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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

Joan Mitchell in her Paris studio in 1956

The Poetry and Passion of Joan Mitchell’s Abstract Expressionist Paintings

A traveling exhibition will unite 80 works by the acclaimed artist, who thrived in 1950s New York despite widespread sexism

In Paul Henry’s own words, he hoped to capture “the very soul of Ireland” in his paintings.

Cool Finds

Rare Impressionist Landscapes Found in Storage Unit Could Sell for $60,000

Created by artist Paul Henry, the oil paintings depict the Irish countryside

Ellen disguised herself as a sickly white man, while William played the part of her enslaved valet.

Follow a Couple’s Daring Escape From Slavery in the Antebellum South

A new short film from SCAD chronicles the lives of Ellen and William Craft, who disguised themselves to find freedom in 1848

Josephine Baker's remains will be reinterred at Paris' Panthéon on November 30.

Performer Josephine Baker to Be First Black Woman Buried at Paris’ Panthéon

The talented entertainer, activist and spy will be the fifth woman accorded one of France’s highest honors

Chuck Close Self-Portrait, dye diffusion transfer prints, 1989

Chuck Close, Artist Whose Photorealist Portraits Captivated America, Dies at 81

The painter, who faced accusations of sexual harassment later in life, continuously changed his artistic style

The museum's sculptures promote coral growth and will eventually serve as homes for sea creatures.

Art Meets Science

You Can Now Explore an Underwater Sculpture Museum in the Mediterranean

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor placed 93 statues of people and plants in a submerged “forest” off the coast of Cyprus

The thieves attempted to steal De Voorzaan en de Westerhem, an 1871 painting by Claude Monet.

Thieves Attempt to Steal a Monet From a Dutch Museum—but Drop It Mid-Escape

The would-be robbers tried to take an 1871 landscape by the French Impressionist from the Zaans Museum in Zaandam

A vandal covered this mural of a rat sipping a cocktail in white spray paint.

Banksy Murals in England Defaced, Removed Just Days After Appearing

Vandals targeted two scenes in the street artist’s latest series. Local officials covered up two others

The documentary plays out much like a spy thriller, interrogating the art world and the enigmatic figures who populate it.

Will the Mystery of ‘Salvator Mundi’ Ever Be Solved?

A new documentary, “The Lost Leonardo,” explores the dramatic history of a purported Renaissance masterpiece

The open-air exhibition features more than 20 life-size reproductions of the London museum's most famous paintings.

Pop-Up Exhibition Brings Masterpieces From London’s National Gallery Outdoors

An open-air display in Trafalgar Square features more than 20 life-size reproductions of works by Vincent van Gogh, Titian and more

The 6-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide pumpkin was installed on Japan's Naoshima island in 1994.

Typhoon Sweeps Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin Sculpture Into the Sea

Experts on Japan’s Naoshima island recovered the damaged artwork and are attempting to restore it

This small device flashes red if a visitor gets too close to an artwork or fails to wear their face mask correctly.

Innovation for Good

Italian Museum Uses Cameras to Track How Visitors Engage With Art

A new A.I. system hopes to help curators determine artworks’ “attraction value” and optimize gallery layouts

Helina Metaferia, Crowning Care 1, 2021

Innovation for Good

Pioneering Project Explores Motherhood Through the Lens of Design

A new exhibition and book series offers an intimate view of reproductive history

The Parthenon, the temple that sits atop Athens' Acropolis, seen surrounded by smoke on August 4

Ancient Olympics’ Birthplace Saved as Fires Rage Across Southern Europe

A massive heatwave sparked blazes along the Mediterranean, threatening cultural heritage sites and forcing mass evacuations

This slice of marzipan was likely cut from the top or side of a single-tier cake sent to Clarence House for the enjoyment of the queen mother's staff.

You Could Own a Slice of Princess Diana’s Wedding Cake

The not-so-edible, 40-year-old piece of royal history is expected to fetch more than $300 at auction

Liz Orton photographed seeds sent to Kew Gardens in London as long as a century ago.

Art Meets Science

Take a Virtual Tour of Artworks Inspired by Efforts to Preserve Plant Biodiversity

A traveling exhibition showcases five artists whose creations engage with science and ecology

The 2,200-square-foot venue is located about ten miles inland from Ocean City, in the town of Berlin, Maryland.

New Maryland Museum Dives Into the Mythology of Mermaids

Blending history, pop culture and folklore, the attraction features a Feejee mermaid, original artworks and more

Instead of a soaring, verdant oasis in the middle of the city, visitors were greeted with sparse, earth-covered scaffolding.

Trending Today

Widely Mocked London Tourist Attraction Closes Two Days After Opening

The Marble Arch Mound sought to invigorate a major shopping district in England’s capital. Visitors called it a “bad Santa’s grotto”

Alfredo Ramos Martínez, La Malinche (Young Girl of Yalala, Oaxaca), 1940

Was La Malinche, Indigenous Interpreter for Conquistador Hernán Cortés, a Traitor, Survivor or Icon?

A new exhibition at the Denver Art Museum explores the legacy of an enslaved woman who aided Spain’s conquest of the Americas

Users play as Kendra Turner, an intern who uncovers the dark past—and present—of the fictional Blackhaven Hall Historical Society.

Innovation for Good

New Video Game Confronts Slavery’s Legacy Through a Historical Mystery

“Blackhaven” finds a fictional intern working to uncover a colonial estate’s hidden history while facing present-day racism

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