“‘Never once — never once — have I decided on an exhibition because the attendance was going to be phenomenal,'” says Koshalek, the new director of the Smithsonian’s modern and contemporary art museum. “‘Never once. Never.’ If anything, given the current economic climate and the cost of major shows, he imagines a series of smaller projects that might re-create a few of modernism’s landmark exhibitions, which were often much more modest than today’s extravaganzas.”
Tag: 04.29.09
D.C.-Area Nonprofits Abandon United Way For Competitor
“Twenty-one area nonprofit groups have suspended their memberships in the United Way and joined a fledgling competitor, citing years of frustration with a steady decline in workplace giving in the Washington region and lingering distrust of the local United Way since it was nearly destroyed by scandal earlier this decade.”
Supreme Court: ‘Fleeting Expletives’ Fair Game For FCC
“The Supreme Court said yesterday that the Federal Communications Commission may penalize even the occasional use of certain expletives on the airwaves but left for another day the question of whether such a policy is constitutional. The court’s narrow ruling said the FCC — prompted by Cher’s use of the F-word during a 2002 live broadcast and similar remarks … — was justified in changing its policy in 2004 to fine broadcasters up to $325,000 every time certain words are allowed on the air.”
LA Philharmonic’s Principal Trombonist Dies Unexpectedly
“Steven Witser, principal trombonist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, died of an apparent heart attack Monday night in Pasadena, the orchestra announced. He was 48. ‘The shock of Steve’s sudden and unexpected death has robbed us of one of our most beloved and respected musicians,’ Deborah Borda, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, said in a statement.”
NY College Bans, Unbans Hughes Play; Shocking To Nuns?
“When it comes to manufacturing utterly ridiculous problems out of thin air, you’d have to travel miles to top the earnest folly that academics can get up to. Take, for instance, the adult supervision at the College of Staten Island, where a mildly ribald farce entitled ‘The Well of Horniness,'” by Holly Hughes, “will be staged this week by a talented senior named Robert Mahoney.”
Cirque Du Soleil To Reside In NYC, But Not In Own Home
“Not content with performing in 271 cities in 32 countries and attracting 11 million customers last year, Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal-based circus empire, will establish a permanent presence in New York City next year. … But dashed for now are the company’s plans to build a New York City space that would give it a permanent home in Manhattan.”
Union To Members: New York City Opera Strike Is ‘Likely’
“A strike may cripple the New York City Opera later this year if its new general manager and artistic director, George Steel, seeks extensive concessions, said the union representing opera singers, stage directors and other production staffers. … ‘Under Steel’s proposal, working at City Opera wouldn’t even be a full-time job,’ Alan Gordon, the executive director of the Guild, said in an interview.”
Google Book Search Settlement May Violate Antitrust Laws
“The [U.S.] Justice Department has begun an inquiry into the antitrust implications of Google’s settlement with authors and publishers over its Google Book Search service … The inquiry does not necessarily mean that the department will oppose the settlement, which is subject to a court review.”
Rochester, Minn., Orchestra Fires Executive Director
“Tony Sertich, executive director of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra & Chorale, was dismissed Monday” – an uncommon occurrence in a field where top administrators who lose the confidence of their boards of directors are usually permitted to resign.