If the global argument over the Danish cartoons that so offended Muslims tells us anything, it is that we can no longer afford to be quite so surprised by the global reach of information, and further, that censoring the flow of content is not a solution to the worldwide culture clash. “The truth is, the internet cannot be both globally acceptable and a force for democracy… Spraying the world with a fire hose of information may not be the answer, but it’s closer to the right result than filtering the internet down to a trickle.”
Tag: 02.15.06
Another DaVinci Dustup
A prominent Catholic group portrayed in The DaVinci Code as a power-hungry collection of conspirators is urging that Sony Pictures remove passages of the book that are “insulting to Catholics” from its upcoming film version. Opus Dei, which is based in Rome, stopped short of calling for a boycott of the film, saying instead that “changes to the film would be appreciated by Catholics.”
Are We Going About Arts Funding All Wrong?
A new report from a San Francisco arts task force is suggesting that the city completely rethink the way it funds culture within its borders, and find ways of linking the arts to everyday life through neighborhood connections. “There’s also a clear undercurrent in the report: The city’s most vibrant, community-based arts organizations don’t get their fair share of the money, which goes to big, flashy operations like the symphony and opera. The entire plan has the feeling of a manifesto for more democratic oversight of arts money and more grassroots participation in the funding process. That, of course, flies in the face not only of city policy but also of arts-funding policy in general.”
Not Just Another Orchestra Crisis
There’s a different kind of orchestra crisis going on in Northern Ireland, where the Ulster Youth Orchestra was revealed last week to be in nearly complete disarray. The UK Arts Council stepped in when it was discovered that “bills had not been paid, the phone was disconnected and staff were no longer employed in [the UYO’s] office.” Now, a former vice-chancellor of a major British university has been placed in charge of overhauling the organization, and implementing an emergency plan agreed to by the orchestra and the council.
The Presidential Soprano?
Two years ago the Lithuanian government was trying to impeach the country’s president. “Soprano Violeta Urmana was asked to stand as a presidential candidate i”I said, ‘Are you kidding? I don’t belong to a party, either social democrat or liberal.’ ‘Oh, that’s better,’ they said. ‘But what about my singing?’ ‘You can sing, probably one or two times a year.’ My husband couldn’t sleep at night – he thought I shouldn’t do it – but just for one day, I was thinking, ‘Oh, for Lithuania, maybe I should.'”
What Are The Arts Worth To A City?
Salt Lake City is at a crossroads as it prepares to make a decision on whether the city should fund a new downtown cultural district, which would involve building two new theatres in the hope of drawing more people (and their money) into the urban core. A consultant’s report confirmed what some supporters of the plan believe, that a cultural district could generate between $12 and $22 million annually in ticket sales alone. However, the same report states flatly that far from being a money-maker, the district would be unlikely ever to turn a profit, and would probably require constant subsidy to stay afloat.
A Prize Collection Under A Cloud
The Metropolitan Museum hopes to get the major part of Shelby White’s collection of antiquities. But an Italian “investigation into Ms. White’s collection seems to keep expanding. The stock of old evidence that Italian investigators are using becomes more dangerous to Ms. White’s collection as more of her pieces receive widespread notice. That is sure to happen as more than a dozen pieces in her collection—which has been admired by curators as one of the most impressive in the world, even as it has been disparaged by archaeologists as plundered treasure without provenance—are displayed at the Met, where she is a trustee.”
No Federal Funds For Edinburgh Fest
The Scottish government has rejected calls for it to do more to fund the Edinburgh International Festival, despite strong support for the idea from the government’s own Cultural Commission. Supporters of greater government funding point out that the festival is perennially underfunded (it’s had to be bailed out by the Edinburgh Council at the last moment several times,) but because the event is stationary in Edinburgh, the government doesn’t consider it a national company, and won’t get involved.
A Getty Director’s Home Is His Castle, Apparently
“Already under investigation for questionable executive spending, the J. Paul Getty Trust recently purchased a $3.5-million official residence for its new museum director’s use only to find that the house was contaminated with mold and uninhabitable… The Getty then made an offer on a $5.5-million house near Santa Monica. Spokesman Ron Hartwig said the trust pulled out of the deal Tuesday after inspectors found structural problems with the roof. Meanwhile, the Getty is paying $15,000 a month to rent [the director] a Holmby Hills home with five bathrooms and a swimming pool on a two-acre lot.” The
Salary Disclosure Law Irks MPR
It isn’t often that a public broadcaster will intentionally turn down free money, but that’s just what’s happening in the Twin Cities, where Minnesota Public Radio is balking at a new state law requiring it to release a list of all employees earning more than $100,000 in order to qualify for $190,000 in funding from the state. The law is the brainchild of a state representative who made news two years ago when he proposed another measure which would have proibited anyone working for an arts organization from making a higher salary than the governor of the state.