“Over the past 76 years, the Academy Awards have repeatedly, almost methodically, overlooked great artists and enduring achievements in favor of passing fancies, fleeting trends and one-shot wonders. What can you say about the foresight of a group that excluded the original talkie, “The Jazz Singer,” from the first awards ceremony in 1928? They found it too gimmicky. The new crop of nominations gives us a chance to remember wonderful films and filmmakers that Oscar forgot, and to try to recollect others supposedly destined to withstand the test of time.”
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Art Gallery Of Ontario Lays Off 71 Workers
Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario is laying off 71 employees as it begins work on its $195 million Frank-Gehry-designed expansion. “This likely is the harbinger of further cuts in staffing over the three-year construction period that is expected to conclude in the spring of 2008. The AGO has an estimated 450 full-time and part-time staff. The initial layoffs involve 58 staff members — 18 of them full-time — in the AGO’s retail and food/beverage operations, as well as 13 temporary employees.
Arts Council England Salaries Have Jumped
“Arts Council England salaries have increased by an average of 66% in the past six years, despite a £10 million reorganisation in 2001 which was designed to cut costs, new research has revealed.” On top of that, Arts Council funding has been slated for a three-year funding freeze, amgering arts institutions.
A Translation Boom?
“Increasingly, writers, readers and publishers are turning to literature as a bridge between cultures, particularly Western and Arab societies estranged since Arab extremists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. This in turn is driving a boom in translation.”
Denver Station Broadcasts Controversial Buster In Prime Time
Not only is Denver public TV station KBDI airing the episode of Postcards from Buster that drew complaints from education secretary Margaret Spellings and caused PBS to cancel national broadcast, but the station is airing it in prime time. The broadcast will be followed by a public discussion of the show. “We’re not only pleased to offer the episode but want to use it as a basis for extended discussion on one of our signature, local prime-time public-affairs programs.”
Bush Favors Mall Site For African-American History Museum
George Bush endorses the National Mall as the site for a new national museum honoring African-American history. “A commission formed to establish an African American history museum on the Mall is considering four sites in Washington; only two are on the Mall. Many African American groups have said if the museum is not built on the Mall, they would consider it a slight.”
A Design For Atlanta’s New Concert Hall
A design for Atlanta’s new concert hall, designed by Santiago Calatrava, has been unveiled. “The building, roughly as tall as 13 stories, features a ribbed-glass roof surrounded by a metal collar. A smaller version, which houses a recital hall and learning center, nestles on the south side. Each is adorned with a free-standing, ridged steel arch that is 186 feet (about 18 stories) at its highest point. The Spanish architect calls it the feather.”
New Hall Sign Of Atlanta Symphony’s Fortunes
The Atlanta Symphony’s new hall is just one more sign of the orchestra’s soaring fortunes. “It might open in 2011, at the earliest. But in the short term, it’s likely these designs further invigorate an orchestra that’s already on a steep ascent, since the 2001 debuts of conductors Robert Spano and Donald Runnicles as its artistic leaders.”
Central Park In Orange
Only a few days to go before New York’s Central Park unfurls in a wash of orange cloth, courtesy of Christo and Jeanne Claude…
The 2005 Challenge: Raising Money
Fundraisers expect 2005 will be a difficult year in which to raise money. “With fund raising growing more competitive, charities of all kinds are lavishing attention on individuals who have the potential to make significant gifts — especially after such efforts paid off handsomely last year.”