Arts & Culture

"I Just Want to Come Home," a mural addressing the relationship between police and young men of color.

New York City Is Paying Public Housing Residents to Paint Murals

Young tenants will create public art that captures social issues at five housing projects, one in each borough

How Zildjian Cymbals Made It From the Ottoman Empire to Now

In 1622, Avedis Zildjian, an Armenian metalworker in Turkey, melted a top-secret combination of metals to create the perfect cymbal, still in use today

Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter by Alexander Gardner

Poetry Matters

Can the Civil War Still Inspire Today's Poets?

As epic verse about the American past falls victim to modernism, a poet who is also a historian calls for a revival

Elvis Jigsaw (2011) Elvis makes an appearance in several images in Short Stories.

Photographer Matt Henry's Obsession With the 1960s Led to These Amazing Images

Inspired by the movies of the era, he brings together elaborate sets and casts to make his scenes

Jesse J. Holland's book, "The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African American Slaves in the White House" offers new insight into lives of these men and women who lived in bondage in the White House.

The Slaves of the White House Finally Get to Have Their Stories Told

Long ignored by historians, the enslaved people of the White House are coming into focus through a new book by Jesse J. Holland

The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist on Cathedral Island, Wroclaw, Poland.

Why You Should Visit Europe's Two New Capitals of Culture

Wroclaw, Poland and San Sebastian, Spain just joined the EU list—and for good reason

The city of Jodhpur spills out below Mehrangarh Fort, once the residence of the royal family.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: India

The Fall and Rise of a Modern Maharaja

Born to a palace but stripped of his livelihood in the 1970s, Gaj Singh II created a new life dedicated to preserving royal Rajasthan

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: India

Local Lens: Life on the Streets of Old Delhi

Instagram photographer Arjun Chhabra captures raw moments in the city's alleyways and courtyards

Brightly colored trucks are parked near the village of Murthal, a popular stopping place for weary travelers in search of a good meal.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: India

Looking for Delicious, Authentic Cooking in India? Head to a Truck Stop

Known as dhabas, these roadside eateries serving classic meals offer a glimpse into India's culture and customs

Ai Weiwei Chinese 1957– Forever Bicycles, 2011, installation view at Taipei Fine Arts Museum © Ai Weiwei

Is Ai Weiwei the Andy Warhol of Our Time?

A new exhibition in Melbourne delves into the connections between the artists who define their generations

Producers Irwin Winkler, Sylvester Stallone, Robert Chartoff with their Academy Awards for Rocky, 1977

Sylvester Stallone Joins an Oscars Elite Team: Actors Nominated Twice for the Same Role

The actor and writer who gave us Rocky Balboa (again and again and again) is the sixth member of this exclusive club

Quebec Ice fishing is a highly social affair for Quebecois, who tend to let their freak flags fly. This dwelling, clad in buoys from the local lobstering industry, belonged to a man named Pierre. “An eccentric fellow, as most of these guys are,” says photographer Richard Johnson.

Canada

Portraits of Canada’s Ice Fishing Huts

Take a look at some of Canada's coziest ice fishing huts

A City Fabrick pop-up space.

Could Pop-Up Social Spaces at Polls Increase Voter Turnout?

Placemaking the Vote, one of the finalists in the Knight Cities Challenge, wants people to hang out at their polling places

Ruee Gawarikar's Goddess of Visas is a humorous take on the otherwise tedious and often anxiety-ridden process of applying for a work visa. Accordingly, the style of the work is exaggerated, ironic and dramatic.

What It Means to Live Life Working in the U.S. on a Visa

A piece of paper affixed to a passport is the subject of a new Smithsonian online exhibit

Suffragettes form a part of Emily Davison's funeral procession through London. She was a fellow campaigner who was trampled to death when, as a protest gesture, she tried to catch the reins of King George V's horse as it ran in the 1913 Epsom Derby.

Women Who Shaped History

The True History of Suffragette

Emily Wilding Davison was a tireless and ingenious activist for the cause of women's suffrage in Britain

The distinctive black outfit, with topping ears, now held in the collections of the American History Museum, was made just for actress Julie Newmar, and clung to her frame.

When Batman Went "Bam!" and "Pow"

The original Catwoman, Julie Newmar recalls fitting into that distinctive costume—now at the Smithsonian

How Contacting the Dead Became a Family Game

After the Civil War, one man decided there was money to be made in contacting the dead. So he invented a popular, occult board game that lives on today

Bill Cherry, one of the headlining acts during the week.

Go Behind the Scenes at America's Most Lucrative Elvis Presley Tribute Contest

Get all shook up with the winners of this year's Tribute to the King

Austin Reed learned to write as a juvenile prisoner. His handwritten manuscript runs 304 pages.

The Earliest Memoir by a Black Inmate Reveals the Long Legacy of Mass Incarceration

The story of "Rob Reed" is finally published, 150 years after his release

Our Changing Seas III, 2014

Art Meets Science

Does This Sculpture Depict a Coral Reef Collapsing or Recovering?

Artist Courtney Mattison's spiral-shaped piece explores the uncertain future for coral reefs

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