Philanthropy: The Crutch of Arts Organizations

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A look at any museum’s annual report or simply the playbill of a production will reveal an extensive list of donors separated into categories by the amount of their contribution. This is true for many arts institutions and especially for many of New York City’s “super-museums.” It seems philanthropy is more prevalent in the arts than in any other business. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual report, for example, includes a lengthy section titled “Contributors to the Museum” where all who have donated more than $1,500 are formally recognized. The MET’s 2013 operating revenue (a total of $248.2 million) was funded (in 60 percent) by (1) gifts, grants, and funds released from restrictions and transfers, and (2) endowments. The majority of these contributions are often from wealthy individuals or couples, companies, and charitable foundations.

However, these donations often come attached with stipulations on what the money should be allocated towards. More often than not, it is requested that the funds help build a new wing or add a new art piece to a collection. Rarely are donors satisfied with giving their money to more mundane and less glamorous operational tasks, like redoing the air filtration system or maintaining the outer façade of a building. These acts of philanthropy come from a heroic need to “give back.” As Peter Buffet has called it, “conscience laundering” comes from the need to feel better about accumulating more than one person could ever spend in a lifetime by sprinkling a little around as acts of charity. Additionally, donors are more and more seeing philanthropy as a lofty entrance fee into higher social circles. The act of donating to a charity has begun to remove itself from the notion of being truly charitable. However, one may ask why it is necessary to question the motives of where the money comes from.

The motives are important because those who donate for selfish reasons are more likely to send their checks to well known arts institutions. Small galleries and regional museums are often forgotten due to the lack of publicity associated with their name. Donald and Shelley Rubin are two individuals who are breaking the norm by solely donating to less represented museums in every borough but Manhattan. They recently gave $300,000 to Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City to transform the former landfill into space possible for outdoor exhibitions. This act of charity certainly deviates from the traditional and makes a greater difference. Small institutions rely heavily on government financing to survive, far more than the MET does. And with the slow drying up of federal funding and the end to many philanthropic foundations, such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, these small institutions can put good use to the donations of the Rubin’s and other like-minded donors.

The New York City government has given considerable support to the super-museums. These federal grants allow for inexpensive and recommended admission fees, although they do not completely cover the cost needed to start free-entry. On one hand, weekly visitor attendance is high. On the other hand, there is still a gap between the operating costs and the total income from the recommended admission price. Some museums, such as the MET and the MoMA, have tried to remedy this problem by raising recommended admission prices. But, more commonly, this is where donations help bridge the balance sheet.

This practice of relying on donation campaigns and the philanthropy of individuals make museums vulnerable to any economic and business instability. As the arts world has seen with the closing of the New York City Opera, relying on appeals for fund-raising is not the strongest solution. City Opera tried to resolve long-term business obstacles with a short-term plea for money. Among those troubling business obstacles was the decision to move out of Lincoln Center shortly after renovating, cutting the season schedule short, and having an inaccessible list of production pieces. Even if City Opera had managed to raise the needed $7 million within a month’s time, many predict that the company would have run into the same problems the following production season.

Some may say that it is odd that the closing of City Opera has come, especially at this time when the city government has never supported the arts more. In his twelve years of incumbency, Mayor Bloomberg has always been a major advocate for the positive influence art can have on a neighborhood. And with the help of his immense personal wealth and his private foundation dedicated to helping arts institutions, it’s jarring to accept that a famed arts company will be dissolving and filing for bankruptcy. However, the arts community should come to terms with the possibility of this happening to all institutions that are poorly maintained and have a weak business structure. In the coming months, Bloomberg will no longer have control of where city money is to be appropriated and there is no telling whether soon-to-be Mayor De Blasio will give the same attention to the arts. These organizations have begun to wonder whether the new mayor will continue to support them, and, more importantly, will Citizen Bloomberg?

Charity has come to take different meanings depending on the intention of the gift, the size of the receiving museum, and how heavily the receiving museum relies on its donors. In different situations, such as a significant donation to a local museum, charity can be a positive welcome to arts institutions. However, many museums rely too heavily on outside donations for the extra support, as City Opera did. Philanthropy is as volatile a market as any other. The museums that rest business structures on this extremely erratic income are doomed to suffer equally erratic seasonal profits and losses. Even stable structures such as the government cannot guarantee a fixed allocation of sums year to year. Although it is fantastic that people are recognizing the importance of art, museums are not recognizing how dangerous it is to expect a certain threshold of philanthropic assistance. Charity has become so popularized to the point where museums have become expectant of donations from individuals and companies. This type of reliance is hazardous if unrestrained.

 

Works Cited

Buffet, Peter. “The Charitable-Industrial Complex.” ArtsBeat. The New York Times, 26 July 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/27/opinion/the-charitable-industrial-complex.html>.

Cooper, Michael. “New York City Opera Announces It Will Close.” ArtsBeat. The New York Times, 1 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/01/new-york-city-opera-announces-it-will-close/?_r=0>.

Pogrebin, Robin. “Arts Groups Fear Losing a Mayor, And His Money.” ArtsBeat. The New York Times, 1 July 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/02/arts/art-world-fears-losing-a-mayor-and-his-money.html?pagewanted=1>.

