Pursuing The Enablers U.S. government
officials are recommending that Congress amend the nation's copyright law to
hold companies which "rely on copyright infringement to make a
profit" liable for the actions of consumers who use their products. The
new regulations, which are aimed squarely at file-trading enablers such as
Kazaa and Grokster, are very controversial, with privacy advocates insisting
that previous Supreme Court rulings prohibit such wide-ranging prohibitions.
- Wired
09/11/04
American Cultural Exchanges Fall Off "The annual number
of academic and cultural exchanges has dropped from 45,000 in 1995 to 29,000
in 2001. This means that far fewer American artists, including performing
artists, are being given chances to ply their crafts on foreign soil. The
study presumes that those figures have decreased even further in recent years.
- Back Stage
09/09/04
Broken Funding Process in South Texas San Antonio's Cultural
Arts Board is under fire for the way in which it doles out money to the city's
cultural organizations. Critics charge that the process does not allow for
input from local artists, and that applicants are treated as if they are
signing up for the welfare roles, rather than as organizations which
contribute significantly to the community in exchange for public dollars. The
cash-strapped San Antonio Symphony, which is preparing to relaunch itself
after emerging from bankruptcy, even chose to bypass the Arts Board
completely, preferring to appeal directly to the mayor and the city council
for funds. Board members concede that changes are needed. - San Antonio
Express-News 09/09/04
No Logos On The Timpani? A new sponsorship deal
between UBS, an international wealth management firm, and the Utah Symphony
Orchestra is getting some attention in the music industry. Under the deal, UBS
will contribute over $1 million to the orchestra, in exchange for which the
company's logo will be featured prominently in program books and orchestra
advertising, and will also receive special recognition at four concerts in the
2004-05 season. It's a more blatant marketing strategy than many orchestras
have been comfortable with, but with corporate support ever more important for
the survival of the industry, the deal may be a harbinger. - Salt Lake Tribune
09/09/04
Culturally Olympicizing Now an ambitious plan
for a kind of cultural Olympics. The World Culture Open is considered by its
organizers to be "a combination of the Olympics and the Nobel Peace Prize
to encourage and provide money for arts groups that emphasize cultural
understanding, something they feel neither the United Nations nor other
international groups do in a comprehensive way." - The New York Times
09/09/04
Some Art Dealers Tread Into Presidential Politics "Art dealers are
typically cautious not to offend their clientele by taking strong positions on
controversial topics. This year, however, the rules have changed. Dealers and
artists in New York have become visibly politicised and have been actively
raising funds and campaigning for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the run
up to the US presidential election on 2 November." - The Art Newspaper
09/05/04
Foreign Student Applications Down At US Schools As it's become more
difficult for international students to get entry into the United States to go
to school, the number of students applying to US schools has dramatically
declined. "U.S. graduate schools this year saw a 28% decline in
applications from international students and an 18% drop in admissions, a
finding that some experts say threatens higher education's ability to maintain
its reputation for offering high-quality programs." - USAToday
09/07/04
Building Support For The NEA, One Vote At A Time National Endowment for
the Arts chairman Dana Gioia has spent the last year building political
support for his agency, one politician at a time. "Conservative support
for the agency is among the little-noticed political developments of this
election year. In January President Bush asked Congress to increase the
endowment's budget by $18 million for the 2005 fiscal year, the highest
percentage increase in a quarter-century." - The New York Times
09/07/04
