From:
Paul
Saunders <paulsaunders@estesvalley.net>
Date:
August
17, 2004 3:34:16 PM MDT
To:
Recipient
List Suppressed: ;
Subject:
CAC ARTS NEWS No. 151- 08/17/04
COLORADO ARTS CONSORTIUM
http://www.coloradoartsconsortium.org
CAC ARTS NEWS No. 151
08/17/04
Editor's Note:
I
hope all of you are satisfied with last weeks vote. I often kid the family that
if the election of certain people happens, I'm moving to England! My British
son-in law turns absolutely pale at the thought of us moving in with them. I
love my little joke.
Actually,
I find that as I know more about our history and of the world in general, there
is no greener other side. (England is quite green but they are having a wet
summer and are experiencing floods in some parts - but I digress)
ArtsJournal
is valuable to me in that I get to understand a world view of the arts and yet
know that the arts scene is not much different than here in Colorado. Some
great successes and some very deep disappointments. I'm submitting an arts
facility proposal tomorrow morning and it will be either the greatest thing to
possibly happen where I live or the biggest disappointment for the local arts.
If it looks to be possible, I will let you know, otherwise I will just send the
message "forgetaboutit!".
Paul
Saunders
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOW FOR COLORADO ARTS NEWS:
I
am attaching the registration flyer and a poster for the September 11, 2004
conference in Pagosa Springs.
Any
assistance you can provide in letting people know about this event or hanging
posters in your area, will be greatly appreciated. These are dynamic and
dynamite speakers and we want to get as many people as possible to this
conference.
Thank
you in advance!
The
Colorado Arts Consortium and Pagosa Springs Arts Council are very excited about
the upcoming annual conference in Pagosa Springs.
Joining
us this year are:
Russell Willis Taylor, President,
National Arts Strategies
Elaine Mariner, Executive Director,
Colorado Council on the Arts
Jim Copenhaver, Board President, Arts
for Colorado
Cheryl Bezio-Gorham, Director of
Development, Colorado Association of
Nonprofit
Organizations and many others!
This
will be an exciting opportunity to interact with other arts organizations and
to address the critical issue of sustainability! Join us for this one day
event, Saturday, September 11, 2004, from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Pagosa Springs
Community Center.
The cost is $50 for member organizations
(discounts apply to multiple
participants
from the same organization!)
L
Leanne
Goebel
Editor, SW Colorado Arts Perspective
Board Member, Colorado Arts Consortium
970-731-1841
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAC's
19 th Annual
Colorado
Arts Convention
Healing
the Arts in Colorado
an
art pARTy
Date:
September 11, 2004; 9:00 am Registration - 5:30 pm to 7:00 reception with local
entertainment
Pagosa
Springs Community Center
Hot
Springs Boulevard, Pagosa Springs
Colorado Arts Consortium
Campus Box 162, PO Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364 * Phone: 303-722-8689
Fax 303-456-1410 * E-Mail: balletartstheatre@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From
Ft. Collins
Arts
Alive was asked to share the following information. Thank you.
Myra Benson
www.artsalivefc.org
The
Choice City Singers are looking for a director. If you know of someone
you could send this on to, please do.
Please help us find a new director for
the Choice City Singers!
Choice City Singers Facts At A Glance:
Originated in 1980
Dynamic,
swing/show ensemble of non-professional performers 20 to 24 local talented
volunteer singers from the community. Well known for musical diversity,
excellent choral sound, and fun, creative stage presentations.
Multi
generational singer membership.Members chosen each fall by audition
Full
time accompanist, a percussionist, and other instrumentalists who play
a variety of instruments for most shows
Rehearse
one night a week from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Traditionally Wednesdays
Performance
Facts:
Sing a wide variety of music arranged in
a jazz/swing style
Past
shows featured mostly up-tempo numbers performed by the whole group as
well
as pieces presented by smaller ensembles. creatively choreographed numbers,
individualistic showmanship, and ability to relate to audiences of all ages
makes us one of northern Colorado's favorite performing groups. 2
performances at the Rialto Theatre in Loveland and one evening concert at the
Carousel Theatre in Fort Collins. Traditionally Fall shows performed at the
Rialto Theatre in Loveland
and Spring shows at various venues in
Lovedland and Fort Collins
We
regularly perform for community, corporate, and private events year
round.Christmas
is our busiest season.
We
are a member of the Larimer Choral Society with 501-c3 nonprofit status
Yearly operating budget totals around
$10,000, realized almost totally from
performance
revenues Have secured a small number of community grants in past years. We pay
our Director, Accompanist,and Marketing Director a monthly salary.
Own good modern sound equipment, staging
platforms and other production and
costume pieces.
