Prominent Australian artist Richard Dunlop has exhibited in galleries around Australia and has lectured at universities. “On Friday police raided his house, seizing prints, oils and sketches.” He’s being charged with stealing artwork worth up to $1 million “from a gallery in Brisbane in 1994 and from a Sydney gallery owned by the prominent dealer Ray Hughes between 1996 and 2003. Hundreds of pieces are believed to be involved.”
Tag: 08.15.05
Charlotte Looks For $150 Million In Arts Funding
Charlotte (NC) arts leaders are looking to pass a major package of funding support. “Discussions on a series of new and revamped museums and theaters began four years ago. For much of the past two years, executives at the Arts & Science Council, the umbrella group for most local arts groups, have lobbied city leaders for funding while constantly revising and reshaping their proposal. Under the current incarnation, all but $10 million of the $150.5 million proposal would be paid through various taxpayer revenue sources.”
Oscar Peterson Gets A Stamp
The Canadian Post Office has created its first stamp honoring a living person – jazz legend Oscar Peterson. “It was a special 80th birthday tribute to Canada’s legendary jazz pianist. Peterson said he always considered himself proud to be a Canadian, “But to have the honour of this stamp issued in my likeness goes beyond my wildest dreams.”
Britain’s Top Ten Paintings?
Radio 4 has posted the top ten contenders in its poll picking the greatest painting in Britain. Any painting hanging in a British collection is eligible, regardless of its country of origin.
Jerry, The Opera: No Funding Pressure…
A tour of Jerry Springer, The Opera is in doubt, and some are saying it’s because Arts Council England bowed to pressure from religious groups and denied funding. But a Council spokesperson says: “The decision not to provide funding for the tour was financial, as the musical was already a ‘commercial success’, and not over fears of a religious backlash. It is nonsense to say that the Arts Council has refused to fund the tour of Jerry Springer over fears of protests from Christian groups, or anyone else.”
Best Art. Best What?
So Britons are picking the best art in Britain. What kind of exercise is this? “Cognoscenti may dismiss the list as the work of a country that does not know much about art but knows what it likes on a nice birthday card. Populists may hail it as a triumph of popular taste over critics, conceptualists and postmodernists. And regionalists may regret that only two of the works on the list are in galleries outside London.”