Art in the News - 2014
Read the latest arts news
On Friday, March 14, approximately 1,800 high school age students from across Tennessee were invited to hear a performance by this year’s Annual Convention keynote speaker, Ben Folds, who had premiered his new concerto with the Nashville Symphony orchestra at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center the night before.
In response to the Colorado shootings last December, Huffington Post blogger Kimann Schultz wrote about using art as a form of non-violent expression - a healthy way to express negative emotions like anger and frusteration. She urged that in the wake of such distasters, when mental healthcare is at the forefront of our minds, we keep the Arts as a relam to be tapped and a possible solution to an individual's issues.
On Feb. 23, 2014 at the age of 110, Alice Herz-Sommer, a concert pianist and thought to be oldest survivor of the Holocaust, died in a London hospital. Mrs. Herz-Sommer was known around the world for her optimism and belief in the healing power of music. She shared her experiences and wisdom through books, YouTube Appearances and a short documentary film nominated this year for an Oscar. Born and raised in Prague, Mrs.
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam recently appointed Leo McGee to the Tennessee Arts Commission Board, which consists of 15 members of the state who have demonstrated a commitment to the arts.
Long round-trips aboard Amtrak trains dedicated solely for the purpose of writing? This is an idea that New York City-based writer Jessica Gross tweeted at Amtrak without ever thinking it could come true. But it did come true—when Amtrak offered Gross a free “test-run” residency aboard a train that traveled from NYC to Chicago and back.
The Ford Foundation welcomes Lourdes Lopez as a newly elected member and the first artist to join its Board of Trustees. Ms. Lopez will serve a term of six years, set board policy for numerous topics, and oversee internal and independent audits while a trustee.
According to a new plan, the National Gallery of Art and George Washington University (GWU) would take over The Corcoran Gallery of Art. As Washington’s oldest private art museum and a revered college of art and design, ceasing to exist as an independent institution would come with both a financial and emotional cost. The Corcoran’s 17,000 pieces of artwork that are worth an estimated $2 billion would be the National Gallery’s responsibility.
Things are looking up for the nation’s state arts agencies. The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies reports that legislative appropriations increased 10.5 percent in 2014, to $306.6 million. This is the second year of growth following four Great Recession years of budget cuts.
KEY FINDINGS
1) State and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs) reported $306.6 million in legislative appropriations for fiscal year 2014.
The following is directly from the Office of the Press Secretary of the White House, February 12, 2014.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Dr. Jane Chu as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
On February 11, Robert Lynch, Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, co-authored a Letter to the Editor with arts advocate and award-winning actor Robert Redford on arts' potential to open doors for the less fortunate in response to an article pubished on February 4 by Patricia Cohen: N.E.A Benefits Both the Rich and the Poor, Study Finds.
