“Liverpool is pushing ahead with its proposed waterfront museum, despite losing Lottery money and missing the opportunity to complete it by 2008, when the city becomes European Capital of Culture.”
Tag: 06.28.06
Ordway Chief Steps Down
“David Galligan has resigned as president and CEO of the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota. Galligan, former chief operating officer at the Walker Art Center, had held the Ordway position since 2002.”
Now On YouTube: NBC
NBC has made a deal with YouTube.com to “create a channel on the site for rebroadcasts of the network’s shows as well as original programming, another sign that websites for user-generated content have entered the world of mainstream media.”
Rings May Close In Toronto By Summer’s End
The stage adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings may be the biggest thing to hit the Toronto theatre scene in years, but that still may not have been enough to make it profitable. “A new closing date for the Toronto production will be announced within days or weeks, sources say. Although tickets are on sale until Sept. 24, the show may not continue beyond Labour Day… Until now, attendance has been good enough to meet the show’s running costs and pay its marketing bills — but not high enough to allow investors to recoup more than a fraction of the money they put up.”
Music Dinosaurs Try To Eat One Another
Music giants EMI and Warner have rejected offers from each other to be bought out. Clearly there’s synergy here, but… “A merger between EMI and Warner Music has long been mooted and the companies have had merger negotiations before. Although the companies rank third and fourth on the list of the largest music groups, they have the biggest music publishing assets, together accounting for around 32pc of the market.”
L.A. Hopes To Finish What It’s Starting
L.A.’s decision to double its arts grants for next fiscal year is being seen as an important step in bringing California arts funding up to national standard levels. But the state (and the city) still lag far behind other national arts centers in even the most basic levels of arts support.
They Have Art-Hating Right-Wing Politicians In Canada, Too
“You would think that the proposed Portrait Gallery of Canada would be a project that a Conservative government would love: no difficult art, no greased cones or high-concept videos — just a stirring assemblage of Great Canadians, and those who’ve come under the scrutiny of Great Canadian portraitists… However, funding for the portrait gallery has been repeatedly stalled. Lately, Ottawa is buzzing with rumours that the project may be abandoned by the Harper government.”
Today Warren Buffett, Tomorrow… Bruce Willis, Perhaps?
Will the recent philanthropic commitments by billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett lead other wealthy types to follow suit and commit a significant portion of their assets to charitable use? Time will tell, but the Gates/Buffett announcement has already inspired the richest Chinese action star in the world to folllow suit. “Jackie Chan announced Wednesday he has bequeathed half of his fortune to charity.”
Broken Process
When filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers was released last year, it was an instant hit with critics, and a prizewinner at Cannes. But now, a struggling screenwriter is accusing Jarmusch of having lifted much of the movie from his script. But he may have little recourse. “His case was hardly unique, or even all that unusual. When pressed, claims like his were usually squashed by high-powered studio lawyers — or quietly settled and sealed by both parties. Furthermore, pursuing legal action could kill his chances of ever working in the movies. And bankrupt him in the process.”
Toronto’s AGO To Shut For Construction
The Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto will shut for 6-8 months while construction of its building is completed. “The gallery’s ambitious, Frank Gehry-designed transformation and expansion, expected to cost $254-million, has already cost it almost a 30-per-cent decline in visitors. About 665,425 people strolled among the paintings and sculptures in 2004-05, but last year only 475,000 visitors found their way past the hoardings to the temporary side entrance to view art amid the occasional rattle of jackhammers.”