Not ready to give that expensive painting to a museum but need the tax break? Give away part of it and collect your writeoff. “Museums ask donors to pledge the remainder of the work as a promised gift, though that can be done years or even decades into the future. A donor who gives 25 percent of a $1 million painting to a museum is entitled to a $250,000 tax deduction, and the museum has the right to show the work three months a year. Should a donor wish to give another quarter of a painting three years after an original gift, it will be re-appraised and the tax deduction will reflect the current fair market value of the work, which may have appreciated.”
Blog
Mayor: Kill Richmond Performing Arts Center Plans
Richmond, Virginia mayor Douglas Wilder wants the foundation charged with building a new performing arts center in his city to drop their plans and renovate an existing facility. Doing so would “eliminate a new music hall, community playhouse and jazz club that are envisioned by the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation. Wilder said he is tired of waiting for foundation officials to respond to his concerns that they can’t raise the money to pay for the $112 million project. He said he is also concerned that the foundation may have misused the $7.6 million of city funds it has received so far.”
Denmark: Get Politics Out Of Theatre
What’s holding back Danish theatre? Politics. “Theatres will always be obligated to focus their work with politicians in mind. That makes it quite difficult to create interesting new ventures, because you have to negotiate with politicians who don’t necessarily know much about theatre. And that is a catastrophe for theatre in Denmark,”
Down Box Office – The New Reality?
Hollywood realizes that the big drop in box office this summer is perhaps not a blip. Is the downturn the new reality? “The drop in ticket sales from last summer to this summer, the most important moviegoing season, is projected to be 9 percent by Labor Day, and the drop in attendance is expected to be even deeper, 11.5 percent, according to Exhibitor Relations, which tracks the box office.”
Eagling To Lead English National Ballet
Wayne Eagling, a former star of the Royal Ballet, has been named artistic director of the English National Ballet. “His appointment follows the sudden resignation four months ago of Matz Skoog, who had been the ENB’s artistic director since 2001. Eagling, 54, will be the fifth person to occupy the post in 15 years.”
FCC Dithers On Payola
Last month New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer announced results of his radio payola investigation. “And what’s the Federal Communications Commission doing about all this? Dithering, mostly.”
Tax Breaks For Wealthy Hollywood Producers?
With hundreds of millions of dollars leaving California with movie shoots, the state is considering giveing tax breaks to producers (just like most other states). “Twice before, California legislators have failed to pass tax incentives. Opponents say it would line the pockets of already wealthy Hollywood producers at a time when California faces a budget crunch, and they question whether the state truly is hurt by runaway production.”
Asians And Americans See Things Differently?
According to a new study, Asians look at things differently from Americans or Europeans. “The researchers tracked the eye movement of the Chinese and Americans as they looked at pictures. The Americans looked at the object in the foreground sooner — a leopard in the jungle for example — and they looked at it longer. The Chinese had more eye movement, especially on the background and back and forth between the main object and the background.”
Plea: A Venturi Barnes
Who should design the Barnes’ new home in Philadelphia? It requires a special understanding of both the collection and the city. Fortunately there’s a homegrown solution. “The Venturis, principal architects of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, know and love Philadelphia as no outsider ever can. And they would create a building for the Barnes of incomparable quality that people would flock to from around the world.”
CBC Bleeds Users During Lockout
The CBC lockout is driving viewers and listeners to commercial competitors. Meanwhile, there are calls for the Canadian government to withhold public money from the broadcaster while the lockout continues.