Category: issues

California? Too much fantasy, too much hazardous sunlight and too much obsession with software and hard bodies. New York City? Too much reality, too little sunlight and too much obsession, period. Everywhere in between? Riches, to be sure, but no place has New Jersey’s tightly packed diversity, its quick changes from urban to country, from mountains to coast, from gritty to gorgeous.

Artists whose work is inspired by music; musicians inspired to make art: What draws one to the other?

“Aware they have his ear – and well aware, also, of the sense of financial crisis framing the upcoming budget – arts advocates are making a hard argument for the economic soundness of policies that support the arts, rather than dwelling on their nation-building or soul-sustaining functions.”

“As newspapers and magazines lay off professional critics and young twentysomethings anoint themselves experts, the review has fallen on hard times. As critics shift from being the sole educated authorities into a percentage point on review-aggregating websites, some fear the nuance they once brought has fallen victim to the nagging blogger.”

“The primary false assumption at play here is that more centralization is the best way for the government to address a problem and signify its importance. Accompanying this is the belief, stretching back to the Progressive Era early in the 20th century, that efficiency and better advocacy flow from such centralization.”

Leslie Brenner “was most recently the Sunday magazine editor at the Los Angeles Times, and before that, directed restaurant, cooking and wine coverage as Food Editor for that paper’s award-winning section. She was also a restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times and founding editor of The Daily Dish food blog.”

“SAM officials said in September that a change-of-control provision in the Seattle Art Museum’s lease agreement with WaMu protected the museum in case the bank was sold. Turns out that agreement meant nothing in the event of a belly-up bank failure.”

A new report details the effects of the economic downturn so far on Seattle arts. More than half of arts groups are reducing programming…

“Istanbul State Opera and Ballet has taken a united stand in the face of the tragic circumstances occurring in Palestine, by canceling a tour of Turkish Culture Days to the Israeli city of Jaffa.”

“Attending [on Jan. 15] were the CEOs of groups such as Opera America, Dance USA, the League of American Orchestras, Association of Art Museum Directors, Chorus America, Dance USA, the Theater Communications Group and a host of others… What’s this? The U.S. government paying attention to the arts and actually soliciting input from the field?”