Phillip’s also saw sales beyond its high-bid estimates, taking in $10.6 million and setting records for several artists’ work including Damien Hirst. Warhol, De Kooning, and Basquiat were also top sellers. – CNN (Reuters)
Tag: 11.14.00
STOLEN PICASSOS
Police recover a fifth stolen Picasso in Turkey. – New Jersey Online (AP)
WHO GETS WHAT IN AUCTION SUIT
The some 100,000 plaintiffs in the class action suits against Sotheby’s and Christie’s reveal how they propose to split the $512 million settlement with the companies. – New York Times
SISTER WENDY DOES AMERICA
Sister Wendy has a new book out featuring her visits to six museums in the United States. While she can usually spot the best artwork, “it is difficult to dispel an air of humbug surrounding the whole Sister Wendy phenomenon, the way she has allowed herself, perhaps unwittingly, to be marketed to the public by savvy packagers who know they have a good thing going.” – New York Post
MORE MONEY/LESS CLOUT
The Scottish government announces long-awaited financial aid for Scotland’s arts institutions. But the welcome news of money is overshadowed by a downgrading of the arts portfolio to a lesser position in the government. “The apparent reversal of culture and sport is no accident, but signals a ‘rethink of the administration’s priorities’. Pies, Bovril, and football – you know, the things ordinary people are more interested in – will have priority over Puccini, Beethoven, and Fauré.” – The Herald (Scotland) 11/14/00
WORLD REFERENCE
It was a project that was supposed to take a year or so. But the six-volume World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre, just released, ended up as a 15 year project that always seemed to be about a year behind in its funding. – National Post (Canada)
NUNN UNDER FIRE
The chorus of boos for London’s National Theatre director Trevor Nunn is growing. “Like circling vultures, half of what used to be called Fleet Street have pounced on the events and suddenly accused Nunn of every sin in the book: artistic incompetence, overspending, pandering to white middle-aged audiences, sticking to the boring programming of safe, well-tried classics or musicals at the expense of cutting-edge contemporary drama and, last but not least, of arrogance for trying to run the ship himself and not appointing associate directors to help him pick plays for the National’s three stages.” Is the criticism justified? – The Telegraph (UK)
BRINGING IN THE YOUTH VOTE
Last year “in a survey of 10 to 14-year-olds in Birmingham and Norwich, fewer than one in a hundred listed theatre as one of his or her preferred weekend activities, whereas 100 per cent of the sample were cinemagoers. Many dismissed theatres as “overpriced, stuffy and unfriendly”, offering plays that were either ‘babyish or too serious’.” Now an attempt to get kids into the theatre. – The Times (UK)
THE PROBLEM WITH “SEUSSICAL”
As the fall Broadway season began, “Seussical” the musical was considered the hot property. But after unhappy road tryouts, the show has floundered. “How the charmed musical that could do no wrong turned into the ‘troubled Suessical’ that could do no right has become a parable about how much Broadway has changed. What in the past might have gone unremarked as a new show’s routinely bumpy road to Broadway instead became a matter for public scrutiny.” – New York Times
HELP FOR THE PUBLIC
The Public Theatre, under fire recently for some of the artistic and business decisions that have been made, gets some expert help. – New York Times