Funding Cuts Imperil Charlotte Symphony

“When the Arts & Science Council decides on the orchestra’s grant sometime after Aug. 31, the reduction might be as much $1.75 million – a 90 percent cut. That would equal nearly a quarter of the orchestra’s budget this season. For the orchestra, closing that gap while contending with the recession’s other blows would be a superhuman task.”

Why Does Merce Cunningham Want To Shut Down His Company?

“Why break up so solidly established an ensemble? Because modern-dance troupes, which are almost always dominated by a single choreographer, have a notoriously poor track record of institutional survival after their charismatic founders pass away. Mr. Cunningham, by contrast, is more interested in preserving his fragile choreographic legacy than in keeping his company afloat.”

London’s Art Market Goes Flat

“Last year, London edged past New York to become the world’s top art marketplace by sales, thanks mainly to an influx of wealthy buyers from Russia, Asia and the Middle East who wanted to buy art closer to home. Now, midway through London’s summer art auctions, the same factors that once counted in London’s favor seem stacked against it.”