Requested Applicant Qualifications:
Extensive musical training in choral
directing and arranging
A strong commitment to performance
excellence
An enthusiastic approach to rehearsals
and performances.
Experience with other production aspects
such as concepting the show,
choreography, music selection is helpful
but not required.
Contact:
Ellen Myer
2906 Tumbleweed Lane
Fort Collins, CO 80526
Email: ellenmyer@aol.com
<mailto:ellenmyer@aol.com>
Phone:
970-204-9224
Nancy
Burke
2416
Stonecrest Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80521
Email: nancyburke@juno.com
<mailto:nancyburke@juno.com>
Phone: 970-224-4725
ÉOr go to our web page at
www.fortnet.org/ccs <http://www.fortnet.org/ccs>
to see more about us or to contact us.
---------------------
FC
SYMPHONY AUDITIONS
'Cille B. Lutsch
FCSO Manager
PO Box 673
Berthoud, CO 80513
h: 970-532-7280
c: 970-213-4208
CLutsch@fcsymphony.org
The Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra is
pleased to announce auditions for the
following opening:
3rd (Associate Principal) Horn
Auditions will take place on Sunday,
September 19th, at the Edna Griffin
Performance Hall in Fort Collins.
Audition repertoire to be selected from
the following:
Tchaikowsky Sym # 5 - Andante Cantabile
solo (1st horn)
Brahms Academic Festival Overture -
Allegro solo (3rd horn)
Brahms Symphony #2 - Allegretto grazioso
solo (3rd horn)
Beethoven Sym #3 - Scherzo Trio (3rd
horn)
Strauss - Don Juan Allegro Molto Conbrio
(soli)
Hanson, Howard - Sym #2 Lento solo (1st
horn)
Mahler Symphony #1 - Excerpts as marked
Solo Selection of candidate's choice
Possible Sight Reading
For more information and to receive an
audition packet including the
audition repertoire excerpts, send a
resume to 'Cille Lutsch, FCSO Manager,
at above address. Deadline to
apply is September 10, 2004.
The FCSO performs approximately 50
services per season. Compensation is $45
per
service for provisional section players, with some travel compensation
available to players outside Larimer
County. The FCSO is an equal
opportunity employer.
-------------------------
'Cille B. Lutsch
FCSO Manager
PO Box 673
Berthoud, CO 80513
h: 970-532-7280
c: 970-213-4208
CLutsch@fcsymphony.org
The Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra is
pleased to announce auditions for the
following opening:
Principal Timpani
Auditions will take place on Sunday,
September 19th, at the Edna Griffin
Performance Hall in Fort Collins.
This is a joint audition with the
Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, though the
positions are separate and two
different musicians may be offered
positions. Qualified candidates may be
asked to play a concert series before a
contract is offered for the entire
season.
Audition repertoire to be selected from,
but not limited to, the following:
Beethoven - Symphony #9
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
Brahms - Symphonies #1 and #2
Britten - Four Sea Interludes, No. IV
(Storm)
Dvorak - Symphony #6
Elgar - Enigma Variations
Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis
Mahler - Symphony #1
Strauss
- Death and Transfiguration
Solo Selection of candidate's choice
Possible Sight Reading
For more information and to receive an
audition packet including the
audition repertoire excerpts, send a
resume to 'Cille Lutsch, FCSO Manager,
at above address. Deadline to
apply is September 10, 2004.
The FCSO performs approximately 50
services per season. Compensation is $58
per service for principal players, with
some travel compensation available
to players outside Larimer County.
The FCSO is an equal opportunity
employer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COLORADO
THEATRE GUILD
P.O. Box 8625
Denver,
CO 80201-8625
please
check out our Web Site.
www.coloradotheatreguild.org
(Please forward this newsletter to
interested parties!)
Marketing directors, please include
Steve Wilson on your media distribution list for
the CTG Web Site. SEWtheatre@aol.com
Thanks!
*************************************************
Playwrights Showcase of the Western
Region at the Arvada Center on August 13-15, 2004.
The Playwrights Showcase of the Western
Region is a three-day event, August 13-15,
created to support
the original work of playwrights living
in 18 western states. Day and evening sessions
of original play readings will be
followed by critical discussions with a panel of
theater luminaries and guest
artists. Designed for playwrights, producers, directors,
actors, educators and other interested
people, the event is open to the general
public .Attendees can purchase
individual sessions for $15 each; a full-day of
sessions for $40; or the full three-day
event for $90. To register, call the Arvada
Center box
office at 720-898-7200 or visit the
website www.rrcc.edu/playwrightshowcase/ .
*************************************************
City Council Announces Vacancies on
Denver County Cultural Council
Denver City Councilwoman Marcia Johnson,
Chair of the Council's Public Amenities
Committee, announced today that Council
is seeking applications from citizens
interested in serving on the Denver
County Cultural Council (DCCC), a board authorized
by the State to distribute Scientific
& Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) Tier III
revenue to Denver County cultural
organizations.
