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Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
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Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
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Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
National Endowment for the Arts increase is largest in 24 years
By Dorothy Shinn
Beacon Journal
Published on Thursday, Jan 03, 2008
Before Congress left on its holiday break, it approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008 providing for about $474 billion in domestic spending programs, including much-needed increases for most of the nation's federally funded arts and culture programs.
When President Bush signed the bill on Dec. 26, the arts and humanities programs that received boosts included:
• The National Endowment for the Arts, a $20.3 million increase, from $124.4 million to $144.7 million.
• The National Endowment for the Humanities, a $3.75 million increase, from $140.95 million to $144.7 million.
• Arts Education at the U.S. Department of Education, a $2.23 million increase, from $35.3 million to $37.53 million. The increase is intended to administer the first national survey since 1999 on the status and condition of arts education.
• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a $24 million increase through fiscal year 2010, raising its budget from $396 million to $420 million. The corporation is typically provided funding in advance because of the long-range planning it must do.
The 16 percent raise in the NEA budget is the largest given to the agency in the past 24 years, according to a report from Americans for the Arts, which credits work done by Congressional Arts Caucus co-chairmen Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., and Chris Shays, R-Conn., and the support they received from House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks, D-W.Va., who on Arts Advocacy Day held the first hearing on arts funding in 12 years.
The only arts program whose budget was cut was the Office of Museum Services within the Institute for Museum & Library Services, which was reduced $556,000, from $31.83 million to $31.27 million.
For information about federal arts funding, go to http://www.americansforthearts.org or http://www.artsactionfund.org.
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Today
Akron Art Museum events — The Akron Art Museum, 1 S. High St., Akron, holds programs for adults, teens and children during the next week:
• 6:30 to 8:30 tonight — Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? This documentary relates the experiences of a former truck driver whose $5 purchase of an unsigned painting that may or may not be an original Jackson Pollock could make her and her art dealer representative a fortune. The free film is open to the public in the Charles and Jane Lehner Auditorium. It's made possible by the R.C. Musson & Katharine M. Musson Charitable Foundation.
• 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday — Children's Studio Skills Class, Exploring Drawing Part I, with artist/educator Julie Hogarth. Children 8 to 12 will inspect artworks in the museum's galleries before exploring media techniques in the classroom. Advance registration required. $15 fee ($9 for museum members). The program is made possible by the Mary and Dr. George L. Demetros Charitable Trust. 330-376-1986, Ext. 229.
• 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday — Teen Studio Class, Duct Tape Designs with Meghan Buchroeder, who will demonstrate the basics of crafty duct tape construction techniques, for ages 13 to 17. $25 fee ($15 for members); scholarships available. 330-376-9186, Ext. 230.
Friday
First, First Fridays — The first 2008 First Friday will begin at 6 p.m. in Canton's Downtown Arts District (Court Avenue and Fourth Street Northwest). First Friday began last July, and by September, the monthly celebration featuring 10 artist studios and galleries, five restaurants with live music, street performers and the ''Critters'' parade, was boasting 1,000-plus crowds. The event's organizers, the Downtown Canton Special Improvement District in cooperation with ArtsinStark, the County Arts Council, announced four months of themes, beginning with Friday: The theme is Music Live, with musicians from all over the arts district. Feb. 1 is Ice-O-Rama, the annual ice-carving and ice-skating festival. March 7 will be an earth-friendly Go Green arts event. April 4 will be Art is Alive, connecting the arts district to the annual art show at the Canton Cultural Center.
Gallery talk — Curator Susan R. Channing gives a 6 p.m. informal discussion on Masumi Hayashi, Meditations: Heartland at Spaces, 2220 Superior Viaduct, on the west side of the Cleveland Flats. Channing will talk about the impact on the Cleveland community of Hayashi, who was shot and killed at her Cleveland studio on Aug. 17, 2006. The closing event of the evening will be an original dance piece performed by two members of GroundWorks Dancetheater, choreographed by its artistic director, David Shimotakahara, in honor of Hayashi. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit was made possible in part through support from the Kulas Foundation, with additional funds from Process Creative Studios.
Muppets at the Museum — At 7 p.m., Bonnie Erickson, former design director for the Jim Henson Co. and president-elect of the Jim Henson Legacy, presents Muppets History 101; she will introduce the first of three programs in the Cleveland Museum of Art's January film series, Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson's Legacy.
She will provide inside information, such as Miss Piggy's full name ( Miss Piggy Lee) and the fact that episodes of The Muppet Show were taped in London. She will also take questions from the audience. Erickson created Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf, the Newsman and Zoot when she was part of the original design team for The Muppet Show. She will also introduce The Art of Puppetry & Storytelling at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, and Jim Henson Commercials & Experiments at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Admission is $8; $6 for museum members; $5 for seniors; $4 for students or children; or one Panorama voucher. Panorama Film Series vouchers (in books of 10) cost $55 ($45 for museum members). Tickets can be bought in person or over the phone at the museum box office, 888-262-0033. Parking is available in the museum parking garage.
Monday
Fused-glass classes — Artist Marianne Hite teaches fused-glass jewelry classes at Peninsula Art Academy, 1600 W.Mill St., Peninsula, on Mondays. Cost is $50 ($40 for academy members). 330-657-2248, e-mail info@peninsulaartacademy.com or go to http://www.peninsulaartacademy.com/profile.aspx?OrgID=96.
Worth noting
Governor's Awards winners — The 2008 Governor's Awards for the Arts in Ohio were from 69 nominations submitted by individuals and organizations throughout Ohio. They are: Arts Administration — Marcie Goodman of Cleveland International Film Festival (Cleveland); Arts in Education, Michael Huffman, Lima schools (Lima); Arts Patron, Susan Reams (Perrysburg); Business Support of the Arts, Limited Brands (Columbus); Community Development & Participation, Dr. Catherine Roma, MUSE, Cincinnati Women's Choir, Umoja Men's Chorus and Voice of Freedom Choir (Cincinnati); and Individual Artists, Dr. Burton Beerman, composer and musician (Bowling Green), and Steve Free, singer and songwriter. Details: http://www.oac.state.oh.us/events/GovAwards/Default.asp.
Dorothy Shinn writes about art and architecture for the Akron Beacon Journal. Send information to her at the Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640 or dtgshinn@neo.rr.com.
Before Congress left on its holiday break, it approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008 providing for about $474 billion in domestic spending programs, including much-needed increases for most of the nation's federally funded arts and culture programs.
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