Tag: 05.18.04

Scotland’s Oldest Theatre Could Close

“Owners of Scotland’s oldest working theatre – the Theatre Royal in Dumfries – have warned that it could close if they are forced to abandon a planned multi-million pound renovation scheme. The playhouse, in Shakespeare Street, was built in 1792 and was saved from demolition in 1959 when it was bought by the Guild of Players. Robert Burns was a patron and JM Barrie was inspired at the theatre to write plays including Peter Pan. Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin were visitors.”

Turner Prize Shortlist

This year’s shortlist for the Turner Prize has been announced. “The four artists on the shortlist are Kutlug Ataman, Jeremy Deller, Langlands and Bell and Yinka Shonibare. The installation of video and photos from Afghanistan by Langlands and Bell is called The House of Osama Bin Laden.”

Schwarzman On Tap For Kennedy Center

Stephen A. Schwarzman, president and CEO of the Blackstone Group, is the leading candidate to be the new chairman of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. “Schwarzman, 57, runs a firm that has invested more than $60 billion in scores of companies across the globe. The Financial Times of London last week called him “one of the most powerful dealmakers in the world.”

The Turner Four

“The four artists shortlisted for this year’s Turner prize include a pair of sculptors exploring the relationships between people and architecture, an artist who uses his west African heritage to play with cultural identity and an artist best known for his re-enactments of battles which became turning points in British history.”

Judge Dismisses Neighbors Suit Against Met Museum

A New York judge has dismissed a suit by neighbors of the Metropolitan Musem to block the museum from expanding. The judge said “she was dismissing the group’s petition objecting to a 300,000-square-foot expansion, partly because some claims were made after a statute of limitations had expired and partly because the Met had already scaled back its plans.”

Art Auction Market Soars

Last week’s art auctions in New York took in $186 million and set numerous records. “The record price that resonated most was for a joke painting by Canadian artist Richard Prince, which was bought by a young American hedge-fund manager for $747,000, four times its estimate. On a stark grey canvas, the artist has painted the words from a cracker joke: “I never had a penny to my name. So I changed my name.” With prices like this, contemporary art cannot be a joke – surely.”

Stolen Strad Recovered In Dumpster

The Stradivarius cello stolen from a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic a few weeks ago has been recovered. A woman found it damaged in a dumpster and took it home, asking her boyfriend if he might be able to repair it. “The woman also told her boyfriend that if he couldn’t, the cello might make an unusual compact disc case. ‘Thank God my boyfriend doesn’t work too quickly on things of mine’.”

Australian Inquiry Into Orchestras’ Health

The Australian government is opening an inquiry into the health of the country’s six major symphony orchestras. “Three of the six symphony orchestras were flagged in a recent Australian National Audit Office report as having had difficulty continuing as going concerns in 2002, and two, the Adelaide and Queensland symphonies, will post deficits for 2003.”