In making these appointments, City
Council is looking for individuals with a citywide
perspective, active community
involvement at the neighborhood level, and professional,
volunteer or advocational experience
with an arts, cultural, scientific or historical
organization. Councilwoman Johnson
said that applicants should be willing to commit
at least 15 to 20 hours each month April
through June, the annual grant application
review period. During the rest of
the year, the workload requires about 10 hours per
month.
The Denver County Cultural Council is
comprised of eleven voting members. Three are
ex-officio, representing citywide
organizations, and eight are community
representatives selected from interested
applicants and appointed by the Denver City
Council. The current positions are
for terms of two, three, and four years, renewable
by mutual agreement for a total of six
years.
Applicants must be:
* City and County of Denver residents;
* at least 21 years of age;
* not currently a volunteer or paid
staff of any organization applying for Tier III
funding; and
* willing to disclose any conflict of
interest.
Applications are available at
www.denvergov.org/citycouncil, at the City Council
Office, City & County Building Room
451, 1437 Bannock St, Denver 80202, and at the
District Council offices.
Completed applications may be mailed to or dropped off at
the City Council Office at the above
address, submitted to
gretchen.williams@ci.denver.co.us, or
faxed to 720-865-9540. Applications must be
received by 5:00 p.m. on August 31,
2004. For more information, call 720-865-9341.
*************************************************
SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO CBCA
The Colorado Business Committee for the
Arts' 2004 Economic Impact Study of Metro
Denver Culture will be launched in
October. As you may know, this study is used by a
wide variety of organizations, cultural
and business, to help promote the importance
of
arts in Denver. CBCA researches, creates, and distributes the study's
results
throughout the metro area in
presentations, brochures, and CD-ROMs.
An important part of these materials are
the images contained in them. Images of
performances, performers, artwork,
cultural events, children engaged in the arts, and
promotional images are needed again this
year as a visual representation of the art
and culture in the Denver metro
area. If you have high resolution images (200 dpi or
higher), that you would like to provide
for this study, please send your images by
August 20 to main@cbca.org or mail a
digital copy to CBCA, 200 Grant Street, Suite
B-5, Denver, CO 80203. Please
include the following information with your images:
Name of organization
Name of performance/event
Photo credit
Thanks,
Brittany Norris
Program & Membership Coordinator
Colorado Business Committee for the Arts
P: 303.282.5135
F: 303.282.5174
www.cbca.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From:
CU-Boulder College of Music <CUconcerts@colorado.edu>
Subject:
ALEXA STILL AND ROBERT SPILLMAN OPEN FACULTY TUESDAYS SERIES
Contact:
Laima Gaigalas, (303) 492-4247, gaigalas@colorado.edu (Media
Information)
CU Concerts Box Office, (303) 492-8008
(Public Information)
Event:
Faculty Tuesdays Series-Alexa Still, flute and Robert Spillman, piano
Date:
Tuesday, August 31, 7:30 p.m.
Description:
Music by Reinecke, Schumann, Johann Sebastian Bach, Messiaen, Boehm, and Scholes
Location:
Grusin Music Hall, Imig Music Building, 18th St. & Euclid Ave.
Admission:
Free and Open to the Public; Call 303-492-8008
for information or visit www.colorado.edu/music
<http://www.colorado.edu/music>
The CU-Boulder College of Music's
2004-2005 Faculty Tuesdays series opens on
Tuesday,
August 31 at 7:30 p.m. with a program entitled "Just a Nice
RecitalŠ" featuring Professor of Flute Alexa Still and retired
Professor of Piano Robert Spillman. The concert will be held in Grusin Music
Hall and will be open to the public and free of charge.
The evening's program will include Carl
Reinecke's intensely romantic
"Undine Sonata," Robert
Schumann's "Three Romances," Johann Sebastian Bach's
sparkling "Sonata in E-flat
Major," Oliver Messiaen's captivating "Le Merle
Noir," Theobald Boehm's "Grand
Polonaise" and the Northern Hemisphere
premiere of "Rakitu" by New
Zealand composer Peter Scholes.
Professor
of Flute Alexa Still's recent engagements include recitals, concertos and
master classes in England, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Slovenia, Mexico,
Canada and across the United States. She has just completed recording sessions
for her 12th and 13th solo compact discs.
Retired
Professor of Piano Robert Spillman has traveled extensively in the United
States and Europe as soloist, accompanist, adjudicator, and guest teacher. Mr.
Spillman has recorded for Mercury, Pro Arte, Arabesque, Vox, Bridge, and
Musical Heritage. He has remained active throughout the U.S. as an accompanist
for such artists as Jan De Gaetani, Sylvia Rosenberg, YehudaHanani, Paul
Sperry, and Lucy Shelton.
