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The Thieves’ Childlike Note

Who stole three paintings from a Manchester gallery last weekend and left them in the rain? “Police released a picture yesterday of the crude, water-stained note written in dark blue ink, in an effort to find the thieves who stole £4m of artwork by Picasso, Gauguin and Van Gogh from the Whitworth Art Gallery. They also revealed that the thieves had intimate knowledge of the gallery. “

NY Times Writer May Have Copied

The allegations are fairly common these days, but when it’s the New York Times being fingered, everyone is understandably cautious about flinging around ugly words like ‘plagiarism.’ Still, there does seem to be a problem with a story the Times published recently about a Texas woman whose son is missing in action in Iraq. Many of the details of the Times story are identical or strikingly similar to details which appeared in a San Antonio paper days earlier. The Times says it is investigating internally, and stresses that it does not tolerate plagiarism in any form.

The Death Of Poetry?

“Consider that poetry is the only art form where the number of people creating it is far greater than the number of people appreciating it. Anyone can write a bad poem. To appreciate a good one, though, takes knowledge and commitment. As a society, we lack this knowledge and commitment. People don’t possess the patience to read a poem 20 times before the sound and sense of it takes hold. They aren’t willing to let the words wash over them like a wave, demanding instead for the meaning to flow clearly and quickly. They want narrative-driven forms, stand-alone art that doesn’t require an understanding of the larger context.”

Florida Orchestra: Good Prospects, But Ugly Numbers

The Florida Orchestra has a new incoming music director, a new associate conductor, and a revitalized artistic vision. But it also has the same fiscal stresses being faced by nearly every other professional orchestra in North America. On a budget of $8 million, the Tampa-based Florida Orchestra (not to be confused with the Florida Philharmonic, which is based in Fort Lauderdale and has been warning of impending bankruptcy,) is expected to run a $1 million deficit this season. No one is pushing the panic button just yet, but like so many other non-profits, the orchestra’s leaders fear that their organization will not survive much longer without a serious resurgence in the national economy.

Desperation Tactics At The Auction Houses

The big art houses must feel as if God himself is against them: a down economy, a nasty little war, and an uncertain national mood are combining to create one of the most dismal auction seasons in years. “When times are tough, however, distress sales are often what bolster the market. It is no wonder, then, that paintings, drawings and sculptures are being sold this year by troubled companies like Vivendi, Enron and Idemitsu Kosan, Japan’s second-largest oil refiner.” Still, catalogs are distinctly thin this spring, and everything in the art world seems to be on hold.

Nazi Loot Suit Can Go Ahead

Suing a foreign government is a tricky proposition, with all sorts of legal hurdles to be cleared before a filing can even take place. So Maria Altmann has learned in her battle to get back six Gustav Klimt paintings looted from her family’s collection by Nazis in World War II and currently in the possession of the Austrian government. This week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Altmann’s suit can go forward in a U.S. court, and closed the door on any further stalling tactics by the Austrians. Austria has one appeal still available to it – the U.S. Supreme Court – but no decision has been made on whether such an appeal will be filed.

Toronto’s Film Industry Going Elsewhere

“It’s shaping up to be a hard summer for Toronto’s $3-billion film and television industry as at least two Hollywood movies and one series that were to be shot in the Ontario capital have either relocated to other cities or been postponed.” The SARS outbreak has hurt, of course, and the recent CBC funding cuts mean that fewer film and TV shoots are being scheduled overall, but other cities in Canada and the U.S. have learned from Toronto’s example of how to draw Hollywood to their doorstep, and are nabbing some productions right out from under Toronto’s nose.

Boston Theatre Plans On Track

Boston’s theatre space crunch may be eased a bit next year, if all goes according to plan for a local troupe. The Huntington Theatre Company announced yesterday that it is halfway to its fundraising goal to build two new theatres in the Boston Center for the Arts complex. One of the new theatres would seat 360, the other 200, making them a welcome addition to the Boston scene, which has lacked adequate small and mid-sized venues for years.