Louise Blouin: Difference between revisions
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She later became CEO of international auction house [[Phillips de Pury & Company|Phillips, de Pury & Luxembourg]], resigning the position after a year, before setting up [[Louise Blouin Media]] in 2003, and moving into art publications, acquiring ''[[Art & Auction|Art+Auction]]'', ''Gallery Guide'', ''Museums'', ''[[Culture+Travel]]'', and ''[[Modern Painters (magazine)|Modern Painters]]'' within three years. She also founded [[ARTINFO]] (www.artinfo.com), an online portal for access to the world of arts and culture. |
She later became CEO of international auction house [[Phillips de Pury & Company|Phillips, de Pury & Luxembourg]], resigning the position after a year, before setting up [[Louise Blouin Media]] in 2003, and moving into art publications, acquiring ''[[Art & Auction|Art+Auction]]'', ''Gallery Guide'', ''Museums'', ''[[Culture+Travel]]'', and ''[[Modern Painters (magazine)|Modern Painters]]'' within three years. She also founded [[ARTINFO]] (www.artinfo.com), an online portal for access to the world of arts and culture. |
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===Money Problems=== |
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Louise Blouin Media has "a nasty habit of stiffing lowly freelance writers," as detailed in two 2010 articles in the ''New York Post'' <ref>{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Keith J.|title=Freelancers say Louise Blouin Media stiffed them|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/freelancers_say_louise_blouin_media_dQGZLkLOpSENm4vRjGGwzK|accessdate=20 September 2011|newspaper=New York Post|date=July 9, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Keith J.|title=Didn't get paid by Louise Blouin? Get in line|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/didn_get_paid_by_louise_blouin_get_yHfaNujQs8hIE1jxM1zY8J|accessdate=20 September 2011|newspaper=New York Post|date=July 16, 2010}}</ref>. "I think it is absolutely disgraceful that they were assigning stories even when they knew they were not paying for past stories," one of those writers told the ''Post''. The second article noted that "a slew of lawsuits pending against Blouin or her publishing concerns has come to light claiming that she has rung up a half-million dollars or more in unpaid bills." |
Louise Blouin Media has "a nasty habit of stiffing lowly freelance writers," as detailed in two 2010 articles in the ''New York Post'' <ref>{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Keith J.|title=Freelancers say Louise Blouin Media stiffed them|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/freelancers_say_louise_blouin_media_dQGZLkLOpSENm4vRjGGwzK|accessdate=20 September 2011|newspaper=New York Post|date=July 9, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Keith J.|title=Didn't get paid by Louise Blouin? Get in line|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/didn_get_paid_by_louise_blouin_get_yHfaNujQs8hIE1jxM1zY8J|accessdate=20 September 2011|newspaper=New York Post|date=July 16, 2010}}</ref>. "I think it is absolutely disgraceful that they were assigning stories even when they knew they were not paying for past stories," one of those writers told the ''Post''. The second article noted that "a slew of lawsuits pending against Blouin or her publishing concerns has come to light claiming that she has rung up a half-million dollars or more in unpaid bills." |
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A 2011 article in ''The New York Observer'' stated, "According to New York State court filings, Louise Blouin, her company and her foundation have variously been sued by their landlord, their printer, FedEx, an office-supply company, a marketing consultant, a freelance web developer and two interior decorators. Most of the claims have been settled, many in Ms. Blouin’s favor, but the question remains why one of London’s richest women would have trouble keeping the lights on."<ref>{{cite news|last=Stoeffel|first=Kat|title=Will a Paywall Help Keep the Lights on at Louise Blouin Media?|url=http://www.observer.com/2011/10/will-a-paywall-help-keep-the-lights-on-at-louise-blouin-media/|accessdate=5 October 2011|newspaper=New York Observer|date=October 5, 2011}}</ref> |
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==Philanthropy== |
==Philanthropy== |
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Revision as of 16:06, 5 October 2011
Louise Thérèse Blouin (born October 15, 1958), is a French-Canadian magazine publisher and philanthropist. She is the CEO and President of Louise Blouin Media, and the founder and chairman of the Louise T Blouin Foundation.
