Colton

Nice T-P article on Colton School, with appearances by Arts Council friends David Weinberg, Angelamia Bachemin, and others. Hopefully they can work something out with the RSD and keep it operating in it's current state. The location is ideal, and with a little (okay, a lot) of capital improvements, it could be a real catalyst for cultural development.

Tax Credit Fun

Good to see the Governor looking to extend the tax credits. We know they can be pricey, but the film tax credit has been great, and we're starting to see some permanent infrastructure come into place. Also, we still think that if the music credits can reach their potential, we'll see significant industry development.

One Mo Time

The Arts Council database contains over 400 painters in the metro area. If we updated our database better, that number would be much higher. Now, from all accounts, James Michalopoulos is a great guy, long time supporter of the Arts Council, top notch painter, and we do love us some New Orleans Rum, so please don't think we're picking on the artist. But, with all the great artists here, did we need the 5th Michalopoulos JF poster in the last 11 years?

Sharks patrol these waters

Another reminder from USA Today of how bad it is (and could get) for performing arts orgs. We knew when NBA teams were worried about ticket sales next year that the Symphony, Opera, and Ballet would be next.

Also in the article, the usual suspects again state that supporting the arts doesn't support the economy. In 2007, the non-profit arts supported 3742 full time jobs. This doesn't include art galleries, music clubs, or for profit festivals, just the non-profit arts. The stimulus to the NEA will secure these jobs, and as anyone who works in this business will tell you, it's just about the most middle class industry out there, on par with teachers and cops as far as salaries and community benefit. These people need our support.

New Economic Impact Study

Large new study on the effectiveness and economic impace of the state tax credits for film, music, and video games. Here are our quick takeaways:

• Over $600 million in direct economic impact from the film tax credits, but at a $100 million cost.
• The Sound recording credit is vastly underused, with only 19 projects taking advantage of the credit in 2007. Why? Too cumbersome? Musicians being musicians?
• Regardless, that same 6 to 1 benefit holds for both the film and music tax credits, it's just on a much smaller scale for music.
• Despite the reputation as musical hotbed, La is ranked #32 for location quotient for the music industry.

Now for some errata:

• CD sales were still 82% of all music sales in 2007. Digital downloads were 11%.
• Average Jimmy Buffett ticket price is $136!!! Good god.
• Buffett grossed more than $35 million touring in 2007.

Anyway, worth a read if you have a few spare hours and plenty of paper.

Carol Hallock Video

Arts Council member and Arts Market of New Orleans artist Carol Hallock has a great new YouTube video showing her painting style. Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUCqPc39Omw

28th time as farce

The drama continues. The main problem with the Square is that there is no entity who manages the art colony. Why the Department of Finance is charged with managing the artist squabbles is beyond me. They don't ask the Arts Council to collect sales tax. Now, I'm not saying the Arts Council wants to manage the square, but if New Orleans ever wants the art colony to thrive, or even survive, someone needs to be put in charge.