Pogrebin, Robin. “These Donors Will Take Anything But Manhattan.” ArtsBeat. The New York Times, 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/arts/design/these-donors-will-take-anything-but-manhattan.html?_r=0>.

 

Gilbert: A Sensation in the Musical World

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The New York Philharmonic is regarded as one of the best orchestras in the world.  It is included in the “Big Five”, or the best orchestras in the country, along with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra.  The New York Philharmonic performs at Lincoln Center in the Philharmonic Hall, or Avery Fisher Hall, located on the west side of Manhattan. The symphony has been around since its founding in 1842.  Since then, it has recruited some of the best musicians from all over the world.  But what is an orchestra without its main component? A conductor is vital to the success an orchestra.  Who is the leader of the greatest orchestra in the world?

Alan Gilbert is the principal conductor for the New York Philharmonic today.  He has had much experience in his life that led to this position.  He studied piano, violin, and viola.  Gilbert studied at Harvard University, The Curtis Institute of Music, and Juilliard School of Music throughout his earlier years.

Gilbert began his career with the New York Philharmonic in 2009.  The New York magazine called it “a fresh future for the Philharmonic.”  He is actually the first native New Yorker who has ever held this position.  He also has a legacy at the New York Phil.  Both of his parents played in it (his mother is still playing there now) along with his sister too.

Gilbert also conducts many orchestras around the country and the world (not permanently of course).  These include: the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic. For the upcoming season, he is supposed to be conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Munich Philharmonic, NDR Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, and Orchestre National de Lyon too.

In May 2010, Gilbert received an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Curtis School of Music, and in December 2011, he received Columbia University’s Ditson Conductor’s Award for his “exceptional commitment to the performance of works by American composers and to contemporary music.”

I myself had the pleasure of seeing the New York Philharmonic perform last year with my dad.  I was blown away.  Completely.  They produced a sound that is really only one of a kind.  Believe it or not, I actually noticed Gilbert conducting even though I didn’t know of him at the time.  I remember seeing his passion through his conducting style.  When the tempo would pick up, he would be very strict and concise with the baton.  But during solos and slow movements, he waved it as lightly as a feather.  Of course the Philharmonic was well received with thunderous applause.

Gilbert has done many extraordinary things with the New York Phil since becoming director.  He is very passionate about educating younger people about music.  one of his initiatives include “Contact!“ a contemporary music series that draw large audiences to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Symphony Space.  Unfortunately, there have been only two programs a season.  However, next year, it is expanding into four different programs, which will give more chances for the audience to listen in.

But that’s not all! Gilbert is planning to expand contemporary music in a huge way.  Starting next season, working with ten institutional collaborators, including the Julliard School and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gilbert inaugurates “NY Phil Biennial,” a series that will last over 10 days and will feature works from over 50 composers in May and June next year.  Gilbert has very high hopes for this series and is looking forward to it.

Critics even admire Gilbert for his work and passion.  However, though, he has been criticized to be uninspiring.  The pieces he selects for the orchestra to play have been fan favorites.  He chose Janacek’s “Cunning Little Vixen,” “A Dancers Dream” by Stravinsky, and “Philharmonic 360, ” a mix of Boulez, Mozart, Ives, and Stockhausen, all of which have sold out during their time on stage. The Philharmonic’s administration and board, unfortunately, believed otherwise, and limited the amount of concerts given that featured these pieces.  They were, of course, mistaken.  The New York Times said “Those who think classical music needs shaking up routinely challenge music directors at major orchestras to think outside the box.  That is precisely what Alan Gilbert did.”

Anthony Tommasini, an author for the New York Times, praises Gilbert for his passion and determination.  “I admire conductors who can convey, to put it simply, how a piece of music goes. Mr. Gilbert is excellent at revealing, without being didactic, the way the phrase-to-phrase layout of a composition fits into its larger structural arcs. His inquisitive mind lights on inner details, harmonic clashes and contrapuntal intricacies, and makes the music leap off the stage.”

Just this year, Gilbert’s contract was extended into the 2016-2017 season.  He said he felt a sense of a “fresh start” with the renewal of his contract.  From my own experience, there is an extremely strong bond between the conductor and the musicians in a symphony.  Gilbert said he does not plan on leaving any time soon because of some of the bonds he has formed with the players.  It is possible that Gilbert will still be the principal conductor for the Phil then Avery Fisher Hall is reconstructed. It has been criticized by audiences for its lack of quality acoustics.

Even though the arts as a whole have taken a hit from the recent economic recession, the Philharmonic is still going strong.  The New York Phil’s ticket sales are at an all time high as of last year.  The percent of capacity filled, ticket sales, and revenue are all up at least 50 percent, if not more.  This shows that there is still demand for the quality that the New York Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert bring to the table.

The New York Philharmonic is very lucky to be headed by Alan Gilbert.  He has many new plans for the orchestra, including more traveling and developing closer ties right here in New York.  Gilbert is a gem among other world-renowned musicians, some of them the best in the world.  He takes his work seriously and will continue to amaze audiences, for at least another five years.

