Smart News Arts & Culture

Patrick Stewart attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards.

Education During Coronavirus

Hear Daily Shakespeare Sonnets Recited by Patrick Stewart

The classically trained actor is reading a sonnet a day on Instagram

Times Square stands largely empty on March 22.

Covid-19

As COVID-19 Reshapes the World, Cultural Institutions Collect Oral Histories

Universities, libraries and museums are among the organizations seeking personal stories about the pandemic's effects on daily life

The British Library has digitized ten historical globes from its collection.

Virtual Travel

Explore the World Virtually With These Rare, Centuries-Old Globes

Visitors can get up close and personal with augmented reality versions of historic globes recently digitized by the British Library

A selection of classic books available on Audible Stories

Education During Coronavirus

Listen to Hundreds of Free Audiobooks, From Classics to Educational Texts

Audible's new service is aimed at school-age children participating in distance learning but features selections likely to appeal to all

Google searches for terms like "sourdough," "bread recipe" and "banana bread" skyrocketed in the middle of March.

The World's Oldest Leavened Bread Is Rising Again

This is the story behind the breads you might be baking in lockdown

A section of the Berlin Wall in Pankow, the neighborhood where a nearly 200-foot stretch of the historic structure was razed to make way for luxury condos

196-Foot Section of the Berlin Wall Demolished to Make Way for Condos

Angry historians say the stretch of concrete was one of the largest remaining sections of the inner wall

From L to R: Ellis Marsalis Jr., Bucky Pizzarelli and Wallace Roney

Covid-19

COVID-19 Claims the Lives of Three Jazz Greats

Pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis Jr., trumpeter Wallace Roney, and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli succumbed to complications caused by the novel coronavirus

Olivia de Havilland's 1943 legal victory against Warner Bros. contributed to the downfall of the Hollywood studio system.

Hollywood's 'Golden Age' Saw Massive Dip in Female Film Representation

A new study ties the ousting of women directors, actors, producers and screenwriters to the rise of entertainment studios

Come to Your Census began as a campaign of events and posters like this one, featuring artwork by Emory Douglas.

This Art Campaign Wants You to Participate in the 2020 Census

Due to COVID-19, Art + Action's "Come to Your Census" project has pivoted from posters and events to social media and online outreach

More than 300 (and counting) universities, libraries and individuals in related fields have signed a statement in support of the National Emergency Library.

Covid-19

Why the National Emergency Library Is So Controversial

The Internet Archive describes the downloadable collection of more than one million books as a library, but critics call it piracy

Tomie dePaola signing books at the fourth annual "Scribbles to Novels" gala to benefit Jumpstart in 2008

Children's Book Author and Illustrator Tomie dePaola Dies at 85

Over his five-decade-plus career, the "Strega Nona" author contributed to more than 270 books

Johannes Vermeer's The Astronomer, 1668, (left) and recreation by Zumhagen-Krause and her husband featuring tray table, blanket and globe (right)

Covid-19

This Museum Is Asking People to Remake Famous Artworks With Household Items

The Getty Museum hopes its social media challenge will spark inspiration amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Poenari Castle was once the clifftop fortress of Vlad the Impaler.

Virtual Travel

Watch Seven Medieval Castles' Digital Reconstruction

Architects and designers restored royal ruins across Europe to their former glory

Mary Vaux Walcott, Cardinal Flower, 1880

Covid-19

Shuttered Museums Use Social Media to Share Bouquets of Floral Artwork

Hundreds of museums are participating in an online attempt to spread joy as COVID-19 keeps their galleries empty

In March, thieves stole Vincent van Gogh's The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring 1884 from a Dutch museum shuttered by Covid-19.

Van Gogh Masterpiece Stolen From Dutch Museum Shuttered by COVID-19

Thieves pilfered "The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring 1884" from the Singer Laren in the early hours of Monday morning

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery offers a free audio tour of its presidential portraits.

Virtual Travel

Explore World-Class Museums From Home With Smartify's Free Audio Tours

The app features a database of some two million artworks housed at more than 120 venues

According to traditional Japanese folklore, Amabie predicts good harvests and protect against disease.

Covid-19

Amid Pandemic, Artists Invoke Japanese Spirit Said to Protect Against Disease

Illustrators are sharing artwork of Amabie, a spirit first popularized during the Edo period, on social media

Education titles are doing particularly well, with sales of children’s nonfiction education, reference and language arts books up 12 percent from the same period last year.

Education During Coronavirus

Children's Educational Books See Uptick in Sales Amid COVID-19 School Closures

Titles related to "home-life" subjects—like preserving and canning—have also experienced a boost in sales

Hundreds of neatly piled beer bottles unearthed at the site of a long-gone inn in Leeds

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Leeds Unearth 600 Lead-Spiked, 19th-Century Beer Bottles

The liquid inside is 3 percent alcohol by volume—and contains 0.13 milligrams of lead per liter

A wealthy widower built the unusual property over a 36-year period.

Virtual Travel

Take a Free Virtual Tour of the Winchester Mystery House

The California landmark is closed, but you can explore its bizarre architectural features from afar

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