Category: News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (2/4) Globe and Mail (Toronto), James Adams reports, “Earnings by most Canadian artists are hovering at poverty levels and the situation is likely to worsen as the worldwide recession deepens, according to a statistical profile of the country’s artists released yesterday. The findings of the 43-page study, prepared by Hill Strategies Research of Hamilton for Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council, are derived from the 2006 census. … The study reports that artists over all are working for near-poverty-level wages, with an average annual earnings in calendar year 2005 of just $22,731, compared with $36,301 for all Canadian workers—a 37-per-cent wage chasm. In fact, of the 140,000 artists analyzed, 43 per cent earned less than $10,000, whereas in the overall labour force that percentage was 25 per cent. The study notes that the $22,700 average is only 9 per cent higher than the $20,800 that Statistics Canada has identified as the ‘low-income cutoff’ for a single person living in a city with 500,000 people or more.”

In Thursday’s (2/5) Boston Globe, Michael Kranish writes about the $50 million arts stimulus bill that recently passed the House of Representatives as part of the larger economic stimulus package. “While the NEA money is a minuscule portion of the $819 billion House bill, it has become a lightning rod for some critics, who question whether the dollars for the arts will create many jobs—and who see the money as a symbol of House Democrats trying to lard up the plan with spending wish lists that have been pent up for years. … William Ivey, who was the leader of President Obama’s transition team on arts-related spending, said he has been troubled by comments suggesting ‘that an arts worker is not a real worker, and that a carpenter who pounds nails framing a set for an opera company is a less-real carpenter than one who pounds nails framing a house.’ ” The $50 million bill passed the House last week without a single Republican vote and “is not in the bill the Senate could vote on this week as Republicans and some Democrats try to rein in some spending. The matter would probably then become an issue when a House-Senate conference committee and the White House try to reach a compromise.”

In Wednesday’s (2/4) San Luis Obispo Tribune (California), San Luis Obispo Symphony Music Education Director Andrea Stoner comments on the state of music education. “It’s not surprising that interest is waning in the upper grades, when there is no longer a musical ‘farm team’ in the primary grades to ‘feed the majors.’ But it’s not just about filling the stage with young performers; it’s about how arts education and experience inspires learning, enhances our lives and creates better people. At the San Luis Obispo Symphony we are proud to offer music education programs for grades K-12 serving 16,000 students annually through programs like the Music Van, Strings in the Schools, Everyday Etudes and our annual Children’s Concert. While these programs provide an opportunity for children to experience and perform live, classical music, they are not capable of replacing a standards-based K-12 music education, mandated by the state of California. … We look forward to pairing our programs with a solid foundation of music education set by our schools to one day give all students the opportunities they deserve.”

Friday (1/30) on his ArtsJournal blog On the Record, Henry Fogel, Senior Advisor to the League of American Orchestras, writes, “That these are difficult economic times is hardly a news flash. … Although the League of American Orchestras, the organization that serves nearly 1,000 American orchestras, has not found the magic pill that will cure it, the League is providing some guidance for those who make decisions in orchestral organizations. The information provided by the League is important, and should be seen by the managers and board members of every orchestra in the land. … One critical piece is Good Governance in Challenging Times, a paper by League Chair Lowell Noteboom. … You can find Good Governance in the Knowledge Center section of the League’s website. … We have posted Guidance for Managing During Economic Downturns, prepared by League staff, faculty who led seminars during the post-9/11 downturn, and other knowledgeable sources. Also available is a new free webinar, Financial Management in Tough Economic Times. … While none of this material will immediately and easily solve any orchestra’s problems in coping with today’s economic environment, all of it will provide direction and wisdom.”

“The arts are in trouble,” writes James E. Canales, president and chief executive officer of the philanthropic James Irvine Foundation, in Tuesday’s (2/3) San Francisco Chronicle. “Some [arts institutions] are severely cutting programs; others are on the verge of closing. The arts are particularly vulnerable because they rely upon ticket sales and memberships, which are often among the first to be cut from consumer spending during an economic crisis. At the same time, the philanthropic revenues that arts organizations rely on—from government sources, foundations, corporations and individual contributions—all stand at risk today, given shrinking endowments and discretionary income. Thankfully, arts leaders are applying their creative powers to these economic challenges, thus finding new ways to cut costs or raise revenues. … But all the creative ideas to keep the doors open won’t be enough if we don’t fundamentally change our collective understanding of why the arts matter. … There are countless reasons why we should renew our commitment to the arts. Consider the following: In the Bay Area, the arts create more than 31,000 jobs and generate $1.2 billion in economic activity every year; the arts produce $105 million in local and state tax revenue for the Bay Area (far more than the government spends on the arts). … The arts expand our horizons, unleash creativity and build social bonds. During this period of unsettling change, the arts can provide us with pleasure and comfort, while also challenging us to see the world in new ways.”

In Tuesday’s (2/3) St. Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota), Rob Hubbard writes, “The Minnesota Orchestra has decided to put all of its Mardi Gras beads in one basket. Minneapolis’ Orchestra Hall was going to host two concerts featuring the music of New Orleans this month, but slow ticket sales have led to the cancellation of ‘The Keys to New Orleans,’ a Feb. 28 concert that was to feature three top Crescent City pianists: Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler and Jon Cleary. The orchestra is recommending that those interested in that concert should instead check out the Feb. 12 concert, dubbed ‘A Minneapolis Mardi Gras.’ The Minnesota Orchestra’s head of jazz programming, Irvin Mayfield, is assembling an all-star band of top New Orleans musicians for a program that also features the ‘soul queen of New Orleans,’ singer Irma Thomas, as well as the Rebirth Brass Band.”

In Wednesday’s (2/4) Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk), Teresa Annas reports, “To save money, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra has canceled two spring concerts. By cutting its April 24 concert at the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News and its April 26 concert at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, the cash-strapped symphony will trim $55,000 from its budget, said Donna Hudgins, director of public relations. The cancellations entailed a bit of programming musical chairs. Those concerts featured the Beethoven violin concerto, with soloist Michael Ludwig. But Ludwig’s not lost: The same program has been moved ahead three weeks, to April 2 at the Ferguson Center, April 3 at the Sandler Center, and April 4 at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk. The Beethoven concerts will replace a ‘Roman Festival’ mixed classical program that had been set for April 3 -5. … About 1,000 subscribers and single-ticket buyers had bought seats for those late April concerts, [Hudgins] said. All have received notice of the changes, she said, and so far she has heard no complaints.”

The Vermont Symphony Orchestra offered its January 24 and 25 concertgoers free downloads of David Ludwig’s Double Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra, featuring violinist/VSO Music Director Jaime Laredo and cellist Sharon Robinson. The performance of the new work was offered via instant messaging download by InstantEncore.com; the audience was given instructions to text “InstantEncore” to a free number, send their email address, and then receive an email with a direct link to the free download of the music immediately following the concert. Audience members also could go directly to InstantEncore.com by computer and enter a special code to download the concerto. Alan Jordan, the orchestra’s executive director, said, “The recording industry continues to shift practically on a daily basis, and the VSO wants to be in a position to take advantage of the latest advancements in expanding our connections with our audiences. This is especially important when unveiling a new work. Through InstantEncore, we can give our audiences a chance for a second hearing of a world premiere, in the comfort of their own home.” InstantEncore.com offers concert information, audio streaming and downloads, video, news and reviews, podcasts, blogs, social networking, and fan alerts for the classical music field.