“If 2003 was the year of uniformly negative news nationwide on the state arts-funding front, 2004 is shaping up to be the year of the definite maybe, with some states looking at boosting funding and some localities considering more cuts. And in Florida, which sustained deep arts-funding cuts last year, well-mobilized cultural organizations may find themselves feeling sorry/grateful for their advocacy efforts.”
Tag: 04.29.04
Study: Philanthropic Giving Down By Almost $1 Billion
“Charitable giving by America’s grant-making foundations — a universe of nearly 65,000 organizations — fell from $30.5 billion in 2001 and $30.4 billion in 2002 to approximately $29.7 billion in 2003. A downward shift of $800 million might, arguably, be small change when one compares it to America’s multitrillion-dollar economy, but for nonprofits, it is another sign that times have been tough, are still tough, and are likely to remain tough for the foreseeable future. A nearly $1 billion decline in giving in just three years, in fact, stands in stark contrast to the boom years of the late 1990s, when foundations, feeling flush and optimistic due to the dot-com stock market upswing, seemed to forever be moving their giving levels via a northern trajectory.”
Beijing Theatre Delay
Beijing’s US$324.6 million National Grand Theatre of China has been under construction since 2001. “The futuristic design of the theatre, by French architect Paul Andreu, features a titanium and glass dome set in the centre of an artificial lake. Andreu’s concept beat 68 other candidates in an international bidding process, but sparked criticism because it doesn’t complement the solemn atmosphere of Tian’anmen Square. But as the dewdrop-like design emerges ever more clearly with each passing day, old concerns about the look have been replaced by new worries about the theatre’s operation.” The theatres was to open in July, but the most optimistic opening is now predicted for late 2005.
Miami – America’s New Arts Capital?
Is it true that experts consider “greater Miami as a potential capital of arts in the Americas?” If so, the state of Florida isn’t stepping up to the table to support it happening.
US Broadcasters Consider Voluntary Obscenity Rules
The US Congress is proposing to enact anti-obscenity laws that would raise fines against broadcasters to $500,000. Broadcasters – trying to get ahead of Congress – are establishing a to “discuss a voluntary code of conduct and other options. The group hopes the move will head off new government regulations to stop shows broadcasting indecent material.”
Runnicles To Take Helm Of BBC Symphony?
Who will be the next chief conductor of the BBC Symphony after Leonard Slatkin departs? “One name on the orchestra’s shortlist is said to be Donald Runnicles, the Scottish conductor who now works largely in the US.”
Physicists In New Way To Restore Old Recordings
Physicists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have “found a way to digitally map the grooves in warped or damaged shellac records and wax cylinders, and play them back using a sort of virtual needle — all with the same powerful microscope and computer technology they use to measure particle tracks. The ‘non-contact’ optical scanning method could also detect any scratches, or clicks and pops due to dust, and automatically filter them, allowing a digital rendition to sound as clear as the original performance.”
Goodman: PBS Sucks, And It’s Time We Faced It
As San Francisco’s PBS affiliate, KQED, celebrates its 50th birthday, Tim Goodman has decided that its time for PBS supporters to face the obvious fact that the network and its affiliates are visionless blobs on the cultural landscape, fulfilling no mission and serving no real viewership. “This is essentially what PBS is now: A channel for people who don’t get cable. There’s a reason PBS’ viewing audience is moving beyond age 55 — much of the core audience, loyal to a fault, believes PBS is the only alternative to dumb or bad network television series. But these are people using 8-track tapes in a CD world.”
PA Ballet Launches $10 mil Drive
“In an effort to help the Pennsylvania Ballet leap higher onto the national dance stage, company officials yesterday launched a $10 million capital campaign. It is hoped that the money, $6 million of which has already been raised or promised, will secure the troupe’s place among the country’s most prominent companies by funding more touring, more dancers, and more new ballets. The company would also like to add office and studio space, expand its artistic repertoire, and create a substantial endowment.”
Met Opera Still Looking For Radio Funding
Last weekend, the Metropolitan Opera broadcast its final live performance of the season, the last time the series will carry a sponsorship credit for Texaco, which kept the opera on the air for more than six decades. And while the Met has found money to cover the cost of next season’s broadcasts, the long-term future of the wildly expensive series is still very much in jeopardy. Met chairwoman Beverly Sills is spearheading the effort to solicit donations for future seasons, and her basic strategy is a simple appeal to the warm, gauzy memories of all the moneyed folks who grew up listening to the Met.