Latest news with #arts
Globe and Mail
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
In town and in the country, two events raise funds to support the arts
Bruce Bailey's Canadian Fête Champêtre, June 7, Ontario Countryside Arts patron Bruce Bailey opened the gates to his county pile outside of Toronto on the afternoon of June 7 for the third edition of his Canadian Fête Champêtre, a daytime gathering that raises funds for the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. This year additional institutions including the Canadian Opera Company, Calgary's Glenbow Museum, the Israel Museum and the Pelee Island Bird Observatory were also on the receiving end of some of the money raised, which totalled $1.5-million. Rogers Communications Inc. was the presenting sponsor, with additional support from the Schulich Foundation, Hatch and David and Carol Appel. Per the invitation, which listed author Margaret Atwood as guest of honour, the theme was A Masked Ball or Un ballo in maschera (after Verdi's 1859 opera). Guests followed suit, with variations on Venetian masks made of feathers and flowers and even a theatrical papier-mâché bird. Performances and speeches were given in Bailey's hayloft, which was filled for the occasion with gilt ballroom chairs fixed toward members of the Canadian Opera Company orchestra (Bailey is a devoted patron). God Save the King was sung in addition to Canada's national anthem and later they performed alongside the always-impressive soprano Ambur Braid. Also taking to the planked stage of the hayloft were dancers from the National Ballet School. A cocktail lunch overseen once again by chef Cory Vitiello followed, with guests taking to various green corners and out buildings on the property for a casual afternoon. Lovely to see was an exhibition of works curated by and from the collection of Bailey, which were displayed on the first floor of his home. A monumental work sprawling the length of the drawing room by American artist Kerry James Marshall, who Bailey has long patronized, was a standout. OCAD University Gala, May 28, Toronto The previous week, OCAD University held its inaugural gala. The school, which has trained and fostered generations of artists since its founding in 1876, opened its site on McCaul Street for the occasion. Amy Burstyn Fritz, founder of tabletop brand Misette, and Jeff Hull, president of real estate development firm Hullmark, co-chaired the event, which was cozy by gala standards, with just a couple of hundred in attendance and a handful of key sponsors (including Christian Vermast of Sotheby's International Realty, host of yours truly). This was an intentional move, said the co-chairs during their remarks. They wanted to start small and hoped to grow the gathering in years to come. This year, the nearly $400,000 raised will establish student bursaries at the school to minimize the financial barriers that come with an art and design university education. Ana Serrano, president and vice-chancellor of the university, and Jaime Watt, chancellor, both spoke between courses to the important work being done at the school and the vital need for bursaries of this nature. It was a perfect segue to the live auction, where donated works by artists including Stanzie Tooth and Steve Driscoll, both OCAD U alum, were sold for the cause.
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Chanel Looks to Build Cultural Capital With Arts Magazine
Over a century after Coco Chanel founded her label in Paris, the French fashion house is making a foray into the boutique print media sphere by starting its first glossy arts magazine. Chanel's new annual tome, Arts & Culture, was released this week, with the first issue devoted to chronicling the practice and lives of contemporary artists (alongside plenty of promotional Chanel editorial content). It features cultural essays about artists like Tracey Emin, Lu Yang and Tomás Saraceno. There's an interview with the photographer Stephen Shore and a report on A.I. art by the curator Hans Ulrich Obrist. The cover depicts a bust of Ms. Chanel that was made by the sculptor Jacques Lipchitz in 1921. 'This is Chanel's first arts and culture magazine and you can feel Gabrielle Chanel's legacy in its pages,' said Yana Peel, the brand's president of arts, culture and heritage, using Ms. Chanel's birth name. 'She was a voracious reader and was known for surrounding herself with a network of audacious creatives. We're trying to extend that legacy through physical print media.' 'We're seeing a resurgence of interest in independent magazines and in independent bookstores,' Ms. Peel added. 'We want to give this moment the amplification that we can through the global stage Chanel has.' The magazine also unabashedly promotes the Chanel universe. It features figures who have professionally collaborated with the brand, like the actress Tilda Swinton and the architect Peter Marino, alongside stories that celebrate Chanel's history. Among them is an essay by the art historian RoseLee Goldberg titled 'A Life of Performance: Gabrielle Chanel and the Avant-Garde,' and a lengthy visual essay by the photographer Roe Ethridge, who captured an array of Ms. Chanel's personal belongings, like selections of her jewelry and a handwritten letter to her from Jean Cocteau. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Blenheim Palace unveils plans for new summer music festival
Plans for a new five-day music and arts festival at Blenheim Palace have been the event, organisers said it would feature an "eclectic line-up of global superstars, award-winning artists, and emerging talent".The palace's chief executive, Dominic Hare, said the festival, which will first be held in summer 2026, "marks a new chapter" for the Unesco World Heritage this week, Nocturne Live Oxfordshire revealed that, after ten years, it would no longer be staging its outdoor music festival at the stately home. "Our historic landscape will offer a spectacular backdrop for a new kind of festival – one that's rooted in tradition but designed for the future," Mr Hare said."Blenheim has been synonymous with hosting live music events for over 20 years and we hope that the new collaboration will continue that tradition." Mr Hare also thanked those involved with "successfully" organising Nocturne Live over the past begun in 2015, Nocturne Live saw artists including Kylie Minogue, Lionel Richie and Elton John play to crowds of thousands in the palace's event marked its final edition at the palace last weekend with performances from Nile Rogers and Chic, The Corrs, Richard Ashcroft and Gary its plans, Blenheim Palace Festival said the new festival would "showcase immersive cultural programming and innovative culinary experiences" alongside the musical is a collaboration between leading live music promoters Cuffe & Taylor, a Live Nation company, and event producers IMG Arts & Entertainment."This is an extraordinary moment for live events in the UK," Peter Taylor, from Cuffe & Taylor, said."Blenheim Palace is one of the most extraordinary locations in the country - to launch a major new festival here is incredibly exciting," he added. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Washington Post
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Glastonbury 2025, by the numbers, from the cows to toilets to pints to, yes, the music
LONDON — This week, thousands of music lovers from across the U.K. and beyond will flock to a farm in the southwest of England for the legendary Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts . But just how many? Find out in this guide to Glastonbury — and all of its quirks — by the numbers.