Works Cited

“Alan Gilbert.” New York Philharmonic. New York Philharmonic, n.d. Web. 20 Nov

2013. <http://nyphil.org/about-us/ArtistDetail?artistname=alan-gilbert>.

 

Gilbert, Alan. “Alan Gilbert.” Alan Gilbert. Articomm, n.d. Web. 20 Nov 2013.

<http://alangilbert.com/>.

 

“Music Director Alan Gilbert.” New York Philharmonic. New York Philharmonic, n.d.

Web. 20 Nov 2013. <http://nyphil.org/about-us/the-orchestra/music-director-alan-

gilbert>.

 

“New York Philharmonic.” New York Philharmonic. New York Philharmonic, n.d. Web.

20 Nov 2013. <http://nyphil.org/>.

 

Tommasini, Anthony . “Alan Gilbert.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 15

Jul 2013. Web. 20 Nov 2013.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/arts/music/alan-gilbert-shapes-a-legacy-of-

change-at-the-philharmonic.html>.

 

Tommasini, Anthony. “What to Do When Asked to Accent Beethoven.” The New York

Times. The New York Times, 4 Oct 2013. Web. 20 Nov 2013.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/05/arts/music/new-york-philharmonic-plays-

beethoven-and-turnage.html>.

Featured Article – Fashion: A Racist Industry

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Fashion: A Racist Industry

Fashion is all around us especially in Manhattan. Living in New York City, we have access to some truly amazing fashion. New Yorkers probably pass thousands of clothing stores everyday. Walk down Fifth Avenue and what do you see? Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Michael Kors, and more. However, Fifth Avenue is not the only attraction that draws hundreds of fashion lovers to this bustling city. Held twice a year in Manhattan, New York Fashion Week, also known as Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, is one of four major fashion weeks in the world. In September, fashion week features the hottest, upcoming spring styles while in February, it showcases the must-have fall trends. Designers, stylists, celebrities and hundreds of fashion enthusiasts gather in Lincoln Center, previously Bryant Park, to participate in these beautiful runway shows.

Although thousands of people attend New York Fashion Week to view the latest and greatest fashion craze, I doubt many of them notice the models beyond their beauty. How many attendees have noted the models’ ethnicities? While fashion week attract fashionistas from all parts of the world, the actual runway shows do not. In today’s society, many people are still discriminated against based on the color of their skin and models are no exception. As seen on the runways of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, the fashion industry continues to favor the Caucasian models and lack ethnic diversity.

New York Fashion Week began in 1943 during World War I. Because of the fighting in France, many fashion editors and journalists could not travel to Paris for Paris Fashion Week. In response, Eleanor Lambert, a prominent fashion publicist, seized the opportunity to make New York a household name the fashion industry by assembling a showcase. Press Week, its original name, displayed the American inspired clothing of fifty-three American designers to an audience consisting of editors, national and regional media. In no time, New York City became a fashion capital with its own fashion week twice every year.

Although New York City quickly rose to fame in the world of fashion, the progress for black models has been slow. Nearly fifty years ago, Donyale Luna became the first-ever black supermodel. Luna was praised for her unique beauty and personality; however, today, she is often forgotten. Since then, models such as Kinee Diouf, Bethann Hardison, Beverly Johnson, Chanel Iman have paved the way for African American models. Even though black models have made a name for themselves in modeling, white models are still dominant in this industry and are sometimes even painted black in photographs and runway shows.

Despite the movement away from the racist actions such as blackface, the lack of diversity is still a major issue in the world of fashion especially at New York Fashion Week. Although more ethnic women are casted in these shows, the numbers are just barely improving. For New York Fashion Week’s Spring 2014 Season Show, approximately eighty percent of models are white, eight percent Asian, eight percent Black, and three percent Hispanic. In comparison to last season’s show, the percentage of white models has decreased three percent while the percentage of black models has increased two percent, Hispanic models one percent, and Asian models has dropped one percent. Although designers such as Zac Posen and Diana von Furstenberg use thirty percent or more non-white models in their shows, other designers such as Victoria Beckham and Lacoste still only show zero to three looks on non-white models.

Despite the small improvement in numbers, black models still often lose jobs or opportunities when designer complete their “black quota.” African American models such as Joan Smalls and Chanel Iman have openly admitted repeatedly being told, “there’s only room for one” or “we already have one black model so we don’t need you.” Recently, Iman joined fellow model Naomi Campbell and veteran model Bethann Hardison in a movement, called Balance Diversity, to increase the number of black models on the runways. In their open letter to the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the models stated the racism within the fashion industry and called out big named designers such as Donna Karen and Calvin Klein for using one to no black models in their previous fashion show. Although all the top designers, after reading their letter, used at least one black model in the most recent New York Fashion Week shows, there still remains a lack of diversity among the runways of fashion week.

