Blog

Big, Bigger, Biggest – Where Does It End?

Ever since Frank Gehry’s widely-hailed Bilbao museum opened, architects around the world have faced unprecedented expectations as to what their designs can do, not just for an organization or a neighborhood, but for an entire city. But how much has the “wow” factor actually hurt the practice of serious architecture, and is the movement towards buildings-as-tourist-attractions and architectural star power a sign of growing public interest, or merely the end product of a celebrity-obsessed culture?

The Film Without A Country

A much-lauded film from Palestine has been garnering awards worldwide. But the filmmaker has been unequivocably told that his work cannot be nominated for an Academy Award, because Palestine is not a country recognized by the U.N. Of course, neither are Puerto Rico and Taiwan, both of which have had films in nomination in the past.

Calgary Gets Some Civic Support

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, which suspended operations two months ago in the face of overwhelming debt, is getting a bit of relief from the city government. Calgary’s city council agreed this week to kick in $250,000 to help rescue the CPO, provided it can raise the remaining $1.25 million it needs from other sources. But a number of city officials were dismayed that public money could be spent on bailing out a private nonprofit.

PBS Looks For New Funding Tricks

For years, PBS has been looking for more effective methods of drawing sponsors, whether that meant pitching corporate responsibility or blurring the line between funding announcements and outright advertising. But with the recent pullout of ExxonMobil from its club of program underwriters, PBS (and its Boston flagship, WGBH-TV) is stepping up efforts to secure a money stream for the future.

Greece’s Own Maria Callas

“Featuring personal effects and props belonging to Maria Callas, Athens Tuesday opened a museum dedicated to the New York-born opera legend, the first of its kind in the country… Although she took Greek citizenship only in 1966, aged 43, her enormous global success and heart-rending interpretations of tragic roles, combined with her liaison with the shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis — another Greek success story — have made Callas a symbol of Greek national pride.”

Freudian Analysis

It may not be the most profound gauge of public sentiment, but for what it’s worth, the top-selling postcard at the Tate Britain this past year was a semi-nude study by Lucien Freud called “Girl With White Dog.” This is notable mainly because the top-selling card had been Millais’s serene and Victorian “Ophelia” for a decade. The museum’s director hopes the Freud card’s popularity is a sign that audiences are becoming more accepting of contemporary art.

More Nazi Loot To Be Returned

The small Austrian city of Linz has agreed to return a 1916 Egon Schiele painting to the family that once owned it. The painting, which is known as “View of Krumau,” is estimated to be worth $10 million. It was seized by the Gestapo after the family fled Austria during the occupation, and the New Gallery in Linz eventually purchased it without knowing that it was Nazi loot.

Royal Ballet Names New Artistic Director

Monica Mason has been named the new artistic director of London’s Royal Ballet. “Mason, 60, who is known affectionately at Covent Garden as ‘Mon’, has been a mother and something of an inspiration to a battered company since taking the reins temporarily after the ignominious departure of Ross Stretton. The Australian former car mechanic was forced to resign two months ago amid allegations of inappropriate relationships with some of his dancers.”

Baryshnikov Dissolves Company, Will Open Arts Center

Mikhail Baryshnikov has disbanded his White Oak Project dance company and says that he will open a new performing arts center in New York in 2004. “The Baryshnikov Center for Dance, which is to have its headquarters on West 37th Street, plans to offer space to performing arts groups at subsidized rates. But he emphasized that its major program will be a laboratory in which artists will work with mentors from the worlds of dance, theater, film and lighting and costume design.”