“We may be experiencing an unprecedented profusion of performing arts from ever-growing and ever more various communities of creators. Theatres have embraced the need and the responsibility to respond to this profusion and to get out there and find audiences for the kind of stuff that not so long ago would have caused bewilderment among a much more homogenous crowd.”
Tag: 09.21.08
How Will Economic Meltdown Change Art?
“If the economic crisis does become this century’s Great Depression, how will art be changed? That seems hard to answer without also considering politics.”
19th Century Multimedia Oddity Gets A Facelift
“The Gettysburg Cyclorama, a huge dinosaur of a painting left over from the heyday of circuses, magic shows and brass bands playing on the town square, has never been a great painting. And now, in one of the stranger twists of the history of how we tell history, the giant 1884 canvas has been given the loving treatment of an old master painting.”
How The Arts Fight For Human Rights
“Politicians and nation states play a crucial role in the fight for human rights, but for many people – particularly the young – heartfelt pleas for social justice are better received through novels, movies and music.”
Bands Sell Ad Placements In Their Song Lyrics
“Things have gotten so weird in the music business that high-profile acts are inserting ads into their song lyrics. The next time you hear a brand mentioned in a song, it could be due to a paid product placement. And unlike magazines, songs are not required to point out which words are part of an advertisement.”
Between Music Directors – Orchestras Redefine Their Leadership
“The role of the music director is gradually shifting as orchestras look for an inspiring collaborator rather than a strict taskmaster. Orchestras are learning that they don’t need a towering father figure in order to fulfill some of their roles, particularly as they redefine how they interact with their communities.”
Do The Muppets Really Need Disney’s Hannah Montana Treatment?
“Since it bought Miss Piggy, Kermit and crew in 2004, executives have struggled to figure out how to put them to work. Now Disney is giving it another go by revving up the full power of its culture-creating engines.”
How Winston Churchill Saved England’s Art
To protect the country’s art treasures in World War II, quarries were blasted, roads were rebuilt and secret convoys of vans set off for Britain’s most remote and secure outposts. “Hide them in caves and cellars, but not one picture shall leave this island,” said Churchill.
Saving The Endangered Art Of The Pub Sign
“The painted pub sign, one of the oldest popular visual arts traditions in Britain, is locked in decline. That is the fear of conservationists who hope to alert pub chains and breweries to a ‘catastrophic’ loss of the traditional skills involved and a failure to preserve a heritage that dates back to Roman times.”
A Nation Of Tenured Writers (Is This Good For Art?
“While a couple of generations ago it might have been a surprise to find a writer who taught at a college, now it’s a surprise to find one who doesn’t. But another question is discussed less. What exactly does all this teaching do to our writing? And what, if anything, does it mean for a country to have a tenured literature?”