“While the middle class continues to shrink, at least some of that shrinkage might be accounted for by portions of the middle class morphing into a new “creative class” rather than tumbling into poverty.”
Tag: 12.02.10
Elevator Transformed Into Art Space To Combat Graffiti
University of Wisconsin officials were tired of removing graffiti from an elevator in the Humanities building. So they turned the elevator into an art project…
Huge Growth In Spanish Language Speakers Worldwide
“By 2050, 10 percent of the world population will be speaking Spanish, spurred mostly by its growth in the United States. The Spanish language will go from 450 million speakers at present – or 6.5 percent of the world’s 6.9 billion population – to 10 percent of an UN-estimated global population of 9 billion by mid-century.”
Peter Brook’s Paris Theatre Faces 50% Cut in Gov’t Funding
“The 85-year-old director Peter Brook is stepping down from the leadership of his ground-breaking theater troupe, which rejuvenated the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris. As feared, the French government has taken advantage of his departure to make some substantial cuts to the theater’s government subvention.”
Thieves in Madrid Steal Truck Full of $3.5M Worth of Art
“Three hooded thieves stole a truck containing 28 pieces of art including works by Picasso, Colombian artist Fernando Botero and Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida, Spanish police said Thursday.”
Royal Shakespeare Co. Settles on Next London Home
“The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced a five-year plan to present an annual London season of work at the Roundhouse in Camden.” The program, to begin in 2012, “will see [the RSC] reconstructing its ‘Roundyard’ venue – a replica of the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon – within the Roundhouse every year until 2016.”
French Court Orders Calder Sculptures Returned to His Estate
“After an eight-year dispute the Court of Appeals in Paris has ordered the estate of Aimé Maeght, the Paris dealer who represented the sculptor Alexander Calder during his lifetime, to return seven sculptures to the artist’s estate.”
Long-Missing Degas Painting Will Return to France
“An Edgar Degas painting stolen nearly 30 years ago from a museum in France will be returned by the US government, which recovered the rare artwork shortly before it was to be sold at auction.”
This Is Your Brain on Schadenfreude
“Schadenfreude registers in the brain as a pleasurable experience, a satisfaction comparable with that of eating a good meal. … During the course of evolution, humans likely developed the instinct to notice, and profit from, the weaknesses of their competitors.”
92nd Street Y Refunds Steve Martin Tickets Because Of Too Much Talk About Art
According to Mr. Martin, viewers watching the interview by closed-circuit television from across the country sent e-mails to the Y complaining “that the evening was not going the way they wished, meaning we were discussing art.”