Arts & Entertainment
Economic slump hits art world
Sheldon director predicts minimal damage
By William Rudolph
Staff Reporter
The recession potentially could have
a “two-pronged” effect on the Shel
don Memorial Art Gallery. But ac
cording to gallery director George
Neubert, the gallery currently is far
from being impoverished.
Any effects of the recession would
hit Sheldon from the two angles it
relies upon for support: the university
and the private sector, Neubert said.
Sheldon may not be able to do
anything about any pricks from the
recession’s “prongs” on the univer
sity’s budget.
But the gallery definitely can
combat the recession’s damage in the
private sector, Neubert said.
One step is to convince the public
of Sheldon’s value to the community,
especially in limes of recession,
Neubert said.
Although a part of the university,
Sheldon does not receive support from
the state of Nebraska. In fact, Neubert
said, the gallery gets virtually no
program dollars from the university
beyond money for staff salaries, utili
ties and phone bills.
Even then, the gallery operates on •
“about $1,000 a month deficit just to
open the doors,” he said.
Instead of program money, Shel
don relies upon individual, corpora
tion and foundation donations.
And in the case of corporate sup
port, the recession already has made
inroads into the Nebraska art envi
ronment, partially because of some
Nebraska corporations reacting to
conditions already prevalent on the
coasts.
According to Neubert, corporations
“arc being more conservative and...
less willing to give money and sup
port of the arts right now. And we’ve
seen a definite hesitation and reduc
tion in amounts of support.”
Fewer corporate donations means
less opportunity to bring exhibits to
Sheldon, Neubert said.
A continuing recession could af
fect the quality of exhibitions, he said.
Because corporations tend to be
conservative, “popular” exhibitions
like those of the Impressionists or
Alexander Calder seem better bets
for support than “more issue-oriented
exhibitions,” Neubert said.
He said that Sheldon’s entire col
lection of 11,000 objects has been
developed by donations, gifts and
solicitations. No tax dollars or stu
dent funds go for acquisitions, he
said.
The University Foundation does
contain some donated funds specifi
cally marked for support of acquisi
tions, Neubert said. But these amounts
are not large and do not come from
tax dollars.
“On an annual basis, in terms of
purchase power, we average in terms
of funds, donations, (and) solicitation
between $ 150 - 200,000 cash that we
have able to acquire new works of
art,” Neubert said.
Besides affecting Sheldon in a
private sector, the recession could hit
the gallery from its university side. In
effect, whatever happens to the uni
versity’s budget in the legislature
happens to Sheldon. This could affect
the gallery’s operation, Neubert said.
“We’re always low on the totem
pole in regard to priorities within the
university system,” he said.
And by politicians and the general
public, arts often are considered a
luxury, he said.
Although Sheldon suffered budget
cuts five years ago when the state of
Nebraska and the university experi
enced a recession, Neubert said that
he hoped this would not be the case
today. ,
“1 would hope . . . that between
five years ago and now there is much
more of an awareness of the role of
See NEUBERT on 10
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David Baddera/Daily Nebraskan
Orchestra to play classics
with period instruments
By Michael Stock
Staff Reporter
Tonight, audiences at the Lied
Center for Performing Arts will be
thrust into the world of classical music
as it was intended to be heard.
The English Concert Orchestra
performs its baroque and classical
pieces just as audiences would have
heard them played for the first time
— on instruments constructed centu
ries ago, or reconstructed in the style
of the period.
The instruments will not have the
brilliancy or volume of modem in
struments. The period instruments the
orchestra will use have strings of gut
rather than metal strings, which take
away some of the harshness of mod
em instrumentation.
The brass and wind instruments
are made for the period orchestra —
sounding softer and more mellow.
Even the sound roles within the
orchestra arc different, providing a
stronger balance for the winds than
the strings.
Music director and harpsichordist
Trevor Pinnock defends the use of
See ENGLISH on 11
Kinison amuses Lied audience
By Troy Falk
Staff Reporter
He was loud, obnoxious, crude,
rude and generally obscene. He
was, of course, Sam Kinison.
