TIFF Going Beyond Film

Visual arts will be getting some unusual exposure as part of this fall’s Toronto International Film Festival. “A new program called Future Projections will present a series of nine far-reaching installations, interactive projects and other film-related artwork at locations around the city… Eight of the nine exhibitions will be free, non-ticketed events.”

Picasso Thieves Have Their First Day In Court

Two men suspected of having stolen two paintings and a drawing by Pablo Picasso from an apartment belonging to the artist’s granddaughter remain in police custody following their first court appearance yesterday. A third man is being held as a “supervised witness,” and prosecutors expect to issue charges in the coming days. “The paintings – Portrait of Jacqueline and Maya with Doll – were found this week, along with the drawing Marie-Therese at Age 21. They were apparently in good condition and were recovered following a tip-off from a contact in the art world.”

Universal To Try DRM-Free Music

Universal Music is experimenting with the idea of selling CDs and MP3s that do not contain copy-protection technology that has enraged consumer groups and sparked arguments over fair use. “Retailers including Google, Wal-Mart, and Amazon.com, will participate in the DRM-free trial, Universal said. But participants do not include Apple iTunes online music store, the third largest music retailer in the US.”

Famous Italian Film Studio Burns

“A fire has destroyed part of the Cinecitta film studios in Rome, where many classic Italian films were made. However, it did not damage the historic areas where Ben Hur and classics by Federico Fellini were made… The fire began in a store for film sets, destroying sets used in a television series about ancient Rome, produced by HBO and the BBC.”

Like Having A Carnegie Hall Concert At Lincoln Center

Boston’s Citi Performing Arts Center (formerly the Wang,) struggling with financial losses and an anemic slate of performances, is looking to partner with other arts groups in the city in an effort to get back on its feet. “Under the plan, the Center will become what it calls a ‘virtual performing arts center.’ The idea is to reduce financial risk by relying less on revenue from the Center’s hard-to-fill theaters while spreading the Center’s brand across a swath of revenue-generating programming elsewhere in Boston and Massachusetts.”

Sketching A New Angle On Monet

“It is difficult to imagine that anything remains unknown about Claude Monet, whose life and career have been picked over by scholars and bright-eyed doctoral candidates. But a revelatory exhibition [in Massachusetts] unfurls a new look at the role of drawing in the creative process of an artist whom we have always thought of as a painter, not a draftsman.”

A Corporate Brand Of Art

As government subsidies for the arts plummet around the world, private companies are frequently stepping in to fill the funding void. But companies need to be able to show some return on every investment, and are looking to promote themselves through their philanthropy, as European arts groups used to public funding are discovering.

The Acoustician With His Ear To The Ground

Russell Johnson was one of those rare people who didn’t just advance the thinking of those in his industry; he changed it forever. Before Johnson’s triumphant successes designing the acoustics of concert halls in Lucerne, Birmingham (UK), and Dallas, concert halls had become largely stale, dry affairs. “Johnson was an indefatigable self-promoter, sending positive reviews to newspaper critics with hand-scribbled notes, and could be quite charming.” And his work largely speaks for itself.

The Year Of The Rock ‘n Roll Violin?

When it comes to pop music, guitars rock, basses thump, drums smash, and violins… um, sweeten? “For years, the strings have been marginalised in the world of pop – sidelined to the slushy world of ballads, lazily used to suggest drama or sophistication. To all intents and purposes, strings had become the sonic equivalent of the highlighter pen. Until now.”

Giving Online Voice To A Dangerous Trend

The primary attraction of video-sharing sites like YouTube and social networking sites like MySpace has been their near-complete openness to all points of view, and their accessibility to anyone with a camera and a computer. But should YouTube allow anorexic teens to post videos encouraging other teens to adopt an increasingly cult-like and toxic lifestyle? Where is the line when it comes to “harmful content”?