“Alan Bishop, chief executive of the government’s communications agency the Central Office of Information, is to take over from Michael Lynch as chief executive of the Southbank Centre next year.”
Tag: 10.23.08
Why Do People Collect Autographs?
“An autograph gives people who feel intimate with celebrities something tangible to possess, a personal touch. It’s a form of cultural tourism more than anything else… but there is also a magical side to it. The most relevant concept here is manna, sacredness in the form of a power that permeates people and also crucially the things they touch.”
… And Another Juror Reveals the Booker Runner-Up
Jury chairman Michael Portillo says that the second-place author “is entitled to be disappointed” and that the novel was “the most beautiful book [on the shortlist], a glorious piece of writing with not a word misplaced.” (Sorry, folks – click on the link for the answer.)
LOLcats Get Their Own Gallery Show
“LOLcats, the crazy cat photos with goofball sayings that swept onto the web a few years ago, are rapidly becoming more than just an internet meme… Works by nearly 30 artists influenced by the pidgin-speaking-cat meme will be auctioned off Thursday during a sold-out art show in San Francisco – with proceeds going to benefit an adult-literacy program.”
Santa Fe Opera Settles Lawsuit Over 2006 Car Crash
“The Santa Fe Opera and the estate of an employee have reached a settlement with relatives of a family killed in a drunken, wrong-way interstate crash triggered by the worker, who was returning from a business trip.”
Brighton Dome Names First Resident Company
“Dance group the Hofesh Shechter Company has become the first organisation to gain a three-year residency at the Brighton Dome. […] During its time at the Dome, the group will research and develop new works, present several pieces including a new commission and a major education project as part of Brighton Festival 2009, and premiere a new full-length work in May 2010.”
LA Conservatory Chief “Resigns”
The president of LA’s highly regarded Colburn School of Music has abruptly resigned his post. Neither Miguel Angel Corzo nor school officials are saying what led to his departure, but the school has been under fire from parents of young students in recent weeks for scrapping its Suzuki piano program. Corzo joined the school in summer 2007.
Pillar Of LA Art Scene Dies
“Patricia Faure — a beloved art dealer and eternally glamorous personality whose teenage dreams of movie stardom gave way to careers in modeling, fashion photography and, finally, the art business — has died at 80… She established her presence as director of the highly regarded Nicholas Wilder Gallery in 1972 and formed a partnership with the late Betty Asher in Asher/Faure Gallery before opening her space at Bergamot in 1994.”
Broadening The Scope In Toronto
The organizers of Toronto’s International Festival of Authors are aiming for a broader appeal than it may have had in years past. “In the six years since taking over from founder Greg Gatenby, [Geoffrey] Taylor has routinely added new wrinkles to an event that formerly served as the exclusive domain of writers of so-called literary fiction. The doors have been flung open to non-fiction authors, graphic novelists, poets, genre writers and the like.”
Gehry To Design New Signature Home
“After a wearying five-year search… [New York’s Signature Theater Company] now plans to move to a tower under construction on West 42nd Street, a few doors down from its current home. The Signature space, to be designed by Frank Gehry, would be at the base of a 58-story, 1.2-million-square-foot hotel and residential building… near the strip of theaters known as Theater Row.”