“After nine years of bitter argument and despite the rage of Florentines including the opera and film director Franco Zeffirelli, the dramatic and imposing new portico at the side of Italy’s most famous art museum was given approval this week by the city’s super-intendent of architectonic goods, Paola Grifoni.”
Tag: 08.10.07
Chicago’s Postwar Beauties Vulnerable To Tear-Downs
Recent events in Chicago exemplify a trend in historic preservation: “the far past gets saved; the recent past gets trashed.” Even as officials were announcing millions in city funds to restore some Louis Sullivan-designed ornamental ironwork on State Street, “wrecking crews were tearing into a little-noticed modernist gem in Pilsen: the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church … designed by the late architect Edward Dart.” Of course, when Sullivan belonged to the more recent past, his work was demolished, too….
Seattle’s Foolproof Performing Arts Closes
“Steep programming costs, problems with the Internal Revenue Service, debts of more than $400,000 and even a dearth of community support are being blamed for the demise of Foolproof Performing Arts, the Seattle non-profit that brought former President Bill Clinton and controversial filmmaker Michael Moore to local venues in 2003. … Foolproof initially produced a comedy series, as well as separate shows by such comics as Robin Williams and Jerry Seinfeld, but later held high-profile talks by politicians and authors.”
Tip: Saluting Your Arts Commission? Buy Real Art.
In Enumclaw, Wash., “Mayor John Wise has canceled the official unveiling of a public art sculpture while city officials investigate whether the piece is a fake.” The $5,700 bronze, which the city bought sight unseen two years ago on wishihadthat.com to mark the 25th anniversary of its arts commission, “is signed by Jim Davidson, a name linked to accusations of art fraud.”
Officials: More £££ Or Edinburgh Goes Down The Tubes
John Leighton, director general of the National Galleries of Scotland, cautions that “Edinburgh risks losing its supremacy as the UK’s major festival city unless funding for the August events is boosted.” Meanwhile, “Jonathan Mills, the director of the international festival, warned this week that the festival could shrink if funding was not increased. Salzburg festival receives £10m in subsidy, whereas Edinburgh international festival gets £4m.”
Sotheby’s Shares Drop With Stock Market
“Sotheby’s shares declined 11.2 percent in two days amid concern that the worldwide stock-market drop will deter the wealthy from buying art.” An analyst says the extreme wealth of Sotheby’s clients makes that highly unlikely.
Strong Start For Young Frankenstein
The new stage version of Mel Brooks’s classic movie, Young Frankenstein, opened preview performances in Seattle this week, where the show is getting a tryout before an expected leap to Broadway, and audience reaction has reportedly been strong. Tweaks are expected, but Brooks himself is heavily involved in the Seattle staging, and says that the show is “75% there.”
Target Market: New Yorker Playing Games
Are you one of those New Yorker readers who pretends to be working your way through Alex Ross’s latest treatise on the importance of Prokofiev, while actually just scanning the cartoons? Well, have we got a board game for you! Yes, we said board game. Yes, they still make those. “In the latest expansion of its brand name into the retail market, the board game version of the New Yorker’s weekly cartoon caption contest has just gone on sale at Target stores nationwide.”
Musicals Are Busting Out All Over
Ten years ago, the movie musical was dead and buried, according to everyone in the know. “Conventional wisdom suggested that musicals were appealing to a niche audience, that mass audiences no longer could stomach people breaking into song.” Now, musicals are once again big box office business, and the industry is poised to take full advantage.
New Line’s Future In Doubt
New Line Cinema just released its biggest hit of the year, but the bigger picture is grim. “Though New Line made a big fuss celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the studio has been mired in a horrific slump… Relations have been rocky with parent company Time Warner, which many people believe is eager to turn New Line into a less autonomous production entity. For now, the studio ranks last in box-office revenue among all majors.”