Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Casinos Are Big Entertainment Venues In Canada. But Are They Still Viable?
In the post-pandemic world, the entertainment industry is still trying to establish consistency. Casinos, which were once thought to be recession-proof, now struggle to...
Today’s AJ Highlights
Good morning: The illusion of the digital world is that we have access to everything and that culture is infinitely available. The reality is...
Finally a #MeToo Movement In The Music Industry?
Women have not been safe in recording studios, on tour buses, in green rooms or in offices. It’s not a bug of the music...
Just What Is “Common Sense”?
A philosophical theory can either go against common sense or it can support or justify common sense. Supporting common sense seems pointless. After all,...
How To Get Inside An Essay
I think this is important: memories and ideas happen in a place. An essay is a place for ideas; it has to feel like a place....
A New Gonzo Art Criticism
They often won’t just write about the work in question, but also about what’s going on in their lives. Digressions are frequent, sometimes even...
Why Some Art Gives You Chills (And Most Doesn’t)
I’ve come to think that “aesthetic chills” open a window onto the fact that there are decisively powerful areas of art experience that are...
What Role Should Orchestras Play In Strengthening Democracy?
It’s not enough to merely assert these values or cite the longstanding commitments to educational programs, if the deeper work of orchestras is to...
Blogging Platform Medium Is Flooded With AI Postings
Medium CEO Tony Stubblebine and other executives at the company have described the platform as “a home for human writing.” But there is evidence...
New UK Culture Budget: Film Wins, Music Loses
While the film and TV sector welcomed an increase in the tax incentive for VFX spend, grassroots music venues have been hit by a...
When The Frick Will Reopen
The renovation — designed by Selldorf Architects with Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners as executive architect — has reinstalled masterworks in new and...
NYC Mayor Announces Possible Expansion Of Whitney Museum
The development would include up to 300 affordable housing units, a public open space, and 45,000 square feet set aside for a possible Whitney...
Sotheby’s Gets An Injection Of $1 Billion From Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund
While the exact terms of the deal—or the company’s new valuation—were not disclosed, a Sotheby’s spokesperson said that $800 million of the cash injection...
Online Recommendations Are Deeply Broken (Compromised). We Can Fix That
Today’s automated social-media feeds deliver increasingly indistinguishable content now sometimes generated by artificial intelligence; in the face of this onslaught, we crave content with...
Archaeology Student Finds Lost Ancient Mayan City By Accident
The team discovered three sites in total, in a survey area the size of Scotland's capital Edinburgh, “by accident” when one archaeologist browsed data...
Our Cultural Record Stored Digitally Is At Risk
When digital materials are vulnerable to sudden removal—whether by design or by attack—our collective memory is compromised, and the public’s ability to access its...
What You Can Tell From An Imagined Audience
As researchers have noted, the less an actual audience is visible or known, the more communicators depend on their imaginations. Because journalists can never know precisely...
Today’s AJ Highlights
Good morning: Why do we just assume that our digital technology is just better? See the resurgence of vinyl recordings. There's something about the...
Canadian Playwright Under Attack For “Pretendianism”
Jani Lauzon has maintained she is Métis and her play 1939—now touring Canada—is based on her father’s experience at a residential school. What if none...
Study: An A/B Test Illustrates The Benefits Of Hybrid Work Rather Than Full In-Office
Before the experiment, managers estimated hybrid would reduce productivity by 2.6%. After the six-month experiment they estimated it increased productivity by 1%. Those working under...
Steampunk’s Lessons For How To Manage The Technology Age
The distance between a mechanical watch and a modern smartphone seems to embody the divide between the pre-digital and digital worlds. We imagine that...
Is Understanding Math The Key To Democracy?
In civic life, decisions are increasingly driven by data, by algorithms, by statistics. Without the ability to understand or even grapple with the numbers...
Have We Lost Our Ability To Think Through Ideas?
Thinking through—rather than just thinking—is important. A thought or an idea is never that precious. People have thoughts and ideas all the time, many of...
New York Has Become A Hub Of Endangered Languages
Just the last few decades, hundreds of thousands of people speaking hundreds of languages have arrived in New York from heavily minority and Indigenous...
New UK Anti-Terrorism Law Adds Security Obligations To Theatres
While theatre leaders have stressed that they are committed to the safety of their audiences, they have also pointed out that Martyn’s Law –...