In response to the lack of diversity on the runways, top casting directors explained that models are casted not based on their skin color but based on the vision of the designers for their collections. Barbara Nicoli and Leila Ananna, directors of major fashion brands such as Gucci and Burberry, claimed that models were chosen based on their body, face, attitude and the aesthetic of the designer. Nicoli stated in an article for the magazine, Business of Fashion, “I think if you’re very strict on your collection and have a vision, it’s pretty difficult to accept someone who is far from your idea of the woman wearing your clothes.” I respect the designers’ concept and their desire for cohesion; however, when twelve out of the 128 models booked for Nicoli and Ananna’s Fall 2013 shows are Asian and four are black, there needs to be a change in perception.

There is no excuse for the lack of diversity in the fashion industry. Regardless of intent, excluding women of color and different ethnicities is considered racism. Colors shouldn’t just be featured in the clothing on the runways of New York Fashion Week. Women come in all shapes, sizes, and skin colors and models should reflect that. By this day and age, racism should not be as prevalent in major institutions such as the fashion industry. It’s the 21st century and designers should begin to use more non-white models and increase racial diversity to represent today’s society and its different types of women.

Citation

Critchell, Samantha. “Black Model Campaign Brings More Diversity To New York Fashion Week Runways.” Huffington Post, 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

Goff, Kelly. “The First Black Supermodel, Whom History Forgot.” New York Magazine, 10 Jul. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

Sinclair, Demi. “Racial Diversity on the Runway.” The Business of Fashion, 14 Apr. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

Skarda, Erin. “A Brief History of New York Fashion Week.” Time, 9 Feb. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

Spivack, Emily. “New York Fashion Week, Past and Present.” Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Sept. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

Wilson, Julee. “Black Models on the Rise, But White Models Still Dominate New York Fashion Week Runway.” Huffington Post, 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

 

Feature Paper

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Michael Goldberg

IDC 1001H

Professor Sheehan-Saldana

18 November 2013

Rack of Lamb With a Side of Baryshnikov

            When the best part of my meal was not the veal scaloppini in a marsala wine sauce, I knew I had just experienced something special.  Tevere, a kosher restaurant in the upper east side of Manhattan specializing in Roman cuisine, is not just the home for tantalizing Italian delicacies – it’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing establishments in New York City.

When one walks down the steep stairs that lead to Tevere, they get a sense they are about to be removed from the norms of daily life, and that is exactly what happens.  Busy streets and bright neon lights turn into a warm brick dining room with dimly lit candles, inviting bottles of red wine, and giant paintings of handsome people enjoying the bustling markets of Rome.  When you enjoy a meal at Tevere, it has just as much to do with the decor as the food.

With New York City being one of the most impressive and bold cities in terms of its art and food, it’s no wonder the two elements have combined to treat customers to a fine-dining experience that combines the most daring and delicious cuisine with a complex and nuanced ambiance.

The fact that New York City is a trailblazer in both food and art explains why world famous designers, such as Frenchman Jacques Garcia, have teamed up with some of the most successful restaurants. The Nomad, located in the NoMad Hotel, is one of those restaurants.  Garcia’s jaw-dropping implements include a 24-foot long mahogany bar that has carved mahogany elephants situated on it.  The high ceilings and precise curved designs in the walls are a few of the artistic qualities of the restaurant.

With New York City’s finest restaurants, it’s not enough to just have a world-class chef preparing their best dishes in a theatrical setting; sometimes the physical location of the restaurant comes into play.  For example, Prime at the Bentley, the newest venture of restaurateur Joey Allahan, not only possesses dangling orb chandeliers, titanium chairs, and slanted mirrors, it is situated in the rooftop penthouse of the Bentley Hotel, with floor to ceiling mirrors giving way to views of the East River and Queensboro Bridge.

Another aspect that fine dining establishments in New York City have been practicing is the appearance of their waiters.  When you walk into Prime Grill, another one of Mr. Allahan’s four premier restaurants, the waiters are not wearing loose fitting suits or polo shirts with the company name on the left breast.  The waiters and waitresses – who are mostly aspiring actors and actresses – are wearing tailored silk shirts, deep blue ties, and crisply fitted vests.  There is no pen and paper, all orders are memorized, and perhaps most importantly, they act as if they’re ecstatic that they will be serving you for the evening.

Despite all of the painstaking detail that restaurant owners, designers, chefs, and waiters attend to for the ultimate dining experience, perhaps nothing is more theatrical or enjoyable than live music.  Live music during a meal, if executed correctly, can add spice and flavor to even the most bland cuisine.

Live performances in New York City eateries date back to 1831 when Viennese waltzes were played at the historic Delmonico restaurant.  Delmonico is a legendary organization for many reasons.  It is known as the first restaurant to have a separate wine list, as well as being the first to serve customers a la carte, meaning from a menu with many options of food and prices as opposed to a fixed menu.  However, the live entertainment aspect of the venue is the most revolutionary of all their initiatives.

New York City is now filled with live music dining options, which range from Indian rock to Louisiana soul.  Blue Water Grill, located at Union Square, has become a New York City hot spot for patrons to “see and be seen”.  With its exquisite seafood menu and limitless sushi bar, one would think that they would be content with serving thousands of New Yorkers great fish.  However, the live jazz performances, which take place seven nights a week, give the place a warm, almost southern feel.

