The Barnes Has Been In Center City Philadelphia For Five Years – How Has It Worked Out? Very, Very Well

“In its new [Benjamin Franklin] Parkway location, the Barnes has met or exceeded virtually every revenue, fund-raising, and attendance projection made in 2010 before the move. More than 1.4 million visitors have made their way to the new Barnes, according to foundation officials. … ‘Membership,’ said Thomas Collins, executive director and president, ‘is off the charts.’ More than 17,000 memberships have been sold since the opening in 2012.”

Leon Wieseltier’s New Magazine Is Cancelled After He Acknowledges Advances On Female Colleagues

“Leon Wieseltier, a prominent editor at The New Republic for three decades who was preparing to unveil a new magazine next week, apologized on Tuesday for ‘offenses against some of my colleagues in the past’ after several women accused him of sexual harassment and inappropriate advances. As those allegations came to light, Laurene Powell Jobs, a leading philanthropist whose for-profit organization, Emerson Collective, was backing Mr. Wieseltier’s endeavor, decided to pull the plug on it.”

American National Ballet Drops 23 Dancers And Loses Big-Name Talent As It Tries To Get Off The Ground

The still-gestating Charleston-based company, which announced ambitious plans to “reinvent and diversify” the art form earlier this year, asked its members last Friday to sign nondisclosure agreements. Then, on Monday, “23 dancers … were told they were demoted or fired. It was part of an effort to address financial realities.” Three choreographers and coaches, including Rasta Thomas and Octavio Martin, left the company in August; its leading principal dancer, Sara Murawski, resigned this week. (ANB says that 24 dancers remain on its roster.)

Finally, Columbus Symphony Can Afford An Executive Director Again

“In a sign of health for the city’s arts community, the Columbus Symphony has hired an executive director for the first time since budget cuts forced the elimination of the position in 2012. Denise Rehg – vice president of development for the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, which had been managing the business side of the symphony – was appointed to the symphony position on Monday.”

Top Posts From AJBlogs 10.24.17

News Flash: Berkshire Museum’s Head on Medical Leave; 21 of 40 Consignments Pulled from Sotheby’s Auctions
There have been two major plot twists in the convoluted saga of the Berkshire Museum’s highly controversial plans to sell 40 works from its collection at Sotheby’s. This just in from the Berkshire Museum: … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2017-10-24

Get Out And Go For A Walk!
It’s That Time of Year… This is just a reminder: TEFAF is in New York again, at the Park Avenue Armory, opening to the public on Saturday and to collectors on Friday. And before that, as … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2017-10-24

Classical Music and The Echo Society
Sometimes — certainly not always — it makes sense to take a chance and see something you have very little sense of. … read more
AJBlog: CultureCrash Published 2017-10-24