Nov 21 Watch 7:28 In John Adams' new Gold Rush opera, cultures clash with a tragic ending By Jeffrey Brown, Jaywon Choe, Mike Fritz For contemporary composer John Adams, it was three notes that launched his latest opera: the sound of a pick axe “chipping away at stone.” Premiering at the San Francisco Opera, "Girls of the Golden West," a collaboration with director Peter… Continue watching
Nov 20 Watch 5:16 The art of the Guantanamo Bay detainees By PBS NewsHour, Jaywon Choe, Jon Gerberg A new exhibit in New York shares art from an unlikely place: Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. Current and former detainees have created work that represent their experiences as prisoners -- even episodes of torture -- often using whatever nontraditional materials… Continue watching
Nov 20 In poet John Keats' letters, a man full of life just before he died By Alison Thoet Romantic poet John Keats is best known for his odes, epics and sonnets. But in his short lifetime he also wrote dozens of letters to siblings and friends, which are now surfacing together online for the first time, 200 years… Continue reading
Nov 20 PHOTOS: These gruesome dollhouse death scenes reinvented murder investigations By Alison Thoet 20th century heiress Frances Glessner Lee's parents pushed her toward feminine crafts. She used that to build dollhouse scenes of death that would help future investigators do forensic crime analysis. Continue reading
Nov 19 Watch 4:37 Stereotypes in 'The Simpsons' affected a generation of South Asians, says this comedian By PBS News Hour Throughout his career, comedian Hari Kondabolu has tackled the tough topics of race and inequality in the U.S. His new documentary, “The Problem With Apu,” looks at the character of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on “The Simpsons” -- a convenience store owner… Continue watching
Nov 18 WATCH: Jeffrey Brown interviews authors at the Miami Book Fair By Corinne Segal This Saturday and Sunday, watch live interviews with Gene Luen Yang, Frank Bidart, Jennifer Egan, Jeffrey Eugenides, Megan Abbott and other authors. Continue reading
Nov 17 Watch 9:25 New museum aims to get visitors thinking about the Bible By PBS News Hour The new $500 million Museum of the Bible is filled with thousands of texts and artifacts, immersive exhibitions of bible stories, even an amusement park-like area for children. According to those behind the new private institution, the focus is not… Continue watching
Nov 17 Is Instagram killing our museum culture or reinventing it? By Jennifer Hijazi Participants in a recent study said they'd much rather be entertained than educated, and preferred social interactions at museum exhibits over quiet reflection. Continue reading
Nov 17 PHOTOS: Street art in Afghanistan targets corruption and hate By Larisa Epatko Street art offers a way to express concerns and advocate for change in Afghanistan in a non-violent way. Continue reading
Nov 15 Rare da Vinci painting sells for $450 million, smashing auction record By Phil Hirschkorn "Salvator Mundi," which depicts Jesus Christ holding a glass orb and giving a benediction, is one of only 16 da Vinci paintings known to exist. Continue reading