Quality live music not only gives a restaurant a unique edge over its competition, it can even set the tone for the whole restaurant.  Antique Garage, a Mediterranean joint in SoHo, has a rotation of jazz musicians so there is a different vibe every night.  Mediterranean food has become increasingly popular, so for a place like Antique Garage to incorporate live music into its experience gives it a distinct advantage over its competition.

It is well known that 90 percent of restaurants fail within their first year of opening.  In New York City, a place where the boundaries of every industry – especially music, food, and art – are being pushed again and again, it is critical for new restaurants to have a unique game plan, and for established ones to be willing to adapt.

The upper echelon restaurants have an entirely different challenge.  The menu and location, two of the main components of any food vendor, are just the tip of the iceberg.  The restaurateur must decide what shade of blue works on the skin tone of the waiting staff, at what degree the embellished chairs should slant, and how the mahogany elephants are going to add to the décor.  In other words, they are putting on a show of their own.

The next time you want to grab dinner before the show, try one of New York’s finest dining options.  Whether it will be the seafood and jazz by Union Square or the intimate Roman experience on the Upper East Side, sit back and enjoy not just the food, but the theatrical setting as well.  Make sure to take it all in, it may be the best performance of the evening.

Works Cited

Prime Hospitality Group. WEB. 19 November 2013. JXT Group.

Blue Water Grill. WEB. 19 November 2013. Ignite Hospitality Consultants.

Antique Garage Restaurant. WEB. 19 November 2013.

Feature Article: Medieval Meets Contemporary at the Cloisters

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Medieval Meets Contemporary at the Cloisters

Walking into a room filled with forty speakers, set in an oval, playing forty different voices in Latin would seem peculiar to a regular visitor of the Cloisters museum in New York City, or anybody at all for that matter. One might cautiously look around the Cloisters’ Fuentidueña Chapel observing how other visitors are reacting to the music and follow their lead by closing his eyes or walking around to hear the sound in each speaker. After being completely transfixed by the beautiful eleven-minute piece, the visitor will have naturally expressed his own unique reaction and wonder who it is that could be responsible for something so moving.

Canadian native Janet Cardiff created an adaptation of a sixteenth-century, sacred motet by recording each member of a choir individually and piping each voice into its own speaker. Visitors are invited to walk within the oval of loudspeakers and hear the individual unaccompanied singers—bass, baritone, alto, tenor, and child soprano, one part per speaker—as well as to experience the immersive effect of the combined voices.

When speaking on her work Cardiff said,  “It poses the question of how sound may physically construct a space in a sculptural way and explores how a viewer may choose a path through this simultaneously physical and virtual environment…It’s about the personal, the individual, and how people come together for the singing, and then it becomes ethereal, spiritual.”

The name of the sacred motet in Latin is Spem in alium, which translates as “In No Other Is My Hope,” by the famous the Tudor composer Thomas Tallis in the 16th century. What is now known as The Forty-Part Motet, has been on display in over twenty-five different locations around the world since Cardiff’s recreation in 2001.

The Forty-Part Motet is actually the first contemporary piece to visit the Cloisters in honor of the museum’s 75th anniversary celebration. When choosing which piece would represent the anniversary, Anne Strauss, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art said “Discussion of bringing The Forty Part Motet to the Museum – the first example of sound art to be presented at the Met – began several years ago, and we timed its arrival to fall within The Cloisters’ 75th Anniversary year, with the idea that its presence would animate the 75th Anniversary programs with the remarkable immersive experience that the piece offers.”

The Cloisters museum and gardens opened in 1938 and is located in Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood. It assembled from architectural elements that largely date from the 12th through the 15th century. The focal elements of the museum are devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. Although the motet dates back to the 16th century, Cardiff’s remake features a technology called binaural sound, such that the visitor senses voices coming from very specific directions, creating a highly physical experience.

Strauss said ““The opportunity for two Metropolitan Museum departments – the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters – centuries apart on the art historical timeline, to, in a first-time collaboration, present a contemporary masterwork in an ideal architectural and acoustical setting uniquely offered at The Cloisters. It was our intention, with the piece, to transform the Fuentidueña Chapel into a unique setting and experience for several months.” This choice of exhibit is a perfect mix of the Cloister tradition, and the opening of a contemporary work at the museum.

The Forty-Part Motet has been a popular attraction for visitors and entices younger, less frequent museumgoers to experience beauty, history, and technology combined to make a masterpiece. C. Griffith Mann, the Michel David-Weill Curator in Charge of the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters says “The museum is seeing not only an increase in visitors overall for The Forty-Part Motet, but also new visitors to the museum, as well as an increase in the conversion of visitors to members. The museum staff have been both excited and challenged, especially on the some of the busiest weekend days, by the steady flow of visitors. Many people are coming to see The Forty-Part Motet, and our work is to ensure that they also discover (and come back to) The Cloisters Museums and Gardens along the way.” Enticing visitors to come back to the museum because of interesting, contemporary works is a clever tactic shed light on the beauty of the museum and garden itself.