The
Faculty Tuesdays recital series features outstanding performances by CU-Boulder
College of Music faculty. The Tuesday recitals are free and take place at 7:30
p.m. in Grusin Music Hall.
Call
the College of Music Concerts Box Office at (303) 492-8008 for information
about this performance. More information about Faculty Tuesdays and the College
of Music is available at www.colorado.edu/music
<http://www.colorado.edu/music>.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From:
Lynn Skinner <vocalynn@earthlink.net>
Subject:
Performance Presss Release
The Lynn Skinner Jazz Trio will perform
at the Broomfield Renaissance Hotel, 500 Flatirons Boulevard, the following
dates:
Thursday, August 26 from
6:00 -9:00 pm
Friday, September 10 from 5:30
-7:30 pm
Friday, October
22 from 5:30 -7:30 pm
Friday, November 5
from 5:30 -7:30 pm
These events, which take place just east
of the Flatirons Mall, are free.
Denver native and vocalist Lynn Skinner
has recently begun to perform more regularly again in Colorado after keeping a
relatively low-profile for nearly ten years. She is a respected singer,
musician, and performing artist who has sung jazz, classical, international,
folk, and original music for over 25 years. Skinner's appearances always
feature some of the best musicians both locally and nationally.
For more information about Lynn Skinner,
please visit www.lynnskinner.com .
Additional contact information:
Lynn Skinner
vocalynn@earthlink.net
303.239.6021
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCENE
COLORADO/SIN COLORADO - Denver Art Museum
"Colorado is one of
the world's most beautiful places, so it's no wonder that so many artists
choose to live here," notes curator Dianne Vanderlip, who selected seventy
works by Colorado artists for SCENE COLORADO/SIN COLORADO, which is on view
through Sunday, August 22.
Don't miss SCENE COLORADO/SIN COLORADO,
the last exhibition of our modern and contemporary art collection before it
moves to new galleries in the Frederic C. Hamilton Building.
Image: On Lookout Mountain, 1976, Chuck
Forsman.. Funds from Polly and Mark Addison, National Endowment for the Arts,
and Hilton Hotel Corporation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From:
Andrea Cox <andrea@rkymtnhi.com>
Subject:
Grand Arts Council.
Please include in your information for
bulletin boards, etc., ANdrea
Be sure to attend the last Winter Park
summer art walk dubbed the
"Moveable Fine Art Feast" to
be held on Friday, August 20 from 4:00-7:00
P.M. Fine art and fine food will be on
display ready for feasting at the
Belerique Gallery, Elk Horn Art Gallery,
Trail Ridge Art Company, WP
Framewerx and Fontenot's and Untamed
Steak House restaurants.
World-renowned as well as local artists
will be featured. This is the
second of three Moveable Fine Art Feasts
sponsored by the Grand Arts
Council and featured galleries and
restaurants. Maps for this FREE event
can be obtained at the Winter Park
Chamber Visitor's Center, Fraser
Information Center, Coldwell Banker
Mountain Properties, Century 21 Real
Estate, New Frontier Development and the
featured galleries and
restaurants.
For more information call Lori Oury at 726-4878.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit
the Web site <http://flesherhintonarts.org/> for issues of CAC Arts
News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND NOW THE ARTS NEWS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND WORLD:
THE FOLLOWING IS A HIGHLY EDITED LIST FROM ARTSJOURNAL:
Please
click on the URL under each heading for more of the articles that may interest
you.
"used
with permission of ArtsJournal."
Douglas
McLennan
Editor, ArtsJournal
www.artsjournal.com
For information about ArtsJournal, go to
http://www.artsjournal.com/about/
Douglas
McLennan
Editor,
ArtsJournal
<mailto:mclennan@artsjournal.com>mclennan@artsjournal.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AJ
Classifieds
http://www.artsjournal.com/classifieds/ajclassifieds.shtml
Opportunities
Classical Music
Initiative
seeks
See
all our Classifieds
To place an AJ Classified Ad, go here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IDEAS
http://www.artsjournal.com/ideas
Outside The System - Guerrilla Art The guerrilla art movement is all about
creating art - movies, music, visual, publishing - outside the established
channels of production. "Two forms in particular seem perfectly suited to
the guerrilla ideal. In the activities of admirably resourceful musicians and
film-makers, one sees the same broad approach: the skilful use of technology
(the internet, mobile phones, digital video), along with a desire to slip free
of the schedules of studios and record labels."
