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Crossover, A Primer

“Crossover used to be the special realm of opera singers, who dipped into the vernacular by enthusiastically singing folk songs or reluctantly pandering with a bit of pop fluff.” But that was then. Now crossover is a way of life for performers and the genre has been mainlined…

No Good Idea Goes Unpunished

Ever since Richard Florida published his groundbreaking book, The Rise of the Creative Class, in 2002, cities have been embracing his formula for success. But the backlash against Florida’s arts-first agenda has been brutal, and has come from both sides of the political spectrum. “The one side accuses Florida… of having a ‘gay agenda’ or an ‘arts agenda’ and of undermining the Judeo-Christian foundations of our society. The other asserts that he has abandoned the working class in favor of promoting a group of elites.” For his part, the author claims that his work has been over-simplified and misinterpreted, and is getting tired of knee-jerk reactions.

A Museum Closes, But Does Anyone Care?

When Chicago’s Terra Museum of American Art shuts its doors this weekend, it will represent a major loss in the city’s cultural landscape. Or will it? “The Terra Museum’s failure to draw crowds even after effectively eliminating its admission charge a few years ago led to the decision to close… [but] most Chicagoans, including members of the city’s art establishment, have greeted the closing with a collective shrug, even though it leaves the city with only two major art museums.”

You’re A….Ooh… Rockist?

“A rockist isn’t just someone who loves rock ‘n’ roll, who goes on and on about Bruce Springsteen, who champions ragged-voiced singer-songwriters no one has ever heard of. A rockist is someone who reduces rock ‘n’ roll to a caricature, then uses that caricature as a weapon. Rockism means idolizing the authentic old legend (or underground hero) while mocking the latest pop star; lionizing punk while barely tolerating disco; loving the live show and hating the music video; extolling the growling performer while hating the lip-syncher. Over the past decades, these tendencies have congealed into an ugly sort of common sense.”

Museum Clashes With eBay Over ‘National Treasures’

“At a news conference this week, the British Museum’s head of treasure, Roger Bland, called on eBay to agree quickly to ‘pull down’ Web auctions of artifacts when British authorities identify them as potential national treasures, a step that eBay has been reluctant to undertake without legal proof that the items qualify as treasure… In negotiations that have stretched over a year, eBay has agreed in principle that it doesn’t want illicit antiquities on its Web site and is willing to remove them provided the British authorities can state clearly which ones are illegal. But British officials have not been able to give a clear definition.”

Degas’ Private Life

“Along with the other stars of the Impressionist movement, Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet, Degas has been one of the most recognised and popular painters in the world; and of Degas the man, we know almost nothing. But the peculiarities of his private life did not escape his contemporaries – nor were his quirks denied by the artist himself.”

Met Opera Names Record Exec To Succeed Volpe

The Metropolitan Opera has named Sony Classical president Peter Gelb to succeed Joseph Volpe as general manager. The appointment came more quickly than some observers were anticipating – Volpe won’t leave his post until 2006 – and Gelb could be seen as an unexpected GM, having had no direct experience in the performance world. “The Met has 850 full-time and 1,200 part-time employees and a budget of $204 million, and it mounts as many as 30 productions a year. The general manager has to deal with 18 unions, scores of instrumentalists and temperamental stars.”

Will The Met Go Commercial?

Peter Gelb got his first job at the Met, as an usher, when he was still a teenager. Now he’ll be expected to continue Joe Volpe’s successful run, and to steer the massive company through an increasingly difficult time for classical music in general. Gelb’s years at Sony Classical made him a target for purists – he shut down several specialty sub-labels and made “crossover” music a priority – and some longtime Met observers wonder if he will take a similarly commercial approach in his new post.

How To Buy Art Without A Second Mortgage

New York’s Affordable Art Fair is a rarity – a major art event aimed squarely at ordinary people who have always assumed that collecting is outside their monetary means. “More than 130 galleries will offer original work by some 500 artists at the fair, and every piece is between $100 and $5,000. There will also be art demonstrations and tutorials on how to buy.”