Presenting a newfound contemporary attraction for the museum is an incredible idea for The Cloisters to attract new visitors. Strauss promised “The Cloisters will certainly evaluate its programming more broadly to ensure that it can take advantage of its nested position within the Met’s broader encyclopedic collections. Developing relationships with living artists is likely to become a more predictable part of our programming, though the forms that this will take will vary, rather than remain limited to ‘presenting’ contemporary art in the context of The Cloisters historic collections.”

The Forty-Part Motet has such emotional resonance for each individual that upon leaving the chapel people could not find words to describe it. There are so many ways to listen to the piece; whether it is walking to individual speakers to hear one person’s part, or sitting in the middle to hear them all together, Cardiff says, “every installation changes it.”

One woman, 24-year-old Margaret Cardenas found one word to describe it- “transcendent.” Many people could not even be approached after listening to it because they claimed that it was “too soon” or the sound was “too raw” to speak on it just yet. The Forty-Part Motet has brought people together over the past 13 years in many ways. Cardiff actually said that the man who sets up the speakers for the exhibit, met his wife in Sweden while listening, and now they have three kids. This exhibit has been featured in many different locations throughout the world but has not failed to have a lasting impact on the listeners and also on the location that which the song is featured.

Works Cited

Cardiff, Janet. Interview by Brian Boucher. “Janet Cardiff Gets Medieval at the Cloisters.” Art In America. 09 Sept 2013. Sept . Web.

Dwyer, Jim. “Moved to Tears at the Cloisters by a Ghostly Tapestry of Music.” New York Times 19 Sept 2013, n. pag. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/nyregion/moved-to-tears-at-the-cloisters-by-a-ghostly-tapestry-of-music.html?_r=0>.

Friswell, Richard. “The Cloisters’ “Forty Part Motet” a Must-experience Installation.” Artes Magazine. 07 Nov 2013: n. page. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://www.artesmagazine.com/2013/11/the-cloisters-forty-part-motet-a-must-do-experience/>.

“Janet Cardiff.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Web. 19 Nov 2013. <http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2013/janet-cardiff>.

“Visit The Cloisters.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Web. 19 Nov 2013. <http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/visit-the-cloisters>.

Tortora, Jaclyn. “School Assignment: Inquiry on The Forty-Part Motet.” Message to Egle Zygas Senior Press Officer The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 18 Nov 2013. E-mail.

Feature Article: Chinese Dance Troupe Promotes Banned Religion

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Chinese Dance Troupe Promotes Banned Religion

When your native country deems the religion you practice illegal, where do you go?    Most persecuted individuals settle in America, “the land of the free,” and establish themselves particularly in New York City, where diversity prevails and tolerance thrives. Nevertheless, sending controversial religious messages through art that is intended to entertain is not something that New York audiences are all too comfortable with.

Shen Yun is a New York-based Chinese dance troupe that tours and performs throughout the U.S. and in countries all over the world, with the exception of its own. According to the organization’s official website, “Shen Yun cannot be seen in China today, where traditional culture has been nearly lost.” But, perhaps the true reason the company cannot be seen in China is that the religion it promotes is illegal there.

Although the troupe is not officially associated with the religion, a majority of its affiliates practice Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, which Shen Yun’s founder, Ben Freed, defines as a “meditation practice about truthfulness, compassion and tolerance that embodies daily life.” However, followers of this religion were banned from China in 1999, after the communist government declared Falun Gong a treacherous cult with political motives.

With its colorful advertisements featuring dancers in beautiful handmade costumes, props, and jewelry, Shen Yun attracts hundreds of thousands of audience members each year. The performers captivate their viewers with their extraordinary talent and grace. Freed explains that “Shen Yun means divine spirit. The dancers imitate divine beings dancing.”

Each show, which takes nearly six months to create, combines classical Chinese dance with live orchestral music, elegant wardrobe pieces, and animated backdrops. But the company fails to warn the public about the apparent religious messages that it also incorporates.

Audiences across the globe arrive at the illustrious theaters in which Shen Yun’s productions are typically held, expecting to see grand spectacles that will allow them to enter a transcendent world of Chinese culture. While they are presented with an array of exquisite traditional Chinese dances, they are also exposed to some distasteful and objectionable scenes that serve to illuminate the injustices imposed on Chinese citizens by the communist government. At the same time, Shen Yun seeks to popularize the moral focus of Falun Gong through its alluring, but slightly disturbing, repertoire.

Since the organization’s founding, Shen Yun has consistently infused acts that blatantly depict the misconduct of communist government officials within its two hour-long shows. One episode that was included in a previous production portrayed a mother, who practiced Falun Dafa, being beaten by a band of communist officers, while her young child watched nearby. After the mother was imprisoned and put to death, attention shifted to the child and his father, who observed as spiritual figures descended from the heavens, retrieved the woman, and destroyed the prison.

Another scene featured a man in Tiananmen Square, holding a banner that read, “Falun Dafa is good.” He was then shown being ruthlessly beaten by police, who seized him shortly after and left him physically wounded in a detention center. Once again, god-like entities descended to rescue and restore the man to health, and overcome the unprincipled officers.

