“In a public protest meant to put pressure on Brandeis University officials, fifty members of the Rose family today demanded the continued operation of the museum that bears their name and denounced plans to sell the art to pay its bills. The Rose family, whose $1 million gift enabled the construction of the building that opened in 1961, dismissed recent statements by Brandeis president Jehuda Reinharz that the Rose would remain open for academic purposes, although not as a public museum.”
Tag: 03.16.09
What’s The Next Shape Of Arts Journalism?
As the newspaper industry contracts violently, arts coverage is shrinking dramatically as well. “After complaining for years of unfair or insensitive reviews, [arts administrators] have come to the realization that the only thing worse than getting criticized is being ignored. Arts journalism in the United States will surely survive — but in what form?”
Amid Recession, European Book Sales Are Growing
“Whether they are picking up ‘La Crise, et Après?’ by the French economist Jacques Attali, one of the countless translations of the American author Stephenie Meyer’s ‘Twilight’ series, or ‘Jamie’s Ministry of Food,’ by the British television chef Jamie Oliver, [people] are buying books. As the recession leaves other media industries in tatters, the oldest mass medium of all is holding up surprisingly well.”
Oh, It’s Just Suggested Admission? Here’s A Single.
“In a tough economy, New York museum-goers are less open to ‘suggestion.’ Rather than pay the full $20, recommended admission price to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, visitors lately are forking over as little as a buck to walk through the door.”
Of Playwrights And Power
“There is a certain bond between playwrights. I suppose it’s because we have such a strange job: paid to put words into the mouths of people pretending to be someone else. And our shared concerns as playwrights – finding a good director, dealing with theatre managements, ducking the brickbats of critics – mean that we always have far more in common than our plays would suggest.”
Spain’s Spectacular Architecture Boom Grinds To Halt
“Spain’s long-running love affair with cutting-edge architecture has come to a dramatic end as high-profile projects from the world’s greatest architects fall foul of recession and a countrywide building bust.”
Artists Open Free Store
“In the age of postmodern advertising, slogans like “free store” usually mean the opposite – they are probably being used to market hyper-exclusive shops selling nothing under $1,000. But in this case free store is precisely what it says. Every item on offer inside the small shop is free. Anyone off the street can browse through its goods, select an item, and if they think they need it, walk out with it utterly without charge.”
British Music Invasion Ends
“The British merchants were especially known for championing certain kinds of artists and genres. But their fatal flaw was a failure to understand the U.S. real estate market. HMV and Virgin had a history of overpaying for locations, which meant both chains usually had more unprofitable stores than profitable ones.”
First There Were Too Many Movies. Now Too Few?
“After several years of moaning that hedge funds had overfilled the release schedule, studios began threatening to cut back their slates. Now, they may be cutting back more than they wanted. Their output has hit a serious speed bump, thanks to a number of factors: The economic crash and retreat of private equity money, a protracted writers walkout, a production slowdown over fear of an actors strike and the dismantling of studio specialty labels.”
@European Fine Art Fair – Art For 20% Off
“Dealers at the world’s biggest art and antiques fair cut prices of some modern works by as much as 20 percent as collectors sink cash into Old Masters, whose prices have held steady to defy the economic gloom.”