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Arts & Culture / Art & Artists

Katz (today, in SoHo) pursued figurative painting even in the 1950s, when Abstract Expressionism was at its height.

Alex Katz Is Cooler Than Ever

At 82, the pathbreaking painter known for stylized figurative works has never been in more demand

Mary Van Cline's Cycles of Relationship of Time, 2000.

What’s Up

The 11 minutes of powered descent to the lunar surface was Buzz Aldrin's most memorable moment in the lunar module.

Q and A: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the Moon

Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, reflects on the Apollo 11 mission

The Smithsonian's Feather Identification Laboratory quickly determined that Canada geese had disabled US Airways Flight 1549.

From the Castle

Ways We Serve

Two in half a million: Bobbi Kelly and Nick Ercoline greet the dawn on August 17, 1969.

A Woodstock Moment – 40 Years Later

On a whim, a young duo went to the legendary festival only to be captured in a memorable image by photographer Burk Uzzle

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Letters

Readers Respond to the June Issue

The tradition of Smithsonian museums loaning art to the White House began in the 1940s.

Decorating the White House with Smithsonian Art

Continuing a Washington tradition, the Obamas selected artwork from the Smithsonian collections to hang in their historic home

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Letters

Readers respond to the May Issue

Artist Shahzia Sikander guest-curates at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York City.

What’s Up

Jean Shin has a new show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum called, "Jean Shin: Common Threads."

Q and A: Sculpture Artist Jean Shin

The artists creates sculptures from castaway objects such as old lottery tickets and broken umbrellas

Former Air Force pilot Brian Shul calls the super-fast SR-71 Blackbird "the most remarkable airplane of the 20th century."

The Ultimate Spy Plane

The SR-71 Blackbird, now featured in the Transformers movie sequel, was faster than a rifle bullet and flew 16 miles above the earth

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (concept model) will "sing for all of us."

From the Castle: ‘Forever’ Institutions

Libraries, universities and museums are especially important in uncertain times

Hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo, António Ole and Aimé Mpane have created multimedia installations on view at the National Museum of African Art through August 2.

Across Africa, Finding Common Ground in Their Art

António Ole and Aimé Mpane came together to converse through artwork in a new insallation at the National Museum of African Art

Girls, Barbies, Harlem, 1970.

Harlem Transformed: the Photos of Camilo José Vergara

For decades, the photographer has documented the physical and cultural changes in Harlem and other American urban communities

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From the Castle: Lincoln Login

The Smithsonian Connections project gives Lincoln learners the opportunity for interaction with curators, historians and scholars

Walead Beshty's Six Color Curl, 2008.

What’s Up

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Letters

Readers Respond to the April Issue

Baseball at Night by Russian-born Morris Kantor depicts a dusty contest in West Nyack, New York, that might induce nostalgia in some viewers today.

1934: The Art of the New Deal

An exhibition of Depression-era paintings by federally-funded artists provides a hopeful view of life during economic travails

Amy Adams stands next to the Lockheed Vega 5B which was flown by Amelia Earhart on two history-making flights in 1932.

Q and A: Amy Adams

The actress discusses her role as aviatrix Amelia Earhart, filming at the Smithsonian and the magic of museums

The Wright brothers inaugurated the aerial age with the world's first successful flights of a powered heavier-than-air flying machine.

Bringing the Wright Flyer to Life

In a movie first, curators and filmmakers collaborated to animate artifacts for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

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