Category: issues

A number of restaurants have sued critics over bad reviews. “But American judges have apparently never punished even tough, mean and wrongheaded restaurant reviews. As the federal appeals court in Manhattan put it in 1985, ‘reviews, although they may be unkind, are not normally a breeding ground for successful libel actions’.”

The Canadian Parliament is quietly making major changes to the way the federal government funds museums. Specifically, measures recently passed allow for federal funding of museums outside the Ottawa region for the first time ever, a move that could open the floodgates for museums wishing to be classified as national institutions.

Arts groups in British Columbia will get a fresh cash infusion from a public-private partnership over the next three years. “Arts Partners in Creative Development will give British Columbia arts organizations $6.5 million in new funding… to help develop original works in the performing arts, the visual arts and literary arts.”

The city of Montreal will spend CAN$55 million to revitalize its central arts district. “The city is also courting private developers to build new office and residential buildings, but the main focus of the redesign is to modernize the area’s public spaces for live entertainment.”

“On the whole, it is assumed that artists are a fairly arrogant bunch. I don’t think that’s an unfair assumption. The very act of writing a novel or painting or performing your song needs arrogance – an arrogance that says: ‘I have a unique insight and I have the talent to give that insight a form and the confidence to ask you to come and have a look at what I’m doing.’ That is an arrogance that puts us somewhere up there with the gods.”

“Americans are increasingly reluctant to risk American blood to save Iraqi lives. So it’s a pretty tough sell to ask people to care about a bunch of old rocks with funny writing. But what if they understood that the plunder of Iraq’s 10,000 poorly guarded archaeological sites not only deprives future generations of incomparable works of art, but also finances the insurgents? … And what if Americans understood that our failure to appreciate the importance Iraqis place on their history has added to the chaos faced by our troops?”

Tony Blair argues that the country has been reborn in part because of high arts funding. Blair has “argued that the mixed economy of improved public spending and rising private philanthropy was leading to institutions such as Tate Britain becoming the biggest arts attractions in the world, outstripping even the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His advisers are also arguing that the arts must find ways to bring a politically alienated younger generation into public life.”

Britain’s 24 World Heritage sites are to get new protections. “The new laws will create ‘buffer zones’ around the country’s most treasured sites to prevent their being degraded by nearby high-rise buildings. More stringent powers will be given to public inquiries to block insensitive development, and the move will make it easier for controversial building schemes to be ‘called in’ by ministers to protect world heritage sites.”

“The prize for individual winners of Governor General’s literary and visual and media arts awards will be raised from $15,000 to $25,000. The council will also boost its contribution to the Governor General’s Awards for performing arts so the value of the prize will be increased to $25,000.”

Panhandlers have found their way to Miami’s new performing arts center. So “Miami Performing Arts Center Trust Chairman Parker Thomson recently wrote a letter to Miami city leaders complaining of panhandling in the neighborhood on nights of performance. That letter sparked controversy at City Hall, though Thomson says he was just passing along gripes from patrons.”