Blog

Saatchi “Devastated” Over Art Lost In Fire

Charles Saatchi was still assessing the damage from a warehouse fire that destroyed millions of pounds worth of his art. “A spokeswoman for Saatchi said he was ‘absolutely devastated’ after the works – worth millions of pounds – were lost. She said many were Mr Saatchi’s ‘great personal favourites’ and he considered them ‘irreplaceable in the history of British art’.”

Classically Yours – DC Radio Host Fights Back

Diana Hollander was 33 years old, the signature voice of classical music in Washington DC as the “midday host at WGMS-FM (Classical 103.5), the top-rated commercial classical station in the country with 450,000 listeners a week. Listeners loved her. She was smart but not condescending, effervescent without being fluffy, a perfect accompaniment to the music she played.” Then the epilepsy struck and she was confined to bed. Two-and-a-half years later, she’s fought her way back into the studio…

Drop That Sketch Pad!

The latest threat to the art world appears to be art enthusiasts armed with sketch pads. This week, a Canadian man was told to stop sketching an ancient Egyptian artifact on display at the Royal Ontario Museum, because the piece in question was on loan from the British Museum, which does not allow sketching. The rogue sketcher helpfully pointed out that the ROM is not, technically, in Great Britain, and therefore allowed to make its own rules, but to no avail.

Purse Strings & Sure Things

When economic times are tough, the temptation for theaters to get conservative is strong, and there’s no surer way to make a quick theatrical buck than for a company to bring back a show that has already been a proven success for them. But the remounted productions don’t always work out as planned, and sometimes, an audience’s nostalgia for a great show can actually work against the new version.

Resignations at Walrus

The new magazine Walrus was supposed to reinvigorate the Canadian periodical scene. But the mag’s first editor quit after only a few months, and now, new editor Paul Wilson and managing editor Gillian Burnett are quitting as well, saying that they can’t work with ultra-hands-on Walrus publisher Ken Alexander.

Playing The R Card

Keeping kids out of R-rated movies has long been a task that movie theaters have performed grudgingly. After all, many action pictures aimed at the teen market are rated R, which technically excludes anyone under 17 from being admitted without a parent. But now, some theaters are trying out a new system, under which kids whose parents have been willing to grant them blanket permission to see R-rated films can bypass the system simply by flashing “the R-card”. The Motion Picture Association of America, which assigns the ratings, is not pleased.

Because Gay People Need Crappy Music, Too!

MTV has announced that it will launch a new channel aimed at gay and lesbian viewers next February. LOGO, as the channel is being called, will air a mix of acquired and original programming. No word on whether MTV’s plans call for the channel to stick to its planned format for a few years, then veer off into a mix of whiny reality shows and insipid profiles.

Small Town, Big Drama

Another conductor controversy has broken out in a small North American city. This time the showdown is in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where the board of the La Crosse Symphony has voted narrowly to dismiss conductor Amy Mills, after musicians in the orchestra complained bitterly about her musicianship. But some board members are furious at the way the vote was conducted, saying that two uncounted proxy votes in favor of Mills were not counted because they would have swung the vote in favor of retaining her past 2005.

Bailing Out Orange County

“Chronically behind in their fundraising, Orange County [California] Performing Arts Center officials said Tuesday that they will issue $180 million in bonds to ensure completion of a theater and a 2,000-seat concert hall. Center officials said they have raised $117 million in cash and pledges toward their $200-million goal to pay for the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the 500-seat Samueli Theater and an education center. Officials previously said they had hoped to raise $130 million by the end of 2003. But in the past 11 months they have raised only about $5 million.”