Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Taggers Cover Stalled LA Tower With Graffiti
“This was a giant building that a community of people is finding use in. It’s people making use of the things that others neglect...
With The Closing Of Pitchfork, Music Criticism Goes Into Freefall
There’s a lot of boutique blogs and a lot of local localized music blogs. But as far as a thing that’s covering music, period,...
Why We Need Theory
The vocation of theory to give us perspective on the production of ideas—on their historical conjuncture, their class interests, their philosophical deficiencies, their determined...
Calgary Arts Groups Are Struggling (Just Like Everywhere Else)
Released just last month, the most recent research shows that, while Calgarians are still interested in engaging in the arts, audiences are much more...
Will This Production Of “The Wiz” Change How Broadway Does Business?
“Broadway and the road have gone through different eras and phases, and it will continue to morph, but we may be beginning a chapter...
Opera Philadelphia Cuts Festival And Budget
In August, the company reduced its staff by about 16%, developed a smaller scale for Festival O, and trimmed the budget by about 20%...
It’s Official: “Peak” TV Is Over
The 14% year-over-year decline in the number of new scripted series across live television networks and streaming represented the steepest drop-off in at least...
We Need To Rethink Cultural Infrastructure — Fund It Like Highways
"We need to stop treating museums, theaters and galleries like sacred spaces that exist in some rarefied realm of public life. And we need...
Actors Equity Authorizes Strike Over Development Pay
"We know there is no revenue from the development sessions themselves, but it’s still work, and that doesn’t change whether there’s revenue today or...
Ralph Fiennes: Time To Get Rid Of Trigger Warnings In The Theatre
Fiennes, 61, renowned for his roles in Schindler’s List and the Harry Potter films and currently starring in a touring production of Macbeth, said...
The Neuroscience Behind Our Connections To Music
Music preferences can reflect emotional states and change with life experiences, suggesting a deep psychological connection to the types of music individuals choose. -...
University Of New Hampshire Closes Museum In Cost-Cutting Move
Declining enrollment— the main campus had 13,860 students in 2022, down from 15,479 in 2017—and inflated operating costs led to the multimillion-dollar deficit that resulted in eliminating 75 total...
Dana Gioia: My Battles With Opera
I realized the dangers of opera too late to be saved. By ten I had already been corrupted by my parents. Neither of them...
The Crusader Working To Audit Record Companies For What They Owe Artists
“A lot of artists are afraid to approach labels or even question the accuracy of royalty payments. But we’re getting like 17-cent checks. I...
This House Is Being Built By Living Trees
The strangeness of the building is that it’s meant to be occupied by humans, animals, and plants. The slowness of the building is that...
Musicians Walk Out In London After Not Being Paid
The earlier rehearsal with the London Chamber Orchestra (LCO) had not gone well. Half of the musicians walked out in protest at the way...
Cleveland Triennial Of International Art Shuts Down
In its first two iterations, FRONT drew hundreds of thousands of visitors and attracted the attention of visual arts media from around the world....
Has Technology Made Learning Other Languages Obsolete?
New technology in the form of apps and tools offering real time translation have simplified the world so much that we don't really need...
Looking Back On Michael Tilson Thomas’s 50 Years With San Francisco Symphony
If we’re very fortunate, we may yet have another opportunity to hear these musicians working together on an ad hoc basis. For now, though,...
Artists Win Small Victory In Suits Against AI Companies
U.S. District Judge William Orrick, in an order issued on Thursday night, rebuffed arguments from StabilityAI, Midjourney and StabilityAI that they are entitled to a First...
Royal Winnipeg Ballet Asks Patrons Not To Use Ticket Sites After Scams
RWB spokesperson Jocelyn Unrau said criminals used stolen credit card numbers to buy tickets, then sold them to unwitting customers through online resale platforms. -...
When The Audience Turns On Influencers It Once Loved
People are increasingly turning to gossip forums like Tattle Life, Guru Gossip, GOMI (“Get Off My Internets”) and the Blogsnark subreddit to critique the...
Debates About Machines Writing Have Been Raging For Years
Current debates about writing machines are not as fresh as they seem. As is quietly acknowledged in the footnotes of scientific papers, much of...
What Your Brain Is Doing When You’re Doing Nothing
It's "what’s known as the default mode network, a collection of seemingly unrelated areas of the brain that activate when you’re not doing much...
How Orchestras Are Struggling With Diversity
In the classical music world, this tension between prioritizing diversity and emphasizing the traditional system of meritocracy is one of the greatest sources of...