Category: issues

Why does World War II endure as a topic of our imagination? “There are important cultural reasons for its persistence. This was, historically, the first continental war to be waged in the age of broadcasting. Radio and film conveyed its actuality and artists quickly converted its sounds and images into creative work. Art was a battlefront in itself. Dictators harnessed it to their propaganda machines while the democracies unintentionally inspired a spontaneous cultural renaissance.”

Our consumption of mass media is dropping off. Why? “It can’t be a coincidence that the five major pillars of the American media — movies, television, radio, recorded music and newspapers — are all suffering at the same time. And it isn’t. Something major has changed over the past year, as the availability of alternative sources of information and entertainment has finally reached critical mass. Newly empowered consumers are letting the producers, creators and managers of the nation’s creative and news content know that they are dissatisfied with the product they’re being peddled.”

Is America’s “creative class” fleeing the US for other countries? Richard Florida tried to make the case: “It may be too soon to anoint Tallinn, Estonia – or Dublin, Ireland, or Sydney, Australia – the world’s new creative capital, as opposed to many thriving US cities. Still, by Florida’s reckoning, America’s magnetism for creative workers has weakened as the drawing power of other nations has become supercharged – owing to regulatory policies, quality of life, tolerance, and a range of other issues.”

For the first time in four years, the city of San Jose is increasing its arts funding – to a total of $2 million. “Up from $1.8 million last year, the figure represents the first jump since 2002-03, when the city awarded $3.2 million. The fund had peaked at $3.9 million in 2001-02.”

The Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld the indecent exposure conviction of a public access TV host whose show featured a segment in which his exposed penis appeared to tell jokes to the camera. The host claimed that the segment constituted free expression, but the court disagreed, saying that there is a noticable difference between nudity in serious films and a crass public access show. The host intends to appeal to the State Supreme Court.

As part of its attempt to dig out from under a wave of bad publicity and accusations of fiscal irresponsibility, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is junking its entire board and starting fresh. The board unanimously resigned last week, and the new roster includes only four members with previous SPAC board experience. SPAC came under fire last year after dropping New York City Ballet from its summer schedule, and was subsequently the subject of a scathing audit which accused the board of willful mismanagement.

“Louisville’s four key performing-arts groups would get a total of nearly $2 million a year to erase their recurring budget deficits during the next three years under a new plan to combine city, state and private funding. The plan is part of a broader Cultural Blueprint that has just been completed after nearly two years of gathering data in Louisville and Southern Indiana. The intent was to get detailed information on how all regional arts groups could best respond to the market. Much of the effort focuses on the Louisville Orchestra, Kentucky Opera, the Louisville Ballet and Actors Theatre of Louisville — organizations that have largely defined the city’s national and international arts reputation but have struggled to balance their budgets.”

“As the borders closed and new boundaries were established by the government, artists had no choice but to look inward to their imagination, to transform this isolation into an artistic resolution. Consequently, we have seen an outpouring of artistic production in literature, film, theatre, visual arts and music. We find bold attempts by artists who have not only challenged the authority, but have pioneered an authentically Iranian, non-Western aesthetic; which, while remaining mindful of the crippling social, political and religious realities of their country, aims at transcending national boundaries, to become universally significant.”

Curiosity, says Robyn Archer, is the key to healthy arts audiences. “Anyone who approaches art, or virtually anything, only wishing to defend their own tastes, anyone who won’t look at something because they fear it won’t be to their liking, anyone who bags something before they’ve seen it, might as well be dead already. They’ve lost their sense of curiosity. They’re winding down.”

Why do British Columbia politicians ignore the arts? None of the major parties has much helpful to say to the arts. “Is it any wonder that arts organizations are screaming? The B.C. government spends the least on arts—$1.98 per person—of any province, according to Statistics Canada research cited by local umbrella group the Alliance for Arts and Culture. Quebec spends $19.32 per person. Alberta spends $5.69. ‘We look like idiots when we go to national conferences. They’re like, ‘What’s with your province?’ It’s embarrassing!”