Kinison performed Monday night
at the Lied Center for Performing
Arts to an audience of 1,500. Not
bad, considering he had to post
pone the show from Friday.
Kinison started the show on a
bent knee and ended with a patri
otic scream of “Let’s win the war.”
His jokes on the war verged on
the callous, referring to the future
Persian Gulf troops who will suffer
from battle fatigue as the “Iraqi
Waekys.”
The jokes went on to suggest
that some of the celebrities sent
over to entertain the troops may be
a bit old. “I suppose the troops
would like to see it end,” Kinison
said in reference to the war, “be
fore they have to sit through an
other Bob Hope USO show/’
CNN’s coverage of the war was
given special abuse, in the form of
treason, “Giving Saddam military
ideas, like spilling oil into the gulf.”
And, the abuse touched on Vice
president Quayle’s visit to Saudi
Arabia and U.S. troops.
“Quayle’s contribution to the
war effort, (was) playing volley
ball with some of the troops.”
Quayle was chosen to receive
several slams, some for his war
effort and some for his own ability,
or lack of it.
“Quayle is our first specially
challenged vice president,” Kini
son said. He went on to list Quayle’s
major qualification as vice presi
dent, calling Quayle “the best anti
assassination weapon.”
Kinison then switched gears and
went on to attack The Home Shop
See KINISON on 10
‘Kitchens’ album offers waves of fresh sound
One Little Indian/A&M Records
By Michael Stock
Staff Reporter
In 1990, music tans saw the do
mestic release of brilliant albums from
beautiful pop music bands such as
The Cocteau Twins, Lush and the
Pale Saints.
This year heralds the release of the
incredible “Strange Free World,” the
latest by the Kitchens of Distinction,
released Tuesday in the United States.
Although “Strange Free World” is
the first domestic release from the
Kitchens, the band has been around
since early 1987 with its release of the
small label single, “Escape.”
In 1988, the Kitchens signed with
the “One Little Indian” label for the
release of two EPs. The “Indian” label
has been responsible for the success
of the Sugarcubes and the Heartthrobs.
The Kitchens’ first album “Love
Is Hell” was released in 1989, gaining
critical praise. The“Elephantine’’EP,
also released in 1989, went Top 10 in
England and many critics touted it as
the best pop song of the year.
“Strange Free World” follows the
band in its next step of evolution,
featuring more mature songwriting
Kitchens of Distinction
“Strange Free World”
One Little Indian/A&M Records
Rating: 5
Ratings are 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent).
and an increased sense of emotion in
sound.
Immersed in thick layers of guitar,
“Railwayed” washes over the listener
in waves, opening the CD with its
urgency and sounding like some of
the early Wake releases on Factory
records.
Like Lush and the Cocteau Twins,
the Kitchens lay claim to the “4AD”
sound — featuring the high, ringing
guitar characterized by Cocteau songs,
“Sugar Hiccup” and “Pearly-Dew
Drops’ Drops.”
Tlie vocals on “World” have moved
away from the more somber, darker
“Ian Curtis-esque vocals of 1987 s
“Escape,” toward the purer and more
beauteous.
“Quick As Rainbows,” the second
song, is a rerecorded version that is
much thicker than last year’s original
mix.
Howling transitions from guitar
echo to effect make the song much
more dense than the simpler shorter
version. The comparison of the two
songs is reminiscent of the two ver
sions of “Thoughtforms” from Lush’s
1990 compilation “Gala.”
“He Holds Her, He Needs Her”
and “Gorgeous Love” stand out as the
best tracks and as prospective singles.
The “Manchesterian” happiness of
the syncopated rhythms and guitar
harmonies recall the purity of Ride’s
“Vapour Trail” and the Pale Saints’
“Half-Life, Remembered.”
Both hacks are simpler in sound
— happy and rich — but not as dense
with the guitar sound that dominates
the CD.
“Gorgeous Love” provides intro
spective vocals that lend powerful
verses in the defense of love: “I fear
See KITCHEN on 11