Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Just Whom Are We Calling A Genius?
You can tell what a culture values by who it labels a genius—and also what it is prepared to tolerate. The Renaissance had its...
Has Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Become Our Best Playwright?
“Obviously, I’m very neurotic. I’m always trying to understand what’s happening and why. My friends every day talk about what they’re anxious about, and...
We’re About To Be Able To Translate Animal Languages. Then What?
The prospect of speaking dolphin or whale is irresistible. And it seems that they are just as enthusiastic. In November last year, scientists in...
Ai-Generated Music Is Flooding Streaming Services
Fraudsters are flooding Spotify, Apple Music and the rest with AI-generated tracks, to try and hoover up the royalties generated by people listening to...
How Florida Inmates Incredibly Made A HipHop Album, Despite The Challenges
County jails are incubators for hip-hop, especially in Broward county, which cultivated “legends like Kodak Black and YNW Melly … but the diversity of...
Four Takeaways For Galleries From This Year’s ArtLogic Report
Even as technology opens new doors, the daily realities of operating a gallery have never been more daunting. - Hyperallergic
UK House Of Lords Rejects New AI Copyright Rules. Wants More Protections For Artists
The Lords, who are looking for more protections for artists from AI, rejected the latest amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill on...
New EU Regulations Will Hold Art Importers Accountable For Provenance
Importers will be required to identify an object’s country of origin and the date it left the country, as well as the hands the...
The Science Of Visual Learning
Feeling baffled by a work of art is similar to the experience of many chemistry learners. In both scenarios, viewers might ask themselves: What...
Who/What Should Win Tonys, Statistically Speaking
Every year, I run a statistical model based on precursor awards, which categories a show is nominated in, blended critic predictions, and betting markets to...
Doubts About Colleges?
The college wage premium is still high, which means that it’s still beneficial to get a degree. But for whom, exactly? - The Atlantic...
AI And The End Of The Notion Of Authorship
Technically speaking, an algorithm wrote the text, but a human had to prompt the algorithm. So who or what is the author? Is it...
Trump Is Going To “Les Mis”. So?
Trump is a fan. At campaign rallies he would make his entrance to the anthemic "Do You Hear the People Sing?" blaring from loudspeakers. The U.S....
Opera’s Translation Debate
Like the qwerty keyboard, sitting through a three-or-more-hour performance in a language we don’t understand is a peculiar cultural phenomenon we accept only because...
An Existential Crisis For The Smithsonian
If the president succeeds in removing a key leader who is not accused of any professional or personal misconduct, he will effectively gain control...
Brookings: AI Has Rendered Most Writing Obsolete
These are very substantial benefits, and it is true they are lost when we write using a keyboard or keypad. But on balance, far...
Piano Sales Are Sinking
Sales have held steady at around 31,000 a year for the past decade, but in 2024, fewer than 18,000 were sold, according to an...
The Art Model Beyond Galleries?
The aim is to organize experimental exhibitions created alongside artists that will surprise collectors and the public alike, via organizing exhibitions in non-traditional venues,...
A Change Of Generational Leadership In The Music Industry?
If the past tells us anything, it’s that seismic technological shifts have often served as a precursor for a changing of the guard at...
Are We Having Second Thoughts About Capitalism?
I’m not claiming that most people are saying “Let’s get rid of capitalism,” because it still delivers the bacon, to some extent. But I...
Major UK Museums Make Plea For Negativity Towards Corporate Sponsors
The British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and The National Gallery have backed a letter calling for an end to the “relentless negativity”...
’78 Recordings Are Essential Music History
While 33-rpm vinyl reigns supreme in popular culture and the central role of LPs in hop-hop sampling and scratching, 78s were by far the...
Indiana Legislature Passes Bill That Could Slash Hundreds Of University Degree Programs
More than half of the bachelor's degrees offered at Indiana's public colleges and universities could be eliminated under an eleventh-hour provision slipped into the...
Edinburgh Fringe Loses Major Sponsor, Seeks City Help
No new sponsor has been found for the Fringe to replace Johnnie Walker, Fringe chiefs have admitted, as they draw up plans to demand...
Survey Of Tech At Non-Profits: Haves and Have-Nots
The findings reveal a sector at a crossroads, where organizations that can afford to modernize are pulling ahead, while those that can’t fear being...
