David Berlin, the founding editor of Walrus magazine, produced in Toronto, is unexpectedly stepping down after only three issues. The magazine of arts and ideas has a circulation of 32,000 subscribers. “They are dropping 29,000 to 30,000 on newstands and a 30 per cent sell-through is the industry average. At that rate they are rivalling or outselling Maclean’s on the the newsstand.”
Tag: 01.13.04
Cultural Workforce In Canada Peaked In 2001
The number of workers employed in cultural jobs in Canada peaked in 2001, says Statistics Canada. “The agency says there were 578,000 people employed in the cultural sector in 2001. That number dipped the next year to just over 577,000, which represents 3.7 per cent of the country’s total labour force.”
New Campaign To Return Parthenon Marbles
A campaign to persuade the British government to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece has been mouted. “Run by umbrella organisation Marbles Reunited, it is based on research suggesting three out of every four British people want them returned. The group wants them put alongside the other surviving Parthenon sculptures in a museum being specially built for the start of the Athens Olympics.”
Jenkins: Why Marbles Should Stay In Britain
Tiffany Jenkins argues that the Parthenon Marbles belong where they are. “It is vital that the marbles remain in the British Museum. Not because the marbles look better there, because the British Museum owns them, or because the Greeks can’t look after them. Quite simply, the marbles take on a higher meaning in Bloomsbury than they ever could in Athens. In the British Museum the marbles can be seen among the artefacts of human history.”
Whitney Sale To Bring $140 Million?
The sale of 44 paintings once owned by the Whitney family is expected to bring $140 million. It’s the highest pre-sale estimate ever – the collectioncludes work by Picasso, Manet, and major works by Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Sir Alfred J. Munnings and John Singer Sargent. “The paintings are the property of the New York-based Greentree Foundation founded in 1982 by Betsey Whitney after the death of her husband, John Hay Whitney, to promote human rights, peace and international cooperation. Betsey Whitney died in 1998.”
Union Man
David Lennon may not be a familiar name to most theatergoers or classical music lovers, but he may be the most powerful man they’ve never heard of. Lennon is the new president of Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, succeeding longtime head man (and union legend) William Moriarty. 802 is New York City’s local, and as such, Lennon speaks for the workers of one of the largest professional music scenes in the world. From the Broadway pits to the New York Philharmonic, Local 802 is the final authority in which professional musicians place their trust, and the president of the local has historically been a figure of national prominence in the union.
PBS Funding Up, But Still No ‘Masterpiece’ Sponsor
Corporate sponsorship for PBS is up, but no underwriter has yet been found for Masterpiece Theatre, despite much looking. “I have no answer on why we haven’t been able to attract an underwriter to replace Exxon Mobil, expect for the obvious answer it’s a pretty high price tag. We are all concerned and unhappy about it,” she said, vowing the series will continue for the next two years no matter what.”
Celeb Journalism In All Its Sorry State
The Conan O’Brien Show banning the National Post in Canada from access to a visit to the show’s set in Toronto is a sign of how celebrity journalism is compromised. “Banning the Post, or even threatening a ban, from something that the taxpayers are funding merely gives it more ammunition. It’s unprofessional and out of line. It’s bad publicity. And it’s undemocratic.”
Sing-along With Dorothy And Toto
People are lining up to pay $26.50 to see the sing-along Wizard of Oz on the big screen. “Oh, sure. You get a little goodie bag at the door — bubbles and a magic wand for when Glinda the Good Witch appears and a kazoo and noisemaker for … well, we’re not really sure for what. There’s a comedian/singer/emcee who oversees a parade of those audience members who come in costume. And then there’s the film itself — a digitally remastered version equipped with lyric subtitles, just on the off chance that you blank out on the words to ‘Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead.’ But, as Dorothy herself might say, why oh why would someone pay three times the going rate of a movie just for the pleasure of singing along?”
Musical About Versace Killing Draws Heat
A musical about the 1997 slaying of fashion designer Gianni Versace being planned by the La Jolla Playhouse in Californing, is drawing criticism.