It’s understandable why audiences would find these scenes unpleasant. Viewers probably wouldn’t mind if these religious and political messages were addressed in a more subtle manner. However, Shen Yun’s tendency to display outright violence and abuse startles audiences and leaves them questioning the company’s true intentions. In 2000, reporter Craig Smith of The New York Times wrote that “aspects of the movement, or cult, suggest that the group’s followers are misled and its leader deluded, or even a fraud.”

Due to controversy regarding the company’s religious aims, Shen Yun’s shows have even faced cancellation. The dance group’s Richmond show was called off in May 2012 because of “circumstances that [would] impact the artistic presentation,” said Tong Wang, a regional coordinator for the company. Shen Yun has gained opposition not only in China, but also in the United States as a result of its contentious beliefs.

Despite the many great reviews the show has received, there are plenty of viewers who have had issues with the way the company chooses to address their values. One anonymous audience member shared on his blog post, “I consider myself a reasonably cultured person … On the subject of religious tolerance I am very open, I respect most religious beliefs and practices … However, when someone tries to shove their religion in my face, we have a problem.” These comments on Shen Yun’s shows are not uncommon. In 2008, The New York Times shed some light on this issue in an article titled “A Glimpse of Chinese Culture That Some Find Hard to Watch,” noting that many viewers “had realized that the show was not simply a celebration of the Chinese New Year, but an outreach of Falun Gong, that is banned in China.”

This is not to say that people should refrain from watching the organization’s productions. Shen Yun’s shows have, in fact, been commended by viewers around the world, for its breath-taking performances, and many have been able to overlook their religious and political aspects. The company and its members are permitted, like all residents of the U.S., to have and express their own beliefs. But audiences would appreciate it a lot more if their expression of those ideals were less direct and kept at a minimum in public shows. Nonetheless, this New York troupe will continue to gain popularity and showcase Chinese culture to all corners of our world.

Works Cited

“About – Shen Yun Performing Arts.” Shen Yun Performing Arts. Shen Yun Performing Arts, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. <http://www.shenyunperformingarts.org/about>.

Liu, Marian. “Shen Yun Dance Troupe Sheds Light on Falun Gong.” The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company, 27 Dec. 2010. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. <http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2013781423_shenyun28.html>.

Marshall, Lea. “Shen Yun Cancels Richmond Show.” Style Weekly. Style Weekly, 1 May 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. <http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/shen-yun-cancels-richmond-show/Content?oid=1704200>.

“Shen Yun, A Political Tool of Falun Gong.” Consulate General of The People’s Republic of China in Chicago. Consulate General of The People’s Republic of China in Chicago, 22 Nov. 2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. <http://www.chinaconsulatechicago.org/eng/zt/z83/t628413.htm>.

“Truth on Falun Gong | Shen Yun in Dallas.” Truth on Falun Gong | Shen Yun in Dallas. Cult Studies, 7 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. <http://www.facts.org.cn/puop/201207/t148327.htm>.

Feature Article: Who Pays for the Art? by Alan Chen

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Who Pays for the Art?

            Mannequins and animal taxidermy dangles above the ground at various heights around you. Once the sun dips below the horizon, you see multiple points on the levitated bodies light up. You notice that you are looking at constellations. This exhibit is You are Here created by Ken Nintzel. You are Here is currently on display in the BAM Next Wave Festival until December. Nintzel created the three dimensional representation of the night sky’s constellations.

Normally we will focus on how the artist created his piece of work, what inspired him, and the purpose of his work, but we don’t discuss where the artist receives the capital to begin and continue his project. Many of the artistic institutions in New York City are free to the public. If consumers are not funding the arts of New York City, then who is funding them? Most of us would think art donors provide capital for artists. This is true, but their donations are only part of the benefits they offer the artists. Organizations are set up to manage the funds of donors and provide assistance to artists in various ways.

The non-profit organization, Creative Capital, funded Ken Nintzel’s You are Here. Creative Capital’s headquarter is located in New York City, but operates on a national scale. Since its conception in 1999, it has provided $29 million to 418 projects. Ruby Lerner founded Creative Capital as a response to the National Endowment for the Arts’ decision to cease its grant programs to artists. Funding allows artists to pursue their projects and without it lovers of art would never see greats pieces of art such as You are Here. As an organization meant to benefit artists, Creative Capital lives up to its cause by contributing the maximum amount of effort to each and every project it chooses to guide.

Creative Capital functions and treats projects similar to how Venture Capital firms incubate start-ups. The main difference is that Creative Capital was not created to generate profit. Aside from funding, it provides artists services, which support artists and assist their growth. Artist services include; “artist retreats and convening; coaching; promotional support; phone-in clinics for legal, public relations, financial planning, business planning; web and technology advice; and partnerships” (Capital). Artist retreats and conventions are events that allow artists to network and present their work that they collaborated with the non-profit to create.  Creative Capital’s dedication to the art community is obvious. In the 2013 artist retreat, Jen Bervin presented her project, Silk Poems, which is about biomedical silk, along with countless other artists. It is likely that Ken Nintzel will have similar chance to present You are Here in the 2014 artist retreat. These retreats are proof that the effort and work Creative Capital contributes yields amazing pieces of art. The various other services provided are logistical and meant to ensure the success of the project being funded. It invests three to sevens years into each project to ensure that it realizes the artist’s vision. No matter how much support is generated, it is impossible to fund every project out there. There must be a process that offers these services to the most deserving artists.

