Robert Bondlow has unexpectedly resigned as the executive director of the Milwaukee Ballet. Bondlow had been on the job for only six months, and neither he nor the company are commenting on the reason for his abrupt departure. The company is in “somewhat precarious” financial shape, but doesn’t expect to run a deficit for the fiscal year just completed. Bondlow had a tough act to follow in Milwaukee: his predecessor, Christine Harris, was widely credited with stabilizing the business side of the organization and making it an attractive group for big-money donors to support.
Tag: 07.17.03
Jordanian Culture Comes To The Queen City
“The Cincinnati Art Museum announced Wednesday a joint exhibition with the American Museum of Natural History in New York of 200 objects from the southern Jordanian city of Petra. Presented under the patronage of Queen Rania of Jordan, Petra: Lost City of Stone is the first major cultural collaboration between Jordan and the United States… The exhibition’s more than 200 objects include stone sculptures and reliefs, ceramics, metalwork, stuccowork, ancient inscriptions and a selection of 25 paintings, drawings and prints from the 19th century.”
Appreciating Celia Cruz
“Celia Cruz, who died yesterday of brain cancer at 78, was one of the great singers of the century. Her voice inspired awe, her phrasing was unimpeachable, her output was prodigious and she had more of the ineffable quality sabor than perhaps any other singer in the history of Latin music. Sabor means flavor, but in this context it translates best as swing, and that’s what she did – swing hard – for 50 glorious years. She was the Aretha Franklin of salsa, the unchallenged queen. She practically invented the genre, and then went on to perfect it.”
Dylan Lyrics Trace Interesting Path Of Appropriation
“Bob Dylan’s appropriation of material from Junichi Saga’s ‘Confessions of a Yakuza,’ first published in 1989 and translated into English in ’91, isn’t merely another tale of purloined text (see Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jayson Blair, et al.). It’s a fascinating study in artistic process and influence. The path from a forthrightly anecdotal history of a professional Japanese gambler to a set of elusive, emotionally turbulent songs set in the American South is steep and mysteriously twisted.”
Miro Uncovered At The Guggenheim
A large Miro mural not seen by the public since 1990 is on show at the Guggenheim this summer. “The 20-foot-long mural comprises 190 ceramic tiles, with the name ‘Alice’ in huge, exuberant letters surrounded by Miró’s characteristic celestial shapes. The artwork was permanently installed in 1967, but it is usually hidden behind a false wall to accommodate the museum’s array of special exhibitions.”
The Mob Boss Wife And The Art Gallery
The widow of crime boss John Gotti is apparently an artist. And she’s having a show. “A Chelsea gallery is opening a show of Victoria Gotti’s artwork tonight – and a portrait of the late Dapper Don is one of 20 paintings up for grabs. Gotti, who is rarely seen in public, told the Daily News she’s been painting for years. She doesn’t have any professional training, which may be obvious to some art critics. But like Picasso, she apparently does have a blue period.”
This Year’s Emmy Nominees
This year’s Emmy nominations are out. HBO’s “Six Feet Under” got the most nominations, with 16, followed by three-time best drama winner “The West Wing” with 15. HBO’s “The Sopranos” received 13 nominations, along with the comedies “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Sex and the City.”
Boston To Create New Artist Center
Boston is about to break ground on a new project to develop artist spaces in three hundred-year-old warehouses. The Fort Point artist project is a $23-million, 206,000-square-foot complex. “Architectural designs for the project include 200-seat and 50-seat black box theaters, classroom and rehearsal space, an art gallery and cafe, and 89 units of artist housing ranging from 920 to 2,300 square feet. The collaborative also plans to rent about 7,000 square feet of office and retail space to nonprofit arts groups and arts-related businesses.”
Californians Rally To Save State Arts Funding
Hundreds of Californians rallied in San Francisco Wednesday to protest state legislature plans to eliminate arts funding. “Beating drums, reciting poetry and waving signs, the crowd of artists and arts lovers danced, chanted and cheered as speakers urged the state Legislature to spare the 27-year-old California Arts Council. Legislators are considering slashing the agency’s budget to help close the state’s $38.2 billion deficit.”
New Symphony In San Jose
It’s unlikely that the San Jose Symphony – which closed almost two years ago – will reopen for business. So a new orchestra has been formed from an orchestra created for the area’s ballet company orchestra. “The latest incarnation of the symphony is yet another attempt to keep symphonic music in San Jose. San Jose Symphony, which had been in existence for 123 years, closed in October 2001. Symphony San Jose Silicon Valley was formed under the auspices of Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley 10 months ago and employed the old symphony’s musicians. That symphony, which last year played four concerts, is now changing its name to Symphony Silicon Valley and becoming a separate non-profit organization.”