“The Festival Fringe has cemented its status as the world’s biggest arts festival by selling a record 1.7 million tickets.”
Tag: 08.29.07
Vettriano Success: All About The Market Forces
“Self-taught and sneered at by the art establishment, especially in his native Scotland, Jack Vettriano has become arguably one of the best known painters in the world.” How does he feel about artists who resent his success? “Artists say, how can I get only X for my work and Vettriano gets X thousand for his? Think, you stupid bugger. It’s not a bit about being a better painter than me, it’s about market forces.”
The Books Left Behind
“Over 6500 books are left behind in Travelodge hotels throughout the year and are either returned to customers or donated to local charity shop. It is unclear whether the books are read before being abandoned or are simply discarded out of boredom.”
Do Books Still Belong In UK Libraries?
Some are debating whether UK public libraries should continue buying books. “We have to ask whether fiction should remain in libraries when most people buy books.” But Louise Tucker begs to differ: “There is an incredible assumption here that ‘most people’ have the means to pay for reading matter, similar to arguing, as I often think the government does, that ‘most people’ can afford private health care, so why bother supporting the NHS?”
Major Cut In UK Lottery Heritage Arts Funding
“Lottery money for major heritage projects in Britain is set to fall to £20m a year, down from £80m last year. This will make it much more difficult for museums and galleries to fundraise for building projects or costly acquisitions.”
Dogs Sniff Out DVD Pirates
“Two disc-sniffing dogs assisted Queens County and Motion Picture Association of America authorities to ferret out the alleged culprits, who became the nation’s first to be hunted by black Labrador retrievers trained to sniff out polycarbonate and other chemicals in optical discs”
CBGB’s Founder Dies At 75
Hilly Kristal, founder of the defunct New York music club CBGB, died of complications of lung cancer. “Kristal opened CBGB in December 1973 on the Bowery in the East Village, an area that was synonymous with poverty, crime and alcohol abuse. He gave the stage to young, then-unknown bands such as the Ramones, Television, Blondie and Talking Heads. Those musicians, especially the Ramones, inspired a generation of punk rockers in London, Los Angeles and around the world.”
Hirst’s Skull Sells For $100 Million
Damien Hirst’s diamond-studded skull has been sold for $100 million to an investment group. “The platinum skull, studded with 8,601 diamonds, has been on the market at least since June 3, when it went on show at London’s White Cube gallery.”
Small Utah Town Approves $2 Billion Gehry Project
“City officials in Lehi, Utah, on Aug. 28 approved plans by Brandt Andersen, owner of the Utah Flash basketball team, to build an 85-acre Gehry-designed development that includes an amphitheater, hotel, shopping center, restaurants, residences and man-made lakes.”
US Performers Score At Edinburgh Stage Awards
“American visitors to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe might have been fewer but US performers scored one of their best results at this year’s prestigious Stage Awards for Acting Excellence.”