The Observer (UK) 08/15/04
The Artist Beyond The Success Artists like success of course. "But what
about being trapped by success? Being widely admired and richly rewarded for
something you do, but secretly wishing to do something entirely
different?" A surprising number of artists harbor ambitions beyond their
renown... The New York Times 08/13/04
ARTS ISSUES
http://www.artsjournal.com/artsissues
Balancing Books In The Desert For a trio of Arizona arts groups, the news is
good: "The Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona all
announced last week that they closed fiscal 2003-04 with surpluses." Arizona Republic 08/15/04
Turning Around The Bolshoi "The years following the collapse of the
Soviet Union were not kind to the estimable Moscow theatre, particularly its
opera wing. Short of funds and lacking the kind of dynamic leadership Valery
Gergiev brought to the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, the Bolshoi often seemed
to be going through the motions." But in the past few years the Bolshoi
has undergone a dramatic transformation...
Financial Times 08/12/04
Be This - New Role-Play Park A new theme park opens in Florida. The park
enlists visitors in role-playing - players assume the identities of
firefighters or cops or... and play out a scenario. "The $40 million
entertainment complex is billed as the first indoor role-playing theme park in
the United States for kids and the beginning of a national rollout for the concept.
It's modeled after a similar park in Mexico."
Miami Herald 08/12/04
Edinburgh - Too Big To Be Good? The Edinburgh Festival is huge.
Enormous. Gigantic. So it's a big success right? Maybe not, writes David
Benedict. "We're talking art, not merchandise, so why are we so hung up on
size? Shouldn't we be vaunting quality over quantity? Not at Edinburgh. Less is
no longer more. This is the festival most easily mistaken for a marathon, and
every year some schmuck attempts to beat the record for the number of events
crammed into 24 hours." New Statesman
08/12/04
New Funding For NY Arts? The New York State Legislature is considering
setting up a new funding source for the arts. "The state Assembly has
approved a bill establishing an arts fund that would receive money when
individuals mark a personal income tax return check-off. The funds would go to
the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), which funds arts programs
statewide." Backstage
08/11/04
(What
a concept! pbs)
Schwarzenegger Terminates Arts Funding Increase California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed an increase in his state's arts budget.
"Last year, state funding of the California Arts Council, a state agency
that gives grants to local groups, fell from $17.5 million to $1 million. Last
week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used his line item veto power to take out what
would have been a $1 million increase in arts funding by the Legislature,
leaving the allocation at just over $1 million. The cuts have made the
California Arts Council last in the United States in per capita funding." Sacramento Bee 08/10/04
(Just
great! Now Californian artist will be moving to Colorado. Not much money here
either but welcome. pbs)
DANCE
http://www.artsjournal.com/dance
Keeping City Ballet In Saratoga Saratoga, New York is struggling
to keep the New York City Ballet in summer residence. Ticket sales were up this
summer, but not nearly enough. "What are we going to say when we kick them
out of our town - 'Come to Saratoga Springs, population 28,000, we used to be
the summer home of City Ballet? We are concerned until we have in writing that
City Ballet will be welcomed back at SPAC for many years to come. Anything less
than a long-term residency here is unacceptable."
The New York Times 08/16/04
A New Place For Choreographers The first-ever National Choreographers
Institute was recently held in Southern California. It featured four
choreographers - Peter Pucci, James Sewell, Ann Marie DeAngelo and Lynne
Taylor-Corbett... Orange County Register
08/15/04
Gotta (Commercially) Dance! "Dancers are used to sell products and
entertain visitors in a startling number of ways. There is work performing and
choreographing on cruise ships, at theme parks, with live pop music acts, and
for television, film and music videos. There's even the more obscure world of
"industrials" - conventions and conferences at which dance routines
are used to market everything from computers to shoes. This is the world of
commercial dance, which is generally distinct from the modern dance and ballet
performances in a traditional theater space, known as "concert
dance." While plenty of little girls dream of becoming a prima ballerina,
many others dream of being a Laker Girl. For a commercial dancer, the emphasis
isn't so much on the art of dance - it's on the fun of it all." Orange County Register 08/15/04
Dancers For Sale "In a surprisingly entrepreneurial move, American
ballet companies have recently begun allowing donors to sponsor individual
dancers, for amounts that range from $2,500 to $100,000 a year. Some ballet
companies even compile and distribute rosters, which look eerily like shopping
lists, specifying their dancers' ranks and prices." The New York Times 08/15/04
(The
mind boggles. How much am I bid for me? Can't dance, slightly worn but can do a
great Santa! pbs)
MEDIA
http://www.artsjournal.com/media
A Racist Classic We Should See Last week, a Los Angeles theater owner
canceled a planned screening of D.w. Griffith's 1915 movie "The Birth of a
Nation" after civil rights groups promised protests. But the movie ought
to be screened, not suppressed, argues RenŽe Graham. "Much like Leni
Riefenstahl's 1934 Nazi propaganda documentary 'Triumph of the Will,' an
equally acclaimed, equally troubling film, 'The Birth of a Nation' is a painful
totem to our own intolerance and to how such ill feelings still vex us
today." The Boston Globe 08/17/04
New York - Where We Subsidize Movies? "State lawmakers
have approved the first tax credit to benefit film and television productions
in New York, and many in the industry say the incentive will help lure more
film productions to the city and the state and counter the flight of film jobs
to Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. ... In addition, the measure would permit New
York City to contribute as much as an additional $12.5 million annually to the
tax credit program." The New York Times
08/17/04
Box Office Vs. Ballot Box With "Fahrenheit 9/11," "The Day
After Tomorrow" and the remake of "The Manchurian Candidate," it
has been a summer of political relevance at the multiplex. But will any of that
have an impact on the presidential election? Not likely, Jon Margolis contends.
