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Opera Con 2011 to be held in Boston

Jeez, write one little opera review and the press releases start rolling in ... Actually it's called Opera America's Opera Conference 2011, and it will be held here May 7-11.  Boston Lyric Opera and Opera Boston will serve as lead hosts, joined by 25 other local groups. Opera Conference 2010, held last month in Los Angeles, was the group's most successful ever, they say, with more than 500 attendees from opera companies large and small and related business as well as individual artists.

Planned events for the shindig here include "performances of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Boston Lyric Opera, Donizetti’s Maria Padilla by Opera Boston, a tour of the M.I.T. Media Lab, the Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase, the New Works Sampler in the American Repertory Theater Underground Cabaret and Co-Production Speed Dating." More information is here. Registration opens in the fall.

Previous Opera Conference keynoters include Alex Ross of the New Yorker, local composer Osvaldo Golijov and Peter Gelb of the Met. I'd post the video here, but it's just guys at a podium talking.

Morning reading: Globe's latest on the Rose Museum and more

Geoff has a good piece in the Globe this morning on artist James Rosenquist pulling out of his planned fall show at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis. Rosenquist said he is just too busy with the fallout from a fire at his home and studio last year to make the show, and that his decision had nothing to do with the controversy over the future of the Rose. But then there's this about his covnersation with (Brandeis president Jehuda Reinharz): "He said, ‘Would you show with us in the future?’ ’’ recounted Rosenquist, who acknowledged that the Rose controversy was also weighing on his mind. “I said, ‘If things get resolved, I would.’ But I don’t want to deal with it, really. It’s a big mess.’’ Sounds to me like he doesn't want to make waves, but isn't going to bat for the administration, either. ... You'll also want to read my opera review - that's right - in the Globe this morning, "Taste of opera works in short, sweet servings."

Tour the Paramount

One more from ArtsEmerson: They're opening up the Paramount Center for free public tours. Of course, when you take the tour, you "will also receive information about ArtsEmerson’s membership program and inaugural season of international theatre performances." But it'll probably be less awkward than that time-share thing you went to in Wellfleet that time. Tours of the downtown Boston venue include the restored 590-seat Paramount Theatre, the 150-seat Black Box Theatre, the  170-seat Bright Family Screening Room, the scene shop, rehearsal studios and soundstage. Tours will be given on Wednesdays through the summer at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., production permitting. You MUST make a reservation (their caps) and by EMAIL ONLY, by 5 p.m. on the Monday before the tour date, to tours@artsemerson.org. You'll get a return email with meeting place directions. No calls.

Gov. Patrick signs bill creating cultural districts, but there's no money

It was ever thus. The Mass. Cultural Council announced that Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday signed the legislation authorizing the creation of state-sponsored cultural districts in Mass. cities and towns, which we told you about a couple of weeks back. The goal is to “attract artists and cultural enterprises to a community, encourage business and job development, establish tourist destinations, preserve and reuse historic buildings, enhance property values and foster local cultural development.” But at this point, there's no funding, and MCC will spend the next few months looking for ways to make the program effective with existing resources. This could be a great thing for places like Fort Point, Rocky Neck and my house. But the odds of it having an impact without $$$ diminish considerably. Stay tuned. The complete release is after the jump.

Titanic concert at the ICA

You have to wonder who they got to steer, but the Callithumpian Consort is going to perform "The Sinking of the Titanic" from a boat on Boston Harbor on Aug. 20. The piece by British composer Gavin Bryars was inspired by first-hand accounts of the Titanic’s band playing hymns as the ship sank. It "conjures the roar of the ocean, the clang of a ship’s hull, and the final contemplative moments at sea," sez the announcement. The five musicians will be visible from the plaza outside the ICA and the theater inside; the music will be fed through a computer and manipulated, to create an atmospheric, ocean-themed sound installation, audible in both locations. patrons are encouraged to get a drink and move around; women and children first, of course. The performance was previously announced, but not the boat part. Tix for the 7 p.m. event are $20. Call (617) 478-3103 or visit www.icaboston.org.

Jenny Holzer is projecting at the ICA

Jenny Holzer will beam new text projection onto the exterior of the ICA/Boston as part of her collaboration with choreographer Miguel Gutierrez. The projections will be visible from the Boston Harborwalk on the evenings of July 26-28, from nightfall until 11 pm. Holzer is of course famous for her LED tickers and other text installations. Best known for "Truisms," which showcased seemingly worn-out aphorisms, her works lately include projections of text from declassified U.S. military documents about the goings-on at Abu Ghraib. Don't know what her text is this time around, but this is a test shot that popped up on the ICA's Facebook today.

