Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
LA’s Metro Turns To Classical Music For Crowd Control
The music — described to me as “earplugs-at-a-concert loud” by one frequent commuter — is the audio version of hostile architecture, where bumpy benches...
Is Being Profound Overrated?
In a conversation, when we’re talking with and not at each other, profundity is an impediment to the flow of thought. It’s more fitting...
Our Failure To Expand Our Definition Of Life Is Holding Us Back
No matter which way we’ve tried to turn, we’ve encountered ruptures and revisions and counterexamples that obstruct our progress toward a universal definition. Despite...
How Ann Philbin Transformed LA’s Hammer Museum
The renovation — part of a building boom that is transforming the vibrant Los Angeles museum world — caps the Hammer’s emergence as one...
Adobe And Nvidia Team Up To Address AI Copyright Issues
The companies will work together on this—they’ll codevelop new generative A.I. models, and Firefly is partially hosted on Picasso—and have accordingly come up with...
The Internet Archive Is Defending Its Digital Library In Court
The court will consider whether the Open Library violated copyright law by letting users “check out” digitized copies of physical books, an assertion several...
Why Kids Aren’t Developing A Love Of Reading
The ubiquity and allure of screens surely play a large part in this—most American children have smartphones by the age of 11—as does learning loss during...
Van Gogh And Rethinking The Tortured Genius Narrative
A 2014 study even discovered that van Gogh’s work was perceived as higher quality by viewers exposed to his mental health story. In promoting suffering over...
Let’s Look Again At That Definition Of Liberalism
A liberal is someone who’s tolerant of ambiguity, who can join arguments that he doesn’t have to win, who can live with people who...
Copyright Office: Some AI-Assisted Work Will Now Be Copyrightable
Effective March 16, the Copyright Office’s statement of policy indicates that copyright applicants are permitted to submit AI-assisted works (across literature and visual arts)...
Last Fall Aaron Sorkin Suffered A Stroke
“For about a month afterward, was slurring words. He had trouble typing; he was discouraged from flying for a few weeks; and until...
Can You Copyright A Rhythm? The Lawsuit That’s Shaking Up A Corner Of The...
The track featured the first known example of what would come to be known as a “dembow” rhythm – the percussive, slightly syncopated four-to-the-floor...
This Is How Difficult It Is For International Artists To Get Into The US
The process is difficult even for organizations with strong financial and administrative support. For smaller companies with less funding, it is daunting. - Broad Street...
Scott Timberg And What Happened To Culture
“Scott was just so present, and then he exterminated himself,” says Dana Gioia, former California poet laureate and a friend of Timberg for many years....
Not OK: The UK Government’s Attack On The Arts Is Doing Damage
Watching these wounds being inflicted is painful. People who work in culture and the arts in this country are exhausted. The 30% cut to Arts...
Rome’s Pantheon To Start Charging Admission
In the past, access to the Pantheon has always been free. Roman officials suggested a €2 entrance fee several years ago, but the controversial...
Big Questions About Met Museum’s Collecting Prcatices
A broader examination of the Met’s antiquities collection, conducted by ICIJ, Finance Uncovered, L’Espresso and other media partners over recent months, raises new concerns...
The BBC’s Tough New License Rules
The new operating license requires that the BBC adheres to more than 70 quotas across its broadcast TV and radio services. - Variety
Well, There Goes That Theory: New Analysis Of Beethoven’s Hair Upends Long-Held Theories
An analysis of strands of his hair has upended long held beliefs about his health. The report provides an explanation for his debilitating ailments...
How To Think About Humanity’s Doom
If the good news is that we are doomed, the better news is that we can’t do much about it. Peter Frankopan points to...
How To Live An Epicurean Life
There’s nothing quite like recalling the rich joys of life to make us wonder why memories worth relishing can seem like a scarce resource...
Rare Guarneri Violin Smashes Sales Record
An exceptionally rare Guarneri violin—so fabled that it has its own name, the Baltic—sold for $9.44 million (premium included) at auction on March 16,...
Caught On Video: Is This Banksy?
A UK TV crew spotted the man — who was also seen wearing a long black coat and glasses — as he took phone...
The Arts Amounted To $1 Trillion Of America’s 2021 Economy
“In general, I don't think people recognized how much of an economic footprint the arts have in this country,” he adds. “We are for...
Broadway Shows Are Looking A Little… Cheap, Lately
Scenic downsizing is all the rage in Midtown for a range of reasons — skyrocketing costs, cold concepts, quick turnarounds. As a result, storied...
