The Metropolitan Opera Saturday broadcasts begin their new season this weekend. But there is anxiety about the future. Texaco has sponsored the Met broadcasts for 60 years, the longest continuous sponsorship in America. The company has recently merged with Chevron though, and neither company will commit to the future. – Hartford Courant 12/01/00
Tag: 12.01.00
GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Ronald Wilford, one of the most powerful figures in the classical music industry, is stepping aside as Columbia Artists Management top boss. “Mr. Wilford, who recently turned 73, has been with Columbia Artists since 1958 and has been president and chief executive since 1970. Famously press-shy but commanding behind the scenes, he had long dismissed talk of any succession.” – New York Times
REPORT FROM CUBA
Washington Ballet recently completed a trip to Cuba where it appeared at Havana’s 17th International Ballet Festival. The visit marked the first Cuban performance by a major American ballet company in 40 years. “I hope to see the day in the U.S. that audiences feel so comfortable to react – with a cheer, or a gasp.” – NPR [Real Audio file]
WORLD ARTS CONFERENCE
A major international conference with delegates from 60 countries has gathered in Ottawa to talk about protecting “the vitality of many of the world’s cultures which are currently threatened by the dominance of U.S. popular culture, and a globalizing economy which is turning national cultures into commercial commodities.” – The Globe and Mail (Canada) 12/01/00
- CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER ADDRESSES CONFERENCE: “Some people think because of the power of communication, the American culture is a problem around the globe. It’s not a problem, as long as every nation finds a way to make sure that people are comfortable with themselves, they know who they are, they know their roots and they work to have their arts and culture well inside of themselves.” – The Globe and Mail (Canada) 12/01/00
GUGGENHEIM’S BIG FUNDER?
- When Guggenheim Museum execs announced progress on their new $67 million museum in Lower Manhattan this week, they suggested that an art-loving insurance executive in Ohio was committing $170 million to the project. The donation would be the largest ever to an American museum. But the executive’s office isn’t confirming the amount. “I know he [Lewis] definitely plans to give a substantial amount, but he hasn’t decided what it will be. Lewis would take into account the enthusiasm of the city [of New York] and the generosity of others before deciding on the amount of his gift.” – The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) 12/01/00
A DAY WITHOUT ART
Artists and theater groups in Singapore have declared December 29th “No Art Day” as a protest against the government’s restrictive censorship laws. “For 24 hours participants will refrain from making art, appreciating art, consuming art, engaging art, administering art, or any other activity that might be interpreted as an ‘encounter’ with art.” – Times of India (AP) 12/01/00
WITHOUT THE SOAP SELLERS
The history documentary “A People’s History” on the history of Canada has exceeded all viewership projections and has become the most-watched documentary in Canadian history. But the producer of the series says financing the project was too much of a struggle and that the way projects such as this are financed in Canada is broken. “Nothing will be financed unless it can be demonstrated to sell pop or soap. It just won’t happen. The marketplace will not, operating by its own laws, produce what is necessary and good for our children and our society.” – Toronto Star 12/01/00