Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
UCLA Study: Going To Movies Is Adolescents’ Favorite Pastime
A survey of 1,500 young people across the U.S. aged 10 to 24 — identified going to see a film on opening weekend as adolescents’...
Are We In A Crisis Of Storytelling?
“A country is only the stories it tells itself about itself.” It’s James Graham's contention that, since the 2008 financial crisis, the West has...
How DIY Has Transformed The Music Industry
One of the most significant shifts has been the rise of DIY artists. These independent musicians take on roles traditionally held by record labels...
The Art Of Travel Writing
Travel writing, historically, has followed suit in expressing everything from performative adoration and exoticization to sheer racism and erasure. But at its best it can...
When The Ukraine War Broke Out, International Artists Abandoned Working In Russia. Now One...
As the war nears its third year, a cohort of Italian curators, artists, and art historians, including Luca Tomìo and Alessandro Romanini, have bucked...
How To Get Hooked On Opera
Operas deal with all of life’s big issues, from unrequited love to the death of a loved one. They address social issues too: political...
How Cheerleading Took Over Girls’ Sports
It is a huge part of the country’s arts scene, quietly flourishing and influencing new generations of dancers and choreographers. - The New York...
A Simple Old Computer Program And Its Invitation To Be Creative
Art made on Paint is often amateurish, but amateurish in a way that celebrates human flaw. Struggling to make something out of nothing —...
Today’s AJ Highlights
Good morning: Festivals were the star events of the 2010s. The secret sauce for the most successful of them was in delivering unique experiences...
The Power Of Nobel Laureate Han Kang
This is the power of Han Kang: With little more than paper and ink, she acts as a conduit for the memories of generations...
The African Diaspora And Reclaiming Narratives
The central task of writers of the colonial or the Black experience is to claim back their humanity. This profound urge runs through the...
Illinois Town Becomes Home To America’s Fiberglass Giant Statues
“It’s just like any small town. So now, even though he is a 19-foot-tall statue of a guy holding a hot dog, he’s our...
Seattle Art Museum Security Guards Vote To Strike
VSO Union members said two-plus years of bargaining is too long, and that the museum hasn’t provided meaningful counters on its economic demands, including...
Theatre Is Facing A Crisis Of Theatre Workers
“The sector was one of the worst affected by the lockdowns and many, including BECTU, called for a post-pandemic ‘reset’ to address poor terms...
When The Stories We Tell Ourselves Hold Us Back
In some cases, narratives can hold us back by limiting our thinking. In other cases, they may diminish our ability to live freely. They...
Thousands Of Artists Sign Statement Of Concern About AI
“The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works,...
UK Literary Festivals Are Collapsing
The basic costs of running a festival have all risen sharply, while potential audiences have less disposable income. Festival organisers have been faced with...
A Rare Books Dealer Calls For A Rewrite Of His Own Story
His mirthless laugh might have suggested Kafkaesque persecution, or Hardyesque inexorability of fate. Either way, he appeared determined to rewrite the ending. - The...
Today’s AJ Highlights
Good morning: Technology has often upended notions of what art is. And artists have pushed and pulled at existing definitions to redefine and expand...
Why The Notion Of “Zero” Is Difficult To Grasp
It takes children longer to understand and use zero than other numbers, and it takes adults longer to read it than other small numbers....
AI Will Revolutionize How Movies Are Made. But First The Copyright Issue
“I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I’ve stayed on the cutting edge since. Now, the intersection of generative...
Unlocking The Secrets Of Ancient Cement To Combat Climate Change
In contrast, ordinary Portland cement must be baked in a kiln at around 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit. “It’s a huge saving” in energy, she said,...
Protests In Spain Over Proposed New Guggenheim Museum
Critics argue that the new museum, which would be spread across two sites – one in Guernica and one in Urdaibai – will ruin...
Why Are American Theatres Producing Less Shakespeare?
Over the past 10 years, as American politics and culture have grown more contentious, Shakespeare has become increasingly politicized. - The New York Times
How Artists Are Driving An Industrial Part Of Seattle
This wedge of South Seattle thrums with the rumble of trucks and planes, brims with warehouses and lacks green space and clean air but...
