Is a backlash growing against the Scottish Executive’s plan for cultural reform in Scotland? “Any government, no matter its hue, should show a caring and supportive attitude towards cultural activity and be prepared to put its money where its mouth is. The fact that our present one is not, but instead still believes it can fool the people with false figures, hyped claims and meaningless gobbledegook is very regrettable.”
Tag: 01.23.06
The Klimt Attorney
Los Angeles attorney Randol Schoenberg has spent the past 7 1/2 years arguing that five Gustav Klimt paintings in Austria looted by the Nazis ought to be returned to a California woman. “For Schoenberg — kinetic, restless and intense, with the boundless snap of a Spencer Tracy character — the case is far more than a simple legal wrangle, it’s an obsession.”
The End Of Democratic Information Flow On The Internet?
“The telecommunications companies’ proposals have the potential, within just a few years, to alter the flow of commerce and information — and your personal experience — on the Internet. For the first time, the companies that own the equipment that delivers the Internet to your office, cubicle, den and dorm room could, for a price, give one company priority on their networks over another.”
Clifford: Scotland Should Blow The Bank On Michelangelo
Timothy Clifford, the outgoing director of Scotland’s National Galleries says the country’s museums should raise enough money to by an Italian masterpiece. He said “there was no need for the galleries to buy more Scottish art, partly because they could rely on wills and gifts to build up their collection. However, spending £10 million on a Michelangelo drawing would break the galleries’ annual acquisitions budget of £1.25 million several times over, and would need a huge fundraising campaign.”
Want Success? Stick With It…
Is it all-brains-all-the-time that separates achievers from the pack? Or is something else at work? The difference likely is something Angela Lee Duckworth calls “grit,” which she defines as “tenaciously pursuing something over the long term.” That “something” can’t be something easy. To pass the grit test, the thing being chased must be “the highest challenge.” It’s all about passion.
Miami PAC And Major Presenter Stop Merger Talks
Miami’s Concert Association of Florida and the under-construction Miami Performing Arts Center have postponed discussions of a merger of the two organizations. “It would have been a 50-50 financial split, and frankly, we both have too much to do at the time. It was the better part of wisdom for both of us to postpone it for a year or so.”
Colorado Ballet Gets Some Good News
It’s been a tumultuous year for Colorado Ballet. One thing that has gone right? The box office. “With nearly a third of its 2005-06 performances remaining, the company has sold more tickets than it did during the entire 2004-05 season and reached 93 percent of its $3.2 million ticket sales goal for 2005-06.”
Movie Compensation, Explained
“The studios’ business nowadays is entirely driven by one or two huge franchises that serve as worldwide licensing platforms. And the most predictable producers of these windfalls, such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Tom Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Peter Jackson, are all gross players represented by savvy lawyers and agents who know all the ropes of the movie business.”
Pixar And Disney – An Odd Match?
Disney is in talks to buy Pixar. But the two companies have very different styles, and there is some concern about whether the two cultures can mix. “Pixar is known for its egalitarian ways where the lowest-ranking animator can share ideas with the bosses while Disney has a reputation for making creative decisions from the top down.”
PBS Names New President
Paula Kerger has been named new president of PBS, replacing Pat Mitchell. “Kerger is executive vp and chief operating officer at the Educational Broadcasting Corp., which holds the license to Thirteen/WNET and WLIW in New York. Her job, which she has held since 2004, includes responsibility for the editorial content of both stations.”