Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Paris Opera’s Palais Garnier and the Opera Bastille To Close For Years Of Renovations
The closure of the almost 150-year-old edifice, one of the architectural jewels of Paris, will be followed by the closure for renovation of the opera’s...
Comcast Suggests It Might Spin Off Its Cable Channels
“We are now exploring whether creating a new well-capitalized company owned by our shareholders and comprised of our strong portfolio of cable networks would...
Story-Telling Is Integral To The Success Of Doing Science
Eventually, I would learn that stories are not just a way of communicating science; they are intrinsic to science, actually part of doing science. -...
Today’s AJ Highlights
Good morning: Just what is the obligation of an arts organization to participate in civic life? Former League of American Orchestras' CEO Jesse Rosen...
The New (Old) Soundtracks Of The TikTok Generation
Musicians are "benefiting from the capricious, catholic taste of a generation of listeners who came of age with access to nearly the entire catalog...
Troubled Royal Danish Ballet Picks A New Leader
The company announced on Thursday that Amy Watson, a California-born dancer who joined the troupe in 2000, would serve as its next artistic director. - The...
Casinos Are Big Entertainment Venues In Canada. But Are They Still Viable?
In the post-pandemic world, the entertainment industry is still trying to establish consistency. Casinos, which were once thought to be recession-proof, now struggle to...
Today’s AJ Highlights
Good morning: The illusion of the digital world is that we have access to everything and that culture is infinitely available. The reality is...
Finally a #MeToo Movement In The Music Industry?
Women have not been safe in recording studios, on tour buses, in green rooms or in offices. It’s not a bug of the music...
Just What Is “Common Sense”?
A philosophical theory can either go against common sense or it can support or justify common sense. Supporting common sense seems pointless. After all,...
How To Get Inside An Essay
I think this is important: memories and ideas happen in a place. An essay is a place for ideas; it has to feel like a place....
A New Gonzo Art Criticism
They often won’t just write about the work in question, but also about what’s going on in their lives. Digressions are frequent, sometimes even...
Why Some Art Gives You Chills (And Most Doesn’t)
I’ve come to think that “aesthetic chills” open a window onto the fact that there are decisively powerful areas of art experience that are...
What Role Should Orchestras Play In Strengthening Democracy?
It’s not enough to merely assert these values or cite the longstanding commitments to educational programs, if the deeper work of orchestras is to...
Blogging Platform Medium Is Flooded With AI Postings
Medium CEO Tony Stubblebine and other executives at the company have described the platform as “a home for human writing.” But there is evidence...
New UK Culture Budget: Film Wins, Music Loses
While the film and TV sector welcomed an increase in the tax incentive for VFX spend, grassroots music venues have been hit by a...
When The Frick Will Reopen
The renovation — designed by Selldorf Architects with Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners as executive architect — has reinstalled masterworks in new and...
NYC Mayor Announces Possible Expansion Of Whitney Museum
The development would include up to 300 affordable housing units, a public open space, and 45,000 square feet set aside for a possible Whitney...
Sotheby’s Gets An Injection Of $1 Billion From Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund
While the exact terms of the deal—or the company’s new valuation—were not disclosed, a Sotheby’s spokesperson said that $800 million of the cash injection...
Online Recommendations Are Deeply Broken (Compromised). We Can Fix That
Today’s automated social-media feeds deliver increasingly indistinguishable content now sometimes generated by artificial intelligence; in the face of this onslaught, we crave content with...
Archaeology Student Finds Lost Ancient Mayan City By Accident
The team discovered three sites in total, in a survey area the size of Scotland's capital Edinburgh, “by accident” when one archaeologist browsed data...
Our Cultural Record Stored Digitally Is At Risk
When digital materials are vulnerable to sudden removal—whether by design or by attack—our collective memory is compromised, and the public’s ability to access its...
What You Can Tell From An Imagined Audience
As researchers have noted, the less an actual audience is visible or known, the more communicators depend on their imaginations. Because journalists can never know precisely...
Today’s AJ Highlights
Good morning: Why do we just assume that our digital technology is just better? See the resurgence of vinyl recordings. There's something about the...
Canadian Playwright Under Attack For “Pretendianism”
Jani Lauzon has maintained she is Métis and her play 1939—now touring Canada—is based on her father’s experience at a residential school. What if none...
