When Bob Dylan Isn’t Writing Nobel-Winning Lyrics, He’s Creating Original Paintings and Drawings
Nearly 100 imaginative portraits, still lifes and other artworks by the renowned singer-songwriter are now on view at the Halcyon Gallery in London
You Can Buy a Reel-to-Reel Tape of a Young Bob Dylan Performing Six Songs at the Gaslight Cafe
Billed as “Bob Dylan’s first demo tape,” the recordings from September 1961 played an outsize role in launching the 20-year-old aspiring songwriter’s career
The Real Story Behind ‘A Complete Unknown’ and Bob Dylan’s Early Career, From His Arrival in New York City to When He ‘Went Electric’
A new film starring Timothée Chalamet tracks Dylan’s evolution from an acoustic folk singer to a rock ‘n’ roll superstar
How This Self-Taught Guitarist Became a Music Legend
For decades, Libba Cotten was one of the most distinctive folk musicians in America
![“For me, [Hanuman] was also a hero that lost faith in himself,” says director and star Dev Patel. “He didn’t have courage at one point and needed to be reminded of who he was.” ](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/TPqV-FX08JDnZgIBw_4jsnjvKmg=/450x300/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/a4/6d/a46d49f5-d430-4fb9-9a99-a40773a0f0e5/hanuman3.jpg)
How the Hindu Deity Hanuman Inspired Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man’
The story of the half-human, half-monkey god mirrors the journey of the protagonist in Patel’s directorial debut
What Indigenous Cultures From Around the World Believe About Eclipses
A Smithsonian folklorist looks back and finds stories that explain how a darkening of daytime skies provokes a foreboding of evil
These Portraits Made a Bold Statement in 19th-Century America
A new exhibition exploring artistic representation of Black subjects includes a work that subverted cultural expectations
Folk Icon Joan Baez Sings a Song of Herself
After decades in the limelight, the American musician who spent a career exposing the world’s problems explores her own past
Gordon Lightfoot, Legendary Folk Musician, Dies at 84
The Canadian singer-songwriter is known for hits like “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Early Morning Rain”
David Crosby, Folk-Rock Legend, Dies at 81
The counterculture icon was a founding member of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash
What Bob Dylan Wrote in His High School Love Letters
A collection of notes from the musician to his girlfriend sold for nearly $670,000 at auction
The Allure of Self-Taught Art
SAAM’s new show “We Are Made of Stories” examines the 20th-century rise and creative vision of artists who make art without formal training
Why Women’s Music Embraces the Voices of Past Generations
New show examining the deep connections women make with musical tradition kicks off with a concert featuring folk star Alice Gerrard
The Ancient Origins of the Easter Bunny
A scholar traces the folk figure’s history from the Neolithic era to today
See Bob Dylan’s Cinematic Paintings, Welded Sculptures and More
A comprehensive collection of the iconic songwriter’s visual art is on display for the first time in the United States
Art Enthusiast Spots Long-Lost Sculpture by Black Folk Artist in Missouri Front Yard
William Edmondson had a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1937 but was buried in an unmarked grave following his death in 1951
Hear a Georgia Choral Group as They Rediscover the Art of Sacred Harp Singing
Students find lasting resonance in the words and simple notes of the 1869 hymn ‘How Can I Keep from Singing?’
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
Cicada Folklore, or Why We Don’t Mind Billions of Burrowing Bugs at Once
The earliest documented examples of cicada folklore come from China
Long-Hidden Trove of Bob Dylan Letters, Handwritten Lyrics Heads to Auction
The archives of harmonica player and close Dylan friend Tony Glover act as a “time capsule” of 20th-century music, says RR Auction
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