ICA to exhibit Foster Prize finalists' work

On Sept. 22 the ICA Boston will open an exhibit of work by the Boston-area artists who are finalists for the 2010 James and Audrey Foster Prize. The newly expanded field will include nine artists: Robert de Saint Phalle, Eirik Johnson, Fred Liang, Rebecca Meyers, Matthew Rich, Daniela Rivera, Evelyn Rydz, Amie Siegel and Steve Tourlentes. And it includes a typically boggling range of work, from "experimental film to installations inspired by 17th-century frescoes." A jury including ICA Director Jill Medvedow will award the $25,000 prize in early January 2011, just before the exhibit closes on Jan. 17. Previous winners include Ambreen Butt (1999), Laylah Ali (2000), Taylor Davis (2001), Alice Swinden Carter (2002), Douglas R. Weathersby (2003), Kanishka Raja (2004), Kelly Sherman (2006) and Andrew Witkin (2008).

Image: Robert de St. Phalle, Lean To, 2007, fiberglass rock prop with wood framing, daylight fluorescent bulb, wiring, 8 x 4 x 4 feet, Courtesy of the artist.

Howdy strangers! ...and morning reading

Haven't been posting much the last couple of weeks. Been ropin' and hog-tying this big project I'll tell you about when the time is right. Maybe if somebody POSTED A FLYER OR TWO it would help. But I promise to get back on the stick. In the meantime, there's a bunch of worthy theater reviews in the Globe today. Start with my review of "Cyrano" in the park in Chelsea Saturday night, move on to Don Aucoin's review of the edgy "Storytelling Ability of a Boy" in Wellfleet (which I wrote about in Stages) and end up with the meatiest of the three, Louise Kennedy on "Richard III" at Shakespeare & Co. (which I also wrote about in Stages). It's a heap o' creamy theatrical goodness.

Creative districts for Mass. cities and towns?

The creation of state-sponsored cultural districts is included in bills designed to advance economic development in Massachusetts that have been passed by both houses of the state legislature. But we're a ways from seeing them become law - the House and Senate have to iron out a compromise bill, and it has to be sufficiently palatable for Gov. Deval Patrick to sign it. Even if he does, it's not yet clear what the actual criteria and benefits of such a designation will be. Still, there's a lot of promise here. And it's a rare bit of good news amid draconian budget cuts.

According to text passed along by the Mass. Cultural Council, the House bill puts it thusly: "A cultural and creative district shall be a well recognized, labeled, mixed-use, compact area of a city or town in which a high concentration of cultural and creative facilities serves as an anchor. The goals of a cultural and creative district shall include attracting artists and creative enterprises to a community, encouraging business and job development, establishing tourist destinations, preserving and reusing historic buildings, enhancing property values and fostering local cultural and economic development. A city or town may create and designate a cultural and creative district subject to certification by the Council. The Council shall develop a certification program to prepare a city or town to become home to a state designated cultural and creative district by creating an application process and developing qualifying criteria and guidelines."

Seems like a noble goal. I'm all for building the creative economy, which tends to get knocked as piffle by fiscal conservatives who don't want to acknowledge its huge economic impact. But what exactly does a certified creative district get? Even if this bill passes by end of session July 31, the answer for now is, uh, respect. The House text: The Council shall in cooperation with the executive branch, constitutional offices, quasi governmental agencies and the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural development identify additional and existing state incentives and resources that will enhance state designated cultural and creative districts and shall report their findings together with drafts of legislation as may be necessary to carry its recommendations into effect..." That report is to be made by Dec. 1.

Incentives and resources that could be used include tax breaks, historic tax credits, grants and incorporation into current cultural grant programs. It will also be a really nice thing to put on signs and hang around the 'hood.

Have to say I'm less convinced of the need for another provision the cultural community is backing in the same bill, which would also establish a commission (OH BOY ANOTHER COMMISSION!) to study how schools foster student creativity. The commission would develop the Creative Challenge Index to “rate every public school in the Commonwealth on teaching, encouraging, and fostering creativity in students.” I'm sensing a big fat target for Howie Carr, no?

We'll keep you posted.

Morning reading: Richard III, Portsmouth Museum, Fenway and George Carlin

Can't imagine why I haven't been to the Portsmouth Museum of Art but after reading this Globe story I'm on my way. ... And here's my Globe theater column, on "Richard III." ... David Weininger gets bonus points for quoting John Updike in the lede of his story on the upcoming Landmarks Orchestra performance at Fenway Park. ... "Boston embraces Passion Pit" is more than it sounds, a good multimedia look at the band and its success in the guise of a concert review at the RSL blog. ... The Addison Gallery is slowly moving toward reopening and blogs about the latest steps here. ... And finally, take a look at our friend James Sullivan in his unintentionally psychedelic shirt talking on Fox25 about his new George Carlin bio: