Arts Talk

By Times staff writers

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 7, 2001

A noteworthy appointment

Florida West Coast Symphony has appointed Joseph McKenna as executive director, effective March 5. McKenna, currently the managing director of Wisconsin's Cedarburg Performing Arts Center, will succeed Gretchen Serrie, who is retiring after more than 23 years with the Sarasota orchestra.

The show business

Two bay area institutions were ranked among the top 20 venues by Amusement Business magazine in a survey of performing arts facilities with seating of 5,000 or less. Morsani Hall at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center ranked No. 4, with gross revenue of $14.7-million from Dec. 13, 1999, to Dec. 4, 2000. Ruth Eckerd Hall ranked No. 17, with ticket sales of $4-million. The No. 1 venue was Atlanta's Fox Theatre, with $19.8-million.

Watch this dancer

A ballet student from St. Petersburg was among "25 to watch" in a story in the January issue of Dance magazine. Daniel Ulbricht, a student at the School of American Ballet in New York, was touted for his "burgeoning pyrotechnics and innate musicality" in a survey of 25 dancers, choreographers, troupes and trends to follow in 2001. Ulbricht, 17, studied ballet at the Judith Lee Johnson Studio of Dance in St. Petersburg before being accepted into New York City Ballet's school in 1999. He's an apprentice with the company and danced in The Nutcracker in November and December.

Art brush-up by Internet

For a recent fix on up-to-the-minute contemporary American art, check out this Web site: http://www.corcoran.org/biennial. In addition to a selection of art from the 46th biennual show, on view in Washington, D.C., through March 5, you'll find good insights into both the artist and the work. It's not like being there, but it's a lot more comfortable.

Competition for artists

For the Love of Art, P.O. Box 622, New Port Richey 34656; (727) 842-8066. Inaugural year of outdoor show, Feb. 10-11. Deadline: Jan. 19.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.