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A Vintage Photography Flash Lamp In Action
Jacob Riis, a writer and photographer who exposed poverty in late 19th century New York City, used crude tools to light up his subjects. He ignited magnesium powder with a pistol, and later a frying pan. A vintage photography hobbyist demonstrates a flash lamp similar to Riis'. -
Comic Cheech Marin Champions Chicano Art
The iconic funnyman rose to fame as one half of the pothead duo Cheech and Chong. Over the years, he has acquired one of the largest collections of Chicano art in the world. By sharing his favorite works with the public, he hopes to help people see that Mexican-American art is mainstream. -
Broadway's New Kid on the Block: Lin Manuel Miranda
Young playwright Lin Manuel Miranda is taking Broadway by storm. Miranda's musical <em>In The Heights</em>, which won big at last week's Tony Awards, tells the immigrant story of New York's Washington Heights neighborhood. The multi-talented actor, composer and playwright speaks candidly about his art. -
So You Want to Learn Cartooning? Hit the Book
Two comic artists have created a textbook, <em>Drawing Words and Writing Pictures,</em> that teaches people the grammar of comic art, from penciling a story ever so lightly on tracing paper to inking a bubbly "The End" to the finished strip. -
Musicians Turn Down the Volume to Protect Art
Scientists working at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg say that the vibrations from rock concerts in nearby Winter Square may be damaging their collection. Research shows that vibration from 10 concerts above 82 decibels ages the artwork by a year. -
What Your Nose Knows and How Artists Use It
A smell scientist takes a look at what our noses can tell us about the world around us, and the co-curator of the "Odor Limits" exhibition in Philadelphia, Pa., discusses how artists are using smell in their creations. -
Obama's Foreign Policy Aide Weighs In on Iraq
Denis McDonough is Sen. Barack Obama's foreign policy adviser. He says Obama wants to start withdrawing troops immediately at the pace of one to two combat brigades per month. At this pace, the remaining U.S. troops can leave Iraq in 16 months. -
An Art Star Creates a Splash in New York
New Yorkers woke up this morning to new landmarks in the city's harbor and along the East River: four waterfalls. They're actually a public art project, courtesy of artist Olafur Eliasson. -
Ultra-Rich Collectors Help Keep Art Market Afloat
An $80 million auction sale of a work by Claude Monet illustrates that while most ordinary people are cutting out non-essential spending, wealthy art collectors aren't. The weak dollar is one reason why a very small group of ultra-rich buyers is keeping the high-end art market alive. -
Artist Takes Term 'Snail Mail' Literally
Visual artist Paul Smith's new work is about old mail: Snail Mail, a "slow art" project that uses snails outfitted with chips to send e-mail messages — sometimes very...very...slowly.
