The most notable feature of this year’s list, however, is the cheeringly high level of entries from independent publishers and, even better, small presses.
Tag: 07.31.11
Child Classical Music Star Soars (Then Came The Crash)
Hayley Westenra “was signed to Universal at 12 and four years later launched the fastest-selling classical debut album of all time. But behind the angelic facade, her life was far from perfect.”
An Artist Mecca Grows In Brooklyn
“Brooklyn’s old Bushwick neighborhood has quickly become a new world-class arts mecca — with music, dance, sculpture and theater bursting from defunct warehouses and desolate streets where gangs still roam. That hasn’t kept artists away from the affordable, industrial spaces — ever more rare in a pricey city.”
Will The Met Museum Squander Opportunity In Its New Whitney Location?
“The Whitney Museum of American Art gets to keep its celebrated building, and the Met, which can never show more than a small fraction of its encyclopedic collection, gets some desperately needed space. But the Met’s use of that space primarily for new art would be a big mistake.”
Comic Legend Artist’s Estate Loses Copyright Fight Against Disney
“The ruling declares comics and characters created by Jack Kirby — who helped give birth to the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men, all of which now underlie valuable movie series — were works for hire under the Copyright Act of 1909, and cannot be reclaimed by the Kirby family.”
The Asian-American Stars Of YouTube
“Of the 20 most-subscribed-to channels on YouTube, which include series like College Humor Originals and Annoying Orange, three belong to Asian-Americans. Ryan Higa, 21, a Japanese-American comic who lives in Las Vegas, has 4.1 million subscribers to his channel, in which he melds sketch comedy and personal musings.”
Wolf Trap @40: Success Plays To An Evolving Definition
“What’s changed is the definition of ‘middlebrow’. In the 1970s and 1980s, people were eager to see touring ballet companies and Martha Graham, lighter orchestral concerts and well-known classical stars: Yehudi Menuhin, Jessye Norman, composer Aaron Copland conducting programs of his own works. Today, there’s no longer much of a market for ballet and opera company tours. And orchestra concerts are not the draw they once were.”
Cable TV Dramas Get Better And Better (And Raise Expectations)
“As cable dramas continue to score critical acclaim, Emmy nominations and loyal audiences, the programmers face new challenges. Audiences are primed to expect greatness — a tall order.”
Denver Consolidates Arts Agencies And Critics Complain
“If arts and creativity are crucial to the city’s evolving identity and economic growth, some local arts leaders question why the city eliminated the independent Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, or DOCA, in June, merging it into a new city agency known as Arts & Venues Denver.”
Egypt Was Supposed To Be A Non-Violent Revolution. But Can Revolutions Really Be Non-Violent?
“As time passes and revolutionary momentum fades in the broader public, a new current of thought is arising among the protesters who still occupy Tahrir Square, demanding civilian rule and accountability for former regime figures. Many are now asking an unsettling question: What if nonviolence isn’t the solution? What if it’s the problem?”