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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

The city is asking the public to vote on five semi-finalist proposals, including this one by artist Basil Watson.

Women Who Shaped History

Five Ways of Looking at Harriet Tubman

Philadelphia has selected five semi-finalist proposals for a new statue at City Hall

Taiichiro Yoshida's metal sculpture of Jolteon

Gotta Catch These Pokémon Reimagined Through Stunning Traditional Japanese Craft Techniques

A new exhibition features 20 artists’ creative interpretations of Pikachu, Charizard and more

Director Greta Gerwig at the European premiere of Barbie. The film has enjoyed worldwide success and made Gerwig the only woman with a sole directing credit on a billion-dollar movie.

‘Barbie’ Makes History, Becoming First Billion-Dollar Movie Directed Solely by a Woman

Greta Gerwig’s movie challenges dated notions about the box-office appeal of films centered on women

The current Minnesota flag, which lawmakers hope to soon retire, flies during a snowstorm.

Minnesota Starts Work on a New State Flag

The old flag—often criticized for its poor design and offensive images—is slated to be replaced in May

Researchers uncovered this image of a woman under The Fifth Season (1943) using infrared reflectography.

Cool Finds

A Mysterious Portrait Was Discovered Beneath a René Magritte Painting

Researchers found the image using infrared reflectography, and they think it may depict the artist’s wife, Georgette

From his home in Ontario, Samuel Peralta displays a sample gold NanoFiche—similar to the smaller, nickel-based NanoFiche that will be traveling to the lunar surface.

The Lunar Codex Will Archive the Work of 30,000 Artists—on the Moon

A series of time capsules will honor and preserve contemporary art from around the globe

Captivity, 1974 is a quilted version of a photo taken of Tyler after his initial arrest.

He Was Wrongfully Imprisoned for 41 Years. Now He Has His First Solo Exhibition

In “We Are the Willing,” quilter Gary Tyler revisits his time in prison and explores his newfound freedom

Tupac Shakur designed the gold, ruby and diamond crown ring, which recently sold at auction for a little over $1 million.

Drake Buys the Most Valuable Hip-Hop Artifact Ever Sold: Tupac Shakur’s Ring

Shakur designed the piece himself and wore it during his last public appearance before his death in 1996

Taylor Swift performed at Lumen Field in Seattle on July 22 and 23.

Taylor Swift Concerts Are Generating Seismic Activity

The artist’s two recent shows in Seattle shook the ground so much that they registered on a nearby seismometer

Frida Kahlo's Diego on My Mind (Self-Portrait as Tehuana) (1943)

Follow Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera Through Post-Revolution Mexico

The famous couple’s artistic and political legacies are at the center of a new exhibition in Australia

The interior of Transfiguration Cathedral, the largest church building of Odesa, was damaged by a Russian missile that hit the altar on July 23.

Russian Strike Severely Damages Odesa’s Transfiguration Cathedral

Congregants sifted through the wreckage, clearing rubble and searching for artifacts

Paul Kaufmann inherited several of what are thought to be fragments of Ludwig van Beethoven's skull, which he has donated to the Medical University of Austria.

Skull Fragments Thought to Be Beethoven’s Return to Vienna

The composer asked that, following his death, his physician study the illnesses that plagued him during his life

Ian Shaw, Demetri Goritas and Liam Murray Scott perform in The Shark Is Broken during the show's 2021 run in London. Ian Shaw reprises his role on Broadway, playing his father, Robert Shaw, while co-stars Colin Donnell and Alex Brightman play Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss, respectively.

Based on a True Story

‘The Shark Is Broken’ Brings the Making of ‘Jaws’ to Broadway

The play examines the tensions stirring between the film’s three leads as they navigate a chaotic production process

Artist Oscar Nilsson based the facial reconstruction on DNA and skeletal analyses.

Art Meets Science

See the Face of a Woman Who Died in a Shipwreck in 1628

A new facial reconstruction vividly resurrects Gertrude, one of 30 people killed during the sinking of the Swedish warship “Vasa”

Police are asking for the public's help locating the statue, as well as a lamppost stolen from the set.

Thieves Steal Large Props From the Set of ‘Beetlejuice 2’

Police are currently investigating the thefts, which took place on the set of the sequel in Vermont

The new app provides access to banned titles based on readers' locations.

Readers Can Now Access Books Banned in Their Area for Free With New App

Based on users’ locations, the Banned Book Club provides e-book editions of titles banned in nearby libraries

The project required more than 5,470 hours of conservation stitching, lining and reconstruction.

See Stunning Tudor Tapestries Restored to Their Former Glory

The 13 panels are on view as a set for the first time in 24 years

Water submerged electrical wiring and outlets, leading to the evacuation of the pop-up galleries.

Rainstorm Floods Exhibition Featuring Picasso, Matisse and More

New York’s Hamptons Fine Arts Fair was battered by a summer storm, prompting an evacuation as water soaked the floors

Tony Bennett painting in June 1971

Tony Bennett’s Passion for Art Lives On in His Paintings

Smithsonian curators reflect on the beloved crooner’s legacy as a musician and visual artist

A staff member holds a copy of Heartstopper, an LGBTQ teen romance, at Lira's shop in Budapest.

Bookstore in Hungary Will Fight Fine for Selling ‘Heartstopper,’ a Popular LGBTQ Graphic Novel

Officials say the bookseller broke the law by promoting the novel to minors and failing to wrap it in plastic foil

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