Hundreds of artists apply for grants, but Creative Capital has to narrow down its applicants to a small percentage. Because of the rigorous amount of effort it attributes to each project, applications are accepted once every other year and only for specific fields dedicated to that year. The next application process is open February 3rd, 2014, but only for visual arts and film or video projects. The process is highly selective and looks for certain characteristics in the artists and their projects: professional capacity, artistic strength, time, ideas, project feasibility, and potential impact and benefit. Once a panel of judges has selected approximately 45 projects, the artists will begin to receive monetary and consulting services. Each project is initially granted $10,000, but if needed, projects will continue to request aid up to $50,000. As I have mentioned, it provides more than just financial services, the professional services and benefits can reach as high as $40,000. Each project has the potential to receive up to $90,000 in funding. One session of funding for all the approved projects can top $4 million. Where does Creative Capital receive the money to fund projects like You are Here?

Large portions of Creative Capital’s money come from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and various supporters and donors. In 2009, the Warhol Foundation made a ten-year commitment to provide $15 million dollars to Creative Capital. Aside from the Warhol Foundation, it receives funds from over 500 sources. Anyone can donate and make an impact on an artist’s work and vision. Every penny it receives will be put to good use to serve artists that have or have not been selected.

Because Creative Capital is aware that its fund is a finite supply, it chooses to start the Professional Development Program (PDP), which provides support for the artist community. Anyone can attend the PDP workshops, regardless if his or her project has been selected for funding or not.  The workshops provide tools for artists to communicate, market themselves, and managing their finances. Artists are encouraged to learn from each other and work together to meet their respective goals. This program has affected various artists and their success stories can be found on Creative Capital’s blog. There will be a financial literacy workshop in New York City in 2014. The PDP’s main goal is to bring the community together to help artists complete their projects by providing the appropriate knowledge and tools.

The funding and guidance, Ken Nintzel received from Creative Capital is important because it made You are Here possible. We often don’t think about where the money for a piece of artwork comes from, but it is the second most important aspect next to the artists’ vision. Without any funding, artists may never be able to start or complete their projects. Creative Capital has done a magnificent job in servicing the art community by starting the Professional Development Program and giving a chance for artists to incubate their projects.

 

Work Cited

BAM. 2013 Next Wave Art. 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Creative Capital. Creative Capital, 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Warhol Foundation. Warhol Foundation, 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

 

Creative Project #3

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My animation uses a series of photographs from a trip to the beach and quotes from Pablo Neruda’s “Sonnet LXVI” to explore my love-hate relationship with Long Island. I begin with a simple beach landscape that depicts Long Island’s natural beauty and the quote, “I do not love you except because I love you,” to establish a parallel between the simplicity of the island’s beauty and my love for it. After this, I also establish my hatred for Long Island with the lines, “I [also] hate you and hating you, I bend to you,” at which point the image’s beauty is destructed. A frenzied girl runs in circles, the colors are desaturated, and in another beach landscape, a city skyline blocks the natural beauty of the horizon line with its artificiality. I end my animation with Neruda’s line, “I do not see you, but I love you blindly,” to establish that despite moving to the city and experiencing the city’s wonders and exciting opportunities, my heart still longs for Long Island.

IDC0041 IDC0066

La Soiree NYTimes Review

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‘La Soiree’ is a review of a burlesque show in Union Square. Years of interest in the underground and hipster world have taught me that burlesque just happens to be a revived interest. What seemed to be a vague artform of the speakeasys and pubs of the early 20th century has been turned in a vivacious triumph of the human body’s capacity for sexual dramafication. Although my own tastes in this genre are modest, I found that the author of this article took considerable interest in the bodies and mannerisms of the artists that worked ‘La Soiree’. His choice of words included ‘hunk’ ‘beefcake’ ‘naughty’ which made me wonder if we were still talking about people. Clearly, this is a genre that embraces exaggeration and frivolousness.

However outside my comfort zone burlesque, and conversations about it, seem to be, I rather appreciated the strange number of combinations that were thrown out in this one show. Groucho Marx, Queen, bowler hats, bathtubs, magic tricks and West Side Story are all influences that I would not expect to be put into one single show. The reviewers takes delight in the conglomeration of all these influences but embraces not its idealogical superposition but rather its tease and appeal to the body.

The location of this show is also interesting. As Lou Reed once sang ‘walk down to Union Square, you never know what you’ll find there’, this area of the city has the uncanny ability to combine any sort of genres, subjects and people possible. In this case though, it isn’t the underground connection that brings burlesque to the stage- rather it is a mainstream British reviewed production in a very tame Union Square Theater. This in fact shows the transition of burlesque from a hushed inappropriate subject to an open and enjoyable (soon for all ages) entertainment. Funny how often that happens.

I think that the artistic side of burlesque is still alive and well in Brooklyn, but occasionally it is interested to see what it can do on the main stage with influences from far corners and inclusions of ‘sexy’ jugglers.