Smart News: Arts and Culture | Smithsonian Magazine

"John Dee Performing an Experiment before Elizabeth I"

Cool Finds

A Painting of John Dee, Astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, Contains a Hidden Ring of Skulls

The life and work of John Dee contained a strange mix of science and magic

January 18, 2016

Cool Finds

Here’s What Military Rations From Around the World Are Made Of

From bibimbap to beans

January 18, 2016

Henri Matisse's "Woman Sitting in an Armchair," is one of the paintings stolen by Nazis that will be returned to its rightful owner.

A task force took two years and nearly $2 million to investigate more than 1,200 pieces found in a Munich apartment

January 18, 2016

The Museum of Pinball in Banning, California, boasts a treasure trove of vintage and modern pinball machines and arcade games.

Cool Finds

Take a Turn at the Flippers This Weekend at the World’s Largest Pinball Museum

So you didn’t win the lottery: why not try your hand at a game of pinball?

January 15, 2016

A work by Pavel Ilie at the Romania Postmodernism Museum's "Before & After" exhibition.

Cool Finds

This Postmodern Art Captures a Tiny Moment of Hope During Romania’s Communist Years

Learn about Romania’s “unfrozen years” at Bucharest’s Postmodernism Museum

January 15, 2016

Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena of Chile has received architecture's most prestigious award, the Pritzker Prize.

Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena is the 2016 Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate

January 15, 2016

Google helped develop new miniature cameras to capture the Miniatur Wunderland.

Cool Finds

Get a Big View of the World’s Largest Miniature Train Set

All aboard the Cute Train to Tinytown

January 14, 2016

Since this art museum in Brazil was completed in 1996, it has put the relatively unknown city of Niterói on the map.

Cool Finds

These UFO-Like Buildings Are a Space-Age Tourist’s Dream

The future is now—follow this tour of UFO architecture found all around the world

January 14, 2016

Matt de la Peña became the first Latino author to win the Newbery Medal for his book, "Last Stop on Market Street."

Meet the 2016 Caldecott and Newbery Award winners, among others

January 13, 2016

The Chateau d'Ussé has connections with Sleeping Beauty...and contains a slightly creepy surprise.

Cool Finds

The French Castle That May Have Inspired “Sleeping Beauty” Is Filled With Creepy Mannequins

In honor of Charles Perrault’s birthday, explore the Chateau d’Usse

January 2016

The official seal of the village of Whitesboro, New York.

It’s a story that might as well have been ripped from a plotline on “Parks and Recreation”

January 12, 2016

Cool Finds

Watch 100 Drones Dance Their Way to a World Record

The swarm recently took to the skies to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony

January 12, 2016

Library patrons will soon be able to check out ukuleles in libraries across Pennsylvania.

Cool Finds

Pennsylvania Libraries Will Let You Check Out a Ukulele

Read, strum, repeat

January 12, 2016

From “Space Oddity” to “Lazarus,” Bowie gave voice to the anxiety of science fiction

January 11, 2016

People view a painting at the Altes Museum in Germany. As populations age and address various health challenges, museums are increasingly tailoring their programming to better serve their patrons.

Cool Finds

How Museums Are Helping People With Memory Loss

Serving the community means changing museum offerings for guests with Alzheimer’s

January 11, 2016

Mumbai's gigantic Dharavi slum will soon be home to a mobile museum.

But is a museum showcasing objects created by slum residents ethical or exploitative?

January 8, 2016

Cool Finds

What’s Inside this Artistic Capsule Headed to the Moon?

See how these artists captured a portrait of humanity in just six ounces

January 8, 2016

Cool Finds

Instead of Cheesy Pickup Lines, 19th-Century Americans Gave Out Calling Cards

Consider it the Victorian-era version of OKCupid

January 8, 2016

A Brandeis University researcher studied paintings by Edgar Degas and other bummed-out artists to see if grief affected their sale price.

New Research

Grief May Not Make Artists Better

New research shows that bummed-out artists aren’t necessarily better ones

January 8, 2016

A selection of nominees for the 2014 Angouleme Grand Prix lifetime achievement award.

The Angoulême International Comics Festival drops its shortlist for its top award after more than half its nominees withdrew their names in protest

January 7, 2016

Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture