Visual Arts
Mona Lisa Travels by Laser, to Space And Back Again
To test the reaches of laser communication, NASA beamed a digital image of Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait to a satellite orbiting the moon
January 25, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Very Seinfeld: A Museum Exhibit about Visiting Museum Exhibits
"A Day at the Museum" examines documents that tell the stories of artists' trips to museums over the past two centuries
January 25, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
Q+A: How To Save the Arts in Times of War
From Iraq to Libya, Corine Wegener works to preserve priceless objects of human history
January 24, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Events January 25-27: Persian Drama, Inuit Face Tattoos and Schubert’s Fantasy
Friday, January 25: A Modest Reception Black comedy, handguns and huge bulging bags of money—three tantalizing teasers offered up in the intriguing trailer for the 2012 award-winning Persian film, A Modest Reception. The story opens on a couple from Tehran who hand out large sums of cash to the residents of an impoverished town and then documents their [...]
January 24, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
Who Designed the Seal of the President of the United States?
We see it on the President's lectern and in the Oval Office, but who came up with the look and feel of it in the first place?
January 23, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
These Models Probably Never Thought They’d Be Shooting Fashion Photos With Whale Sharks
A journalist and a photographer juxtaposed beautiful women with whale sharks in order to raise awareness about the species' plight
January 23, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Origami: A Blend of Sculpture and Mathematics
Artist and MIT professor Erik Demaine makes flat geometric diagrams spring into elegant, three-dimensional origami sculptures
January 23, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Polaroid Portraits: Capturing President Obama's Second Inauguration
We sent photojournalist Tamir Kalifa to the inauguration to ask attendees why they came to the National Mall
January 23, 2013 |
By Tamir Kalifa
Events January 22-24: Persian Tile Lessons, Arts & Craft Beer and MLK Book Signing
This week, learn to be a Persian artist, get crafty in Renwick Gallery and pick up an illustrated copy of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most famous speech
January 22, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
Why Hypercolor T-Shirts Were Just a One-Hit Wonder
Heat-sensitive color made this sportswear a hot item—but it didn't last
January 22, 2013 |
By Emily Spivack
Inauguration Day 2013
All you need to know for the day: where to eat, rest and what to see
January 21, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
The Gory Details of Artist Katrina van Grouw’s Unfeathered Birds
A British artist, with experience in ornithology, explains how she created anatomical drawings of 200 different species of birds for a new book
January 18, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Jicky, the First Modern Perfume
Jicky is the first fragrance to incorporate both synthetic ingredients and natural extracts, making it one of the most significant perfumes in the history of scent design
January 17, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Poetry Matters: Lessons From America’s First Inaugural Poet
Introducing a new monthly poetry column, just in time to offer inaugural poet Richard Blanco some advice from Robert Frost
January 17, 2013 |
By David C. Ward
How to Win Inauguration Weekend: There’s an App for That
Only one man won the election, but with free tours and insider information, you can still win the weekend. Plus hours, eating spots and where to rest your feet
January 16, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
The First Major Museum Show to Focus on Smell
“The Art of the Scent” recognizes and celebrates fragrance as a true artistic medium rather than just a consumer product
January 16, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
How Kraft Uses Patents to Dominate the Mac and Cheese Wars
A tour through the patent files reveals a wide range of odd shapes, which collectively are a far cry from the elbow-shaped pasta of your youth
January 15, 2013 |
By Dan Lewis
Covered in Ink, Cross-sections of Trees Make Gorgeous Prints
Connecticut-based artist Bryan Nash Gill uses ink to draw out the growth rings of a variety of tree species
January 15, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
If Only Hollywood Would Show Us Lincoln’s Second Inaugural
Our Pop Culture Curator Amy Henderson Strolls the Halls of the Old Patent Office Building Imagining the Scene of Lincoln's 1865 Inaugural Ball
January 15, 2013 |
By Amy Henderson
Events January 14-17: Higgs Boson, Up “Close” with President Obama, Modern Origami and Shiny Pots
This week, learn why the Higgs Boson particle matters, see a huge portrait of President Obama, discover modern origami and stand in DC's most opulent room
January 14, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
