During the “fat” years, Tennessee’s arts funding didn’t grow much. But then when the eceonomy slowed, arts funding didn’t get cut back much, either. Heck – Tennessee spends more on the arts than California now. Could Memphis be the new San Francisco of the South?
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Symphony Orchestras – A Refuge From Mundane Reality
The symphony orchestra is a remarkable thing, writes Norman Lebrecht. But “economically, it makes no sense at all. A sold-out symphony concert at the Royal Festival Hall yields an average loss of £48,000. It costs £1.9m a year in state subsidy and as much again in private fundraising to keep a London orchestra afloat. And yet, against all rational prognostications, five symphony orchestras and a dozen chamber ensembles flourish in this city of 12 million inhabitants, reaching (at an informed estimate) no more than 30,000 active concertgoers. The noose is getting tighter.”
English Cathedrals May Close As Tourists Stay Away
“A cash crisis, caused by an acute drop in American tourists visiting the UK, will soon force many of England’s 42 Anglican cathedrals to bolt their doors to the public for part of the week as they lay off staff.”
Gerstein Wins Caldecott Medal
Longtime writer and illustrator of children’s books, Mordicai Gerstein, won the 2004 Caldecott Medal yesterday for “The Man Who Walked Between the Towers,” his account of how Philippe Petit, the French aerialist, strode a tightrope between the World Trade Center towers in 1974.”
Here Come The Russians
Russian art is hot right now. “This dramatic change has been brought about by the Russians who made fortunes in the economic free-for-all that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. The market for Russian silver and decorative arts has always been international, but the hunger for paintings is driven by buyers from Moscow and St Petersburg, and the long-term problem for Western auction houses is that the pictures that are so eagerly snapped up are almost all going back to Russia.”
Options For The Barnes
Why Does the Barnes Collection need to move to Philadelphia? There are other options, writes Lee Rosenbaum. “The foundation could begin by selling unused or little-used assets. Chief among these: the foundation’s 137-acre property in Chester County, for which the Barnes was recently offered $12 million. Auctioning off some of the foundation’s ancillary collections — some 5,200 objects and documents — could also generate cash. The Barnes provenance would give these objects market cachet far in excess of their artistic or historic importance. While art museums are supposed to use sale proceeds solely for acquisitions, not operations, the Barnes considers itself an educational institution (and it doesn’t acquire new works). In addition, legal strictures against selling the Barnes Foundation’s holdings apply only to works on view in the galleries.”
ENO Delays Reopening Of Its Home
The English National Opera is delaying the reopening of its London home for two weeks after an extensive restoration. “The restoration has adhered to an extremely tight schedule throughout and in these last weeks it is crucial that standards are not compromised during the reinstatement of our technical operation in order to meet the deadline.”
The Pop-Star Movie Concert
It’s the latest thing – pop stars performing at the local movie theatre. Across America, fans pay to see their favorites perform in concert movies. Then they buy the DVD and recordings. “The numbers are impressive. Of the seven music-based events Regal CineMedia coordinated in 2003, the products tied in with the screenings always debuted at No. 1, Regal says. As 2004 unfolds, screenings such as these could become a standard part of a label’s marketing approach – radio, TV, Internet, point-of-purchase and the movie theater.”
Nabokov Museum Declares It Is Broke
The Nabokov Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, is broke. “The museum has not been able to raise enough funds to pay the rent because its only income is from ticket sales and private donations. This income is just enough to keep the museum running and pay the salaries of its three employees.”
The Most Popular Artist The Artworld Doesn’t Like
Jack Vettriano is the most popular contemporary artist in Britain. He’s” sold more than three million poster reproductions around the world and earns an estimated £500,000 a year from the royalties. The works themselves disappear from public view into the hands of private collectors, with buyers including Hollywood star Jack Nicholson, composer Sir Tim Rice and British actor Robbie Coltrane.” So why is his work unloved and uncollected in “official” art world circles?