The Cleveland Museum board has voted to accept bids on a $258 million expansion of the museum. “This is the culmination of 10 years of work, and now it’s a reality. It’s going to happen.” In other news, the museum also says it hopes to name a new director soon.
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Pop Goes The Pittsburgh…
The Pittsburgh Symphony’s gala concert last Saturday was repeatedly interrupted by the popping of balloons suspended from the ceiling of Heinz Hall. “Due to the resonance of the concert hall, the would-be tiny pops thundered with resounding force, startling the audience and the musicians many times over.”
The Poll Say: Enough With “Reality” TV!
“The poll taken by The Associated Press and TV Guide shows viewers actually believe reality TV is primarily bogus. A whopping 82% of the respondents said the shows, ranging from “American Idol” to “The Apprentice” and “Survivor,” are either “totally made up” or “mostly distorted.”
A Day In The Life: Daniel Libeskind
“Top-dog architects have to be showmen, but it can be an awkward marriage: his angular, challenging architecture, such as Berlin’s Jewish Museum, sits uneasily with appearing on Oprah. Their bond? Emoting: he wants his buildings to stir your heart.”
Choreographer Builds A Kenyan Retreat
Choreographer Wayne McGregor has built a dance studio home on the Kenyan coast. “The prolific British choreographer, skinny and shaven-headed at 35, has founded a private domain. His slice of personal bliss is in a place called Lamu. Here McGregor has built the studio and accommodations for himself and the members of his Random Dance Company. His intention, however, is to make this splendid property available to artists of all kinds from around the globe.”
Food Fight At The Movies
Two movie studios are each claiming ownership of a film. “Two competing studios were each claiming to have bought the independent film “Thank You for Smoking,” a political satire by the first-time director Jason Reitman, financed by the first-time producer David Sacks.”
Louisiana – Trying To Hang On To The Movies
Keeping or attracting film production in Louisiana is a difficult but important task. “Film production has become a crucial source of income for Louisiana, which in 2002 adopted among the most aggressive tax incentives in the country. An estimated 20 movies will be shot in the state this year, with a direct economic benefit estimated at $125 million.”
High-Tech Looters Pillage Mediterranean Shipwrecks
Ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean are being looted of their treasures. “Traffickers have caught on to the fact that there are more than 12,000 shipwrecks in Greek waters. Many of the submerged gems date back to the Golden Age of the fifth century BC. Armed with archeological service maps acquired on the black market, burgeoning numbers of international smugglers have made it their mission to locate the wrecks, authorities say.”
China’s Internet Pop Stars
Young internet pop stars are blooming in China, where they record their music with just a laptop, headphones and a lip-mike. Xiang Xiang is the 21-year-old at the top of the charts. Her Song of Pig has notched up a billion downloads from admirers in China, Singapore and Malaysia, but the downloads are all free. Why free? “It’s purely a kind of communication. I get feedback and suggestions or comments on my work and then I can make changes.”
Jazz Greats Honored By NEA
“Singer Tony Bennett, keyboardist Chick Corea and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard are among those named Jazz Masters by the National Endowment for the Arts and awarded $25,000 fellowships. The other recipients are percussionist Ray Barretto, composer Bob Brookmeyer, clarinetist Buddy DeFranco and New Orleans-born manager John Levy, honored as a jazz advocate.”