Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Scottish Culture Funding Crisis
In a new report, the committee warned: "The sector now faces a 'perfect storm' as it struggles to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, compounded...
Why Is It So Fun To Look At Pictures Of Derelict Shopping Malls? (It...
In various states of decay, the death of the American shopping mall is so much more than about the rubble. - The Guardian
Increasing Inclination To Regulate TikTok
In the US, moves to rein in the video platform have gained momentum only relatively recently, although there’s little debate that the round of...
New Business Models For Creative Artists Seem To Be Taking Hold
For 25 long, hard years, creative professionals have been told that you must give things away for free on the Internet. But not anymore. Alternative...
Adding Up Hurricane Damage To Florida Theatres
Part of the roof caved in on the 393-seat main auditorium of the Rep’s historic Arcade Theatre. The orchestra pit was under six feet...
An ABT Star’s Road Back After A Ruptured Tendon
Jumping remains a challenge; and regaining power has been difficult. “My tendon that severed feels different,” he said. “It feels like a foreign entity....
How Diaghilev Modernized Dance
One defining characteristic of Sergei Diaghilev’s personality, complementary to his capacity to make things happen and get things done, was a low boredom threshold. -...
Disneyland Shanghai Visitors Trapped Inside Until They Could Take COVID Tests
As well as the theme park, surrounding areas such as the shopping street were also abruptly closed shortly after 11:30 local time (3:30 GMT)....
Three Arguments In Favor Of Climate Activists Damaging Famous Art(?!)
This tactic was certainly a provocative act and Van Gogh’s work is undoubtedly some of the most important artwork of modern times. However, many...
A Poet Disowns Her Work In An Unsatisfactory Translation
How did an Italian press for $150, buy the rights to a book about the slaughter of 150 Africans, usurp its form, and deny...
Do Arts Organizations Have Too Many Administrators?
Will we continue to see the expansion of administration and management in arts organizations? Even if some may claim the expansion is justified, can...
How AI Is Changing Music
Machines have been facilitating music-making since instruments were invented, but computer technology is a seismic shift on a par with the advents of sound...
What’s At Stake In The Warhol Copyright Case At The Supreme Court
It will help decide whether a few unlucky creators will be hit with large judgments, and millions more creators will be deterred from expressing...
Cultural Data: The World Is Getting Sadder
Researchers analyzed more than 150,000 pop songs released between 1965 and 2015. Over that time, the appearance of the word “love” in top-100 hits roughly halved....
The End Of Canons (Right?)
One side uses the old canon as a punching bag and a scapegoat for all the evil -isms that afflict us; the other, as...
Why Streaming Platforms Haven’t Taken Down Kanye West’s Music
Industry analysts say the decision to take down Ye's music is complicated by several factors, including contract requirements streamers may have with record labels...
David Geffen’s Cultural Philanthropy
At 79, Geffen has planted himself into the pantheon of leading American philanthropists. He has handed out $1.2 billion over the past 25 years...
Publishers Consider Higher Prices, Cheaper Paper
Some presses are exploring printing on cheaper and thinner paper, postponing reprints for older books and publishing fewer titles to reduce costs and avoid...
Why Are People Drawn To Those Tacky Tourist Tchotchkes?
Souvenirs are unique objects that at once reveal how we perceive others (the most popular souvenir bought in France is a beret) and how...
After A Professor’s Firing, Reconsidering The State Of Higher Ed
Was this evidence that college students have become entitled customers, or is the existence of a “weed-out class,” one that many students struggle to...
The Artworld Came To Kosovo. Now What?
For a country as young as Kosovo, which achieved independence in 2008, the arrival of Manifesta this summer was a coup, bringing hundreds of...
The Death Of Music Tours?
“So I had a tour that had me making no profit – and possibly a loss – and the only incentive was to stay...
The Moneyball-ization Of Culture, Of Everything
As I’ve written before, the quantitative revolution in culture is a living creature that consumes data and spits out homogeneity. - The Atlantic
Tate Modern Director Announces Departure
Over the course of the last two decades, Frances Morris served in various role at the London museum, as head of displays and as...
Police In Canada Take To Substack To Defend Against Critics
The newsletter marked a new step in an evolving PR strategy for an institution that, sources say, is grappling both with its brand and...