Early life
Louise Thérèse Blouin was born in Montreal, the youngest of six children. Having worked part-time as a book-keeper whilst at school, she went on to McGill University to study commerce, later switching to Concordia. She did not graduate but she did study at the Owner/President Management program at Harvard Business School. In the early eighties, she met and married David Stewart, a member of the Canadian MacDonald tobacco family. The marriage was annulled within a year for unknown reasons.[1]
Media career
Having later married John MacBain, the two acquired Auto Hebdo, a classified car trading magazine, in 1987. The business grew into Trader Classified Media, which acquired around 400 classified-advertisement publications and – as an early adopter of the internet – 60 websites over the next ten years in over 20 companies, with sales rising from $2m to $400m,[2] and focus expanding from cars to include boats, real estate and jobs. As Chairman and CEO of Trader Classified Media for over 15 years, Louise Blouin and her management team and over 5,000 employees, was able to turn around over 80 companies. At Trader, Blouin had launched 60 magazines and compiled over 400 publications internationally, which yielded 9 million readers per week.
Hebdo changed its name to Trader.com NV in 2000 after holding IPOs on NASDAQ and the Paris Premier Marché.[3] It continued an acquisition spree that impacted its operating profits for two years, before becoming profitable in 2002. Blouin however, had exited the company in 2000 and not long thereafter divorced her second husband.[1]
She later became CEO of international auction house Phillips, de Pury & Luxembourg, resigning the position after a year, before setting up Louise Blouin Media in 2003, and moving into art publications, acquiring Art+Auction, Gallery Guide, Museums, Culture+Travel, and Modern Painters within three years. She also founded ARTINFO (www.artinfo.com), an online portal for access to the world of arts and culture.
Money Problems
Louise Blouin Media has "a nasty habit of stiffing lowly freelance writers," as detailed in two 2010 articles in the New York Post [4][5]. "I think it is absolutely disgraceful that they were assigning stories even when they knew they were not paying for past stories," one of those writers told the Post. The second article noted that "a slew of lawsuits pending against Blouin or her publishing concerns has come to light claiming that she has rung up a half-million dollars or more in unpaid bills."
A 2011 article in The New York Observer stated, "According to New York State court filings, Louise Blouin, her company and her foundation have variously been sued by their landlord, their printer, FedEx, an office-supply company, a marketing consultant, a freelance web developer and two interior decorators. Most of the claims have been settled, many in Ms. Blouin’s favor, but the question remains why one of London’s richest women would have trouble keeping the lights on."[6]
Philanthropy
Louise Blouin founded the Louise T Blouin Foundation in 2005, with the aim of raising awareness about the role culture and creativity can play in resolving global issues. The foundation's website lists its two core aims as:
- Encouraging a better understanding of foreign affairs and culture beyond borders through international cooperation, exchange and dialogue for the 21st century.
- Exploring the broader practical significance of creativity and the creative potential of the human brain.[7]
The foundation's projects since its inception include:
- being the principal supporter for the staging of Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale at The Old Vic theatre, London, in 2005; a collaboration between Iraqi and European actors
- 'Bring Back New Orleans' – support for a research project into rebuilding the cultural infrastructure of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
- '4 Generations' – a multi-part TV series, chronicling the stories of two families, one Israeli, one Palestinian, in partnership with the Film School of Tel Aviv University and the Royal Jordanian Film Commission
- 'Making the Case for Culture' – support for a research project with the OECD which investigates the possibility of a link between the quality of life in a country and the amount of its GDP spent on culture
- cultural exchange programmes with China and with The Middle East
- 'Art and the New Biology of Mind' – a think-tank at Columbia University, New York City in March 2006, featuring debate between artists (such as David Salle, Richard Meier and George Condo) and scientists (such as Richard Axel, Eric Kandel and Joseph LeDoux) toward a clearer understanding of the ways in which the brain responds to art
- 'Music and the Brain' – a research review exploring how the brain processes music and how music can affect psychological development.
