The Christian network Daystar says its bid to buy the station was higher than the one tendered by a community support group, and should have been accepted.
Blog
Chan: Asian Fimmakers Need To Protect Asian Culture
Actor Jackie Chan says asian filmmakers should work hard to protect their own culture and not mimic American movies. “Why do we need to ape their culture? I see an Indian saying ‘Yo Man!’ but that’s not what Asian are about. Cinema reflects culture and there is no harm in adapting technology, but not at the cost of losing your originality.”
Financier Accuses Gallery Of Auction Price Fixing
Christie’s is holding back the sale of some paintings sold at auction because it suspects a gallery of orchestrating a price fixing scheme. “We permitted certain bidding…because we were led to believe that the owners…were a divorcing couple. We now have reason to believe that this was not the case.”
Warhol Foundation Revamps Authentication Committee
The Warhol Foundation has appointed two former curators to join its authentication committee to judge the authenticity of works said to be by the late artist. “Since 2003, the board has been under fire from owners of rejected works and members of the artist’s circle who claim their knowledge of Warhol’s practice is ignored. The board has routinely denied the authenticity of silkscreens made without Warhol’s direct supervision, but his former associates argue that to reject such works contradicts Warhol’s practice of having works of art printed without his direct oversight.”
Collector Sues Van Gogh Museum Over Painting
A collector is suing the Van Gogh Museum because the museum has declared a painting the man owns as a fake. “The owner intended to sell the painting two years ago as the star of an auction in the Gironde. But a news agency report quoting the museum’s belief that it was a fake forced its withdrawal. His belief in the painting’s authenticity has been supported by other analysts, including an Italian art laboratory and a Dutch-based French expert, Bernard Landais, who declared himself in no doubt that the painting was in Van Gogh’s hand.”
The Art Of Illness
A California pathologist believes that artists’ physical ailments are often represented in the art they made. “Environmental poisons and drug use may have colored the creations of Michelangelo, Raphael and Vincent Van Gogh and left their impression on the work of Renaissance sculptor Benvenuto Cellini.”
Secret Santa’s Art
The Royal Academy’s annual Secrets sale offers cards by famous artists at a low price. The identity of the artist remains unknown until each card is bought and the signature is revealed on the back. One fan camped for two weeks to lead the queue for the sale, which helps students with grants and bursaries. Illustrator Quentin Blake and Tracey Emin were among the artists to donate a record 2,700 cards, each sold for £35.”
Terfel To Quit Opera For A Year
Welsh bass baritone Bryn Terfel says he may be taking a year off from opera. “Terfel reveals he may have a year free of the opera stage in 2008 to concentrate on some other projects. ‘The importance of opera is slipping from the diary and there may be a change in 2008. I want a year that’s clear of opera, to concentrate on concerts and radio and TV work’.”
Boston Globe Arts Staff Takes A Big Hit
The Boston Globe’s A&E section takes a big hit as prominent critics take buyouts. “Veteran reporters slated to leave that section of the paper include pop/rock music writer Steve Morse, theater critic Ed Siegel, feature writer Jack Thomas, classical music critic Richard Dyer and arts reporter Maureen Dezell. The Globe announced the buyout package in October as a cost-cutting attempt to avoid layoffs by cutting 35 newsroom positions.”
Harvard To Sell Cassatt
Harvard has decided to sell a Mary Cassatt painting worth as much as $5 million. “Painted in 1906, the work was given to Harvard in 1922 by Ernest G. Stillman, a member of the class of 1907. The painting has rarely been on display. Money from the sale will go into the museums’ acquisitions fund and is most likely to be used to buy a work by the same artist.”