IN LETTERS: John Brotman, director of the Ontario Arts Council, writes to protest the conclusions of a study and a report on that study in Canada's National Post, that said public money invested in the arts failed to make promised economic returns to their communities: "A few years back, the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) found that arts organizations in Ontario returned 20 per cent more in provincial taxes than they received in provincial government funding. Statistics Canada data estimates that the economic impact of Ontario's arts and culture sector is $19.1 billion or on a per capita basis that is more than $1,700 in economic return for every Ontario resident." ArtsJournal.com 03/15/02

IN LETTERS: Dr. Edoardo Crisafulli, cultural attaché of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes to deplore an Observer article about a campaign by a group of British arts luminaries to lobby Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi to keep Mario Fortunato, the Italian cultural envoy to London: "There is no such thing as a witch-hunt against left-wing intellectuals at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the general tenor of Ms Bedell's [Observer] article seems to suggest - Mr Silvio Berlusconi is a democratically elected head of government, not a dictator. It is simply false to claim that Mr Mario Fortunato will not be reconfirmed because of his sexual orientation or political ideas." ArtsJournal.com 03/15/02

IN LETTERS: In his farewell column for the Telegraph Norman Lebrecht referred to The New York Times as the "Jurassic Times," and called it "a protectorate for cultural dinosaurs" that "has often been left gasping by the pace of progress signalled in this conservative British daily." NYT critic Anne Midgette takes issue with Lebrecht's characterization of her story which in part provoked the Lebrecht column. ArtsJournal.com 03/15/02

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06/18/01
A Big Wide World: "I have read GLOBAL CROSSING part one, The Movies. In my opinion, another way of global crossing should become habitual for American moviemakers. That is: make movies in other countries each year." - Sudjoko

State of Dance
Back to our Bodies: "As a society, we are now strangers to our bodies. We don't use them very much. So of course our connection to our bodies is fading rapidly and as it does, we are just not as interested in seeing others use what we do not." Eva Lake 04/27/01

State of Dance
Where Did Dance Lose its Way? Somewhere along the way, it seems like dance became Art, without having the great popular works to maintain its accessibility at the mass level." Lydia Lee 04/22/01

State of Dance
What Dearth of Dance? "The world may not be beating a path to our door, there are extended periods without any performances here, and we get hardly any touring performances, but . . ." Terry Morris, Dayton Daily News 04/16/01

State of Dance
How to Make Dance Less Expensive "I think one key is to work together more since there is strength in cooperation. We have just made 3D and had 3 dance companies sharing a programme. We covered costs and had a great time." Mary Jane O'Reilly, 04/10/01

State of Dance
How to Save Dance? "I have read your article with great interest. The situation you describe and the article by John Munger could well have been written in Australia of the situation here." Shirley McKechnie, 04/10/01

State of Dance
Increase Public Awareness on the Difficulties of Dance: "As a dancer I am more than fully aware of the difficulties facing people who wish to pursue this form of art. A long time ago I was faced with a difficult decision: to dance or not to dance..."
Sarah Seely, 04/10/01

Expensive Instruments
Folklore and Rare Instruments: "Some years ago, Nova did an in-depth investigation into the mythology of the redoubtable output of the Cremona masters, and came up with some interesting conclusions that cast suspicions on the validity of the lore that attends these legendary fiddles."
Art Haykin, 04/02/01

Taliban
Black Market may be the Savior: "...the market (necessarily the black market in this case) is the only thing that might save important objects that otherwise would be destroyed for symbolic and ideological reasons. If the Taliban couldn't profit from the work they're sending out of the country, they'd just destroy it, right?"
Eric Fredericksen, 03/29/01

Critics
Get Past the Need to Be Arts Supporters: "I think it's essential for arts critics to get past this perceived need to be arts supporters. If, for instance, classical music is dying, then someone has to report objectively on what that death looks and feels like." - Philip Kennicott, Washington Post 03/16/01

Taliban
Don't Point Fingers at Museums: "Let those in the business of concerning themselves with moral and ethical issues do what they feel must be done. But do not confuse issues by pointing fingers at museums or those who would buy, sell, or smuggle art to willing markets." - Fred Lapides, 03/16/01

Critics
Critical Climate: "A healthy critical environment depends on an audience that reads competing opinions. What's really upsetting is that there is not such an audience in most cities." - Les Gutman, CurtainUp 03/15/01

Museum Blockbusters
No Worries Here: "A cure for museum blockbusters? Who needs one? They're both understandable and probably necessary right now." - Michelle Gotari, 03/02/01

Being Clingy: The 19th century gave us many beautiful gifts, but those who created them would be shocked to see us clinging to them in a way that denies the present. MORE 02/28/01

Maybe "Dying" is the Wrong Word: Maybe classical music is "crystallizing": becoming a fixed and unchanging cultural phenomenon...MORE 02/26/01

The "Crisis" is Greed: That's really what's wrong with the classical music industry today...MORE 02/23/01

Longest Day? So The Independent says composer Ronald Stevenson's 80-minute Pasacaglia is the "longest single-movement work ever composed?" Not even close. Several other works compete for the title... MORE 02/21/01

Why So Pessimistic? Who is the New Republic to get it so wrong about South Africa, particularly Cape Town? Sure the arts are changing, but there's no need to be so pessimistic... MORE 02/19/01