Following a week of increasingly public recriminations between musicians and management, the Philadelphia Orchestra has voted to authorize a strike if an agreement is not reached by midnight Monday. Musicians’ representatives walked out of a bargaining session on Friday, citing management’s unwillingness to budge from a proposed list of cuts to the musicians’ salaries and benefits. The orchestra has a history of acrimonious negotiations, and was last on strike for 64 days in 1996.
Tag: 09.19.04
China’s Architectural Mood Swing
“After essentially sealing the country off from foreign architects for much of the 20th century, the Chinese government kicked off the 21st by turning itself into the biggest single patron of avant-garde architecture in the world.” But the government’s enthusiasm is proving short-lived, as major projects by big-name foreign architects have recently been savaged in the state-controlled Chinese press, halted or delayed by the same authorities who initially gave them the green light, and generally placed on a national dart board. Call it one part nationalism, and two parts fiscal insecurity…
Beijing’s Bad Buildings
“The construction boom that has been remaking Beijing has attracted famous architects from around the world. But the cityscape is hardly the stuff of a glossy design magazine. For every Zaha Hadid tower in the works for the capital, there are hundreds of forgettably mediocre buildings already in place, displaying the sort of mirrored-glass facades and gilded decoration that went out of style in America sometime in the 1980’s.” The plague of bad architecture is so bad that a website has been launched to chronicle the worst examples.
Chicago Lyric At 50
Lyric Opera of Chicago turns 50 this year, and stands as one of the world’s most successful companies, and as one of Chicago’s most enduring arts institutions. When Lyric began presenting opera in 1954, Chicago had been without opera for eight years, and had never been host to a company of national stature. But a combination of good timing, top-notch staff, and high demand catapulted the company to national prominence almost immediately, and it’s been in the spotlight ever since.
Staying Afloat By Selling Off The Stock
Times are tough for art institutions and foundations across North America. And one of the dirty little secrets of the business is that such organizations frequently keep themselves afloat fiscally by selling off bits of their collections. But is it ethical to do so? The answer depends on whom you ask, and there doesn’t seem to be any general agreement. But for foundations which refuse to give up any piece of their collections, (such as Philadelphia’s notoriously strapped Barnes Foundation,) the alternative can be serious financial hardship and even insolvency.