The Blouin Creative Leadership Summit
The annual Blouin Creative Leadership Summit unites Heads of State, Nobel Laureates, private sector CEOs, artists, doctors, and leader in the areas of science, technology, culture, business, and politics. The two day executive level speaking engagement explores the challenges and opportunities presented by globalization. Delegates discuss the implications of globalization on an array of topics ranging from global health to economics to human safety.
The Louise Blouin Foundation organizes the Blouin Creative Leadership Summit as a think tank style forum. The Louise Blouin Foundation is a strategic partner of the United Nations Office for Partnerships. The annual Summit is covered by international media outlets and is accessible online via audio podcasts and videos.
The Louise T Blouin Foundation's flagship event took place at Harold Pratt House, New York City in November 2006. Its stated aim was:
By bringing together influential leaders in business, technology, government, science and the arts, the Global Creative Leadership Summit, hosted by the LTB Foundation, hopes to unleash insights that will have practical implications for problem-solving across disciplines. How can business and government leaders benefit from knowing more about how the brain works? How can those who see the world differently come together to break through today’s complex challenges?[8]
Notable speakers included:
- Nobel Laureates Henry Kissinger, Richard Axel, James Watson and Eric Kandel
- Scientists V.S. Ramachandran, Mehmet Oz and Lisa Randall
- Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
- Journalist Arianna Huffington; chess grandmaster Susan Polgar; then-Saudi Ambassador to the US Prince Turki Al Faisal; artists Chuck Close and Richard Serra; CEO of the Blackstone Group and Stephen Schwarzman.
- H.E. President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili.
The Louise T Blouin Institute
In October 2006 the foundation opened the Louise T Blouin Institute in Shepherd's Bush, west London. A gallery space combined with a centre for the foundation's work, its opening exhibition featured light installation pieces by Californian artist James Turrell. Lecturers organised to speak on the theme of art, light and science in tandem with the exhibition included Professors Semir Zeki, Martin Kemp and Sir Michael Berry.
The foundation's website lists the philosophy of the institute as follows:
The philosophy of the Institute will be experimentation, questioning, debate, learning, and there will be two focuses of activity. The first is to present the work of individual artists through temporary exhibitions, installations, performances and screenings. We will also promote a lively programme of events such as lectures, debates, workshops, think-tanks and summits related to the Foundation’s areas of interest.[9]
Trivia
- She is known to have dyslexia, and has often stated her belief in the enhanced creative abilities of those who have the condition.[10]
- The Sunday Times Rich List 2005 placed her at equal 192nd place, estimating her fortune at £250 million.
References
- ^ a b Guardian interview
- ^ 'Art Publisher's Ambition is a Study in Revenge', Andrew Porter, The Sunday Times, 14 March 2004
- ^ History of Trader Classified Media
- ^ Kelly, Keith J. (July 9, 2010). "Freelancers say Louise Blouin Media stiffed them". New York Post. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
- ^ Kelly, Keith J. (July 16, 2010). "Didn't get paid by Louise Blouin? Get in line". New York Post. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
- ^ Stoeffel, Kat (October 5, 2011). "Will a Paywall Help Keep the Lights on at Louise Blouin Media?". New York Observer. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
- ^ Louise T Blouin Foundation website
- ^ Global Creative Leadership Summit website
- ^ Louise T Blouin Foundation website
- ^ 'A New Arts Foundation with a Focus on Creativity', Felicia R. Lee, The New York Times, 2 May 2005
External links
- The Louise T Blouin Foundation website (also contains information about the Louise T Blouin Institute)
- Website for the Blouin Creative Leadership Summit
- ARTINFO.com
- Louise Blouin Media website
- Art+Auction magazine
- Gallery Guide magazine
- Modern Painters magazine
- Culture+Travel magazine
- MYARTINFO.com a social networking website for artists
- Interview Guardian interview, October 2006