ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

This Week’s AJ Highlights

Good morning: Measuring success when it comes to art has aways been problematic. Sales numbers hardly tell the real story. Attention has become the primary currency online. But the first cracks in the tyranny of the social web, which opaquely chooses winners and losers in the attention algorithm wars, may be starting to show. There is increasing evidence that the social web is in advanced decay for both audience and creators, and that the participation models being rewarded online are deeply—even injuriously—flawed. I wrote an essay for the National Endowment for the arts questioning what it means to “participate” in art. Some musing on my blog Diacritical here.

Here are more highlights from the past week:

  1. A Call For Systemic Change In NY’s Cultural Structures
    Recent testimonies from artists, cultural workers, and arts organization leaders in New York City Council hearings reveal a cultural sector in crisis, highlighting the need for systemic changes in the governance model. – ARTnews
  2. Where (And How) The International Book Market Is Growing
    A new report on global book sales shows a rise in fiction revenues, while nonfiction is declining in many regions. Social media, especially the BookTok community, is playing a growing role in boosting sales internationally. – Publishers Weekly
  3. Why Choreographer Oona Doherty Has Grabbed The Contemporary Dance World’s Attention
    Known for her refusal to compromise and her pull toward the extreme, Oona Doherty’s first major piece, “Hope Hunt and the Ascension Into Lazarus,” has been a remarkable exploration of authenticity and subversion in movement since 2015. – Dance Magazine
  4. The Internet Has Fractured Culture So Much, The Cultural References Don’t Work For Everyone
    Many recent novels reference niche cultural fragments familiar only to certain urban media circles, suggesting future readers might need a guidebook to understand them. – The Walrus
  5. “Sleep No More” Announces Yet Another Closing Date For Its 14-Year New York Run
    The immersive, site-specific adaptation of “Macbeth” has set multiple closing dates, with extensions due to popular demand, underscoring the lasting appeal of this innovative theatrical experience. – Variety

As usual, jump down to see all the stories we collected this week.

Doug

Latest Stories

An Evening In The Life Of A “Drunk Shakespeare” Star

“Marissa Chaffee starts her shift by housing a Five Guys burger with pickles, mustard and ketchup. … Later tonight, she’ll chug (a "Witches' Brew") potion while half-dressed in Spider-Man underwear and knee-high boots in front of 85 theatergoers. The test is … whether she can remember her iambic pentameter.”...

The Coachella Experience Has Declined. An Identity Crisis?

The livestreams haven't calmed the complaints about Coachella's lacklustre audiences — many who watch online have commented that the crowds aren't as hype as they believe they would be if they were in attendance. - CBC

Ambient Music? An Online Archive Of Soundscapes From The Environment

“The Sonic Heritage project is a collection of 270 sounds from 68 countries, including from famous UNESCO-designated sites such as Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal, … a monarch butterfly sanctuary, … wind turbines, rare whales and the Amazonian dawn chorus.” Also, sea lions who sound like drunk frat boys. -...

Premium

Executive Director – Portland Symphony Orchestra

Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) invites dynamic and enterprising leaders with a passion for music to apply for the role of Executive Director.

Old Models Are Broken — Which New Models Are Surging? 3 Arts Conferences

Join us in Toronto, June 24-25; San Francisco, July 22-23; or New York City, August 5-6. Sign up by May 2 to get 3-for-1 registration!

Fall 2025 + Winter 2026 Applications Open for MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises

Northwestern University’s MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises (MSLCE) program develops leaders across Entertainment, Media and the Arts. Earn your Master’s in One Year.

Classifieds

Director of Marketing & Sales- Texas Performing Arts

The Director of Marketing & Sales leads Texas Performing Arts’ marketing, ticketing, and communications functions.

Managing Director – Texas Performing Arts

Texas Performing Arts (TPA) in Austin, Texas has initiated a search for a Managing Director.

Payroll Administrator, Mark Morris Dance Company

This role will be directly responsible for the timely and accurate processing of payroll and independent contractor fees for approximately 200 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra seeks President & CEO

The President & CEO will partner with the Music Director in a co-equal reporting...

Director of Marketing and Communications

The Mark Morris Dance Group is seeking a Director of Marketing and Communications to strategically advance our visibility, reputation, and audience engagement.

Executive Director, Greenwich Historical Society

Company: Greenwich Historical SocietyLocation: Cos Cob, CTDate Posted: March 24, 2025 (Please download PDF for...

Call For Entries: 18th International ARC Salon Competition

The largest competition for representational art in the world with $130,000+ in cash awards and publication, exhibition, and sale opportunities.

PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER NEW MUSIC USA

A leading national nonprofit organization supporting the music of our time in all its forms—invites nominations and applications for the President & CEO role.

Assistant Director of Digital and Lifelong Learning

The Lifelong Learning Program brings the performing arts to older adults, ensuring that excellence in education reaches students wherever they are, with the belief that development is not limited by age.
function my_excerpt_length($length){ return 200; } add_filter('excerpt_length', 'my_excerpt_length');