Movie studios are jockeying for position in this year’s Oscar race. “In a year when no live-action movie has emerged to overshadow the competition, some animated films may have a shot at best picture nominations. Their prospects would be considered unlikely, except for the perception among academy members, if not the public, that there is a dearth of Oscar-worthy live-action films this year.”
Tag: 11.14.04
The Death Of The Great Philanthropists
It is one of the topics that gets whispered about in arts circles, but rarely confronted head-on: a generation of great philanthropists is beginning to die out, with no replacements in sight. “These folks were more than just rich people who gave their money away out of a sense of noblesse oblige… They weren’t especially interested in having their names on buildings. In their best days, you’d see them — frequently — in the buildings of the organizations they supported and in other arts venues they simply found interesting.” These days, corporations are replacing individuals in major giving, and that doesn’t bode well for art, music, theatre, or the people who make it.
Unity Is Overrated
Ever since the U.S. presidential election, commentators and politicians everywhere have been calling for a return to national unity. Hogwash, says Julia Keller. Conformity and unity of thought have never helped the world advance, either culturally, politically, or artistically. “Only through avoiding consensus, only through steadfastly refusing to be unified, have artists progressed and evolved,” and the same holds true for politicians, activists, and American society as a whole.
Maybe A Moat And Some Crocodiles Might Help, Too
Oslo’s Munch Museum is seeking permission from the City Council to make all the blueprints of its buildings inaccessible to the public, as part of a new round of security upgrades in the wake of the much-publicized theft of two masterpieces from its collection. There are legal questions involved in classifying what are usually public documents, but the council believes that it can keep at least some of the blueprints secret.
Ozawa To Open Music Academy
“Conductor Seiji Ozawa, artistic director of the Vienna State Opera, will open a music academy overlooking Lake Geneva. The daily Tribune de Geneve said Friday the academy will offer students the opportunity to perform chamber music with world-class professors. Ozawa, who spent 29 years with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, hopes to attract the best young talent in Europe to the school in the village of Blonay, above Montreux… Tuition will be free, [and] Ozawa hopes to admit 20 to the inaugural class next summer.”
Philly Orchestra Asks Mayor For Help, Again
A week ago, Philadelphia Mayor John Street triumphantly announced that he had brokered the “framework” of a new agreement between the musicians and management of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and expected that the two sides would fill in the details quickly and easily. Instead, the negotiations have stalled yet again, with “many key aspects of the deal in dispute,” and Mayor Street is being asked to resume his role as mediator.
Urban Planning With An Artistic Edge
Newcastle and Gateshead were two of the UK’s most blighted cities. But a new wave of culture-based rejuvenation is sweeping the area, with impressive results. “Today the derelict wharves and warehouses have been transformed into restaurants, art galleries and loft apartments… The district, known as the Quayside, thrums with activity day and night. The Quayside’s most impressive projects are the Baltic Center for Contemporary Art, the Sage Music Center and a pedestrian bridge over the Tyne that tilts upward to let ships pass.”
Of Course, Retro Tends To Look Nicer Than Glass And Steel
There is a major downtown building boom going on in Minneapolis, with riverfront lofts, high-rise condos, and mixed-use developments adding to an already thriving urban core. But architects are beginning to wonder what it will take to get Minneapolitans to embrace new design ideas – every time an architect proposes a modernist design for one of the new residences, neighborhood groups scream objections and demand a building that will “fit in” better. The result is a brand spanking new collection of faux-classic buildings that are giving a relatively young city a decidedly retro look.
“Fonetography” – Pictures Worth Keeping?
A dozen of Britain’s leading visual artists were given camera phones and asked to snap away for an exhibition of “fonetography.” “The gallery said the brief for each of the artists involved was ‘simply to capture the moment’. Organisers said they wanted to see what some of the leading visual artists could do with camera phones, which have had an impact on everyday photography.”