ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

Today’s AJ Highlights

Good morning: One of the most likely impacts of AI will be a massive explosion of new art — books, music, images, video. This will be brought about by AI tools making it easier to create work. Here’s a good early example: A new company called Spines, automates the process of getting a book into print. “The platform can reduce the time it takes to publish a book from six to 18 months, to two to three weeks. He [the company CEO] claimed authors are willing to pay “tens of thousands” on publishing services for self-published books, but Spines costs $1,200 to $5,000 to automate proofreading, cover design, metadata optimisation and limited translation services, starting with Spanish.” Spines says it will publish 8000 books this way next year. Flooding the zone with “content” only figures to make it more difficult for human artists to get an audience.

Here are more highlights from the past day:

  1. Lessons the Art World is Learning at Auction, Post-Election
    “Some analysts expected that Donald J. Trump’s victory in the presidential election would cast a glow over the art market after seeing the prices of some stocks, cryptocurrencies, and the dollar lift shortly after his win. And yet, no.” The New York Times
  2. Comcast Unloading Its Cable Channels Signals a Major Shift in the TV Business
    “This is a very clear, direct statement by Comcast that they are exiting the cable network business. This is them saying, ‘We don’t want to be in this business. This is no longer a growth business.’” CNN
  3. Study: UK Artists Earn Average of £12,500 Per Year
    “Visual artists in the UK take home a median annual salary of only £12,500 a year, a 40% decrease since 2010, a new survey commissioned by the Design & Artists Copyright Society (DACS) has found.” The Art Newspaper
  4. The Circus That Bought an Old West Town in the Desert
    “Spiegelworld, an entertainment and circus company based in Las Vegas, bought the entire town in 2022 for $2.5 million. This isolated plot of land, roughly an hour’s drive from Vegas and the same distance from the nearest grocery store, is now known as Spiegelworld’s ‘global headquarters’ or, more simply, the ‘circus town.'” The Guardian
  5. Evaluating Wunderkind Conductor Klaus Mäkelä
    “It is safe to say that no conductor in modern history has been entrusted with so much at such a young age. Does he deserve it?” The New York Times

Jump down to see all the stories we collected, organized by genre. See you tomorrow.

Doug

Latest Stories

Trump Says He’ll Close The Kennedy Center For Two Years For Renovations

“I have determined that The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. - Washington Post

Live Updates From The Grammys As They Happen

This livestream has a rich list of links to stories about the nominees as well as live updates from the red carpet and, eventually, the ceremony itself. - Los Angeles Times

The Latest ‘Restoration’ Scandal Is An Angel Possibly Painted To Resemble The Italian Prime Minister

“Italy’s culture minister and the diocese of Rome have launched investigations after claims were made that an angel in a landmark church in Rome was restored in the likeness of the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.” - The Guardian (UK)

Premium

President & CEO – Wharton Arts

Wharton Arts welcomes nominations and applications for the newly defined leadership position of President and CEO, available in the Spring of 2026.

Chief Financial Officer – Sarasota Opera

Sarasota Opera welcomes applications and nominations for the position of Chief Financial Officer, available in the Spring of 2026.

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra seeks Director of Development.

The next Director of Development will lead all fundraising efforts for the Illinois Symphony Orchestra to strengthen the ISO’s visibility and supporter relationships.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra seeks Vice President, Marketing and PR

The next Vice President, Marketing and PR will lead the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s storytelling and audience-development strategy.Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with

Fall 2026 Applications Open for MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises

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

Classifieds

The McCallum Theatre seeks Vice President—General Manager

The McCallum Theatre seeks Vice President—General Manager. Salary range is between $170,000 and $185,000.

Columbia Museum of Art – Executive Director

The Columbia Museum of Art (CMA), in Columbia, South Carolina, an AAM-accredited institution, seeks an Executive Director to build upon its 75-year legacy.

Classic Stage Company seeks General Manager

Classic Stage Company seeks General Manager. Salary is $90,000. Expected state date is mid-March.

New York Theatre Ballet seeks Managing Director

Managing Director opportunity at NYTB, leading growth, operations, partnerships, governance, and teams, delivering expansion, innovation, and compliance across the dance community.

ArtYard seeks Managing Director

ArtYard seeks Managing Director. A bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years of nonprofit arts management experience are preferred. Salary will be commensurate with

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus seeks Chief Executive Officer

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus seeks Chief Executive Officer. Estimated base salary in the range of $190,000 to $230,000.

Director of Artistic Operations

The Knights seek a Director of Artistic Operations to work with the Artistic Directors and Executive Director on high-level artistic planning and program implementation.
function my_excerpt_length($length){ return 200; } add_filter('excerpt_length', 'my_excerpt_length');