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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

David Bowie’s artistry is the subject of Moonage Daydream, the latest film from documentarian Brett Morgen.

David Bowie, in His Own Words

The new documentary ‘Moonage Daydream’ draws entirely from archival footage and recordings

Tillmans’ 2015 image of Frank Ocean was used on the cover of his critically-acclaimed album, Blonde.

Wolfgang Tillmans Looks Without Fear

The photographer’s largest-ever exhibition is now on view at the Museum of Modern Art

Barack and Michelle Obama at the unveiling ceremony on September 7

Who Are the Artists Behind the New Obama Portraits?

Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung add their unique pieces to the White House’s collection

Some of the returned artifacts

Panama

The Netherlands Repatriates 343 Ceramics to Panama

The pre-Hispanic pottery pieces range from bowls to plates to burial vessels

Loving Highsmith aims to challenge crime author Patricia Highsmith’s reputation as a cold-hearted misanthrope.

Was Patricia Highsmith Actually a Hopeless Romantic?

The documentary ‘Loving Highsmith’ presents a new side of the enigmatic crime writer

A produce farm on the Rural Studio campus in Newbern, Alabama

These Are the Winners of the National Design Awards

This year, Cooper Hewitt honored innovators in climate change, clothing design and more

Investigators have seized 27 antiquities from the Metropolitan Museum of Art over the last six months, including this marble head of a Greek youth, dated to around 300 to 100 B.C.

Investigators Seize 27 Greek and Egyptian Antiquities From the Met

The seizures come at a time of increased scrutiny from the Manhattan district attorney’s office over international art crime

Théâtre D’opéra Spatial by Jason Allen

Art Made With Artificial Intelligence Wins at State Fair

Artist Jason Allen placed first in a Colorado contest, generating debate about A.I.’s role in art

David Bowie released his iconic song “Starman” in 1972.

There’s a Starman Waiting at the Auction Block

David Bowie’s handwritten lyrics for ‘Starman’ could sell for more than $35,000

Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith on the set of the television show “The Monkees” in 1967

The FBI Kept Files on the Monkees—and Micky Dolenz Wants to See Them

The band’s last surviving member is suing the FBI, which monitored the group in the 1960s

E.T. looks out the window with Elliott (Henry Thomas) in a scene from the 1982 movie.

Why the Legacy of ‘E.T.’ Endures, 40 Years Later

A new book offers a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic Steven Spielberg movie

English writer Charles Dickens, circa 1860

Charles Dickens Was a Busy Man and a ‘Mild Diva’

Eleven never-before-seen letters go on display at the Charles Dickens Museum

Many of the children who survived Hurricane Katrina are still healing from the trauma of their experiences.

The Black Children of Hurricane Katrina Finally Tell Their Stories

A new documentary, ‘Katrina Babies,’ spotlights the disaster’s youngest survivors

Lyrics written by Atlanta rappers Young Thug and Gunna are being used against them in court.

Should Rap Lyrics Be Admissible in Court?

A new California bill is part of a nationwide effort to protect creative expression and prevent racial bias

Tourists visit the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul in 2020.

Archaeologists Call on Unesco to Protect the Hagia Sophia

The sixth-century site has suffered increased vandalism and damage in recent years

The Roaring Lion, one of the most iconic photographs of Winston Churchill

Hotel Discovers Its Famous Churchill Portrait Was Swapped With a Fake

An original print of the ‘Roaring Lion’ was stolen from the Fairmont Château Laurier eight months ago

Designer Samantha Black created three special-edition outfits for Claudie.

New American Girl Doll Celebrates Black Joy During the Harlem Renaissance

Nine-year-old Claudie Wells’ story unfolds in 1920s New York

“Regeneration,” the groundbreaking new exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, showcases never-before-seen films.

Academy Museum Explores Black Cinema’s Early Years

A new exhibition spotlights how Black artists shaped American filmmaking from 1898 to 1971

The X-ray of Lewis’ Praxitella beside a reproduction of Saunders’ Atlantic City

Cool Finds

Lost Vorticist Masterpiece Found Hidden Beneath Another Painting

An X-ray revealed one of Helen Saunders’ many missing works under a portrait by Wyndham Lewis

A section of the megasculpture called Complex One

After 50 Years, Michael Heizer’s ‘City’ Opens in Nevada Desert

The American artist has spent most of his life building a megasculpture that earns comparisons to ancient ruins and abandoned highways

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