"Let's face it, the number of times a movie has altered public opinion on
any issue can be counted on the fingers of no hands." The New York Times 08/17/04
Miramax Downsizes Miramax has cut 13 percent of its employees.
"The company said it is laying off 65 staffers because it had too large a
staff given that its output has shrunk. This is not a reflection on anyone's
performance, it was simply an effort to bring our staff levels in line with a
smaller release slate'." Back Stage
08/16/04
Study: AM Radio Causes Cancer A new Korean study finds that "regions
near AM radio-broadcasting towers had 70 percent more leukemia deaths than
those without. The study also found that cancer deaths were 29 percent higher
near such transmitters. Two years ago an Italian study found death rates from
leukemia increased dramatically for residents living within two miles of
Vatican Radio's powerful array of transmitters in Rome." Wired 08/16/04
(I'm
so glad we went with an FM station. We just put up a new antenna that gets us
close to our authorized 100 watts and a greater reception area. Cancer free so
far. pbs)
MUSIC
http://www.artsjournal.com/music
Whitewash? The History Of Rock 'n Roll On Beer Cans When the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame inducted its first musicians in 1986, six of the 10 honorees were
black. Now Miller Brewing is marking the "50th Anniversary of Rock 'n'
Roll" with eight beer cans featuring Rolling Stone cover shots of great
rock 'n' roll artists, all of them white.
Philadelphia Inquirer 08/17/04
(And
you were going to boycott Coors because of politics. pbs)
Newport Jazz Turns 50 "The symbolic battle, all those years ago,
was to make the world outside its own cabal take jazz seriously. This could
more easily happen, it was decided, in a wealthy place that forced a certain
kind of attention from social elites and the media. 'We have no particular love
for Newport. Yet in one sense of the word we have brought democracy to Newport,
which was the last place in the world where it could have been expected to be
found in America'." The New York Times
08/17/04
(Oh
my!!)
Cleveland Orchestra In Europe The Cleveland Orchestra departs on a European
tour - it's the only American band in Europe this August. "It's a costly
tour, but an important one. Despite the orchestra's accumulated deficit of $7.4
million, the tour is unaffected. The trip's $2.3 million tab is being picked up
by the European presenters ($1.2 million) and sponsorships, including gifts
from Jan and Daniel Lewis and the Frances Elizabeth Wilkinson International
Touring Fund. The tour is especially significant for its prevalence of firsts." The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) 08/15/04
North Of Music "Iceland may have more musicians per capita than any
country in the world. This nation of two hundred and ninety thousand
people-roughly the same population as Cincinnati-has ninety music schools,
about four hundred choirs, four hundred orchestras and marching bands, and some
vast, unknown number of rock bands, jazz combos, and d.j.s. Before Bjšrk
ascended to world fame, in the early nineties, it never occurred to many
outsiders that such a small country could have such an active music
scene." The New Yorker 08/15/04
(We
have a special family relationship in Iceland (Island) and I play Icelandic
music on our FM station because it is very beautiful music and language even
though I doubt if anyone speaks the language here. pbs)
Pipe Dreams - Why Are Concert Hall Organs So Seldom Used? Dallas' Meyerson Hall
has a terrific organ. But after some initial concerts after the instrument was
first installed, it's had little use. "Organ fans here and beyond are frustrated
that it's used so little. Similar stories are cropping up in other cities with
glitzy new concert-hall organs; $2 million instruments are becoming expensive
dŽcor accessories." Dallas Morning News
08/13/04
(
I host a classic organ hour followed by a theater organ hour every Sunday
afternoon. I would love to have any CDs of either as a loan or gift to our non
profit FM station. Paul Saunders)
Orchestras Thrive In Colorado The Colorado Symphony and the Colorado Springs
Philharmonic both end their seasons with small surpluses. "The success
enjoyed in the Springs is particularly impressive, considering that the
orchestra started with no assets. It emerged out of the collapse last year,
under the weight of a $1 million debt, of the Colorado Springs Symphony." Rocky Mountain News 08/15/04
PEOPLE
http://www.artsjournal.com/people
Blair Witch Cinematographer Dies In Plane Crash Neal Fredericks, 35,
who shot the low-budget 1999 hit, "The Blair Witch Project," died in
the crash of a single-engine plane while filming a new movie near Key West. The Miami Herald 08/17/0
Misunderstanding Spike Lee "Now 47 and the father of two, Lee has
noticeable traces of gray in his hair, and his eyes look weary behind his
glasses. He seems less angry than just hugely frustrated. With the state of his
country. With how hard it is for him to get films made, despite being perhaps
the most famous black director of all time. With how hard it is for him to find
an audience, even within the black community."
