“The Glasgow School of Art could be forced to move after a review of its buildings found it would cost several million pounds to bring them up to standard. Even the main building, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and internationally renowned, could close.”
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The 2 Columbus Circle Debate
All this angst about what to do with the peculiar building at 2 Columbus Circle in New York. Ada Louise Huxtable weighs in: “The most basic preservation question is not being asked at all. What will be lost, and what will be gained? The proposal being rejected out of hand is a promising solution by a talented young American practitioner that will reclaim an abandoned building of debatable merit for a desirable cultural facility. We do not lose the building; everything that is good about it will be retained – its size, its scale, and its intimate relationship to the street. What is bad about the building – the dark, cramped and virtually useless interior and those faux harem walls that close off spectacular views – will be changed.”
Indian Mob Destroys Ancient Manuscripts
“An Indian mob has destroyed 30,000 ancient manuscripts and rioted in retaliation for Oxford University Press publishing a book about a Hindu king. The incident was sparked by an allegedly objectionable observations by author and teacher James Laine in a book on the parentage of Maratha warrior king Shivaji.”
John Arden: Dissident Dissonance
“John Arden was at the forefront of innovative drama in the ’60s yet has made little money from his work. Said to be the heir of the English literary dissident tradition of Blake and Shelley, he fell out with the UK theatrical establishment and moved to Ireland with his wife and artistic collaborator Margaretta D’Arcy. There he continues to write challenging plays and novels.”
Is IMAX Dying?
“Although Imax has reigned supreme as the biggest, clearest, most spectacular cinema format available, it is in danger of going the way of the dinosaurs. Like the prehistoric reptiles its movies so often feature, Imax’s size is its chief asset and its chief liability.”
Nathan And Matthew Notch Broadway Box Office Record
With Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick back in their accustomed roles, The Producers racked up a Broadway box office record of $1.6 million last week.
Canadian Invasion
“There’s always a fair bit of Canadian talent represented on the stages of New York and London, but over the next few months, the figures are more than usually impressive. London’s West End opens its arms to welcome a pair of Toronto productions on two successive nights this month.” Then there’s…
Iraq: Freedom Of Expression – The Bad With The Good
The demise of Saddam Hussein’s authority has opened the floodgates of artistic expression, outspoken media and religious liberty. Painters, writers, academics and spiritual leaders are all finding new voice. But many Iraqis fear that the new freedom of expression is leading some to go overboard. They are concerned that pornography and other vices typically associated with Western societies are beginning to seep into their culture.”
Non-Profit Blues
The stock market might be up and the economy shaking off the doldrums, but America’s non-profits won’t be seeing much relief any time soon. “The non-profit sector tends to lag the rest of the economy; it is slower to show the distress of a recession or the benefits of a recovery. Analysts say the sector could continue to be weighed down for years, largely by fiscal woes of state governments, including Illinois’, and the multiyear budgeting used by many foundations.”
Hollywood’s Down Year
Hollywood didn’t have as good a year as it had hoped for in 2003. “When adjusted for inflation, admissions appear to be down as much as 4 percent this year for 2003, and domestic box office revenue is down for the first time in more than a decade. The domestic box office gross for 2003 is expected to be about $8.9 billion, compared with last year’s 2002’s record-breaking $9.3 billion.”