“The heirs of the German Expressionist painter George Grosz filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York on Friday against the Museum of Modern Art, saying it had refused to return two paintings and a watercolor by Grosz that were left behind when he fled Germany in 1933.”
Tag: 04.14.09
Omaha Playhouse Removes Artistic Director; Uproar Ensues
“A public forum is planned today to discuss the latest drama at the Omaha Community Playhouse. … Two directors at the playhouse, Artistic Director Carl Beck and Associate Director Susie Baer-Collins, have resigned” after Beck, the longtime artistic director, was offered a lower-paying job and Baer-Collins was offered Beck’s job. The cast of the playhouse’s upcoming production walked out in support, and the show was canceled.
Challenge To The Wealthy: ‘How Can I Give More?’
“Donations to charities in the millions have fallen by one-third, and the need for assistance keeps climbing. But some philanthropists use this as a call to give more in times of greatest need.”
The Ford Foundation’s Objectives, More Sharply Defined
“The Ford Foundation, the nation’s second-largest philanthropic institution, has begun unveiling the results of a two-year overhaul undertaken by its new leader, Luis A. Ubiñas.” For example: “a single line of work devoted to advancing and supporting Native American arts and culture has been melded into a new, broader line of work supporting and promoting native, indigenous and minority contemporary artists.”
Boyle, Komunyakaa Among Academy’s Newest Members
“Founded more than a century ago, and with a mission ‘to foster and sustain an interest in Literature, Music, and the Fine Arts,’ the [American Academy of Arts and Letters] was long a reclusive institution and remains – even among some artists – a bit like a distant god, known mostly at those moments when it chooses to show its face.” It showed its face Monday, announcing a new crop of inductees.
Architect To Mass.: Here’s $15K. Please Relight My Bridge.
“When the cash-strapped Massachusetts Turnpike Authority doused the lights on the Zakim Bridge last week, it crushed a lot of spirits, not least those of Miguel Rosales. The architect, who designed the bridge with a skirt of regal blue lights to evoke the shimmering Charles River, … mailed a check for $15,000 to the authority – enough to light the bridge for three months – and urged the agency to, please, let the lights shine again, for the sake of the city.” The authority’s response? It’s not enough.
Now You Can Put The Tate On Your iPod
“The Tate galleries have made hundreds of video and audio downloads available for free on iTunes. More than 400 files are now on iTunes U – a section of the online store which features educational content.”
Disney Wants To Know: What Are Boys Really Thinking?
With a team of anthropologists, a “kid whisperer” has “spent 18 months peering inside the heads of incommunicative boys in search of” the revealing “psychological nugget. Disney is relying on her insights to create new entertainment for boys 6 to 14, a group that Disney used to own way back in the days of ‘Davy Crockett’ but that has wandered in the age of more girl-friendly Disney fare like ‘Hannah Montana.'” Her studies have already borne fruit on the new cable channel and website, Disney XD.
Entertainment Jobs Disappear As Production Slows In L.A.
“Despite a strong start to the year at the box office, studios are reducing the number of movies they produce and laying off thousands of employees in response to weakening DVD sales, declining local TV ad revenue and diminishing sources of financing. Adding to the pain, advertisers, which have provided steady work for many actors and jobs for production workers, are making fewer commercials.” On-location filming in L.A. has fallen to its “lowest levels on record.”
In A Funeral ‘Factory,’ Paris Finds A Workspace For Artists
“Throughout the 20th century, the SMPF (‘Service Municipal des Pompes Funebres’) was a one-stop shop for posthumous ceremonies. This is where coffins, wreaths and draperies were made, hearses were parked, and the funerals of Victor Hugo and Jean-Paul Sartre were arranged. Today, ‘Le 104’ (located at No. 104, Rue d’Aubervilliers in northern Paris) is a base for more than a dozen artists — including landscape designers, a cartoonist and a rapper — who are guests of Paris City Hall.”