News24
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News24
Roads prepped, talent unleashed: Makana Mayor welcomes National Arts Festival 2025
The National Arts Festival in Makhanda kicked off on 26 June with an opening ceremony. Despite issues with infrastructure and funding, the municipality and festival are confident about this year's edition. The festival runs from 26 to 6 July 2025 and offers more than 240 items on the programme. The National Arts Festival in Makhanda kicked off on 26 June with an opening ceremony on Thursday night. NAF, one of Africa's biggest arts festivals, runs from 26 June to 6 July and has more than 240 items on its programme, encompassing music, theatre, visual arts, film, comedy and more. Makana mayor Yandiswa Vara was one of the speakers at the opening ceremony and gave a media briefing earlier in the day about the town's readiness for the festival. The municipality has ensured that the roads are trafficable and that basic services such as water supply, sewer systems, street lighting, and road maintenance are operable. 'All of this ensures the festival can operate smoothly and sustainably while benefiting the local population,' she said. READ | Spark Hub ignites fresh talent: 14 Must-watch plays at National Arts Festival 2025 Despite experiencing a prolonged drought, Vara said that the town's water supply is stable, and steps are in place to ensure minimal interruptions. They cannot say that they have fully attended to all their water challenges, but they are actively addressing them. Vara said that Makhanda is more than 200 years old, which unfortunately speaks to their failing infrastructure. 'The capacity of our infrastructure has deteriorated. When it was built, it was for a certain population, but that population has grown now,' she said. Joel Ontong/News24 Joel Ontong/News24 They remain committed to tackling these ongoing issues and making sure communities don't suffer inconveniences like burst pipes. They have also repaired numerous roads in the town, which is known for its frequent pothole issues. Vandalism presents another problem for them and has led to issues with electrical supplies. On the importance of the festival, chairperson of the NAF board, Siphiwo Mahala, said at the media briefing: 'Year after year, artists lay bare their souls to us, creating a mirror to society and sharing experiences.' 'The festival is the antidote to indifference and apathy. In a world where people seem to care less and less, we invite our audiences to care more and to respond with conversation,' he added. NAF CEO Monica Newton commented on some of the festival's funding issues. Last year, the National Lottery Commission declined to provide funding for NAF, according to GroundUp. Standard Bank is still one of the event's sponsors, according to its website. The festival has also been impacted by the country's budget (which has gone through three iterations under the GNU), policy changes in the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, and some of its other partners have also experienced budget cuts. 'We hope for the best. We plan with what we have, and we present a festival every year that we are exceptionally proud of,' Newton said. Joel Ontong/News24 Joel Ontong/News24 Later, at the official opening ceremony, which took place at the 1820 Settlers' National Monument, Vara opened the night on a sombre note, remembering the victims of the recent Eastern Cape floods. 'One of the most formidable natural disasters in the history of our country has struck in the past few weeks,' she said. She requested the audience to stand for a moment of silence to honour the flood victims. Focusing on the festival itself, Vara spoke about how it has changed over its 51 years of existence, having had different names and shifting audiences. 'But the essence of what the National Arts Festival is all about has not changed. The celebration of arts in all its forms and the recognition and expression of culture in different ways is still what makes this festival the National Arts Festival.' Despite the challenges and setbacks the festival and municipality face, the energy from the audience at the opening ceremony was buzzing. Before the evening started, Makhanda singer Loveseed put on a small concert as audiences took their seats. A few songs in, the lights in the venue went out briefly due to an interrupted electrical supply. This paused the performance, but her drummer kept the momentum going, making the crowd go wild, cheering and pulling out their phone lights in the dark hall. It's with that excitement that the attendees at this year's NAF are welcoming the major event.
