“The big book story this year was the death of fiction. Literary media, like the make-or-break-an-author’s-reputation New York Times Book Review, have cut back on reviews of novels in favour of non-fiction coverage. Globally, fiction sales are down. Publishers and agents returning from the Frankfurt Book Fair reported that Canadian fiction, despite its stellar international reputation, wasn’t generating the heat it used to. Even J.K. Rowling was in a slump, with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in her wizard series, not flying off the shelves as quickly as in the past.”
Tag: 12.20.05
Christie’s Is Champ In France
Christie’s maintains its three-dominance as the leading auction house in France. “Christie’s, the biggest art seller, had French sales of 115 million euros ($138 million) in 2005, up 33 percent from 86.4 million euros last year. It is now selling 2.6 times more art in France than Sotheby’s Holdings Inc., the No.2 auction house.”
Why Is Scotland Neglecting The Arts?
It was a rough year for the arts in Scotland, and Duncan MacMillan says it didn’t have to be that way. “Since devolution public funding of the arts has increased, but by considerably less than it has in the same period in England. So words and deeds don’t match and there is ground to be made up before any new dispensation can even begin.” More disturbing is the seeming indifference of the Scottish executive to the problem, and the unwillingness of politicians to confront the atrophy of treasured Scottish institutions.
Stella vs. Katrina, and Guess Who Wins?
“The news from New Orleans is that, yes — the annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival will take place, as scheduled, from March 30 to April 2 in its usual French Quarter haunts. The four-day fete, in its 20th year, celebrates the life and legacy of the playwright who called the Big Easy his ‘spiritual home’ with panel discussions, celebrity events, theater and musical performances, French Quarter walking tours, food and wine tastings and — what would a Williams celebration be without it? — a Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest.”
FCC Knuckles Under To Hollywood, Delays New Kids’ Programming Regs
“The FCC said Friday it would delay implementation of new rules governing children’s programming on digital television to consider an agreement struck by entertainment companies and children’s advocates. The rules, which were to have taken effect Jan. 1, would require that digital broadcasters bump up the amount of children’s programming they offer if they multicast, or subdivide their allotment of spectrum into multiple channels.” Protests and lawsuits from entertainment companies such as Disney and Viacom led to the decision to delay implementation.
UK Anti-Piracy Efforts Not Working
The recording industry has been pulling out all the stops to try to put an end to illegal file-sharing and other forms of high-tech piracy. But according to a new study, all the lawsuits, threats, and interventions aren’t having much of an impact in the UK. 51% of iPod users in Great Britain continue to download music without paying for it, and fewer than 20% use legal pay-per-download services exclusively. “The survey… also highlighted a large degree of confusion among consumers about whether or not they were breaking copyright laws by using illegal sites. Only four in 10 said that they understood the law.”
Tax & Spend, Or Tax & Tax?
A proposed entertainment tax in Toronto has bar, restaurant, and theatre owners spitting nails over what they say is yet another assault by the Ontario government on industries that are only marginally profitable to begin with. Canadian businesses already pay hefty (by American standards) taxes on items such as tickets and hotel charges, in addition to sales taxes imposed by both provincial and city governments. Toronto’s city council says the purpose of the new tax would be to encourage cultural development, and it plans to set up special “tax-incentive zones” that would offer property tax breaks to cultural institutions.
FINDing A New Direction In Montreal
Montreal has a new dance festival to replace the collapsed Festival Internationale de Nouvelle Danse (FIND), and it will apparently have a theatrical component as well. Marie-Hélène Falcon, the artistic director of the new fest, is a big name in the Quebec theatre world. “[Her] winning proposal was determined by a rigorous open competition. The key to success was proposing an event that would satisfy the expectations of the dance community.” The CAN$1.8 million budget reserved for FIND will go to the new festival.
The Art In The Midst Of The Wasteland
Six months ago, the New Orleans Museum of Art was on the verge of launching a $100 million capital campaign and planning a major expansion of its building. Hurricane Katrina and its devastating aftermath, of course, changed everything, although the museum and its collection escaped largely unscathed. Six weeks after the storm, the museum was forced to lay off all but a skeleton staff. Now, the museum’s director finds himself attempting to sketch out a future in a city that may not have one of its own.
Leaner, Meaner, and More Tech-Savvy
As museums around the country struggle to make themselves relevant to a generation raised in front of computer screens and conversant with high-tech gadgetry, some institutions seem to be having more luck than others. In Pittsburgh, which like many mid-sized cities boasts one dominant museum and an array of smaller, more specifically targeted ones, it has been the less prominent museums which have made the most progress in integrating new technologies into their existing collections.