An Olympic Medal — For Arts
Stanton dug through decades-old, crumbling files that were packed away in Switzerland in order to uncover the origin of this forgotten Olympic tradition. Apparently, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the modern Olympic Games, saw art competitions as integral to his vision of the Olympics. Stanton told Smithsonian Magazine of Coubertin, “He was raised and educated classically, and he was particularly impressed with the idea of what it meant to be a true Olympian — someone who was not only athletic, but skilled in music and literature.” Coubertin thought that without the arts, it couldn’t be a true Olympic event. However, Coubertin had no luck convincing local organizers from Athens, St. Louis, or Paris that art competitions were necessary. At the 1912 Stockholm Games, Coubertin finally secured the Olympic fine art competitions. There were categories for architecture, music, painting, sculpture, and literature, but every work had to somehow be inspired by sports.
Judges didn’t have to award gold medals if they were disappointed by all the submissions, but 1912 was a success. With 33 artists in participation, a gold medal was awarded in every category. (Coubertin even won for his poem, “Ode to Sport”! He disguised it with a pseudonym.) As the Olympics exploded into a beloved international event, the fine arts competitions rarely caught people’s attention. Not all categories won gold medals, if any at all. There were significant winners, however. John Russell Pope (the architect of the Jefferson Memorial) won a silver at the 1932 Los Angeles Games for his design of the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, constructed at Yale University. Other famous participants include Italian sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti, American illustrator Percy Crosby, Irish author Oliver St. John Gogarty, and Dutch painter Isaac Israëls. Even if the art competitions are not a part of the games anymore, they are fascinating to learn about! We’ll definitely think about them the next time the Olympics (finally) roll around.
From 1912–1952, the Olympics awarded medals for arts and sculpture, though most people do not remember this. In 2012, the first book in English on the topic was published, “The Forgotten Olympic Art Competitions” by Richard Stanton.
LATE-90’S POP STAR BRINGS ATTENTION TO CONSERVATORSHIP LAWS FREE BRITNEY
Do you know what a conservatorship is? If you’ve cared for an aging parent, there’s a chance you’re familiar with this legal concept, which allows the court to appoint a legal guardian for an adult who is unable to make their own decisions. It comes up most often in cases where an individual has dementia or a serious mental illness, and it can apply to that person’s estate and finances (known as “conservator of the state”), as well as personal decisions (“conservator of the person”). It’s not just adults with aging parents who are familiar with this somewhat obscure legal concept, though. Late-90’s pop star Britney Spears has a devoted fan base that’s acquired legal acuity around conservatorship laws because of her battle to remove her father, Jamie Spears, as her conservator.
to be the legal conservator of her affairs. He was the conservator of the person for Britney until he stepped down in 2019, citing health reasons. But he maintained sole legal control over Britney’s reported $59 million fortune until last November, when the court appointed a co-conservator after Britney’s lawyers requested that Jamie be removed from the court order. Hardcore Britney fans began the #FreeBritney movement in 2009 after seeing how the conservatorship stripped Britney of her freedom and rights. The movement has since gained greater attention, especially following the release of the documentary “Framing Britney Spears” earlier this year. The documentary takes a deep dive into conservatorship laws, including the difficulties Britney and her lawyers have had
in changing the legal parameters to reflect her wishes. It also brings up questions about how a performer who has put out nine studio albums, had a Las Vegas residency, and made multiple television appearances would be unable to make her own decisions about her personal life and finances.
Britney’s lawyers are still fighting to remove her father entirely from the conservatorship of her estate, but it’s been an uphill battle. While she has not yet asked to end the conservatorship, lawyers interviewed by The New York Times for the documentary said most conservatorships don’t end until the person they are ordered for dies. Britney’s case is bringing up new legal questions and has been an unlikely but powerful way for the public to learn more about this legal concept.
After Britney suffered a mental health crisis in 2008, a California court appointed Jamie
4 2
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker