Archive for the ‘Arts’ Category

Protecting Your Intellectual Property

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Unlike most tangible consumer goods or products, protecting your intellectual property is rather challenging even with the modern advancements that we now have today. And now with the growing popularity of the web, you can easily copy other people’s work and pass it off as your own and nobody will find out. It is even trickier when it comes to arts and craft where a little edit or change of filter can completely alter the look of something. Of course, we are talking about digital arts. The computer and smart technology/ smart gadgets reign supreme and it does not come as a surprise if businesses also flock to the web because that where almost everyone is. The market has drastically changed and the players are all over the world the games has definitely gotten dirtier.

If you are an artist yourself, I am sure you have your fair share of struggles and challenges concerning your craft. Others may steal your work without you knowing and you end up uncompensated for your hard work and intellectual property. There are measures being implemented, though, to prevent this thing from happening such as copyright protection. Having a copyright on your work is actually a great way to ensure you retain ownership on your work even way after you die but some people manage to get their way around it for reasons that many of us can’t or fail to understand.

Copyright is a cornerstone of any democratic, progressive, free society that values and wishes to continue to enjoy the benefits of a knowledge-based economy.

“As the founders of this country were wise enough to see,” former register of copyrights Abraham Kaminstein told the United States Congress in the 1970s, “the most important elements of any civilization include its independent creators — its authors, composers and artists –who create as a matter of personal initiative and spontaneous expression rather than as a result of patronage or subsidy. A strong, practical copyright is the only assurance we have that this creative activity will continue.”

Most people agree that the world would be poorer without the works of Picasso, and in so far as his “creative activity” was supported by copyright, copyright must be a Good Thing.

(Via: http://edition.cnn.com/style/article/art-copyright-beg-steal-borrow/index.html)

Of course, for someone who came up with that idea or piece of work or art, it just makes sense that you have ownership over it and get remunerated as well. It is why having a copyright ensures you don’t get ripped off of the product of your imagination, hard work, and labor and these artists often receive some sort of payment or royalty over the course of their lifetime. In this day and age, it should be mandatory for all intellectual properties to be protected so that its rightful owners not only get the recognition they deserve but they also make money from it.

What Can Be Copyrighted?

The rule is that, for a work to be copyrightable, it must be original — even a “modicum of creativity” will be enough – and it must be fixed “in a tangible medium of expression.” This simply means that the work must be somewhat original – that is, an independently created work that is not a copy of something else – and be expressed on some form of media, whether it be canvas, paper, phonorecords (CDs, LPs, MP3s, etc.), or even digital coding that can only be read by a machine.

The law lists eight categories of works that are protectable by copyright: literary works; musical works; dramatic works; pantomimes and choreographed works; pictorial, graphic and sculptural works; motion pictures and other audiovisual works; sound recordings; and architectural works. (Video games can qualify for protection as both literary works and as audiovisual works. The computer code generally crosses the “literary” threshold as specific characters in a specific sequence to be read by a machine – but of course, games use audio and visuals as much as any television or movie, so they would be protected under the audiovisual category, even if the law did not protect computer code.)

(Via: http://www.cartoonbrew.com/law/beginners-guide-copyright-law-artists-153115.html)

Check the article above if you are unsure how to proceed regarding copyrights especially if you are someone whose work is subject to it. Ignorance is never an excuse and you will likely regret not orienting yourself to all these things when you still can rather than lose any right on your own work because you failed to protect yourself and your work of art when you still can. Also, it helps to know which types of work are copyrightable and which ones aren’t so you don’t waste your time and effort on something which won’t work at all. Try to research the Berne Convention too because it will shed more light about copyrights regardless of where you live in the 172 countries that signed it. So, take the time to know the law and protect your own intellectual properties without any more glitch.


Antique Collection Is Good For The Soul

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We all can’t help but admire people with extensive antique collections. Their dedication to their passion is anything but outstanding. But aside from collecting valuable antique and heirloom pieces that are such eye candies, collecting these rare items itself is a stress reliever for antique collectors and also a great way to pass time without ever getting bored.

You do not need to spend a lot of money to start an antique collection. Although most of the hard-to-find items are quite expensive, you can still find some interesting pieces when you visit flea markets or yard sales. After all, there are different types of antique pieces. If the bigger ones are quite out of your reach, you can always begin with the smaller items – stamps or paper currencies may be a good start.

Paper money has always been collected for the breath of its beauty and various printing methods, but mainly for its great value. Age is a major factor, but other factors also come into play, such as condition, demand and the lower the grade, the lower the value. Paper money, unlike coins, should always be kept in sealed holders and one should never think of washing paper money with soap and water. When keeping the bills safe, always store world currency in low humidity and away from sunlight.

Collecting old money has always been an interesting hobby enjoyed by many numismatic enthusiasts. Many of these collectors during the beginning stages focus on assembling a worthy and impressive collection, trying to unearth a bargain along the way. Searching for paper money gives one the chance to learn history during research into the origins. Also, the artful printing bearing many symbols and portraits of presidents and monarchs excites many first-time collectors. 

Some collectors, interestingly enough, use certain “nickname notes” to refer to certain series of currency. Buying a new “bison,” for instance, actually refers to a handful of notes from the buffalo series of 1901, $10 legal tender. Another example is “Chief,” since it is the only Native American found on an 1899 $5 silver certificate. There’s also the “Black Eagle” Series of 1899, $1 silver showing an image of a black winged eagle certificate, and “Martha” for Martha Washington, who appears on the front of a $1 silver certificate series 1886. Last but not least, there’s “Battleship,” which exhibits a battleship on the reverse of a 1918 $2 Federal Reserve Bank Note. It is almost like a secret code among series and dedicated collectors who learned the techniques about collecting notes over a long period of time.    

