The New Yorker magazine has been promising it’s on the verge of profitability for years. Now it finally looks like the magazine is in the black and is expected to announce a profit of $1 million. “Since Si Newhouse took over The New Yorker 17 years ago, he’s sustained losses estimated at more than $215 million – including nearly $40 million over the past five years alone.”
Tag: 11.26.02
Seattle Bails Out Opera House
The Seattle City Council has begrudgingly approved a loan of $27 million to finish construction of the Seattle Opera House. Fundraising for the $130 million project has fallen off, with expected contributions from county and state governments failing to come through. “We didn’t plan on making that loan. It sets a bad example for future partnerships that might also keep coming back for more and more money.”
Going For Greatness
The Cleveland Museum unveils plans for a major expansion. “With an estimated construction cost of $225 million, the project already has a price tag more than twice that of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, finished in 1995. Designed by New York architect Rafael Vinoly, the project calls for two large new curving wings on the east and west sides of the museum complex, which will frame the spacious, skylighted ‘Great Court’ in the center. The Great Court will be bigger, museum officials say, than the main lobby of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.”
Artist Offended By Exhibition Name
An artist in Newfoundland is protesting the name of a show of his work at a local gallery that used to represent him. But the name is taken from the name of one of the artist’s own paintings. The artist accuses the gallery of being offensive, but the gallery owner maintains “iIt’s my painting. It’s the title of the painting. The artist named the painting. What’s the problem?” It’s hilarious. I didn’t name the painting. He did. It’s not like it’s written on the back of the painting. He named it. Now he’s claiming the painting is defaming himself.”
Not To Take Offense, But…
The Australia Council releases a set of guidelines for artists in “dealing with indigenous communities”. The intent of the guidelines is to “encourage greater respect and understanding among the arts industry in working with indigenous communities” But one section “asks artists to consider how their work will affect the indigenous group on which it is based, whether it ’empowers’ indigenous people or whether it reinforces negative stereotypes.” Is this a reasonable (or wise) request? “How do you judge whether a work empowers or not? And one person’s negative stereotype is another’s attempt to tackle a tough subject.”
Freedom To Create
Is freedom of expression in the arts at more risk now than in the past? A conference organized by the National Arts Journalism Program debated the issue last week in New York. “Copyright is stronger than ever, which experts say will plunge us into the Dark Ages. Copyright is weaker than ever, which experts say will plunge us into the Dark Ages. The confusing thing is that both statements happen to be true.”