Author: Arts International

Publication Year: 1982

Media Type: Book

Summary:

Abstract:

For some countries, participation in international arts events, such as festivals and competitions, is a comparatively simple matter. When the foreign ministry receives an invitation to participate in an important foreign event, it examines the state of relations with the country concerned and, if all is well, it refers the invitation to the ministry of culture. The ministry of culture examines its budget, decides which artists are to be favored by inclusion, and sends them or their work to the festival. In the case of performing competitions, the selected artists are often given extensive preparation before being sent off to the event.

In the , this approach would be undesirable as well as impractical. We have gone to considerable lengths to isolate cultural activity from the political process, and we adamantly oppose any suggestion of an official culture.

While this position is certainly correct and necessary in a free and diverse cultural climate such as ours, it does create a series of practical problems.

If there is no official selection and sending of artistic attractions, how will the U.S. come to be represented? If these events constitute the cultural olympics as some suggest, shouldn't we be there? Certainly the audiences at these events are eager to see what we have to offer.

If officialdom is not picking the artists, how are they chosen? If untalented artists happen to be the ones with the means to get there, should they be the ones to represent us? How do we make sure that the best of what we have to offer is actually shown? There have even been instances where foreign exhibition organizers have been so eager to have an American presence when none seemed forthcoming from the U.S. Government, that they have simply shown work by whatever Americans happened to be in the country at the time.

These questions form the framework of the Arts International Conference on U.S. Participation in International Competitions and Festivals. We are seeking informed discussion on these issues by leading representatives from the arts, arts organizations, government and potential private sponsors. We hope this will lead to a more carefully developed policy than has been the case in the past, and to practical solutions to the problems which have arisen so frequently in this area.

CONTENTS
Agenda for Arts International Conference.
Arts International Conference Participants.
Conference Statement.
Letters to the conference.

Visual Arts:
     Sending U.S. art abroad: Federal ways and means by Steven Henry Madoff.
     Music Contests Galore, where will it end? by Allen Hughes.
     The Venice Biennale - A fall from champion to invalid.
     Report from Sao Paulo crossed signals: the 16th Bienal by John Perreault.
     Art and finance.

Music:
     The competition explosion: Impact on education - Part I, by Eileen T. Cline.
     The competition explosion: Impact on education - Part II, by Eileen T. Cline.
     The competition explosion: Impact on education - Part III by Eileen T. Cline.
     The Concert Artists Guild International Artists Exchange.
     Lawrence Korwin International Music Competitions Project, administered by the
     Institute of International Education.
     On participation in major musical competitions by Paul Hume.
     In defense of competitions by Josef Gingold.

Competitions:
     Beyond Winning and losing by Chester Lane.

Dance:
     The International Ballet competitions.

Theatre:
     What do festivals mean for theatre? by Martha W. Coigney.

Notes.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: International