“Though his iconic buildings grace much of the planet, it’s only now, as conjurer of urban visions in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, that [Norman] Foster and Partners has seriously begun to infiltrate Canada…”
Tag: 04.20.06
Hollywood Vet To Head Telefilm Canada
“Telefilm Canada will soon appoint former Torontonian Michael Jenkinson — a brainy entrepreneur who has spent the past 13 years in Hollywood’s hard-knocks production trenches — to become its new feature film executive for English Canada, sources say. While Montreal-based Telefilm would not confirm Jenkinson’s new posting, sources in the tight-knit entertainment community say the Jamaican-born film executive will take on this challenging job in mid-May. The federal funding agency annually doles out roughly $80-million to about 30 productions through its Canada Feature Film Fund.”
Please Touch
The Art Institute of Chicago has invested in a new technology designed to help it better serve a demographic usually left out of the museum-going experience: the blind. “The Michigan Avenue museum has re-created a handful of its art on portable, machine-etched plastic, which will help the blind to imagine what they cannot view. Called TacTiles, the 8-inch-by-10-inch boards replicate in relief the brush strokes of such masters as Renoir and Miro.”
The Past Is Grand, But The Present And Future Look Scary
John Rockwell seconds the notion that the current Martha Graham retrospective shows a company in disarray. This season’s offerings have been severely scaled back, the troupe’s leadership is chaotic at best, “the dancers have been erratically paid, touring engagements look sparse,” and perhaps worst of all, the company is facing yet another legal battle over its treatment of the Graham legacy.
Tonight, We Honor The Imprisoned Auth… Wait, He’s Here?!
“A novelist from Turkmenistan whose books have been banned and who has been under house arrest for two years became the first writer in 20 years to personally accept a Freedom to Write award from PEN American Center, the writers organization, at its gala dinner Tuesday evening in New York. His appearance was a last-minute surprise. Until Friday, government authorities had told the writer, Rakhim Esenov, 78, that he would not be allowed to leave the country.”
The $8 Million Gamble
When Random House handed author Charles Frazier (of “Cold Mountain” fame) an $8 million advance for his next novel four years ago, the publishing industry gasped. “With just a one-page outline of the planned work, [Frazier] sold the second novel in an auction, and in so doing left behind the editor, Elisabeth Schmitz of Grove/Atlantic, who had discovered and nurtured him to success.” The amount of the advance was unprecedented for such a new author, and now, as Frazier begins to hand in his manuscript, the industry will be watching closely to see whether Random House’s investment was worth it.
Growing Into Its Own Collection
It’s been three years since New York’s Morgan Library last welcomed visitors to view its impressive collection of modern art, and when it relaunches itself next week following a $102 million renovation, it will do so with a flourish designed to elevate its status in the culture-rich Big Apple. “For the 82-year-old Morgan, the point is to proclaim that it is not just a well-preserved relic from Manhattan’s Gilded Age, but a modern museum with world-class collections and a full schedule of special exhibitions. For the first time it will have space to show off considerably more of its own treasures, including a rare Gutenberg Bible, ancient Near Eastern seals and drawings by masters like Leonardo, Rubens, Degas and Schiele.”
Royal Scottish Slashes Ticket Prices, Gets Casual
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is joining the expanding ranks of orchestras seeking to re-popularize their product by making it more appealing to the casual listener. “Principally, [this includes] two new series of concerts: Symphonies at Six, the RSNO’s first rush-hour series, and Naked Classics, a series devised to dissect and popularise classical music. Other new elements feature a design-it-yourself subscription series, a kids-go-free policy, and a dramatic reduction in the cost of concert tickets.” The RSNO’s young music director, Stephane Deneve, will also be getting involved in nearly every aspect of the season, leading family concerts and a Hallowe’en special in addition to his more traditional duties.
Hiring Outside The Box
The Philadelphia Orchestra has tapped the dean of the Eastman School of Music to be its next president and CEO. James Undercofler is a surprise choice for two main reasons: first, it is very unusual for an orchestra executive to come from the academic world; and second, Undercofler officially took himself out of the running for the position and signed a contract extension with Eastman a month ago.
Why Pop Doesn’t Travel Well
Why is it that pop music not sung in English doesn’t do well in the UK? “Indeed, with only 15% of UK record sales going to acts from outside the UK or US, the window is barely open at all. William Luff, senior press officer at EMI, puts this down to the strength of Anglophone pop as much as our notoriously insular attitude.”