than American Idol is about serious singing. But this season, a real dancer (Danny Tidwell from American Ballet Theater) has joined the ranks of So You Think’s contestants. The result? At least one judge hates him, he’s perceived as arrogant because he actually knows what he’s doing and won’t mug for the camera, and he was nearly voted off by the audience last week.
Lawsuit Could Shed Light On Hollywood Bookkeeping
Movie producer Alan Ladd Jr. is embroiled in a legal battle with Warner Brothers, and the proceedings “could focus attention on a variant of that old Hollywood bugaboo, studio accounting… The crux of the dispute is how studios account for revenues from the licensing of their movies to cable and television networks here and overseas.”
Harry Potter & The Myth Of The Literate Children
“Of all the magical powers wielded by Harry Potter, perhaps none has cast a stronger spell than his supposed ability to transform the reading habits of young people… [But] the truth about Harry Potter and reading is not quite so straightforward a success story. Indeed, as the series draws to a much-lamented close, federal statistics show that the percentage of youngsters who read for fun continues to drop significantly as children get older, at almost exactly the same rate as before Harry Potter came along.”