(Via: http://www.silive.com/homegarden/index.ssf/2017/03/antiques_collecting_paper_curr.html)

Antique collections, although mostly done as a hobby, is also collected for its value. But it is also worth noting that the antique industry is driven by fashion.

Collectable is a broad term and I’ve spent many a year at auctions, antique fairs and private sales both here in the UK and over the water buying interesting artefacts to make money on.

Sometimes it’s heartbreaking to see a lifelong collection sell for nothing at a saleroom: The time and effort that’s gone into bringing a collection to life for it to result in a poor return can be pretty devastating.

As a seller, this is awful, but this gives a buyer an opportunity. Is this the time to buy?

The antique industry is fashion led. I’m sure that you will have heard the terms shabby chic, industrial, kitsch. These are all terminologies used to describe particular styles.

Designers may start out with ideas and concepts which then start to shape the antique/vintage/retro market.

The first places you usually see the new trends is at the international antique and home fairs, followed by auctions, and then finally retail outlets.

(Via: http://www.loughboroughecho.net/news/local-news/whats-collectable-future-12674963)

But if you are an avid antique collector and the item’s value is not an issue with you, by all means, pursue your passion. Nothing can be as rewarding as seeing your entire collection that you’ve accumulated over the years as well as reminisce the stories that go alongside each item. What’s even better is they become more vintage as the years go by. You can pass it on to your loved ones and share the art and passion of art collecting to them without them having to start from scratch. And who knows, it might sell off for a fortune sometime in the future, we can never tell.


The Influence Of Ballet To Society

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Ballet is an art. Nobody will argue with that. Not everyone is gifted with the grace and class of a ballerina. It takes years of hard work, discipline. and dedication to perfect the craft and perform as a world-class ballerina.

Unlike sports that appeal to many because of the limitless options, ballet is for those who have a refined taste. Ballet classes are also expensive and only a handful can get into prestigious ballet companies. Most successful ballerinas also started early in life, with most of their adult life consumed by their passion – to dance and perform in front of people.

As an African-American soloist with the United Kingdom’s Royal Ballet, Eric Underwood says he is often asked why the ballet world isn’t very diverse.

It’s complicated, Underwood says. Race, income, social hierarchies and other factors often conspire to create a situation that excludes people of color from serious pursuit of dance.

“I feel that because you have to start training as a youngster, it’s the responsibility of the parents or society’s responsibility to introduce children to it,” Underwood says. “A five-year-old child would find it very difficult to come and say, ‘Mom, I’d like to dance.’”

(Via: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/03/13/classical-ballet-has-diversity-problem-and-its-stars-know-how-fix/97586016/)

Not only that ballet is a career for some and a recreation for many but it also creates jobs and revenues that propel the country’s economy forward.

Yesterday, Lincoln Center — the world’s largest performing arts center, which famously hosts the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Juilliard, and much more — published an open letter defending the National Endowment for the Arts against Donald Trump’s threats to defund it, despite the minuscule amount of money it takes to keep it running. The letter first draws on the personal — and thereby social — import of the arts:

A child’s early introduction to ballet teaches strength and discipline. A veteran’s exposure to art therapy brings healing and hope. A student’s participation in music class improves math scores and critical thinking skills. Art shapes achievement, with profound and practical effects.

But it doesn’t only speak in compelling human terms; it plunges, rather, into pragmatic, monetary terms that, say, a real estate tycoon-turned-politician might perhaps understand:

Still more, art anchors communities. In American cities and towns, arts institutions and districts are breathing life into neighborhoods—attracting investment, spurring development, fueling innovation, and creating jobs. Arts and culture help power the U.S. economy at the astounding level of $704.2 billion each year.

(Via: http://flavorwire.com/600679/lincoln-center-pens-open-letter-to-federal-government-defending-the-national-endowment-for-the-arts)

But ballet is now threatened by budget cuts from the new administration along with other areas of the culture and the arts.

Leaders of local cultural institutions are anxiously awaiting a decision on cuts to federal arts funding as reports claim the Trump administration is considering defunding or eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for Humanities.

Federal funding supports a diverse swath of local arts programs, from Aspen Film’s Shortsfest to Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s tours, from artist residencies at the Aspen Art Museum and Anderson Ranch Arts Center to high-profile events at the Aspen Music Festival and School and military veterans’ wilderness therapy excursions through the nonprofit Huts for Vets.

Grants from the feds help arts organizations educate, create and share art with the community and the world. But the money, leaders said, is less important than the statement that America values the arts and humanities.

“It impacts every community in some way, even if it’s a little, and the symbolism that our leaders have their finger on the pulse of the arts nationally is hugely important,” said Aspen Music Festival and School President and CEO Alan Fletcher. “And thus, the symbolism of saying ‘We don’t care about it’ is hugely important. It should be maintained.”

(Via: http://www.aspentimes.com/entertainment/aspen-arts-leaders-brace-for-cuts-to-natioanl-endowment-for-the-arts-national-endowment-for-the-humanities/)

The art sector will greatly suffer from such a drastic and unprecedented move from the new president. The industry relies heavily on government funding to continue their passion in sharing their love for the arts. It will also result in an increase of ticket prices of ballet shows or other artistic presentations so that all costs are covered.

In the end, it will not only affect those who are directly involved in the arts but the state as well. This budget cut is also in violation of the law that says the citizens of the state should have access not only to a good education but to the arts and humanities too.