Nonprofit organizations in Minneapolis/St. Paul are hearing a gloomy forecast about what they can expect from donors over the next few years. “As it stands now, the next legislative session will start with something like a $2 billion biennial budget hole,” and private donors have their own fiscal squeezes to deal with.
Tag: 05.30.08
Funding Troubles In Durham
“In a potentially devastating blow to Durham’s arts community, temporary City Manager Patrick Baker has proposed eliminating more than $118,000 in arts and culture funding. The proposal… would have the city scrap all support for the African American Dance Ensemble and the Walltown Children’s Theatre, and [reduce overall] funding for nonprofits arts groups by 28 percent.”
Preserving Biodegradable Art
“Artworks that contain everything from chocolate syrup to exotic Amazon fruits to television tubes and radio transistors often present daunting challenges for museums, collectors, and artists themselves when it comes to preserving their art for future generations… The issue is taking on urgency as institutions face the passing of many 20th-century artists, and consulting them about their ephemeral artwork is no longer possible.”
Forecasting The Publising Future
Book sales are expected to stay flat in the US this year, with trade paperbacks taking the biggest hit as baby boomers seek out large-print editions. “Religious books should keep growing, by more than 5 per cent annually,” and a DaVinci Code sequel could give the market a needed boost.
Wildlife Art Museum Looking For Attention
“The National Museum of Wildlife Art — a low-slung, reddish flagstone building hugging a hillside along the highway north of this ski town — was designed to fit in with its surroundings. The 51,000-square-foot museum succeeded better than expected,” to the extent that most people seem completely unaware of its existence.
Why Pollack Was Important
“Sydney Pollack died Monday, and with him went a certain kind of Hollywood movie. His directorial signature was not as obvious as those of other filmmakers… Yet for some 40 years, the words ‘directed by Sydney Pollack’ stood for something, a level of quality, a degree of seriousness and an intelligent and almost instinctive sense of storytelling.
Cannes: The Navel-Gazing Year
A 4-1/2 hour biopic of a labor hero in which virtually nothing happens; a thriller seemingly deliberately devoid of thrills – this year’s Cannes Film Festival seems to have been given over to self-important filmmakers who have forgotten the importance of their audience, says Peter Howell.
Is The Bookselling Biz Primed For A Fall?
It’s an uncertain time for America’s publishing industry: things aren’t going badly, to be sure (revenue and sales figures are up slightly over last year,) but “in recent months, several large publishers have reported weak results.” Throw in a nosediving economy, and many in the business are worried about what’s to come.
From Talking Heads To Singing Buildings
Rock legend David Byrne is thinking big with his latest project – really big. Byrne is transforming the Great Hall of New York’s Battery Maritime Building into a giant musical instrument. “At least for the next two and a half months, the building will serve as a gargantuan cast-iron orchestra.”
South African Arts Funding Chief Under Fire
“As scores of beneficiaries wait indefinitely for their grants from [South Africa’s cultural funding board] and increasing numbers of people institute legal proceedings against it, the board’s chief executive Vevek Ram is being hauled before the [a national arbitration board] by his own staff.”