A program that infuses teaching the arts into all aspects of the school program has been a big success in North Carolina, and the program is expanding elsewhere in America. “In the schools’ first four years, they have performed at least as well as the rest of North Carolina’s public schools on the state’s school and student performance tests, known as the ABCs. That’s especially notable, evaluators said, because A-plus students are not “taught to test” – and the schools have a larger percentage of minority students, who typically score lower than other groups on the tests.”
Tag: 07.05.03
Sensational: The Mayor And The Elephant Dung
“Four years ago, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani blasted a painting of the Virgin Mary that was decorated with elephant dung. In an exhibit that opened Wednesday, it’s the portrait of Giuliani that has elephant dung painted in it…”
Could Technology Decipher Burned Medieval Manuscripts?
Scientists suggest that technology used to scan and map planets could be used to decipher a unique library of medieval manuscripts mostly destroyed in allied bombing during World War II. “The collection, then housed in an annexe of Chartres town hall, comprised around 2,000 medieval books and parchments, many of which dated to the 12th Century. The library was considered a national treasure and a good proportion of the works were unpublished.”
Insta-Mobs
Flash mobs are performance art projects involving large groups of people. Mobilized by e-mail, a mob suddenly materializes in a public place, acts out according to some loose instructions, and then melts away as quickly as it formed. In New York, the city’s finest turned out in force to block the city’s third mob gathering last Wednesday evening. ‘There’s a real desire for something like this out there. Community has always been a big buzzword in the Web space, and I think the smart mob concept helps to bring the virtual community into real space. No matter how good our devices become at allowing us to communicate, I think we’re always going to need some real face time with folks’.”
Domingo To Sing And Conduct Opera
“Not content with continuing to sing both old roles and new in defiance of his 62 years, Placido Domingo is preparing to embark on another new project. For Domingo is about to sing in an opera – and then to conduct it. Far from passing the baton, he intends to pick the baton up.”
Dismantling Colorado Arts Funding
Colorado has all but eliminated its arts council, reducing funding to $200,000. The NEA has come across with another $600,000, but things are bleak. “The dismantling of the council has been slow and insidious, and painful to watch. Though some legislative support exists, there also has been a certain disinterest, if not scorn, for the agency’s role in bolstering the state’s cultural profile.”