The pop art movement is hitting the Pacific Rim in a big way, with the legacy of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein dramatically in evidence among young Asian artists. A combination of encroaching capitalism and the global influence of American popular culture is fueling the movement, but the Asian version of pop art isn’t a perfect mirror of the Western version. “What’s different is the way the Asian artists approach it in their portrayal of identity issues, alternative lifestyles and fashion consciousness of the people.”
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Be A Classical Star! (virtually, that is)
“Australia’s Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and a local software designer have created ‘In The Chair,’ a cross between a karaoke machine and flight simulator, which allows you to play your favorite symphony via a computer, with a conductor on screen and tuition while you play… The orchestra sees ‘In The Chair’ as a tool to teach young musicians, build appreciation for orchestral music and help pay its bills. It hopes the product will eventually provide it with a steady $345,000 a year.”
Arson Suspected At Strathmore
An arson fire appears to have been set at the unfinished Strathmore Music Hall in suburban Washington, D.C., causing $500,000 of damage to a building which has already been beset by delays and cost overruns. When completed, the hall will be the second home of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Scottish Opera: Is The Music Director the Problem?
The chorus members of Scottish Opera, who may lose their jobs as part of the proposed restructuring of the troubled organization, are publicly attacking music director Sir Richard Armstrong for his “inappropriate and elitist programming,” “prima donna tantrums,” and “systematic exclusion” of the chorus from programs. Staffers at the company are also voicing complaints about Armstrong’s extravagant spending on such seemingly unnecessary elements of staging as £270 Versace shoes, £700 mannequins, and top-of-the-line plasma screen monitors.
Government Is The Problem, Not The Solution
Kenneth Walton cannot believe what the government is doing to Scottish Opera: “What we witnessed last week from the Executive was an act of cultural vandalism. This is an administration that has enshrined mediocrity as a standard for Scotland. We have a First Minister who recognises the manufactured celebrity of short-term Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus above the lasting, nurtured, talent of violinist Nicola Benedetti. By committing Scottish Opera to this ludicrous deal, it is closing the door to the access and development of opera in Scotland.”
Four Pulitzers Gets You… Layoffs
By any journalistic measure, the Los Angeles Times is flying high these days. One sign of its improvement are the four Pulitzers it won this year. So why is the paper cutting back and laying off staff? Is it losing money? Nope. It seems that the paper’s 26 percent profit margin – 26 percent! – isn’t high enough to keep the Tribune Company (the LAT’s owner) stock rising on Wall Street…
Get Paid For Your Opinions!
You can make a nice little income as a focus-group member: “If they ask you whether you’ve done one in the past six months, just say no. They never check. If they ask you something off-the-wall, like “Have you purchased a treadmill in the past year?,” say yes; they wouldn’t ask if that weren’t the answer they wanted. If they ask you what brands you purchase most often, always name big ones: Sprint, Budweiser, Marlboro. They’re representing either one of those companies or a smaller one trying to figure out how to steal you away. And, most important, let the recruiters lead you. Before you answer a question you’re not sure about, pause for a couple of seconds. They’ll tip their hand every time.”
Bush-Bashing Good For Arts Business
George Bush doesn’t seem much interested in the arts. “But under his presidency, corners of the arts have been flourishing—foremost, publishing houses flush with profits from anti-Bush screeds and pro-Bush paeans. Now independent film studios IFC and Lions Gate hope that Michael Moore’s vitriolic Fahrenheit 9/11 will produce similar profits. No doubt such sales will fund the filmmakers, poets, and novelists of tomorrow. (Laura Bush’s stuffy, NEA-sponsored “American Masterpieces” tour of art surely won’t.) Who’d have thought that a Bush presidency would be so good for the arts?”
Selling Off Italy’s Art Heritage
Italy is moving ahead with plans to turn over management of many state-owned museums to private companies (an idea strongly opposed by prominent leaders in the world’s museum community). “The proposal to sell State-owned buildings has been contentious, largely because the State does not know in detail what it owns, and the architectural protection lobbies are afraid that masterpieces may be sold to unsuitable owners.”
Selling Off St. Petersburg?
The St. Petersburg government has decided to sell off more than 2000 of the city’s historic buildings over the next few years, “including several dozen important Czarist-era palaces. Several of Russia’s oil barons have already expressed strong interest in acquiring grand historic residences in the city.” Why? The buildings are in need of repair, and the government believes the best way to preserve them is to sell.