Contact: Geoffrey Baum, (213) 821-1491
Critical Unity in Critical Times:
A National Symposium of Critics
May 25-28, 2005 in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, May 27, 2004 -- Four organizations for critics --
American Theatre Critics Association,
Dance Critics Association,
International Association of Art Critics/USA and
Music Critics Association of North America -- are joining forces to hold the first National Critics Conference in Los Angeles,
May 25-28, 2005. More than 400 arts writers, critics, editors, scholars and educators are expected to attend.
The
USC Annenberg School for Communication is partnering with the professional critics' organizations to present the 4-day event to be held at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza in downtown Los Angeles. The hotel is adjacent to many of Los Angeles's top cultural venues, including Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles Music Center and Museum of Contemporary Art.
"Critics don't just give thumbs up/thumbs down opinions," says
Michael Barnes, chairman of the American Theatre Critics Association. "At their best, critics lend perspective on human issues, create context for understanding our culture and our times. It is crucial that critics reclaim their roles as vital cultural observers and we invite the Los Angeles arts community to join us in this process."
The
2005 National Critics Conference will be open to members of the four participating critic organizations and also to the public. The conference will include panel discussions, attendance at performances, symposia and special receptions, including a half-day meeting at the J. Paul Getty Center. The ATCA, DCA, AICA/USA and MCANA are nonprofit service organizations founded by critics and journalists to serve those who write about theater, dance, art and music.
"The National Critics Conference is an important opportunity for our members to share ideas and concerns with critics who write about and have expertise in other artistic disciplines," says
Karyn Collins, president of the Dance Critics Association. "We can all learn from each other, and in unity there is strength -- a crucial fact given these times when the future of arts criticism is in jeopardy in some circles."
The conferences, seminars and panels will open to the public for a membership fee. More details are available online
http://annenberg.usc.edu/ncc.
"First-rate arts reporting and criticism helps strengthen cultural institutions and the communities they serve," says
Geoffrey Cowan, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. "This gathering will not only showcase the rich cultural resources of Los Angeles, but will also underscore the value and importance of good arts journalism. We are delighted to join with the critics organizations to make this historic meeting possible."
The
American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) is the only national group for theater critics in the United States. Since 1974, it has provided services for theater journalists while advocating excellence, ethics and freedom of expression in theater and theater criticism. Its 260 members meet as a group for twice-a-year conferences. The Foundation for the American Theatre Critics Association supports regular workshops for young critics and distributes $36,000 in new play awards each year. ATCA members vote on the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Theatre Hall of Fame, Primus Prize, M. Elizabeth Osborn Award and American Theatre Critics/Steinberg Awards. ATCA is the American section of the International Association of Theatre Critics.
The
Dance Critics Association (DCA) was founded in 1974 to advocate for the needs of professional dance critics and to advance the field of dance criticism. Today, the organization has almost 300 members--freelance and staff writers--who work for newspapers, magazines and websites across the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. Membership is also open to students, scholars and others interested in the art and practice of dance writing. A nonprofit service organization, the DCA offers a host of networking and professional opportunities and acts as a clearinghouse for the exchange of information. The organization publishes a quarterly newsletter, members' directory, books, and research guides. Its annual conference serves as a forum for meaningful dialogue and debate with symposia covering topics in dance scholarship; fresh approaches to critical writing; and practical issues facing journalists. As part of its ongoing commitment to education, the DCA offers conference scholarships and writing practicum workshops.
The
International Association of Art Critics (AICA) was founded in 1948/1949 in Paris (as l'Association Internationale de Critiques d'Art) and originally affiliated with UNESCO. The US chapter represents around 400 critics nationwide, while the international organization comprises some 72 member nations and more than 4,000 art critics. Each year, in a widely covered event, AICA/USA presents museums, galleries and alternative spaces with awards, the only organization to award excellence in museum and gallery exhibitions. It organizes lectures and programs, tours to artists' studios in emerging art neighborhoods, maintains a website, and concerns itself with working conditions for critics. Members are invited to the annual AICA International Congress in a different nation each year in continents around the world. AICA members are issued a press card recognized for entrance to museums around the world. In order to become an AICA member, critics must have been writing in the field of contemporary art at a high level and on a continuous basis for at least three years.
The
Music Critics Association of North America was founded in 1956 by music critics as a service organization to promote high standards and ensure the future of classical music criticism in the press of the Americas. MCANA provides a communication network among critics through annual conferences, a quarterly newsletter and a website. The organization also provides educational programs for professional development as well as advocacy for the field. These include Institutes in which members have the opportunity to travel to music festivals or major musical events to get a behind-the-scene look at an arts institution. Nuts and Bolts, hands-on writing workshops, bring emerging critics into close contact with some of the finest music editors and writers in the field and offer a chance for professional development. The quarterly newsletter keeps members informed about job opportunities, upcoming conferences, institutes, available fellowships, and colleagues' activities. The annual conference includes three days of symposia, panel discussions, social events and performances.
Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the
USC Annenberg School for Communication (
www.annenberg.usc.edu) is among the nation's leading institutions devoted to the study of arts journalism and criticism. Its programs include the USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program and the Western Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. In addition to its programs for working journalists, USC Annenberg enrolls of more than 1,500 graduate and undergraduate students earning B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in journalism, communication, and public relations.
Please contact the following individual critics' organizations in Los Angeles for more information or visit
http://www.annenberg.usc.edu/ncc:
The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
Lee Melville
(213) 614-0556 x14
lmelville@theatrela.org
The Dance Critics Association (DCA)
Laura Bleiberg
(714) 796-4976
Lbleiberg@ocregister.com
The International Association of Art Critics/ USA (AICA/USA)
Robert Atkins
(760) 328-5552
robert@robertatkins.net
Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA)
Rick Ginell
(661)-245-3196
rsg78rpm@aol.com
For membership information, contact:
The American Theater Critics Association (ATCA)
Patricia Angotti
(317) 826-7874
THEatreSERVICE,
ts@evansville.edu
www.americantheatrecritics.org
The Dance Critics Association (DCA)
Anita King
dancecritics@hotmail.com
Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA)
Robert Leininger
(410) 435-3881
musiccritics@aol.com
www.mcana.org
The International Art Critics Association / USA (AICA/USA)
Phyllis Tuchman
(212) 249-2763
www.aicusa.org
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