Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

George W. Bush’s Paintings of World Leaders to Go On Display at Conservative Conference

The former president’s “Art of Leadership” series features portraits of Merkel, Blair, Putin and other influential politicians

July 21, 2017

Trending Today

Feeling Bleu: Champion Cheddars Nabbed From English Ag Show

Wyke Farms is offering a reward for the return of its champion and reserve champion cheddars stolen from the Yeovil Show in Somerset

July 20, 2017

Agatha Christie’s Fiery Letters Offer New Glimpse Into the Queen of Crime

The author was not a fan of pink or Pekingese dogs

July 20, 2017

Why ‘Paradise Lost’ Is Translated So Much

New book shows the enduring power of the epic poem has made it spread across dozens of languages and hundreds of years

July 20, 2017

The Innovative Spirit fy17

The First Self-Cleaning Home Was Essentially a ‘Floor-to-Ceiling Dishwasher’

Frances Gabe, who died late last year, channeled her frustration with housework into a futuristic design to end the drudgery of cleaning

July 20, 2017

Debunking the Mechanical Turk Helped Set Edgar Allan Poe on the Path to Mystery Writing

Like many others, Poe was certain the machine couldn’t be playing chess under its own power

July 20, 2017

From Melting Clocks to Lollipops, Salvador Dalí Left His Mark on the Visual World

The Surrealist artist’s “pure, vertical, mystical love of cash” led him to advertising

July 20, 2017

‘Twilight Zone’ Enters the Stage Dimension

London theater will adapt the iconic television series to capture “American nightmares” past and present

July 19, 2017

Cool Finds

Lost Manuscripts From Composer of “The Planets” Found in New Zealand

No one is sure how the handwritten scores by Gustav Holst ended up in the archives of the Bay of Plenty Symphonia

July 19, 2017

New Research

“Space Archaeologists” to Examine the International Space Station

Using millions of photos and documents, researchers will reconstruct life on the ISS to see how visitors interact with their tools and each other

July 18, 2017

Five Things to Know About Bath, Jane Austen’s Home and Inspiration

Two hundred years after her death, Bath hasn’t forgotten about Jane Austen

July 18, 2017

Why Censors Are Targeting Winnie-the-Pooh in China

Social media users have compared the honey-loving bear to Chinese President Xi Jinping

July 17, 2017

How a Groundbreaking Interior Designer Helped Jackie O. Change the White House

Sister Parish is credited with creating American country style, a recognizable and quirky mix of old and new

July 17, 2017

Text an Emoji and the SFMOMA Will Respond with a Picture of Art

A new text messaging service lets users explore the museum’s vast collection

July 17, 2017

Disneyland’s Terrible First Day Didn’t Stop the Crowds From Coming

Nothing was ready. But by the end of the first week, more than 100,000 people had visited

July 17, 2017

At 100, Andrew Wyeth Still Brushes People the Right (and Wrong) Way

The centennial of his birth offers galleries and critics the opportunity to reconsider one of America’s most famous painters

July 17, 2017

Trending Today

Revolutionary Black Artists of the Civil Rights Era Get Exhibition in the UK

“Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power” features iconic works alongside pieces that have long been overlooked by the mainstream

July 14, 2017

Sixty Years After Its Discovery, a Hut in Scotland Has Been Linked to St. Columba

Radiocarbon dating has proved that the site could have been built and used during the lifetime of the revered saint

July 14, 2017

Cool Finds

WWII Enigma Machine Found at Flea Market Sells for $51,000

The legendary coding machine was first unearthed by a mathematician with a careful eye who purchased it for roughly $114

July 13, 2017

London Tube Scraps ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ Announcements

Officials say they want all passengers to feel welcome on the Underground

July 13, 2017