“If London’s National Gallery, under its new director Nicholas Penny, has hinted at the demise of the blockbuster, perhaps that death has been somewhat exaggerated. Its big autumn exhibition, announced yesterday, will be devoted to Renaissance portraits – a subject more or less guaranteed to attract visitors in droves.”
Author: sbergman
A Twombley Twibute
The name Banksy may be synonymous with graffiti art these days, but where’s the love for a true pioneer like Cy Twombly, asks Jonathan Jones? “He is a painter – and sculptor – who defies every category and transcends every cliché: a man who has never been pinned down and is still working, at 80, with tremendous gusto and creative generosity.”
Hemingway The Poet
Two short poems scribbled by Ernest Hemingway in the back of a first edition volume of short stories are making headlines “as one of the most eye-catching attractions of this weekend’s antiquarian book fair at Olympia.”
Columbus Creates Panel To Seek Arts Sustainability
The city of Columbus may be losing its professional orchestra, but city leaders are hoping to reinvigorate the arts scene as a whole with the creation of “a 21-member panel that will examine city policies and seek long-term funding solutions for local arts groups that often find themselves on shaky ground.”
Berlin Phil Back Home After Fire Scare
“Simon Rattle conducted a rehearsal of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra on Tuesday for the first time since a large fire two weeks ago at the orchestra’s home… The roof [of the Philharmonie, which was damaged in the fire,] has now been temporarily repaired and will be fully restored by the end of the year.”
Babylon Ruins Threatened By Coalition Forces
As American troops invaded Iraq in 2003, one of the places they chose to erect a military base was within the ancient city of Babylon, and archaeologists say that significant damage has been done to the 5,000-year-old ruins in the five years since. “Leading archaeologists… have launched efforts to protect the site from further damage and resume archaeological research.”
Vandals Prepare To Face The Road Less Traveled By
“Call it poetic justice: More than two dozen young people who broke into Robert Frost’s former home for a beer party and trashed the place are being required to take classes in his poetry as part of their punishment.”
Big Cuts Coming At Borders
“Borders Group Inc. says it is cutting nearly 275 corporate positions as part of a plan announced last week by the nation’s second-largest bookseller to reduce annual expenses by $120 million… The cuts represent about 20 percent of its corporate jobs, but less than 1 percent of its total work force.”
Industry Has A Sharp Eye On Kindle’s Growth
Is the eBook finally on the public radar in a significant way? The early sales stats for Amazon’s Kindle reader would seem to indicate that it is. “Publishers are certainly beginning to take note of the Kindle’s rise, and of the implications of this with respect to Amazon’s monopoly on the distribution of ebooks.”
Boozing In The Wings: The Unspoken Scandal
“Substance abuse among concert musicians has been going on for decades but has been kept under wraps… Between 25 and 30 per cent of musicians regularly take tablets or alcohol to combat performance anxiety,” according to one expert. So how widespread is the problem, and are there solutions?