Getting quality board members for arts organization is a problem. So one Boston program is trying to change that, training and placing business executives on the boards of local arts and cultural organizations. “Leaders in the arts community say graduates of the program have been a boon for arts and cultural organizations that are competing for a smaller pool of funds.”
Tag: 04.21.06
An Epidemic Of Russian Art Fakes
A leading Russian art expert says that “corruption and criminality in the Russian art market has reached alarming levels.” He believes that “inexpensive works by little-known European painters were being reworked in Russia and then fraudulently marketed as Russian paintings at much higher prices.”
Hiphop Comes Inside
A Colorado groups is bringing hiphop into the concert hall. “We’re presenting hip-hop dance in a prestigious format, like people have done with jazz or ballet for centuries on big stages. Hip-hop is not just some gangster-type facade. Even when the dance side of it becomes aggressive, or battling, it always ends up positively.”
Magazine: Go To Buffalo For Arts
American Style magazine conducted a reader poll of top US arts cities. “Among big American cities, the winners were New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. In the small city category, the winners were Santa Fe, N.M.; Asheville, N.C.; and Corning, N.Y.”
Death Camp “Superstar” Cancelled
Plans for a performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at a former Nazi death camp have been cancelled. “It was not a good idea. It did not take into consideration the relations between Christianity and Judaism. I decided that there will be no performance because we must stick to the message of the museum, which is truth, memory, reconciliation.”
Actor: A Design Competition For New Orleans
Actor Brad Pitt is frustrated by the slowness in rebuilding New Orleans, so he’s sponsoring an “environmentally-friendly” design competition. “Our goal is to kick off the rebuilding effort. It’s certainly long overdue and I can only go from the reports that we get … that it’s behind, absolutely. People are frustrated. We could possibly build something that was better and took into account the historical traditions of the city and the voices of the people and turn this into some kind of good.”
CBC Axes Designers To Save Money
The CBC says it will eliminate 79 design jobs, from set builders and costume makers to makeup artists and hairstylists in Toronto. “We’re sad about this. It is an end of an era. For 50 years, there has been in-house design at CBC, and now there is not going to be.”
Naked Audience? Too Much
A group called Males au Natural said it planned to strip naked in the audience during a New York play’s graphic rape scene, “supposedly to show solidarity with the underdressed actors.” But the actors union Equity says it won’t require actors to perform if they do.
Roberts – Bad Reviews, But A Chance For Tony?
Reviews for Julia Roberts’ Broadway debut weren’t kind. So will she withdraw? Well, it depends on the Tonys. “There are two schools of thought, and where theater people fall depends on whether they think she’s got a shot at a Tony Award nomination – which, if she were to get one, would be the raw steak she can slap on her black eye.”
EMI: Download Sales Soar
Recording giant EMI says its sales of digital downloads has increased by 150 percent in the last year. “The world’s third largest record company predicted that the jump would help its annual profits rise by 12%.” Downloading sales now account for 5.5 percent of the company’s music sales.