DCist Editor Matt Cohen will be the City Paper’s next Arts Editor.

A D.C.-area native and graduate of Salisbury University, Cohen has written for Washington City Paper, Spin, The American Interest, The Week, and more across a wide variety of topics. He’s an excellent observer of the city’s wide-ranging arts scene. At DCist, he’s edited some smart coverage that goes beyond just previews, including Tori Kerr’s fascinating piece about harassment at music venues.

“One of the things that impressed me about Matt was his vision for the Arts Desk,” says City Paper Editor Steve Cavendish. “Christina Cauterucci did some outstanding work as an observer of the city’s culture and as a champion for an expanse of arts coverage. I think Matt is the perfect person to build on that legacy.”

Cohen is excited for the opportunity.

“Washington City Paper is a publication I’ve long read and greatly admired, and I’m thrilled to join the outstanding roster of journalists here,” Cohen says. “D.C. is a strange place in that, to outsiders, it has a reputation of being, well, This Town, but the truth is that it’s home to one of the most bustling, creative, and weird arts scenes in the country. There’s a lot going on here and I look forward to telling the stories of D.C.’s many creative communities in a way that will make WCP required reading for anyone interested in local music, theatre, art, galleries, and much more.”

He will begin on Sept. 28.