FIRED UP

How come when there’s a parting of the ways among leadership of a cultural organization, everyone wants to pretend nothing happened? “If you’re looking for elitism in the arts, you’ll find it in the way arts organizations want to be perceived as a vital part of our everyday lives yet want to maintain the illusion that they’re something separate from it: separate from politics, from money, from ego, from debate, from change. If they think they can do that forever, they’re kidding themselves – and us.” – Boston Herald

A TALE OF TWO MONDRIANS

It’s tax credit time again – that time of year when collectors give away art to institutions (in part) to claim tax breaks. Two such gifts – one in the US, the other in London point up the differences in tax laws. – New York Times

CLEAN SWEEP

On the whole, last month’s conference on the cleaning of the Elgin marbles in the 1930s was pretty decorous, despite the controversies. Until the last few minutes, of course, when “the Greek press attaché was ordered to shut up, author William St Clair was ‘disinvited’ from the closing dinner and for a moment it seemed as if scuffles might break out among the warring academics.” – The Art Newspaper

OH JESSICA, IT’S JANUARY

Welcome to January, or as it’s known in the film world, ‘January?! You’re going to release my movie in January?! Jan-u-frickin-ary?!’ This is a month that’s typically, though not exclusively, used to debut pictures that were originally scheduled for a summer or fall release — until someone important actually saw the completed films and walked from the screening room with a stride that just screamed, ‘January,’ the sound of those wing-tip shoes revealing all: Click. Click. Click. Click. Jan. U. Air. E.” – National Post (Canada) 01/07/00

FOR THIS YOU WANT TAX BREAKS?

Even as the entertainment industry is sounding the alarm about runaway productions leaving Hollywood, new figures show entertainment production was up a bit in ’99 in Los Angeles. Declines in feature films and TV were offset by increases in commercials and student films. – Variety 01/07/00