The Dia Foundation’s new outpost in beacon, an hour north of New York City, “changes the landscape for art in Ameria” writes Michael Kimmelman. “The museum, the largest one yet for contemporary art, enshrines part of a generation of big-thinking artists in a former Nabisco factory, a building with nearly a quarter of a million square feet of plain exhibition space.”
Blog
LA’s New Disney Hall – Could It Be Great?
“After 16 troubled years and a seemingly endless series of setbacks and reverses, the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, which many predict will be one of the world’s greatest concert halls, is at last on target for its twice-postponed dedication, now scheduled for October 23. The gloriously dramatic, undulating expanse of shimmering stainless steel is finally almost completed, gleaming on a 3.6-acre city block at the corner of Grand and First Streets in the centre of Los Angeles. It is expected to become a landmark which will bring new life and vitality to the area as well as providing a striking addition to the city’s cultural and architectural landscape and a new home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.”
Ravi Shankar’s Jazz-Star Daughter Norah
Ravi Shankar is one of the world’s gret musicians. He always assumed his children would be involved with music. And they are. But he never figured on having a jazz star for a daughter. And Norah Jones has become one of the hottest stars of jazz. “Shankar lost contact with Norah for eight years after her mother decided she did not want to see him. Those lost years are a source of regret for him.”
An Exclusive Opera Institution Force To Advertise
Glyndebourne is the UK’s most exclusive festival. So why is it advertising? This year “for the first time, Glyndebourne promoted its festival season. Indeed, it actually placed – shudder at the vulgarity – discreet advertisements. Why place the ad now? Well, last year Glyndebourne underperformed at the box office. This seems odd, since tickets are famously hard to come by. Traditionally, most are snapped up by festival society members, who have priority booking. However, when a faintly unconventional season such as last year’s (which featured two rarely performed works and a much-seen revival) was not leapt upon by the Glyndebourne faithful, the public didn’t even know about it.”
Stuck With The Tux – Orchestra Fails To Find Alternative Concert Wear
Britain’s Halle Orchestra had hoped to find a new concert costume for its players – something not so stiff and formal. “But for the 2003-04 season, details of which were announced yesterday, the Hallé’s men will continue to wear the white ties and tails that males have worn for 150 years. ‘We have talked about this a lot. But we got stuck. We could not really find a practical alternative’.”
Security Scandal At Austrian Museum Results In Major Theft
Security at the Austrian museum where a valuable Celline was stolen last weekend was lax to the point of absurdity. “The Florentine set, valued at about ?50m (£35m), was stolen at about 4am on Sunday. The burglary was bold, but accomplished with ease. Entry through a first-floor window was aided by some convenient scaffolding and the thief then smashed the unprotected glass display case. Entry to escape with the exquisite 25cm object can have taken no more than 54 seconds, according to a police reconstruction. Halfway through that brief period the museum’s alarm system rang. The guard switched it off – before it could have alerted the police – assuming that it was yet another false alarm of the type that occurs in the museum once a week on average. It was left to a cleaning lady to discover the theft more than four hours after the event.”
In search Of Rach 3
What made 41-year-old Jonathan Phillips remortgage his house, buy a Steinway – and decide he wanted to play Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3? With an orchestra. In public.
CAUTION: Artist Puts Up Sign
The artist who painting a big yellow “CAUTION: Low flying planes” on the side of a building in Lower Manhattan says he didn’t mean to offend his neighbors who are now complaining. “His 10-by-14-foot painting, he says, is about the terrorist threat. ‘It’s still out there. . . . [The painting is] a statement saying it’s not over’.” One resident is surprised by the negative reaction: “If that was a Tommy Hilfiger ad, nobody would be complaining. . . . If it was a 12-year-old with too much lipstick on, that would have been all right. But this is not?”
Security Level Red At Movieplexes
Metal detectors, pat down searches… your latest trip to the airport? Nope – movie studios are so anxious about piracy of this summer’s blockbuster hits that early screenings of the movies feature “heightened” security. That even includes guards wearing night vision goggles scanning crowds during the movie to see if anyone’s videotaping the screen…
English 101 – Lacking In School
It appears that English isn’t taught very well in American schools, says a new study. “Nearly half the freshmen who entered California State University last fall ended up on the remedial English bench. Many were stunned to find themselves there. They had always made good grades in English.”