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Smart News / Smart News Travel

Two Antarctic Penguins Took an Adorable ‘Selfie’

They were investigating a camera belonging to an expeditioner with the Australian Antarctic Division

The ‘Mona Lisa’ May Leave the Louvre for the First Time in 44 Years

France’s culture minister said she is ‘seriously considering’ sending da Vinci’s masterpiece on a tour of the country

131-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Found on Australian Beach

The oldest yet found, the relic was thrown into the Indian Ocean by German sailors conducting an experiment

Synchronous fireflies flash in harmony in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.

These Were America’s Most-Visited National Parks in 2017

Of the National Park Service’s 417 sites, 385 keep track of their park visitors

"Reflections of the Weeping Willow on the Water-Lily Pond" Claude Monet

Long-Lost Monet, Sent Away for Safekeeping Before WWII, Found in Louvre Storage

The painting was acquired by Japanese art collector Kōjirō​ ​Matsukata in the 1920s. It will go on view at the National Museum of Western Art in 2019

The castle in 2012

Rubens’ Sprawling Castle in the Belgian Countryside Is on the Market

The famed Flemish painter redesigned the castle in Flemish Renaissance style

Under a new initiative, a digital art installation will cover the facade of Chicago's Merchandise Mart.

World’s Largest Digital Art Display Will Go Live This Fall in Chicago

Art deco landmark Merchandise Mart will be lit up across nearly 3 acres of its river-facing façade

Salvador Dalí (1904-1989), Untitled, 1932

Rediscovered Salvador Dalí Painting Goes on Display

The work, authenticated by Dalí scholar Nicolas Descharnes, was stored in private collections for the past 75 years

Tai Hang fire dragon

These Tiny Works of Art Depict a Disappearing Way of Life in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s largest miniature art exhibition featured 52 dioramas made by 19 artists

Construction Underway on Clock That Will Keep Time for 10,000 Years

Funded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the $42 million mechanical timekeeper will be located inside a mountain in west Texas

"Untitled, 1969" and other works by artist and activist Howardena Pindell are the focus of a new show at the Modern Contemporary Art Chicago.

Howardena Pindell Gets Her First Major Museum Survey

The multidisciplinary artist and activist reshaped what art could be

Books!

Cool Finds

Turkish Garbage Collectors Curate Their Own Library

The sanitation workers have already amassed a collection of more than 6,000 books

The Aluminaire House was designed in 1931 by architects Albert Frey and A. Lawrence Kocher.

First American Project by Desert Modernism Architect to be Rebuilt in Palm Springs

It will join the rest of Albert Frey’s work

Roman mosaics date back to the Bronze Age, and a new one has just been discovered at the Roman Baths in Bath, England.

Oldest Mosaic at Roman Baths Found During Excavations

Mosaics have a long history, but this is considered the oldest at the site

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park gives a view of Neníisótoyóú’u (Longs Peak) in Colorado, left of center.

Cool Finds

This Account is Reclaiming the Indigenous Names for Mountains One Geotag at a Time

A Navajo climber is leading a social media campaign to spread awareness of the indigenous names of peaks

World’s Tallest Wooden Building to Be Built in Tokyo

Architects are increasingly touting wood as a cleaner alternative to steel, concrete and brick

Markus Brunetti, Wells Cathedral Church of St. Andrews, 2015-2016 Archival Pigment Print

Thousands of Photographs Created These Hyper-Real Portraits of Historic Buildings

German artist Markus Brunetti brings a high-tech approach to capturing centuries-old cathedrals

St. Mary's church in Norfolk

How Churches Are Improving Wi-Fi Access in Rural England

A new program is outfitting places of worship with wireless transmitters and fiber cables

"Scenes From the Collection" emphasizes modern and contemporary art in its exploration of Jewish identity

The Evolution of Jewish Identity Takes Center Stage at Revamped Jewish Museum Exhibition

The redesigned permanent exhibition highlights a rotating selection of artifacts spanning 4,000 years of history

Gilbert Stuart Williamstown Portrait of George Washington

Lock of Washington’s Hair Found in 18th-Century Almanac

It was once common practice to give away locks of hair as gifts and keepsakes

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