Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
An Audio Producer On The Process Of Becoming Deaf
I know neither birdsong nor silence, and yet am acutely aware that countless people struggling with their own version of “life is unfair” would...
The Benefit Of Watching Horror Movies
People can derive pleasure from recreational horror, whether in a haunted attraction or in front of the screen. For some, it is about maximum...
Tracking Arts Unemployment: Still Grim
As of August 2021, the national rate had fallen below 6% while the sector rate increased to over 10% once again. - SMU Data...
Chicago Art Institute Fires 150 Docents
Once you cut through the blather, the letter basically said the museum had looked critically at its corps of docents, a group dominated by...
Chicago Art Institute Board Chair Explains Why 150 Docents Were Fired
Robert M. Levy: "In order to succeed, the Art Institute and our peer group must let go of the museum tenet of “this is...
Rotten Tomatoes And Measuring The Divide Between Critics And Audience
The new Disney Plus documentary on Dr Anthony Fauci, which explores the personal side of the controversial figure, has a certified 91 percent approval...
Twelve Predictions About The Future Of Music
Dead musicians will start by giving tours in concert halls, but as the cost of the technology goes down, they will begin performing everywhere....
Raymond Gniewek, 89, Was Met Opera Orchestra’s Concertmaster For 43 Years
Mr. Gniewek (pronounced NYEH-vik), a violinist whose solos invariably drew acclaim, was just 25 in 1957 when he was named the orchestra’s concertmaster. He...
UK Museums Show Impacts Of COVID Shutdown
More than 18 months since the coronavirus pandemic hit Britain, its long-term effects on the country’s museums are becoming clear. Months of closures have caused...
Wonder Why Your Favorite International Artists Are Canceling US Trips? Ask The Danish String...
It takes months and months to apply for and get cleared for visas to come to the US. Hundreds of international artists have had...
London Bans Wood In Constructing Some Buildings — Expert Says Rule Harms Climate
Rules restricting the use of wood in UK buildings are hampering the switch to low-carbon building methods, according to timber architecture expert Andrew Waugh. - Dezeen
More Virtual Sex As Birthrates Plunge. Should We Worry?
If sex is everywhere, it’s also nowhere: as birth rates plunge globally, we are engaging in the act less and less. The significance of this change shouldn’t...
Our Sense Of Smell Is Intense. If Only We Know How It Worked…
How a receptor detects a smell remains a deep riddle to scientists. The odorant’s shape appears to determine which olfactory receptors it binds to;...
From Brainwashing To Misinformation
“Social media has gone from techno-utopianism to dystopic weaponization. Perhaps Timothy Leary was more accurate than he realized when he branded the internet the...
What’s The Best Artistic Leadership Model?
There are several, and coming out of the pandemic, it seems appropriate to reassess what works. - Nightingale Sonata
The Right To Culture: Afghanistan Bans Music
The Taliban’s stance on music forbids people from enjoying and participating in cultural activities, and violates the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All...
Why Do We Have Weird Dreams? To Learn Better
More and more, findings in deep learning are inspiring new theories of how our brains work. Neural networks need to “dream” of weird, senseless...
The Crisis In Scientific Publishing
The worry is that scientific processes have been undermined by perverse incentives to the point that it’s difficult to know what to believe. - London...
Netflix CEO’s Chappelle Memo Is A Masterpiece Of Gaslighting
If the LGBTQ community, including members of your own staff, tells you that — even when couched in calling out racism — 70 minutes...
The Folger’s Karen Ann Daniels: Reconsidering Shakespeare’s Legacy
"Within the theatre industry itself, and in education, we’ve elevated him as sort of a pinnacle. We have an opportunity to understand why and...
Australian Theatre In Crisis
COVID-related funding losses have seen drama departments at seven universities either cut completely, or drastically pruned. The loss of these programs will have a devastating...
TV Ads Are Fading. Where Will That Money Go?
Though total TV advertising is set to top $60 billion this year, according to media agency Zenith, the market is expected to shrink by...
Jim O’Quinn, 75, Founding Editor Of American Theatre Magazine
The magazine’s mandate was to cover not only the nation’s nonprofit theatre scene but, as O’Quinn promised in his first editor’s note, to shine a...
How Today’s Environmental Challenges Will Change The Art World
“These crises are emerging out of environmental challenges and social justice challenges that are very present. Going back to business as usual is going...
University Of Hong Kong To Remove Tiananmen Commemoration
The 23-foot tower of naked bodies twisted together, some mid-scream, was created by Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt and is the last remaining Tiananmen commemoration...