San Jose Mercury News (CCT) 08/15/04
Dowling: What's Next After The Guthrie? In 10 years, Joe
Dowling has reinvented Minnesota's Guthrie Theatre. Coming off the theatre's
most successful season yet, and still two seasons from moving into the
theatre's new home, Dowling has begun to think about what's next. St. Paul Pioneer-Press 08/15/04
Czeslaw Milosz, 92 "Polish Nobel laureate Czeslaw Milosz, a
poet who documented the fight against communism, has died aged 93. His best
known work was The Captive Mind, which looked at the treatment of intellectuals
under communist rule." BBC 08/15/04
Leon Golub, 82 Leon Golub, an "American painter of expressionistic,
heroic-scale figures that reflect dire modern political conditions," died
Sunday in New York The New York Times 08/12/04
Dan Brown - Hanging Upside Down Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown has a
strict routine for writing: "The 39-year-old Dan Brown gets up and starts
writing each day at four in the morning. He writes with an antique hour glass
on his desk and at the end of each 60 minute period he does sit-ups, stretches
and push-ups. He also confesses to wearing gravity boots." BBC 08/11/04
PUBLISHING
http://www.artsjournal.com/publishing
For Harlequin Readers, The Romance Is Fading Romance publisher
Harlequin Enterprises intends to woo them back, but for now many readers have
strayed from the genre, irresistibly attracted to other kinds of books.
"Explosive growth in the market for women's fiction, particularly in newer
genres like chick lit and women's thrillers, has been drawing readers away from
traditional romance novels, those formulaic bodice-rippers stocked with hunky
heroes and love-conquers-all endings." The
New York Times 08/17/04
(Darn.
I always liked those covers, Great art:-) pbs)
A Novel Attempt To Dissuade A Third Bush With time being of the
essence, a Canadian novelist intent on skewering the various George Bushes
(H.W., W. and P.) turned to an online publisher, which is serializing his
"Too Many Georges" online. The Globe
& Mail (Canada) 08/17/04
Khouri Insists Her Book Not A Fraud Norma Khouri is still
maintaining her book is not a hoax, even after her publisher pulled the book
from stores. "It didn't take them [Random House] long to make up their
minds. They gave her until Friday to respond to them and when she didn't
respond to them, they pulled the pin on her. They were obviously very anxious
to move." Sydney Morning Herald 08/17/04
Previously: Publisher Pulls Khouri Book (Says Memoir Is
Probably Fiction)
Random House has concluded that Norma Khouri's "Forbidden Love," was
probably a work of fiction. "The publisher said it would permanently
withdraw the book from circulation and cancel the planned publication of a
second book by the author. Last month it temporarily withdrew the book pending
its investigation." The New York Times
08/15/04
Manly Men's Reading Club Wins Reading Prize A British reading club
known as the Racketeers has been named "as recipients of the
Penguin/Orange Reading Group Prize, awarded each year to the group who
'demonstrate the most imaginative and diverse reading' in Britain. The only
all-male group among 700 entrants, their submission was entitled 'Real Ale,
Real Books, Real Men?' and set out their mission: 'The pub atmosphere is an
integral part of our ethos. We like the noise, we like the beer, we like the
idea of talking about literature in these surroundings. Other drinkers
frequently express an interest in our discussions and sometimes get
involved'." The Observer (UK) 08/15/04
(Yes
of course - the beer is just an excuse to discuss great ideas and good
literature. pbs)
A Language All Their Own "The book world has a language all of its
own. Reviewese isn't confined to book reviewers; it pervades the literary
world. A lot of it comes from book-jacket blurbs, which produce a repertoire of
sentences that publishers would like to see in book reviews. This literary
lingo consists of words, constructions and formulations few English speakers
use, but that sound true if used about books."
The Telegraph (UK) 08/08/04
Where's The "There" There? Is "place"
important to novels anymore? A group of Canadian literary types sit down to
debate the question: "The commodification of place is so prevalent that
even non-fiction writers, such as Pico Iyer, have based their careers on it.
