Iraqi-born art collector Charles Saatchi, whose devotion to promoting the work of young and emerging artists is well-established, is making a second major donation to the Arts Council Collection, based in London. Saatchi is giving over control of 34 modern sculptures to the ACC, which plans to display them in touring exhibitions around the U.K. and possibly abroad as well. Saatchi had previously made a gift of more than 100 artworks to the council in 1999.
Blog
US Supreme Court Hears Library Internet Censorship Appeal
The US Supreme Court hears arguments this week in the US government’s appeal of a Philadelphia court ruling that the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is a violation of the First Amendment. “The law, enacted in December 2000 in part to protect minors from access to Internet pornography, requires schools and libraries to use the filtering software to shield minors from adult material but, because it called for adults to get permission to access certain information, it raised the ire of the civil liberties and library groups. The law also blocked federal funding to libraries that did not install the software.”
Tin Can Wins Sculpture Prize
Gereon Krebber, who graduated last year from the Royal College of Art, won this year’s Jerwood Prize with a proposal for “Tin, a 1.5-metre can with the top slightly open – or almost closed, creating uncertainty and ambivalence, the artist says. Krebber beat seven other sculptors, shortlisted from 90 proposals, for the prize, which is open to sculptors who have graduated from art school in the past 15 years.”
Kennedy Center To Do Williams
Following up on its critically received Sondheim retrospective last summer, The Kennedy Center plans to present a 10-week celebration of the plays of Tennessee Williams this summer. Included will be new productions of his major plays including “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “The Glass Menagerie.” Last summer’s Sondheim fest drew audiences from around the US.
Cleaning Up Stratford
The town of Stratford needs to clean itself up, pull itself together, and start acting like the major attraction it is. The Royal Shakespeare will announce a new plan for its theatre in the town – one can only hope for the best – but the whole operation needs a thorough refurbishment if it’s going to survive. Otherwise…
SF Ballet Cuts Dancers To Save Money
San Francisco Ballet has cut four dancers from its roster, including two principals. “Friday’s dismissals will leave the ballet with 69 dancers under contract next season, which begins in February 2004. That will save the company about $350,000, said Ballet Executive Director Glenn McCoy. The administrative staff also has been reduced, by 12 percent, and salaries have been frozen.”
In NJ: Arts Funding As Your Own Personal Slush Fund
How did New Jersey (whose governor is proposing to cut state arts funding completely) distribute a $3 million supplemental fund for the arts this year? The state’s Secretary of State – with “bare-bones application forms and no written evaluation process” – unilaterally decided how it would be spent. Regena Thomas “conceded the applications were not measured against one another or ranked in any formal way. Rather, the winners – 33 out of 195 applicants – were chosen based on input from legislators and her own personal interests. All but $217,000 of the $3 million announced in January went to organizations located in Democratic districts.” A month after the grants were awarded, Governor McGreevey “called for the elimination of all cultural funding and the dismantling of the agencies that distribute that money.”
Bay Area Arts Groups Downsizing
Bay Area arts groups are scaling back and cutting budgets and programs as they struggle to balance their budgets. “Call it the year of ‘rightsizing’ for arts groups, as many realize funding won’t rebound any time soon and they must scale back operating expenses in order to survive. “We’re pulling in tight. It’s as dark a chapter in the contemporary arts as I’ve lived in.”
Lysistrata In LA
On Monday, peace activists read Aristophanes anti-war play “Lysistrata” at locations all over the world. In Los Angeles “about 250 people gathered at L.A. Filmmakers Co-Op to watch AlfreWoodard play the title role, supported by Julie Christie, Christine Lahti, Mary McDonnnell, Eric Stoltz, Roscoe Lee Browne and other celebrities. The scene was reminiscent of a movie opening or an exclusive club. Only about 100 could cram into the small brick building, while the rest of the crowd watched a televised simulcast on the adjacent patio.”
10,000 Offers To Read
Organizers report they had about 10,000 e-mail messages from people wanting to take part in readings around the world. In New York City alone, there were 60 performances planned.”