An internal memo distributed to staff at Ontario’s Stratford Festival warns that high gas prices and a down economy are translating to falling ticket sales this season. “Insiders have estimated that the festival could lose as much as $5-million this year.”
Author: sbergman
Cleveland Museum of Art Names New Chief Curator
“The museum announced Tuesday that C. Griffith Mann, director of the curatorial division of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, will take up his new duties in Cleveland by mid-September… Mann, 39, rose quickly from a curatorial fellowship in 1999 to the top curatorial post at the Walters in 2007.”
New York’s Other Booming Art Market
“At the same time that art museums and galleries have developed larger collections, they have fewer options to expand. Perhaps inevitably, an art services industry that has sprung up in the dark warehouses of New York City’s boroughs is also growing.”
Cruising The Art Market
“Auctioning ‘fine art’ on cruises, often to first-time bidders who have never met a reserve or inspected a provenance, has become big business.” But the practice has led to complaints from buyers over the quality of the art offered, and the inflating of its value by auctioneers and dealers.
Soprano Tells Aussie Government To “Grow Up”
Australian soprano Lisa Gasteen says “the arts are being asphyxiated in Australia,” following the announcement that the federal government would not help to sponsor a restaging of 2004’s successful Ring cycle. “It’s a mentality and a mindset,” Gasteen says. “I think we just have to grow up as a country, really.”
Pittsburgh Symphony Shocked By Declines
“Pittsburgh Symphony leaders were shocked this spring when ticket sales and subscription sales took a tumble after three consecutive years of increases.” But subscriber retention is reportedly strong, and the orchestra’s leaders say that the unforeseen downturn is probably due to the tough economy.
New Maryland PAC On The Horizon?
“The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is heading back to Deep Creek, Md., for two more concerts at the Wisp Resort Lodge… [Meanwhile, the Maryland presenter] is moving ever closer to building an approximately $20 million performing-arts center that many groups, including the PSO and the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival, would use.”
Money Comes Through For Edmonton Theatre
Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre will get a major renovation, thanks to $6m in funding from the provincial and city governments announced yesterday. “The funds will be used to refurbish the main-floor lobby, replace and repair glass curtains, renovate the administration office and develop new ticketing software and communications systems.”
AJ’s Editor On The State Of Our Art
ArtsJournal’s managing editor, Doug McLennan, talks about the future of the site, and how AJ has evolved over the years. “The challenge is how do we make it easy to offer a lot of information and keep it highly curated enough to so that it is valuable for people who appreciate our judgment in choosing one thing over another.”
Glass Houses Abound In Columbus
One of the reasons cited by the Columbus Symphony’s executive director in proposing the dismissal of music director Junichi Hirokami is that the conductor “hasn’t put down roots in central Ohio.” But several of the musicians are pointing out that the executive director himself stays in a Columbus hotel room after two years on the job, and lives in Boston with his family.