I’ll be traveling with my family for my kids’ spring recess, and not posting to the blog for a week or two. But fret not, there’s plenty of juicy and interesting thoughts to read throughout the other blogs on ArtsJournal! Go see for yourself.

Steven Landsburg in Slate takes a moment from his busy schedule to discuss leisure trends in the American workforce. According to a meta-study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (from way back in January 2006, available on-line), leisure time has risen dramatically among most population segments over the past 40 years. But the most […]

If you wonder about the spaces in which creative people work, and you’re too lazy to wander an open studio tour, On My Desk has come to your rescue. The web site encourages professional designers, artists, illustrators, or other creatives to post images of their workspace, along with a narrative on the items within it […]

At a recent arts advocacy event in Wisconsin, I was struck again by the loss of words we often suffer when arguing for public expenditure for arts and culture. Economic impact is still limping along as an angle for some. Creative economy arguments seem to be strong but peaking. Tourism and education are also contenders […]

Richard Florida is digging deeper into his premise that bohemian, artistic, and gay populations in a region have a direct impact on home values and economic vitality. In his weblog, he links to a new working paper he co-authored on the subject. Says he: The findings indicate that the Bohemian-Gay Index has substantial effects on […]

Ingenious computer game designer Will Wright had some rambling but fascinating things to say about games and narrative during his SXSW conference keynote (one attendee’s transcript is available here). The designer of the insanely popular and genre-busting Sims series is hard at work completing his next invention, an evolutionary creature/tribe/civilization design game called Spore. Wright […]

Much has been written already about the New Jersey Symphony’s decision to sell their collection of rare string instruments (here’s the story in the New Jersey Star-Ledger, and here’s fellow blogger Drew McManus’ reporting on the topic). Beyond the artistic, marketing, or public relations issues surrounding the decision, a few business issues are getting buried […]

Way back in December 2005, I noted an emerging court case in Peterborough, New Hampshire, in which the town was challenging the charitable tax status of the MacDowell Colony for artists. Most will be pleased to know that earlier this month, the court ruled against the town and in favor of the Colony. The MacDowell […]

The folks at ArtistShare had an interesting idea that seems to be bearing fruit. The web site connects musicians and their recording/composition projects with a world of supporters and patrons on the web. Artists post their projects for possible funding. Fans can browse the list of offers and contribute from $10 to $10,000 to fund […]

Last month, Ozzy and Sharon Ozbourne announced a new strategy for their annual summer Ozzfest concert tour. Their response to rising production costs, rising ticket prices, and declining attendance is this: stop charging customers to come, and stop paying bands to play. Essentially, through their new ”free admission” policy, Ozzfest is refocusing what it sells […]