Environmentalists protest BP art sponsorship

by Sean McLachlan on

If you’re planning to see some art in the United Kingdom this summer, you might have to walk through a picket line.

Environmental groups are protesting BP’s sponsorship of exhibitions and galleries across the UK, saying the oil giant is trying to clean up its image despite being responsible for the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.

Protests have already taken place at the National Portrait Gallery in London, which receives large donations from BP. On Monday there will be protests at London’s Tate Britain as the museum hosts a special celebration of twenty years working with BP.

Other recipients of BP money read like a Who’s Who of prestigious museums, including the Tate Modern, Royal Opera House, and the British Museum, among others. With the disaster in the gulf showing no sign of abating, this summer is looking to be a hot one for some of the UK’s biggest museums.

Should museums be held accountable for the actions of their donors? Tell us what you think in the comments section.


Photos of oil-soaked pelicans courtesy International Bird Rescue research Center.

Philadelphia’s Loews Hotel offers VIP tickets for Cleopatra exhibit

by Amy Chen on

If you’re set on seeing the Cleopatra exhibit in Philadelphia at the Franklin Institute, save some time and money by booking a hotel package that throws in a pair of VIP museum passes.

Regular admission to “Cleopatra: the Search for the Last Queen of Egypt” can cost up to $29.50 per ticket, but the two VIP passes (which are undated and untimed) are actually worth more than the combined $59 face value. Since these front-of-the-line tickets are currently only offered through hotel partners, being able to skip the line is literally priceless.

Details: This Loews Hotel package, which starts at $189 per night, includes one night in a deluxe room at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, two VIP passes to the Cleopatra exhibit at the Franklin Institute, and access to the Fels Planetarium (worth an extra $15.50 per person). The VIP Cleopatra package is valid until Jan. 2, 2011, when the special exhibit closes.

[Image Credit: Lisa Godfrey/The Franklin Institute]

How to deal with touts – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Touts, hawkers and scam artists are a persistent nuisance in countries from Morocco to Vietnam, yet many a novice (and seasoned!) traveler believes that to remain open to local cultures, they must be polite and friendly to a pushy people who just want money.

In my experience, the best bet is to completely ignore anyone trying to sell you something if you did not start the business transaction yourself. Do not make eye contact or even say “no thank you.” If you do business in common markets, the things you want to buy will initiate plenty of genuine, local contact as it is.

[Photo: Flickr | mckaysavage]

How to buy cheap Broadway tickets this fall

by Amy Chen on

Catching a Broadway show may be a quintessential New York experience, but a pair of orchestra tickets can easily cost as much as your hotel room.

If your travel plans are flexible, consider waiting until fall to take advantage of Broadway.com‘s latest promotion, which reduces ticket prices for groups as small as eight people. (Group discounts are typically for 15 or more people). Round up some friends and family, and these discounts could knock 20 percent to 50 percent off the regular price of orchestra and front mezzanine seats.

Here’s a sampling of what you can save with Broadway.com/groups discounts this fall.

La Cage Aux Folles (the 2010 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical Revival, Best Actor, and Best Director)
Price: Orchestra seats normally cost $132.50. With the small-group discount, you could save 40 percent and watch it for a more affordable $79.50. This price is valid for shows from Sept. 7-Oct. 7.

The Addams Family (starring Broadway legends Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane)
Price: $69 mezzanine seats A-K for Tuesday-Thursday performances; $49 student mezzanine seats F-N for Tuesday-Thursday performances. Book by Aug. 27 (or 4 weeks in advance) for performances Sept. 1-Nov. 11

Mary Poppins and The Lion King
Price: Get 20 percent off regularly priced tickets for groups of 8 to 14 people. Earn a free ticket for groups of 15 and more.

But with half-price tickets available at the TKTS booth in Times Square, does booking in advance really save you money?

I checked in with Carl Prince, executive vice president of Broadway.com/Groups, who was candid about how his company’s fall promotion measures up to the competition.

Can you explain how these prices might compare to TKTS deals?
TKTS is a good way to go if you are not with a group, you don’t care what show you see, and you don’t mind giving up an afternoon to wait in line. If you wanted to see a show with a September Special, say Mary Poppins, you should definitely go ahead and buy it in advance because it might sell out prior to the performance and therefore not even be an option at the TKTS booth. Prices could be lower at TKTS, but it’s a complete gamble.

Is your seat availability better than TKTS?
Another gamble. At the TKTS booth, they sell whatever inventory is left. Because of that, simple logic tells me the seats will not be as good at the last minute as when they are bought in advance with a September Special.

Has Broadway.com/Groups offered these specials before?
Not really. As of now, this is a once-a-year opportunity. September Specials are a way to sell tickets in advance for a time period that has tended to be slower in years past.

Details: Visit Broadway.com/groups/septemberspecials to view the discounted group rates.
Tip: Before you book, it’s worth comparing prices with other discount sites, such as Theatermania.com.

[Photo Credit: Amy Chen]

Help build the Flight 93 national memorial

by Kraig Becker on

On 9/11, 40 people died on board United Flight 93 when the plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. We don’t know exactly what happened during the plane’s final minutes, but we do know that a number of the passengers worked together to prevent hijackers from taking over the aircraft and crashing it into another building, saving who knows how many lives at the expense of their own.

Now, that National Parks Foundation is working hard to build a memorial for the heroic passengers that were on Flight 93, but like all projects in this struggling economy, it has been difficult to raise the necessary funds. Between now and July 4th, the organization has set a goal of raising $93,000 for the memorial, and thanks to the seemingly ubiquitous Facebook, and a little help from a corporate sponsor, we can all help the cause as well.

Energy company Range Resources has generously pledged to match, dollar-for-dollar, all online donations to the memorial between now and July 4th. They’ve also committed themselves to donating $1 for every new fan of the project on Facebook, up to $46,500. Donations can be made directly to the cause online by clicking here, and remember each of the donations is tax deductible. If you have a Facebook page, you can become a “fan” of the memorial by going here, and pushing the “Like” button located at the top of the page.

It really is that simple to contribute to this very worthy cause.

[Photo Credit: National Park Foundation]