A new record has been set for sales price of a David Hockney painting. “The painting, dating from 1966, had been in a private collection in California for the past 20 years. The piece, in Hockney’s minimalist style, depicts the moment someone hits the water, diving into a swimming pool.”
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ABT Star Retires
Julio Bocca Spend 20 years with American Ballet Theatre. “it is easy to remember that Mr. Bocca was a winner from the start. As a 20-year-old in his New York debut, he looked like Boris Becker, then a tennis star at his peak, and danced like a champion. Not everyone today has an image of Mr. Becker. But at 39, Mr. Bocca remains consistent and leaves a legacy for all dancers: bravura in the service of art.”
Dating Old Books By Biology
“A Penn State biology professor with a passion for old prints and maps says he has found a new way to date centuries-old books by using a technique similar to what scientists use to study mutations.”
Can Movie Biz Pull Out Of Slump?
“Reinvigorating the moviegoing experience, realigning exhibition windows, proactively responding to new consumer behaviors and demands and making creativity a top priority are things the film industry has within its reach to capitalize on a digital interactive marketplace. Although recent consumer surveys and research underscore the need for such measures, industry players have made little progress making necessary and sometimes radical changes to mine the new realities of movie patronage. And the longer they wait, the more they stand to lose.”
Canadian Senate Recommends Ad-Free CBC
A Canadian Senate committe report recommends removing all commercials for national broadcaster CBC and increasing the network’s funding. “It will recommend boosting CBC’s annual $1-billion budget to make it possible to get rid of ads, the wire service said. The report also examined private-sector newspaper, radio and television concentration.”
UK Chancellor Speaks Up For Arts
UK Chancellor Gordon Brown says the arts sector is “not a sideshow but right at the centre” of the economy.”
Editor Barbara Epstein, 77
“Barbara Epstein was not only one of the founders of The New York Review and co-editor for forty-three years, she was a guiding spirit of the paper. She brought to bear on all the work of the Review a superb intelligence, an exquisite sense of language, and a strong moral and political concern to expose and remedy injustice.
Selling Out… Then Again
So what if authors are selling product placement in their books? Jane Smiley thinks it’s a great… er… never mind…
Getty Offers To Return Art To Italy
The Getty has offered to return 21 antiquities to Italy. “Getty trustees authorized the offer last week after a presentation by museum director Michael Brand, the sources said. It includes a marble statue of two mythical griffins, a statue of Apollo and a 2,600-year-old cup made by the Greek artist Euphronios, all prominently displayed at the newly renovated Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades.”
List Of Disputed Antiquities In Getty Collection Grows
“Getty officials have been eager to put the antiquities scandal behind them and find a mutually agreeable solution with Italian authorities, but the magnitude of the case continues to grow. Since negotiations over the 52 objects started in January, Italian authorities say they have identified 15 additional items in the Getty’s collection that they believe were looted and should be returned. Efforts to reach an agreement have also been complicated by the continuing criminal trial of the Getty’s former antiquities curator, Marion True, on charges that she conspired to purchase looted art for the museum.”