Megan Garber: “He’s a ‘screw the establishment’ kind of guy; ironically, that political position is what helped him to win the Nobel in the first place. … Noble! Philosophical! Wonderful! There’s another way to see things, though, which is that Bob Dylan has simply been acting, if you’ll allow me to put it very poetically, like an enormous man-baby, refusing to acknowledge his being awarded one of the most prestigious prizes in the world in a way that manages to be both delightfully and astoundingly rude.”
Tag: 11.16.16
Two Miami City Ballet Stars Launch Their Own Company
Former principals Jennifer Kronenberg and Carlos Guerra, who retired from MCB in the spring, have founded Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, which makes its debut this weekend.
‘A Weaker Pittsburgh Symphony Or Weaker Philadelphia Orchestra Means A Weaker America,’ Says USA Today Op-Ed
“‘American exceptionalism’ during the 20th century included the standing and stature of our symphony orchestras,” writes attorney and string player Jonathan Kaledin. “Taking American orchestra ‘exceptionalism’ further into the 21st century now requires a complete rethinking of the role our federal government plays in providing financial support for these institutions. … What does it say about us that our federal government spent $245 billion bailing out financial institutions that were ‘too big to fail,’ but it will not consider meaningful support for our magnificent but financially distressed symphony orchestra institutions?”
De Niro, DeGeneres, Springsteen, Tyson, Hanks, Ross, Michaels, Gehry, And Lin Among Winners Of Obama’s Final Presidential Medals Of Freedom
Which Tyson? Which Ross? Which Lin? (Not Jeremy. Michael Jordan and Kareem are on the list, though.) Who else is among the 21 honorees? Click and see.
The Year Of The African-American At A Somber 2016 National Book Awards
Of the four prizes, three – for fiction, nonfiction, and young people’s literature – went to black writers; the winning books deal with slavery, racism, and the civil rights struggle. (Why was the event somber? You know why.)
Top Posts From AJBlogs 11.16.16
Kenneth Clark’s Response to Crisis
During World War II, in London’s bleak days, Kenneth Clark acted, as the review of his biography by James Stourton in today’s New York Times reminds us. … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2016-11-16
Creativity and joy — “I could create the career I wanted”
Sarah Robinson, co-chair of the L.A. branch of Classical Revolution, remembers seeing her first CR event: “It was like I had spent 10 years banging my head against a door that would never open [honing her flute technique, auditioning for orchestra jobs], only to look around and realize that there were no walls. I could just walk outside and create the career that I wanted.” … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-11-16
Faddis and Beiderbecke
Thanks to Seattle bassist Bren Plummer for calling our attention to a short video of trumpeter Jon Faddis getting acquainted with Bix Beiderbecke’s horn. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-11-16
Edinburgh To Get A New Concert Hall (Home To Scottish Chamber Orchestra)
“The 1000-capacity venue, earmarked for a gap site behind the Royal Bank of Scotland’s historic head office, would be available for the Edinburgh International Festival each summer. The venue will be also be designed to make it suitable for rock, pop, electronica, jazz, folk and chamber concerts, as well as dance events. Other features will include rehearsal and recording rooms, conference and event spaces, and cafe, bar and restaurant facilities.”
An Auction Record $66 Million For A de Kooning Last Night But Sales Are Down Substantially Since 2014
“And yet, sales were down from years past—last November’s postwar sale, with just a few more lots, netted $331.8 million, indicating a drop of 16 percent. But that auction was considered a disappointment, and if you compare Tuesday’s sale to that of November 2014, which brought in $852.9 million over 72 lots, you’d see a two-year dip of 67 percent. The market contraction continues apace.”
Seattle’s EMP Museum Changes Its Name… Again
First it was Experience Music Project. Then it was the acronym EMP, then Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (“EMPSFM” for short-ish), then EMP Museum. Now the institution founded by former Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen in 2000 and designed by Frank Gehry is becoming the Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP.
Five Reasons Jackie Chan Deserves The Honorary Oscar He Just Received
Well, besides the 200+ movies over 56 years and the countless broken bones. “For anyone who has doubts about Mr. Chan’s skill onscreen, here are five clips that, together, illustrate some of his most impressive work.”