Why do so many adults give up their devotion to great rock music once they reach a certain age? Maybe its the sense of grown-up responsibility that somehow seems at odds with the devil-may-care ethos of rock, but Jim Walsh can’t imagine living without his favorite bands. “I suppose [it’s] an unsettling energy to tap into all the time, which may be why some people ultimately minimize the importance of music. The act of going to see a great live band and waking up the next morning to take on work or family can be energizing, but also schizophrenic and jarring–so much so that some stop tapping into it altogether, or relegate it to a bygone heyday.”
Tag: 07.28.04
Madison PAC Fully Funded (By One Donor)
Wisconsin philanthropist Jerry Frautschi is even more popular in Madison’s arts community today than he was previously. Back in the late 1990s, Frautschi agreed to pay the entire cost of designing and building a new performing arts center in the capital city. But no one was sure of exactly how much that cost was, until this week, when the Overture Center announced that Frautschi’s gift would total more than $200 million, more than double previous press estimates. Frautschi agreed to pay for the center because he believes that such projects should not be built with public money.
NJ Arts Cash In On Hotel-Motel Taxes
“New Jersey, whose Legislature approved the creation of a hotel-motel occupancy tax last year to provide a dedicated stream of arts funding for the cash-strapped state, will have over $22 million available to give to not-for-profit arts groups during the next fiscal year, a $6 million jump over the current fiscal year.”
Harlem Apollo Deal Under Strutiny
“A new deal to help renovate Harlem’s Apollo Theater has come under scrutiny from federal development officials, who are concerned the financing may violate the rules of $4 million in government grants the famous venue has already received.”
Publishers Cancel Khouri Book
“The U.S. and Australian publishers of a best seller in at least 15 countries about a Jordanian honor killing have canceled the book, questioning the story’s authenticity. Norma Khouri’s Forbidden Love had been the subject of an extensive newspaper investigation.”
Department Of Defacement: Disney Hall’s New Sign
Why does Disney Hall need a giant Claes Oldenburg/Coosje van Bruggen tie-and-collar on the sidewalk out front? Christopher Knight writes that “on a digitally fabricated picture of the sculpture on-site, it works like the giant Carpeteria genie or Michelin Man outside a rug shop or tire store — sculpture that functions as a sign. In less than a year, Disney Hall has become perhaps the most famous building in Los Angeles, which means one of the most famous in the nation. You wouldn’t think it needs a sign.”
Philadelphia Orchestra – Some Auditions Are Tough, But…
Nineteen-year-old Curtis violist Rachel Ku won an audition for a spot in the Philadelphia Orchestra. Then she didn’t have the job. Now she does again.
Atlanta Opera Gets New General Director
Dennis Hanthorn, general director of Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera Company, is leaving to take the top job at Atlanta Opera. “Hanthorn said Atlanta offers ‘a bigger pond to play in.’ The metropolitan population is more than 4 million, compared with Milwaukee’s 1.3 million. The Atlanta Opera’s budget, Hanthorn said, was $6.8 million to Florentine’s $3.7 million. Atlanta staged four operas vs. the Florentine’s three. But the Atlanta Opera has a debt of about $1 million; the Florentine has been in the black for 11 years.”
Buildings Of Commitment
Milwaukee is in love with its new Calatrava-designed Milwaukee Art Museum. But it’s clear now that if the museum is going to be able to keep up its new treasure, there’s going to have to be a new level of commitment to doing it. “The difference between simply owning an icon of international architecture and paying for maintenance on a complex, innovative, precedent-smashing structure isn’t always understood.”
Miami Commissioners Approve Plan To Finish Performing Arts Center
They’re incredibly grumpy about it (and who wouldn’t be?) but “scolding and grumbling about the past and expressing doubt about the future,” Miami-Dade commissioners voted to approve a plan to finish the Miami-Dade Performing Arts Center — 20 months late and $67.7 million over budget. Said one commissioner: “I feel like an abused wife who isn’t leaving a relationship even though she still may be abused in the future.”