Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas Finneran stepped into the lion’s den this week, appearing at an arts conference to explain the legislature’s decision to slash the state arts budget, and to advise activists on how to avoid future cuts. “He admitted most politicians still regard the arts as ‘elitist’ and added ‘the two most compelling areas for us’ are education and health care… Finneran also noted legislators break down budget appropriations into three levels of funding: ‘essential,’ which he said is ‘in the eye of the beholder’; ‘desirable’; and ‘Nice, but…’ This is not a good time to be part of that third group.”
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Racing The Clock In Colorado
“Colorado Springs Philharmonic leaders formally announced nine days ago the creation of the orchestra to replace the defunct Colorado Springs Symphony, and already time is running short to carry through on their plans to present a 2003-04 season… The philharmonic is scrambling to find guest artists and secure dates at the Pikes Peak Center, work that normally would have been done months ago. If that weren’t hard enough, the organization has to quickly begin raising enough money to get the orchestra off the ground. Fundraising is tough any time but especially on such a tight deadline when community feelings are still unsettled in the wake of the symphony’s bankruptcy.”
A Philanthropist On The Ropes
Alberto Vilar, the philanthropist and opera-lover who has donated more than $300 million to arts organizations around the world, has missed mortgage payments on three vacation homes in Colorado, and local banks are foreclosing. Vilar, who was one of the first investors on the high-tech bandwagon of the 1990s, appears not to have gotten off in time to avoid heavy investment losses. In recent months, he has missed payments to several arts organizations to which he had pledges outstanding, and the current overdue mortgage payments reportedly total $2.74 million. Vilar is said to be furious with the banks’ decision to foreclose.
Valenti Vs. The Pirates
Several Hollywood unions are banding together to launch a major push aimed at curbing the spread of digital media piracy. The groups, led by MPAA president Jack Valenti, will lobby U.S. policymakers to crack down on piracy, and will “also [target] foreign countries with poor records on protecting copyrighted material.”
Injunctions, Donations, And Auctions, Omai!
London’s Tate museum has been given a surprise £12.5 million gift in order for it to purchase a valuable British painting at risk of leaving the country. Sir Joshua Reynolds “Portrait of Omai” was sold at auction for £10.3 million last year, and a concerted effort was launched by the government to insure that the portrait stayed in the UK. An injunction was put in place barring the work’s export temporarily, while a UK buyer was sought. The Tate had previously tried to purchase the work in 2001, but its offer was turned down.
Dance After Ballet
“The audience today loves dancing, no doubt about that. What it doesn’t love is the aura of preciousness and affectation that clings to ballet. Classical ballet companies have yet to find convincing ways to erase these misconceptions and hook the permanent audience they need — and still preserve the idea of classicism. Meanwhile, other dance enterprises thrive by applying ballet’s components to performance that doesn’t intimidate.”
West End Theatre – It Really Was The Good Old Days
Michael Billington wonders if West End theatre is at its lowest ebb ever. So he does a little research on what was offered decades ago compared to today. “After comparing what is on offer today with the same week over the past four decades, I have come to the melancholy conclusion that the West End is dwindling into neon-lit irrelevance. What seems to have gone out of the window is the idea that the commercial sector should offer a kaleidoscope of possibilities: musicals, comedies, farces, thrillers, straight plays and classic revivals. The irony is that it is probably better run than at any time in recent memory.”
UK Artists Get Funding Boost
Arts Council England has announced a large increase in arts funding. “Overall, the Arts Council – funded by government money and lottery receipts – will distribute £410 million by 2005/6, compared with £335 million in 2003/4. A host of new groups, which do not usually get funding from the Arts Council, will get £123 million. Individual artists will benefit from a £25 million fund for the next three years – double what is available to them now.”
Opportunity Through Shakespeare
Is Shakespeare the new opportunity for female actors? “From solo plays to plays using music, dance, and original monologues and dialogues, women are freely appropriating almost anything relating to the Bard – his plays, his sonnets, even his biography – to forge highly original works that showcase female sensibilities, perspectives, and talent.”
NJ Arts Supporters Enlist Businesses To Lobby State For Arts Funding
New Jersey Governor James McGreevey says he’s reconsidering zeroing out the state’s arts budget, but for now the budget line still reads empty. “Arts organizations in New Jersey feel they now have a better chance of persuading state officials to restore funding because business groups have added their backing. Some chambers of commerce have made an effort to rally businesses that have a direct interest in arts activities.”