I love seeing architecture that challenges. This proposed design for Wadi resort is breathtaking, incorporating the local geography but creating something spectacularly human-made. Click through the link below to see all of the images. Beautiful, isn't it?
(via Dezeen » Blog Archive » Wadi Resort by Oppenheim Architecture Design)
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Incredible timelapse video from El Teide in Spain. Does anyone know how the smooth movement is accomplished with the camera on the timelapse?
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Well it finally happened. We’d heard the news that Intiman was in danger, that they needed $1 million to complete this season (which ended up being a little too optimistic) and have enough financing to think about the next. Unfortunately, the fund raising had been falling short and the need kept growing so yesterday, the day before their current play, Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons,” was set to close, they announced that they would be laying off their entire staff and doing what they can to get a 2012 season scheduled.
I have seen some absolutely phenomenal plays at Intiman through the years and it will feel like a little black hole whenever I walk over to the Seattle Rep to take advantage of my season tickets. Titus Andronicus still resonates with me, even today.
This leads me to my big question, and perhaps some of you know the answer to this better than I do. What the hell is Intiman doing wrong? From what I can tell, they have had a huge number of critically acclaimed plays, great reviews, and incredible performances and yet they were not able to complete a season between 2003 and 2009 out of the red. If you can’t swing a profit once in 7 years, that’s some pretty poor management if you ask me. I can forgive one or two years of adapting to a new reality but 7?
Now, the situation looks a bit like a perfect storm of nastiness – the endowment cut from $3.6 million 2 years ago, to less than $1 million last fall. The cost of mounting debt from a very poor financial performance over that 7 year period weighing them down.
Here’s the thing though, directly next door, the Seattle Rep appears to be healthy and vibrant. Every show I’ve been to, regardless of whether it’s been a Wednesday night or a Friday, is full (or very close to it). As a season ticket holder, I actually look forward to hearing from my ticket reps. They’re chirpy, pleasant and accommodating. We look forward to every single play. For some reason, Intiman doesn’t give me that vibe, and they’re going to need to if they want to come back. If I were them, I’d get grass roots before the ’12 season. Get some theater folks out in the community building support and come back strong. Enlist some folks who really know how to connect with young people. Treat your customers like gold and do what it takes to bring in a more diverse audience. How about making it necessary for every single employee to dedicate 1 day a week to outreach? Use Google’s famous 20% time to get your people out doing projects to support the theater.
So as of tonight, the theater is closed for a while:
“I think the only hope is, you stop and you focus — otherwise, you just never get your head up far enough to think, and it just gets worse and worse. You start using a lot of well-intentioned money, and then you can’t get it when you really have your head clear because you’ve broken promises too many times.” – Susan Trapnell, Intiman theatre consultant
I really hope Intiman can come back strong in ’12 and wish them the best of luck navigating this difficult time. Do what you got to do…
If you’re looking for the entire story, the Seattle Times has it. If you want the highlights, check the New York Times Arts Beat.
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Good morning, Seattle? Have you ever seen Fugazi live? If not, you’ve missed out.
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The best way to view this one is without context. Just make it full screen and loud.
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When Google says that they want “to organize all the world’s information,” they’re not kidding around. Today, Google launched Art Project, a wonderful collection of features that allow you to explore the world’s greatest museums and works of art, from your home, using Google’s Street View technology (for exploring the insides of the galleries) and hi-res photography (to explore the individual works of art).
Here is their video, introducing you to the project:
And here is a look “behind the scenes:”
This project absolutely kills most of the proprietary software I’ve seen put out by educational companies for museums. It’s free, powerful, and empowering; an absolutely great project that brings great works of art to everyone with an internet connection.
I can’t wait to spend more time walking the halls of the worlds greatest museums and building out my own collection of priceless digital replicas.
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Not for everyone, of course, but beautiful for a “lady of the night.”
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You’ve probably read the recent hubbub regarding Alan Gribben, professor of English from Auburn University, and how he has published a sanitized version of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” that replaces the word “nigger” with “slave.” The “N word” is used more than 200 times throughout “Huck” and Mr. Gribben thought it his duty to rescue “the reader from a racial slur that never seems to lose its vitriol.”
First of all, no. The history of redacted and Bowdlerized literature has never gone over well and I would expect any professor of English to have enough respect for the original material to teach it as it is. That’s your job. You have an undeniable classic of American literature and the opportunity to instruct students as to how dated and backwards the social mores expressed therein have become. How dare you try to protect me from understanding the depths of our depravity? You should be appalled, as we all should be appalled, by where we once were and how difficult a time it proved to be for our country.
Varnishing historical “rough spots” denies students the understanding of just how far in the wrong we’ve been and decreases their sensitivities to the certainty that we will be wrong again. We learn from the past by confronting it and applying it to the present. Any softening of the past decreases our capacity to learn from it. These are lessons that should sting.
I think Michiko Kakutani, writing for the NYT, nailed it:
Haven’t we learned by now that removing books from the curriculum just deprives children of exposure to classic works of literature? Worse, it relieves teachers of the fundamental responsibility of putting such books in context — of helping students understand that “Huckleberry Finn” actually stands as a powerful indictment of slavery (with Nigger Jim its most noble character), of using its contested language as an opportunity to explore the painful complexities of race relations in this country. To censor or redact books on school reading lists is a form of denial: shutting the door on harsh historical realities — whitewashing them or pretending they do not exist.
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A gigantic, peaceful art installation.
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Well-designed watch kits that need your help getting made.
TikTok+LunaTik Multi-Touch Watch Kits by Scott Wilson — Kickstarter
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