“Dorothy Miller, who died in July at 99, was one of the first curators hired by the Museum of Modern Art in 1934. Over the years she championed painters like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Frank Stella and Jasper Johns. The contents of her Greenwich Village apartment are to be sold in a series of auctions at Christie’s beginning Nov. 11 and are expected to bring $9 million to $12.6 million. They chronicle the 35-year career of a woman who helped shape modern art.”
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Canadian Blank CD Tax Generates $19 Million For Music Industry
A Canadian tax on blank CD and audio cassette sales is expected to pay out $19 million to composers, performers, publishers and record labels in the next three months. “The payments are calculated from two measurable factors – the airplay songs get on radio, TV networks and individual music programs, and the record sales logged and reported by labels.”
The Denver Culture Tax
In 15 years, a Denver tax initiative that set aside .01 percent of sales collections for cultural groups has pumped more than $300 million into arts and culture…
Diplomacy, Stallone Style
How to improve Egypt’s image in America? How about Sylvester Stallone in an action series? No kidding: “It’s going to be a suspense series, there will be crime shows, and recovery of lost artifacts, kidnaps and retrieval, action and adventures where good triumphs over evil,” Stallone said, suggesting it would bridge the gap between Americans and Arabs that has widened since 9/11. “I think people are scared of what they don’t know, so the more you expose the different cultures to one another, you are going to see that they love their families, they go to work, they do the same things as us and right away you start to listen, and I think that’s very important.”
London Movies Booming
The London film industry has had a couple of down years. But 2003 looks to be a record year. “Now experts reveal income from the industry this year will top $1 billion (£623 million), smashing the 2000 record. Britain’s studios are running at full capacity after two difficult years, with a string of high-profile Hollywood and domestic projects in production.”
Under The Umbrella
London’s experimental Dance Umbrella is 25 years old. “A couple of critics concluded that if they ignored this anti-dance malarkey, it would go away. But it stayed. Val Bourne, who has directed Dance Umbrella throughout its 25 years, is a woman of infinite tenacity and vision. Hopeful experiments and extreme ideas have always been precious to her. Of course, there have been seasons where the sight of dancers ardently meditating on their inner organs have tested the public’s patience…”
Speaking The Word – Fad Or New Art?
Spoken-word poetry is catching on in some theatres, but is it more than just the latest fad? “This isn’t poetry like you read it in the English Department. This is ‘performance poetry,’ and there’s no roadmap for how the genre develops audiences. Part of it is that the industry doesn’t know what to do with these people.”
Reviewing The BBC’s Right To Life
The BBC’s charter is up for renewal in 2006, and the British government is in a mood to examine the value of the public broadcaster. “We need to ask ourselves what we want and expect the BBC to deliver; what range and scale of services it should provide; how it should be positioned in relation to the market; how it should be funded and regulated; and whether it delivers good value for money.”
Finding A New Direction For The BBC
Government review of the BBC signals that major change is on the way. “Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, yesterday signalled the start of a ‘root and branch’ review of the BBC’s purpose and funding with a guarantee that its independence from government would be preserved. But she gave a stern warning that the BBC cannot expect to continue in its present form when its royal charter is renewed in 2006.”
Building For The Future
At a time when many theatres are struggling to keep going and having to downsize, a number of theatre companies – like Minnesota’s Guthrie Theatre – are building and opening new projects. “Today’s projects are more likely to be about gaining flexibility and space for new programs and activities than merely adding seats. Theater companies are creating ‘campuses’ that they aim to fill with a variety of artistic activity nearly round the clock. Many are producing extensive education programs’ for both children and adults.”