Art in the News - 2013
Read the latest arts news
"The Minnesota Orchestra is far from alone: Symphonies in Detroit, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Chicago have all experienced strikes and/or lockouts over the past two years, and those in many smaller cities, including Miami, Honolulu, and Albuquerque, have folded altogether. In the spring of 2011, the Philadelphia Orchestra became the nation's first major orchestra to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy—it emerged from restructuring last July with 10 fewer musicians, and a 15 percent pay cut for the remaining players."
"A measure that proposed to eventually eliminate all funding to the Oklahoma Arts Council won't advance this year, the bill's author said.
Rep. Josh Cockroft said House Bill 1895 has been assigned to the House of Representatives Rules Committee, where it is unlikely to get a hearing this year."
"Gov. Nikki Haley wants to fold the S.C. Arts Commission into the State Museum, a move that would eliminate the arts group’s board and director but leave intact its grants program.
Asked about Haley’s proposal by state House budget writers, Ken May, the commission’s executive director, said, 'It eliminates the Arts Commission, so you can imagine I’m not the biggest fan of that.'
Haley has proposed severe cuts to the Arts Commission before."
"A new national survey of nonprofit executives suggests it isn’t just the uncertain economy that’s making it hard for charities—including arts and culture groups—to meet their fundraising goals. The research says there’s something fundamentally amiss with the way many of them go about courting donors."
"A bill filed in the Oklahoma House of Representatives proposes all funding to the Oklahoma Arts Council (OAC) be eliminated.
The legislation, written by state Rep. Josh Cockroft, R-Tecumseh, would reduce state government funding to the OAC each fiscal year by 25 percent, eventually ending the appropriation in 2017."
"Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, Chair of the Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations Committee announced his support for the One Percent for Culture Campaign at an event at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, strengthening the growing coalition to support New York City’s cultural landscape.
The councilman’s support lends political clout to the rapidly growing coalition of cultural, business, civic leaders, and artists throughout all five boroughs who recognize the vital role of the city’s 1,200-plus nonprofit cultural organizations."
It is commonly said among artists that they chose to work in the Twin Cities for the quality of life and the general health of the cultural community. It certainly isn't for the money.
'The majority of artists are not, quote, making a living from their art,' said Vickie Benson, arts program director at the McKnight Foundation. 'They are cobbling work together not so they can have opulent lives but so they can cover the basics.'
"Longview Museum of Fine Arts (LMFA) is bringing art education back into Pine Tree schools.
Through a partnership between the museum and district, representatives from LMFA go to the intermediate and primary schools on a regular basis to provide arts education."
