From early in the 19th century, puppetry began to inspire artists from the 'high-art' traditions.

Even some defenders of that high-art literary tradition took Mr. Franzen to task.

Being selected for Ms. Winfrey's book club might detract from his self-anointed membership in what he calls the "high-art literary tradition," a phrase he'll be ironically linked with forever.

His paintings are big and bold, and the colors are exquisitely rich; their iconography is hip, savvy and spiked with references to the European high-art tradition.

Scott Wheeler, whose "Democracy" was presented by the Washington Opera last year, noted that American opera "does tend to partake of both populist and high-art tradition."

The cultural vibrancy of Los Angeles today has little to do with either the high-art tradition represented by the Getty or Hollywood's commercial kitsch.

They were known for an existential, figurative style that eschewed high-art tradition and often gravitated toward the surreal or grotesque.

More so than any of his earlier work, the project represented his break with the high-art tradition of Alfred Stieglitz, whom Evans once referred to as "a screaming aesthete."

"I feel like I'm solidly in the high-art literary tradition," he said.

Some impresarios, like Mr. Miura, concentrate on the classical, high-art traditions.