“Recently Monet has become fashionable again – having fallen out of favour in between the world wars, when people preferred hard-edged, abstract painting. Today, his paintings are obvious targets for rich collectors. But, when they were first exhibited, they felt avant-garde.”
Tag: 06.20.07
High Wires And Lowered Expectations
“Over the last decade, scores of circus artists have wound up their ropes, circus bands packed away their trombones, and big tops folded. The decline of popular live entertainment and the growing voice of the animal-rights lobby has meant there are few thriving travelling circuses.” But small, old-school circuses are making something of a comeback, even as their big-money counterparts are hemorrhaging cash.
And No, It Can’t Be Harry Potter
Studies have shown that children in the UK start to lose interest in reading for pleasure somewhere around age 11. What to do about it? Give every 11-year-old in the country a free book, perhaps.
Bloggers Start A New Literary Fringe Fest
“While Nobel laureates and children’s laureates gather at the South Bank Centre next week for the official London literary festival, an underground literary adventure is under way, courtesy of an enterprising collective of London bloggers.” Yes, London’s book fest has acquired a fringe.
Couldn’t Rushdie Have Just Said No?
The uproar over Salman Rushdie’s pending knighthood begs one obvious question, says Michael White. “Why would a leftie who had abandoned Britain for New York in a huff want a [knighthood] from the British establishment?”
Napoleon’s Toothbrush? Ew.
The UK’s newest national museum has opened in London, and the collection is anything but predictable. “It combines galleries with the world-famous Wellcome Library and a public events forum, with the aim of exploring the relationship between people and biomedicine… Charles Darwin’s walking stick, Nelson’s razor and Napoleon Bonaparte’s toothbrush are among the thousands of objects that went on display.”
Saatchi’s Double-Edged Sword
“The news that Charles Saatchi has just snapped up a Royal Academy student’s entire graduation show doesn’t come as much of a surprise in the art world. Saatchi is famous for this kind of thing.” But what probably feels like nothing but good fortune for the student could quickly turn sour. “More than a few artists have suffered at the hands of Saatchi’s generosity in the past.”
Turmoil Inside The AFM Leads To More Of The Same
Tom Lee has apparently been reelected president of the American Federation of Musicians (the primary musicians’ union in North America,) a post he has held since 2001. Lee’s reelection had been somewhat in question, as there has been much dissension among union members concerning his leadership in recent years. Particularly aggrieved have been West Coast-based recording musicians, who made a direct attempt to run Lee out of office at this week’s AFM conference in Las Vegas.
Toronto Rising? (Maybe)
Toronto is unveiling a slew of new cultural buildings this summer, and anticipation is high. “But do these projects mark a beginning or an end? Does the renaissance stop here? Or will it lead to a second wave of cultural works that will bring new depth to the arts in Toronto?”
Luminato To Partner With Ballet
The fledgling Luminato festival dominated Toronto’s arts scene in the first half of June, and that wasn’t good news for the National Ballet, which saw its ticket sales dip. “But out of this sorry situation comes some good news. Luminato and the National Ballet have just agreed to be partners next year, and are already negotiating terms of a deal under which Luminato funding would help the cash-strapped dance company produce a major new work, the drawing power of which would be augmented by serious marketing support.”