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At the Smithsonian

View of Xu Bing’s Phoneix models in transit.

How Do You Build a 12-Ton Sculpture Installation? Very Slowly

Two years, two births, one Olympic Games and one global crisis–a lot can happen in one art project.

Detail of cut marks found on the girl’s jaw, or lower mandible in a stereo-microscopic photo.

Starving Settlers in Jamestown Colony Resorted to Cannibalism

New archaeological evidence and forensic analysis reveals that a 14-year-old girl was cannibalized in desperation

Spotlight

The latest Smithsonian exhibitions showcase Civil War photography, Buddhist figures and Time magazine cover portraits

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What Happened to the Wizard of Oz Costumes and More Great Questions From our Readers

Apollo 11 souvenirs, Walt Whitman’s politics, and dinosaur DNA were among the subjects you wanted to know more about

Acoustic paintings from the installation "Higher Resonance."

How Do You Make a Painting Out of Sounds?

Jennie C. Jones has the answer. Her first solo museum show opens at the Hirshhorn in May

This wax-and-cardboard disc from 1885 contains a recording of Bell’s voice.

We Had No Idea What Alexander Graham Bell Sounded Like. Until Now

Smithsonian researchers used optical technology to play back the unplayable records

The Hirshhorn’s Bubble, which would be erected for two months each fall, would require about 60,000 square feet of membrane material.

The Real Deal With the Hirshhorn Bubble

The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum looks to expand in a bold new way

A “laser cowboy” makes a 3-D scan of Lincoln’s life mask at the Portrait Gallery.

How the Smithsonian is Coming to You

Between smartphone apps and local exhibitions, the Institution is looking for great new ways to connect to our biggest fans

Kota Ezawa recreates famous moments in history and pop culture with basic animation software. He is visiting the Hirshhorn on Thursday to talk about his art.

Events April 30-May 2: Origins of the Renaissance, Native Crafts and History Reanimated

This week, hear how a Roman emperor may have started the Renaissance, make your own Native art and meet digital animation artist Kota Ezawa

Leah Evans titled this work “Soil Survey”

At the Smithsonian Craftshow: Textile Topographies

Leah Evans, whose work is for sale at the annual Smithsonian Craftshow, creates wall hangings from abstracted geogrpahies

Celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree at the Anacostia Community Museum on Friday.

Events April 26-28: Arbor Day, Expert Collectors and Classical Music

This weekend, plant a tree, learn about the art of craft collecting and listen to one of Haydn’s masterpieces

Jennifer McCurdy mixes fine porcelain with gilding to create pieces full of movement and light.

24 Craft Creations That’ll Inspire You To Think Outside the Box

From fiber to glass, metal to ceramics, selections from this year’s Craft Show will inspire you

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The Story of Elizabeth Keckley, Former-Slave-Turned-Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker

A talented seamstress and savvy businesswoman, she catered to Washington’s socialites

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A Night at the Museum with the Smithsonian’s Laser Cowboys

A look at the future with Adam Metallo and Vince Rossi, who recently spent two nights scanning the Natural History Museum’s entire Dino Hall in 3D

“Classic Harmonica Blues,” out on May 21, features 20 tracks by the blues’ greatest harmonica players.

Inhaling the Blues: How Southern Black Musicians Transformed the Harmonica

A conversation with the producer of “Classic Harmonica Blues,” an album that captures a harmonica revolution

In the Amazon, María Gloria Domínguez-Bello and her team collected about 1,500 DNA samples to identify any microbe species that modern medicine may have wiped out.

Microbe Hunters

Deep in the Amazon Rainforest, scientists search for the micro-organisms that lived inside ancient humans

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The Eyes Have It

In the wake of the Boston bombing, Amy Henderson explores parallels between the era of Edison and the mediascape of today that helped solve the crime

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VIDEO: Earth Art on the Mall

Four artists left their mark for the Smithsonian’s first ever land art installation as part of a new exhibit about African artists and the earth

The Cyrus Cylinder is sometimes called the oldest declaration of human rights. See it on display and hear its story on Tuesday at the Sackler Gallery.

Events April 23-25: Cyrus Cylinder, Collage Art and a Craft Show

This week, hear about one of history’s most important artifacts, see how assemblage changed the definition of art and peruse crafts by 121 artists

Bill Drayton is this year’s recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Creativity Laureate Award.

How Can We Teach the World Empathy? Bill Drayton Says He Knows How

The founder of Ashoka, a network of global social entrepreneurs, is taking on education to change the world

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