Gustavo Dudamel Says Life Hasn’t Changed All That Much

Only four years after he first led a professional orchestra, the boy wonder of conductors has two big music director jobs and a DG contract. But the 27-year-old says his life isn’t so very different now – he’s always conducted a lot, he’s just doing more of it outside Venezuela. He’s never intimidated, either – except for this one time in Vienna …

The Pervasive Power of Punk

“Punk’s reach extends far beyond that original fistful of fast, loud bands, and its influence goes much deeper than a rebellious musical moment. Punk’s legacy is vast. From the do-it-yourself philosophy that informs indie rock to the anti-elitism that fuels the blogosphere, the spirit of authenticity and embrace of amateurism that were the pillars of punk now permeate modern art and culture.”

A Reawakening In Toronto?

Is the new Art Gallery of Ontario teaching Toronto’s leaders a valuable lesson about the power of architecture? “Chances are this sense of engagement alone will be enough to win over sceptics, those modern architecture haters who believe the 20th century was the worst thing that ever happened. They may be right, but let’s not forget, this is the 21st century. Things have changed.”

Buy A Book, Or Else…

“When you’re the proud parents of a bookstore at risk of imminent death, you’ll try pretty much anything to give your baby a chance — including asking your customers to watch a documentary about other bookstores at risk of imminent death.” That’s the strategy at Washington, D.C.’s Vertigo Books, where the owners are worried that they could be the next indie to close.

Saving Buffalo

Buffalo is a city with problems. But it’s also a city filled with architectural treasures, many of which are at risk of demolition or decay. “Now the city is reaching a crossroads. Just as local preservationists are completing restorations on some of the city’s most important landmarks, the federal government is considering a plan that could wipe out part of a historic neighborhood.”

Pointing Out What Was Always There

Estrellita Brodsky, a graduate student and well-known New York philanthropist, is leading a movement to “raise the profile of Latin American art in museums, the academy and the international art market… Only in the last 15 years have scholars fully embraced the contributions of Latin American artists to 20th-century abstract movements, particularly in the areas of installation and performance.”

The Softer Side Of Gehry

Nicolai Ouroussoff says that Frank Gehry’s reimagining of the Art Gallery of Ontario “may catch some fans of the architect off guard. Rather than a tumultuous creation, this may be one of Mr. Gehry’s most gentle and self-possessed designs. It is not a perfect building, yet its billowing glass facade, which evokes a crystal ship drifting through the city, is a masterly example of how to breathe life into a staid old structure.”

Reviving A National Treasure

“When a fire ripped through Deyrolle, the beloved taxidermy establishment here, early one morning last February, it was as if a dagger had been plunged into the heart of Paris… Deyrolle has been a natural history emporium with the look and feel of a museum, except that just about everything was for sale.” Now, the difficult task of restoring the shop has begun, and all of Paris seems to be involved.