The WBUR art critic is getting canned; he writes his final 'BUR commentary:

... The elimination of reviews on WBUR, as well as the cuts in column inches for criticism in the city's major newspapers and magazines, is symptomatic of a larger crisis. There's more arts activity in Boston than ever before, with politicians lauding the arts as crucial for the city's quality of life and arts advocates citing studies that suggest cultural tourism will be an increasingly vital part of Boston's economic survival in the future. Yet the praise of the arts has led to a baffling paradox: there is less -- not more -- meaningful coverage of culture in the city's media. Mainstream media refuses to treat the arts with the same depth and passion as they do politics and sports. ...

WBUR's response, which notes the station has hired a full-time art reporter (not critic).

Bill Marx has a new blog