“An Indiana Jones-style expedition has been launched in Germany to recover £500million worth of missing artworks looted by the Nazis in World War Two. Monets, Manets, Cézannes and masterpieces by other artists, along with sculptures, carpets and tapestries, are believed to be buried in an old silver mine near the Czech-German border, 90 minutes’ drive from the city of Dresden.”
Tag: 03.26.12
Theatre Award Winners Should Be Chosen By Critics, Not Colleagues, Says Critic
“Unlike Sydney or Adelaide, where theatre awards are decided by critics, [Melbourne’s] Green Rooms are peer-based – judged by panels of artists, academics and commentators, with artists predominating. Artists rewarding artists immediately raises questions of conflict of interest, transparency and accountability, and competence to judge on merit.”
James Replaces Faulkner At Top Of ‘Most-Studied American Authors’ List
“Over the past 25 years, Henry James has been the top-ranked American writer, according to the latest MLA International Bibliography. More than 3,000 pieces of scholarship have been devoted to him in whole or part since 1987. Only William Faulkner approaches him in volume.”
Charleston Ballet Theatre Tries To Regroup After Months Of Havoc
“As the Charleston Ballet Theatre concludes its 2011-12 season, it is coping with the aftermath of a mass resignation of board members, dancers’ allegations of mistreatment and a tenuous financial predicament. This series of blows is threatening to undo the ballet organization, a cornerstone of the city’s cultural landscape for 25 years.”
The Curious (And Revolutionary) Art Of Diagramming Sentences
From an 1847 textbook by New York state schoolmaster S. W. Clark “emerged the profoundly innovative, dazzlingly ingenious and rather whimsical idea of analyzing sentences by turning them into pictures. A Practical Grammar was a reaction against the way the subject had been taught in America since it began to be taught at all.”
Venice Is Sinking Even More Than We Thought
“Venice has begun sinking again and is even tilting slightly eastward, new satellite measurements have revealed. Despite previous studies suggesting the subsidence had levelled off, new research indicates that the lagoon city continues to sink an average of one to two millimeters (0.04 to 0.08 inches) a year.”
The Threat (Or Opportunity?) Of Tablets For Publishing
“Because even though all surveys (and there are many) of tablet users indicate that the majority of them regularly use their devices to read, reformatting, repackaging, and, most importantly, monetizing that material can be complicated and costly — which is especially problematic as publishing houses and newspaper companies continue to be hit hard by the recession.”
Will The Philadelphia Orchestra Allow The Kimmel Center To Continue Presenting A-List Touring Musicians?
The Kimmel says it can’t announce its upcoming season because of tough lease negotiations with its leading tenant. Says Orchestra president Allison Vulgamore, “We can either have a world-class orchestra and a regional performing arts center, or a regional orchestra and a national performing arts center. There isn’t enough money for both. And I didn’t come here to run a regional orchestra.” (Her board chairman begs to differ.)
Lempicka Painting, Long Missing, Resurfaces
“A New York City auction will feature a painting by art deco artist Tamara de Lempicka that vanished from public view after it was created in 1925. Sotheby’s says Reclining Nude I (one) is expected to sell for $3 million to $5 million on May 2.”
Why Are ‘Tabernacle’ And ‘Communion Wafer’ Swear Words in Quebec?
Most English-speakers who’ve studied some French know that, in France, most vulgar exclamations are along the lines of bordel and merde (and bordel de merde). But in Quebec, much to some innocent students’ surprise, the bad language seems to center around the Blessed Sacrament. Mais pourquoi?