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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

Portable altar of Countess Gertrude, shortly after 1038

Heirs of Jewish Art Dealers Move Forward With Yearslong Restitution Battle

For over a decade, they’ve argued that their ancestors were forced to sell valuable artifacts. Now, they’re back in court with a new legal strategy

At the request of the Comité Champagne, Belgian officials destroyed 2,352 cans of Miller High Life for using the slogan the "Champagne of Beers."

European Officials Trash Thousands of Brews in Dispute Over ‘Champagne of Beers’ Slogan

The word is typically reserved for sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France

Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer was the most challenged book in 2022, according to the American Library Association.

American Library Association Names 2022’s Most Banned Books

As book censorship soared, titles with LGBTQ themes were the most targeted

A 1960 portrait of Harry Belafonte 

Harry Belafonte, Groundbreaking Singer, Songwriter and Activist, Dies at 96

A Smithsonian curator reviews Belafonte’s legacy, from breaking racial barriers in the entertainment industry to 70 years of civil rights activism

The curtain call of a 2015 performance of the New York City Ballet, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

New York City Ballet Celebrates 75 Years of Tradition and Innovation

The 2023-2024 season will include a recreation of the company’s first-ever performance

This photograph taken on January 21, 2022, shows the Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi in front of a painting of Pope Gregorio XV at the Casino dell'Aurora inside the Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi in Rome.

Texas-Born Italian Noble Evicted From Her 16th-Century Villa

Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi has lived in the home for 20 years, battling with the family of her deceased husband

A rendering of the 2.3-acre site that will house the Museum of Shakespeare

An Interactive Shakespeare Museum Will Immerse Visitors in the Ruins of an Elizabethan Theater

The cultural institution is slated to open in London in spring 2024

A group of French Carthusian monks are the only producers of Chartreuse—and despite high demand, they aren't planning to increase production.

French Monks Are Driving the Chartreuse Shortage

Dating back to 1605, the closely guarded recipe is becoming increasingly popular

Mather Brown's portrait of Joseph Bologne, dated April 4, 1788

Based on a True Story

Why Has History Forgotten Joseph Bologne, the Brilliant 18th-Century Composer Showcased in ‘Chevalier’?

A new film dramatizes the story of a Black immigrant to France whose musical talents have long been overlooked

Father Gabriel Amorth served in his role at the Vatican for 30 years.

Based on a True Story

Who Was the Real Pope’s Exorcist?

A new film dramatizes the story of Father Gabriele Amorth, the chief exorcist of the Diocese of Rome

Packages of DVDs await shipment at the Netflix headquarters in San Jose, California, in 2002.

After 25 Years, Netflix Ends DVD Rentals

As users move to online streaming, the company will mail its last disc in September

Cast members take the stage during the last performance of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.

The Curtain Lowers on ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Broadway

The final performance of Broadway’s longest-running show took place over the weekend

The Olympus digital camera was covered in mud and broken after spending 13 years in Colorado's Animas River, but Spencer Greiner was still able to pull photos off its memory card.

Cool Finds

After 13 Years Underwater, Lost Digital Camera Photos Reunited With Owner

A Colorado fisherman spotted the camera sticking out of the mud along the the Animas River

Ad Palmen collected a diverse array of rare European and American cars for 40 years.

230 Rare Classic Cars Are Going Up for Auction in the Netherlands

Stored for 40 years in two warehouses and an abandoned church, the valuable vehicles include a variety of European and American makes and models

Cher, Elton John and Diana Ross at Rock Awards Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (1975)

London Museum Celebrates the Diva—From Marilyn Monroe to Lizzo

An upcoming exhibition will explore how the label has been applied to performers throughout history

Gambarin's nearly 270,000-square-foot artwork, outlined with a tractor, is now considered the largest portrait of Picasso ever made. 

Italian Artist Uses Tractor to Create World’s Largest Picasso Portrait

Land artist Dario Gambarin used a 270,000-square-foot field in Verona, Italy, as a canvas

Mary Quant at her apartment in Draycott Place, London, c. 1967

Fashion World Remembers Mary Quant, the Miniskirt Pioneer

Quant captured London’s “Swinging Sixties” with her cutting-edge designs

The entirety of Madonna’s 1984 album Like a Virgin is one of the new additions to the National Recording Registry.

Super Mario Bros., Madonna and More Join the National Recording Registry

Every year, the Library of Congress selects 25 recordings that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically important”

In Dubai, license plates with fewer characters are typically the most expensive.

This License Plate Just Became the Most Expensive in the World

The vanity plate, which features the characters “P7,” sold for $15 million at an auction in Dubai

The new app will allow the FBI to crowdsource tips regarding missing artworks.

Want to Help the FBI Find Stolen Art? There’s an App for That

A new mobile app provides access to the National Stolen Art File, a database of 8,000 missing items

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