Art Beat

Extended Interview: Lynn Nottage

By Arts Desk

It's set in a small bar in the Congo, but Lynn Nottage's recent Pulitzer Prize-winning play, 'Ruined,' tells an epic story about the ravages of war, especially its impact on women.

Weekly Poem: From ‘Fundamentals of Esperanto’

Conversation: Historian Simon Schama

By Arts Desk

Historian Simon Schama is well-known for his books and television documentaries on art and a wide range of other subjects.

Thursday on the NewsHour: Art Institute of Chicago Opens Modern Wing

By Arts Desk

Thursday on the NewsHour: Art Institute of Chicago Opens Modern Wing…

Extended Interviews: Art Institute of Chicago

The new modern wing of the Art Institute of Chicago was intended to expand one of the nation's leading museums and provide space for its collection of modern and contemporary art.

Slide Show: Scenes from the Venice Biennale

Held every two years, the Venice Biennale is the oldest and one of the largest contemporary art exhibitions in the world. This year's biennial, "Making Worlds," is the 53rd exhibition.

In Science and Jazz, Father and Son Find Common Bonds

By Arts Desk

It's just after closing on a Friday night at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington. In the darkened auditorium, a jazz quintet is building a rhythmic floor on a soft, steady percussion line and lilting piano chords.

Weekly Poem: ‘Luminous Great Mass’

"Luminous Great Mass" is from Peter O'Leary's collection, "Watchfulness" (Spuyten Duyvil, 2001). The poem is also included in the Poetry Foundation's Chicago Poetry Tour, a multimedia tour of poetry written in and about the city of Chicago.

Conversation: Terry Teachout Recaps the Tony Awards

By Arts Desk

It was a big night for "Billy Elliot" as the theater world celebrated Broadway at the Tony Awards. In a first, the three teenage boys who rotate in the role of Billy Elliot shared the Tony for best performance by…