SPPA Notable Quotable: Douglas McLennan, ArtsJournal.com
Photo courtesy of Douglas McLennan
"The AI-driven Synthetic Age around the corner could result in a vast wasteland of minimally engaged bored automatons. Or it might fuel new hunger for human-built, real-world physical art experiences that affect us deeply. In any case, the definition of participating in an artistic experience will most certainly continue to evolve." —
To mark the one-year anniversary of two NEA research reports about how Americans engaged with art during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NEA Office of Research & Analysis commissioned a series of thoughtful essays about the reports’ findings and implications—from the perspective of arts practitioners. The two surveys chronicle a historic phase of transition in our nation’s cultural life. These essays further explore these trends, discuss what they mean for the future of the arts and—most important of all—share practical insights from a cross-section of the nation’s arts and cultural leaders. The essay from ArtsJournal.com Editor Douglas McLennan—“The Tyranny of Abundance: What Are We Really Measuring"—interrogates what "engagement" and 'participation" mean in reference to the arts.
