A Clinton commission investigating Nazi-looted art, did not do an adequate job, and overlooked solid leads, says some scholars. “Objections to the panel’s work were so strong that some staff members said they contemplated writing a minority report. Their comments, and similar ones from leading experts in the field, were not publicly expressed when the commission reported its findings. Now critics say the commission was a lost opportunity to determine how much Nazi looted art flowed through America.
Tag: 03.03.03
Fire In Alexandria Library
Fire broke out in the new Alexandria Library on Sunday. “No books or Bibliotheca Alexandrina resources were damaged, according to a library spokesman. Bibliotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in October amid great fanfare. The £150m project aspires to reflect the spirit of the ancient Alexandria library, which was founded around 295BC by Ptolemy.”
The Year In British Publishing
Last year was a pretty good one for British publishers. “There are two universal anxieties for British publishers, one shared with their American counterparts, one not: the shared problem is that of an essentially flat book market, with sales that are simply not keeping pace with a growing population. The anguish that is special to British publishers is the extraordinary pressure on margins created by the ever-increasing push for higher discounts, especially by supermarkets that sell books.”
Bay Area Art Schools Call Off Merger
The San Francisco Art Institute and the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland have called off a previously announced merger. “The merger would have produced one of the nation’s largest fully accredited, independent school of visual arts outside of New York City. Currently, the Art Institute has about 650 students and 137 faculty members; California College of Arts and Crafts has about 1,300 students and 370 teachers.” The schools said that after much negotiation, “at the end of the day, out of respect for the two institutions, we concluded it just couldn’t be done.”
Spacey’s Plans For The Old Vic
Saying he was “born to run the Old Vic” Theatre Kevin Spacey talks about his plans for when he takes over next year. “He exudes a passionate enthusiasm mixed with a kind of awed delight as he contemplates his task when he becomes the troubled theatre’s artistic director in the autumn of next year; but there’s a lot for him to do before then.”
Movie Soundtracks – The Sounds Of Success
More than 2 million copies of the “Chicago” sountracks have been sold. The connection between movies and soundtrack success has long been strong. “Big movies and big soundtracks always feed off each other as we’ve seen in the past from Top Gun to Titanic. Certainly a big soundtrack can extend the life of the movie.”
Tower Of London Wall Collapses
“Part of the moat wall of the Tower of London has collapsed, and hundreds of feet of Georgian cast-iron railings have been removed, during contentious building works intended to improve the setting of one of the most popular tourist attractions in Britain.”
Stravinsky’s Mouthpiece?
Robert Craft’s relationship with Stravinsky draws fresh attention with the publication of a new Craft volume. Though the composer has been dead 30 years, the Craft continues to write of his friend, reviving old debates about where the composer ends and Craft begins…”The final Jamesian irony is that Robert Craft is able to write supremely well only as a ventriloquist, requiring no less than an authentic genius for his dummy.”