January 2009
39 posts
“We stand at a kind of threshold. I don’t want to dumb down. But I do want...”
– Nice quotation from the new director of the Met from a piece overviewing his priorities during these turbulent times for the economy & for the art world.
Thomas Campbell, new director of New York’s Metropolitan Museum, in ‘go mode’ | Art and design | guardian.co.uk
John Irving remembers John Updike (Slate Magazine) →
George Harrison in the 80s (VIDEO)
I love this song/video. I remember watching it on either VH1 or MTV back in the early 90s.
George Harrison “I’ve Got My Mind Set on You” (1987)
“Today, we find ourselves at the after-party, rethinking and resituating...”
– - Hilary Sample & Michael Meredith winners of this year’s PS1 Young Architects Program. Their design will be constructed over the courtyard this summer and be the site of the summer concert series (among other things).
I love the title of their work “afterparty” - reflecting...
WHY?
Last year, you took away Jane and now this year you’re taking away Domino. What’s next? Teen Vogue? French Vogue? Dwell?
I have lots of blogs that I love in this area - but I’ve always loved flipping through the pages of Domino.
(Tear)
Rose Museum backers seek halt to selloff - The... →
When I first heard about the closing and dismantling of the art collection at the Rose Museum @ Brandeis, I was shocked. I’m lucky enough to sit on a Board which exists to support the work of my undergraduate college’s museum, and the thought of a similar action being taken at my alma mater would NEVER happen.
As many critics of the move have cited, the short term benefits (cash...
“Suspect each moment, for it is a thief, tiptoeing away with more than it brings.”
– John Updike (1932 - 2009)
Lykke Li - Tonight (Video)
via Discobelle
“his ambition was to see the D’Offay collection travel indefinitely around...”
– When Anthony D’Offay gave his works to the Tate and National Galleries of Scotland, he required that the work be displayed across the nation - not hidden away (sound familiar to anyone? can you think of an American philanthropist who did the same - in an extreme way??)
Anyway, yesterday, Nate...
Current Soundtrack: Amir's (of Kon&Amir)... →
Esp. love the track “Here, There, & Everywhere” by Siji
Major operas to be shown online | BBC →
New productions from the Met, Bolshoi, Marinsky, Zurich Opera and Paris Opera Ballet will be available for viewing (both live and streaming) next month on Classic TV’s website. In addition, theatre too.
Many will be pay-per-view ….I can’t really find much more information than this small article on the BBC news website right now, but I’m sure more will turn up.
Somehow I...
“vulnerable and weak are different things, remember.”
– D to the H, my moment of zen for the day
I cried. Did you?
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama taking their first dance at the Neighborhood Ball in DC to Beyonce singing “At Last” (classic Etta James song). So beautiful.
“More than any president since he was an infant, Mr. Obama has taken a place in...”
– The Nation Awaits Its New President - NYTimes.com
This week’s edition of NPR’s...
Explore the National Theatre (London) Online →
Really nice videos that take you on a tour of both front of house and back of house at the National Theatre - giving you great visuals and insight into what exactly goes on within the Denys Lasdun Brutalist building.
This was one of my favorite places to spend an evening in London - and the whole South Bank complex has been further renovated since I moved back to the States.
Last night’s...
Currently reading:
(1) Ritournelle de la Faim by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio in French (heavy usage of wordreference.com and my French-English dictionary)
(2) The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross
(3) Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (again! Inspiration is always needed)
(4) Modernism: The Lure of Heresy by Peter Gay
“Armchair tourists who are used to travelling the globe with Google Earth can now...”
– This is genius.
I wonder which museums will come “online” to this level next?
Google Earth brings masterpieces from Prado museum direct to armchair art lovers | Art and design | guardian.co.uk
“French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the country’s national museums and...”
– This is slated to go into effect on April 4. I’ll be interested to see if France’s museums see a marked increase in visitors under the age of 25.
I think this is a very important policy that more countries should embrace. There is often a “children under 12” free policy at...
City & Colour - The Girl (Music Video)
“They’ve got a mellow sound that reminds us of the days when we looped the Garden State soundtrack endlessly on our ipods… ahhh… memories.” - Hudson Lifestyle
So true.
More City & Colour here.
“The idea that you can nominate a city as a capital of culture, import some...”
– Jonathan Jones responding to Britain’s proposal to nominate new cultural capitals every few years after the success of Liverpool.
You should take the 10 minutes it will take to read his whole op-ed. I found myself nodding along in agreement quite a bit.
Jonathan Jones: Should Britain have a...
“Opera lovers are to get the chance to go behind the scenes of Puccini’s La...”
– I wish I could see this program on television. Not sure that this sort of simulcast will truly aid in “democratizing” opera, but I do think that this “back of house” access is the sort of creative thinking that will allow opera to take hold in a new generation of culture...
New in 2009
Comments on my blog via DISQUS.
Looking forward to any discussions that happen due to this refinement.
One solution to an ailing economy: more money to...
Both France and Germany have increased spending in the arts.
In both instances the money will go towards supporting capital projects (completion and expansions of major museums) as well as a variety of other purposes (much of the money being sent for dispersal at a more local level).
These articles are by no means extensive, but it made me think: what is it about European culture versus American...
Bittman tells me how to re-stock my kitchen (NYT) →
I can’t get enough of this guy.
It’s also 10:23 AM EST and I want to cook dinner after reading this article.
“Sometimes a girl wants nothing more than to feel unapologetically pretty.”
– via coco+kelley via vogue
It’s the truth. Put me in a dress, heels, and a bit of blush and mascara and I feel pretty. No doubt.