Arts
Creative achievements in literature and the visual and performing arts
President Obama’s Autopen: When is an Autograph Not an Autograph?
When the President signed the fiscal cliff deal from 4,800 miles away, he did it with the help of a device that dates back to Thomas Jefferson
January 08, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
The Candor and Lies of Nazi Officer Albert Speer
The minister of armaments was happy to tell his captors about the war machine he had built. But it was a different story when he was asked about the Holocaust
January 08, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
At Auction: A 1766 Copy of ‘Aristotle’s Masterpiece,’ a Best-Selling Sex Guide Banned in England Until 1961
Banned in England until 1961, a copy of this 17th-century text is going up for auction
January 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Events January 8-10: Get Sketchy, Raise Your Voice and Play Ball
This week, draw your way through the collection, join a chorale, and hear from NBA Commissioner David Stern plus basketball superfan Wolf Blitzer
January 07, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
There Is a Sculpture on the Moon Commemorating Fallen Astronauts
The crew of Apollo 15 placed a small aluminum sculpture on the moon to memorialize those astronauts had died
January 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Congratulations, You Accidentally Wrote a Book Last Year
People wrote more than 40,000 words on average last year... in email
January 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
This Is What a Watery Mars May Have Looked Like
Mars once had a vast ocean. What would that have looked like?
January 03, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Graffiti Meets Chemistry, Loses
How do you actually get rid of graffiti? Chemistry, of course
January 03, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Events January 4-7: Talk Back to Historic Figures, Weave the Mayan Way and Unplug with Musicians
A professor and gentleman from the 19th century will take your questions, a Mayan weaver will craft a keepsake and an Indie group will keep you in the groove
January 03, 2013 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
How to Properly Celebrate a Hobbit Birthday
Today is J.R.R. Tolkien's birthday, and in his honor here's how to throw the best Hobbit Birthday ever
January 03, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Tolkien Nerd’s Guide to The Hobbit
Peter Jackson’s blockbuster movie draws upon stories behind stories behind stories, just as J.R.R. Tolkien’s original works did
January 03, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Are You Ready for Shirley MacLaine’s Entrance on Downton Abbey?
The stage is set. Enter Martha Levinson, a character described as rich, crass and brassy.
January 02, 2013 |
By Amy Henderson
Bringing Extinct Birds Back to Life, One Cartoon at a Time
In his new book, Extinct Boids, artist Ralph Steadman introduces readers to a flock of birds that no longer live in the wild
January 02, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
LISTEN: Stephen Wade’s Banjo Diary
The roots music expert’s latest album is finger-picking good
January 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Events January 1-3: Arctic Traditions, Contemporary Art and Stitching Workshops
Travel up North, tour the best of the Hirshhorn and become a crafting sensation all in one week!
December 31, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Seven Must-See Art-Meets-Science Exhibitions in 2013
Preview some of the top-notch shows—on anatomy, bioluminescence, water tanks and more—slated for the next year
December 28, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
A History of Sequins from King Tut to the King of Pop
As you don your sparkly holiday fashions, think of the trend's start in an Egyptian tomb
December 28, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
A 24-Hour Movie That May Be the Biggest (and Best) Supercut Ever
Christian Marclay’s The Clock, now on view at MoMA, puts YouTube mashup artists to shame
December 28, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