Read between his clever phrases and glib descriptions of a city in Bolivia or a
Toronto street and his point is almost always the same: We're living in a
global village now and there's no "there" anymore." The Tyee 08/16/04
(I'm
sorry - I'm here and I'm sure you are there - lets meet somewhere OK? pbs)
Omnivore In The Flesh Lawrence Weschler is working on starting a new
serious thoughtful non-fiction magazine - Omnivore. In the meantime, he talks
about his ideals. "What he longs for is a return to the
"non-Pavlovian" reading and writing experiences he enjoyed when he
would come across a two-part, 40,000-word piece on surfing, say, and be swept
away by the dynamic drive of the narrative, an experience that he could relive
around the dinner table the following weekend because his friends would have
exulted in the same article. As a writer, he mourns the cherished experiences
under the halcyon days, for him anyway, when William Shawn edited The New
Yorker." The Globe & Mail (Canada)
08/16/04
Can You Teach Pleasure In Books? "Educators say that from first
through third grades, children learn to read; from fourth grade on, they read
to learn. Often left out of this discussion is whether a person can be taught
to love to read and when or how that happens. In a time when statistics tell us
that reading literature for pleasure is on the wane, it seems important to look
at our own relationships with books." The
Plain Dealer (Cleveland) 08/15/04
THEATRE
http://www.artsjournal.com/theatre
Playing Now - Hadrian's Wall A new play about Hadrian's Wll is being
performed... along Hadrian's Wall. "They will step out along 84 miles of
the Hadrian's Wall path, a national trail opened last year, while the lucky
stage manager will ride the route in comfort with the baggage in the company
van. The day after each show in communities along the wall, the six actors plus
the playwright will don boots and waterproofs and give another kind of blistering
performance, striding 10 miles to the next venue."
The Guardian (UK) 08/17/04
Shoot The (Journalist) Comic. Please! Guardian journalist
Paul MacInes figured he'd seen enough bad stand-up comedians do their thing. So
he decided to give it a try himself at the Edinburgh Fringe. "As it turns
out, few of them are as rubbish as me. Fired into the bearpit of Edinburgh's
most notorious stand-up spot, I was to leave clawed, gouged and with a
tenderised groin. I wasn't expecting the mauling I got. Indeed, I may never get
over it." The Guardian (UK) 08/17/04
A Coconut Plan Miami's Coconut Grove Theatre hosted the first American
production of Waiting for Godot. Now it looks like some major changes may come
to the historic building. "In recent years, the operative plan was to
renovate the existing building and add a third theater and a parking garage.
Then came a newer scheme suggested tearing down all but the faŤade and building
anew. Now there are other options that have enormous implications for history
and preservation and the community at large."
Miami Herald 08/15/04
Backstage O'Neill The O'Neill Theatre Center has had a tumultuous
year. "This summer's off-stage labor is as riveting as what was happening
in the center's amphitheater. And last year's backstage drama was also quite a
show." Hartford Courant 08/15/04
Edinburgh Fringe Wants More Support The director of the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival blasts the Scottish Arts Council for not supporting
the Fringe. "There are practical ways things that can be done. We have
performers from all over the world here and the SAC should be getting them to
Dundee and Aberdeen. Equally, they should be encouraging Scottish audiences to
the Fringe from a slightly wider area." The
Guardian (UK) 08/14/04
West End Theatre Gets Political "Thoughtful social comedies and
gentle farces are being upstaged by a blast of radical writing. Not since the
socialist agit-prop shows staged in Russia early last century, or the satirical
cabaret in Berlin during the Thirties, have audiences been challenged by so
many overtly ideological plays. The renewed demand is all the more remarkable
since at least six West End plays with more conventional appeal have closed
this summer." The Observer (UK) 08/15/04
Shakespeare & Company Regroups The 27-year-old Massachusetts theatre
Shakespeare & Company is trying to regroup. "In the wake of the
shake-up, the company is undergoing major changes. The budget was reduced from
$4.5 million to $4 million, the season shortened, and the staff trimmed.
Shakespeare & Company is selling off a chunk of the 63-acre property,
purchased just four years ago, that has largely caused the financial
troubles." Boston Globe 08/15/04
Critic-Proof Theatre The critics are scathing, and Frank Wildhorn's
musicals have failed to turn a profit on Broadway. (Newsday's Linda Winer
says that Wildhorn writes "dunderheaded musicals for people who find
Andrew Lloyd Webber too difficult.") But "even without making a
profit on Broadway, and without critical approbation - but on the strength of
his devoted fans - these shows can still earn money in international, regional,
stock and amateur productions, as well as through recordings." So Wildhorn
keeps cranking them out. The New York Times
08/15/04
VISUAL ARTS