State of the Arts Blog

Minnesota Orchestra musicians add a second Vanska concert in May
Locked out musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra today announced a second concert in May under the baton of former Music Director Osmo Vanska at the Northrop Auditorium.
According to a new report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Endowment for the Arts, the creative sector accounts for 3.2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, or $504 billion. This is the first federal effort to analyze the arts and cultural sector’s contributions to the GDP. The Wall Street Read more →
Art Hounds: Candy Cane, Hijack, and peace on our minds
A one-man “Christmas Carol” in Mankato, a potent Minneapolis dance collaboration marks 20 years, and portraits and peace at the Southern Theater.
The reviews are in for Walking Shadow’s ‘The Sexual Lives of Savages’
What’s in a number? Walking Shadow Theatre Company’s latest production,  “The Sexual Lives of Savages,” looks at our relationships and the sexual politics that arise when a man finds out he has a lot less experience in bed than his girlfriend. Critics generally agree that the show is well-directed, but the script needs work. Where Read more →
SPCO annual meeting brims with optimism
The term “difficult year” came up again and again during the annual meeting of the St Paul Chamber Society on Tuesday, but the speakers were all looking to the future. While they all acknowledged that includes financial challenges, by and large what they see is bright. Speaking just before the meeting President and Managing Director Bruce Coppock Read more →
  In today’s society people can do anything in the blink of an eye with their phone. Given the focus on immediate gratification, fewer people are likely to buy into the hours of focus and dedication required to master a musical instrument, or a complicated score, worries John Halle, Director of Studies in Music Theory Read more →
Review: ‘Homefront’ a high-octane thriller that delivers
Purist fans of Chuck Logan will be disappointed. But they should give the film a chance; it’s a high-octane thriller that delivers the goods with a bit of nuance unusual in action movies.
The Guthrie Theater has appointed Adam W. Cox as its next chief administrative officer. Cox joins the Guthrie from Dallas, where he served as chief financial officer for the Dallas Opera for three years. Cox will serve on the Guthrie’s senior management team, which includes Director Joe Dowling, Production Director Frank Butler, External Relations Director Read more →