Category: issues

An international summit on arts and culture hears Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien say US cultural dominance can be fought by being aware of one’s cultural roots. Many of the delegates from 60 countries dispute the message: “You can’t stop the transmission of U.S. culture, so it needs to be regulated.” – Ottawa Citizen 12/03/00

These days it seems like corporate “adver-donors” want to get as much advertising out of a donation to the arts as they want to help the arts. But there are still those who support the arts out of a sense of wanting to do something worthwhile. Just why do people give anonymous gifts? – Hartford Courant 12/03/00

A major international conference with delegates from 60 countries has gathered in Ottawa to talk about protecting “the vitality of many of the world’s cultures which are currently threatened by the dominance of U.S. popular culture, and a globalizing economy which is turning national cultures into commercial commodities.” – The Globe and Mail (Canada) 12/01/00

• CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER ADDRESSES CONFERENCE: “Some people think because of the power of communication, the American culture is a problem around the globe. It’s not a problem, as long as every nation finds a way to make sure that people are comfortable with themselves, they know who they are, they know their roots and they work to have their arts and culture well inside of themselves.” – The Globe and Mail (Canada) 12/01/00

• When Guggenheim Museum execs announced progress on their new $67 million museum in Lower Manhattan this week, they suggested that an art-loving insurance executive in Ohio was committing $170 million to the project. The donation would be the largest ever to an American museum. But the executive’s office isn’t confirming the amount. “I know he [Lewis] definitely plans to give a substantial amount, but he hasn’t decided what it will be. Lewis would take into account the enthusiasm of the city [of New York] and the generosity of others before deciding on the amount of his gift.” – The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) 12/01/00

Artists and theater groups in Singapore have declared December 29th “No Art Day” as a protest against the government’s restrictive censorship laws. “For 24 hours participants will refrain from making art, appreciating art, consuming art, engaging art, administering art, or any other activity that might be interpreted as an ‘encounter’ with art.” – Times of India (AP) 12/01/00

The history documentary “A People’s History” on the history of Canada has exceeded all viewership projections and has become the most-watched documentary in Canadian history. But the producer of the series says financing the project was too much of a struggle and that the way projects such as this are financed in Canada is broken. “Nothing will be financed unless it can be demonstrated to sell pop or soap. It just won’t happen. The marketplace will not, operating by its own laws, produce what is necessary and good for our children and our society.” – Toronto Star 12/01/00

Arts boosters in Boston look around the country and see cities encouraging development of arts facilities. But in Boston, plans for new arts initiatives seem to have stalled out. “In Boston, it seems, ambitious dreams to incorporate the arts into major development plans have generally failed.” – Boston Herald 11/30/00

For 159 years, a cryptogram, offered by Edgar Allan Poe, has baffled puzzle solvers. “Solving it became the holy grail of the art, with Poe fanatics convinced it would unlock a secret message from beyond the grave.” Now a Toronto software engineer has cracked the code, and it turns out that… – The Globe & Mail (Canada) 11/30/00

“In the 1970s and early 1980s Australian theatre was seen as part of an integral social debate about national identity and self confidence. The advent of serious arts funding came out of clearly articulated statements on the importance of the arts, and our politicians were well versed in the reasons why a funded arts environment was important to a social system. The arts were seen as a necessary expense, like roads or water.” Now we should enjoy the rewards. – Sydney Morning Herald 11/29/00

“University of Chicago economist David Galenson charts the sea change from artistic tradition to reinvention, using the auction prices of paintings as his measure of value. Correlating the price of a work of art with the age of the artist at the time of the painting’s execution, Galenson mapped the patterns of success and innovation over the past century in art history. His essays describe French and American painting, but their relevance is much broader.” – Salon 11/28/00