May 05 Watch 6:35 Sierra Hull reflects on her journey to becoming a mandolin virtuoso By Tom Casciato Two-time Grammy nominee Sierra Hull has reached the pinnacle of bluegrass on her chosen instrument, the mandolin. But how she got there is a story like no other. Special Correspondent Tom Casciato has more for our arts and culture series,… Continue watching
May 04 Watch 5:50 'Spitfires' chronicles the daring flights of American women pilots during WWII By John Yang, Harry Zahn, Juliet Fuisz Wednesday is the 80th anniversary of VE Day, marking Germany’s unconditional surrender and the end of WWII in Europe. A new book “Spitfires” tells the little-known contribution American women made to that outcome by flying combat aircraft — not for… Continue watching
May 02 Watch 6:26 Conservative offers perspective on Trump's effort to exert authority over history and art By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport President Trump has accused the Smithsonian and other museums of promoting “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” Previously, Jeffrey Brown spoke with a historian critical of the president’s moves. Now, he has a different… Continue watching
May 01 Watch 7:28 Exploring the efforts to control how U.S. history is presented in museums and monuments By Jeffrey Brown, Simon Epstein The Trump administration has put its mark on the nation’s cultural sector. One focus is on how American history is told and presented in museums and monuments. That has roiled many in the academic and art worlds. Jeffrey Brown explores… Continue watching
May 01 Watch 6:24 'Conclave' author Robert Harris on the secretive tradition of selecting a new pope By Geoff Bennett, Jackson Hudgins Streaming viewership of "Conclave" surged 3,200 percent in the week after Pope Francis’ death. Viewers turned to that movie, which won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, to help them understand one of the most secretive elections on the planet. The… Continue watching
Apr 25 Watch 7:55 Political cartoonists on navigating a changing media landscape By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport "A picture is worth a thousand words." It's a well-worn phrase but there is special resonance when applied to editorial cartoons, a centuries-old tradition that is evolving as the media landscape itself does. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown takes a… Continue watching
Apr 23 Watch 5:35 'Sonic Heritage' project lets people experience world's most iconic places through sound By Jeffrey Brown, Simon Epstein If you think of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, you might conjure an image of Michelangelo’s famous ceiling. But what does that famous place, or any place, sound like? A new project timed to World Heritage Day asks us to… Continue watching
Apr 22 Watch 6:53 New book 'Love, Queenie' chronicles life of trailblazing South Asian actress Merle Oberon By Amna Nawaz, Shrai Popat As the first Asian, and only South Asian, to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, Merle Oberon’s place in the pantheon of cinema is historic. But it came with enormous sacrifice as Oberon had to hide her race to… Continue watching
Apr 17 Watch 4:23 Exhibition showcases Frank Costantino's hand-drawn designs that bring buildings to life By Jared Bowen, GBH For more than 50 years, architectural illustrator Frank Costantino has been bringing buildings to life with his meticulously hand-drawn project designs. A new exhibition of Costantino’s work is celebrated at one of Boston’s most storied institutions. Special correspondent Jared Bowen… Continue watching
Apr 14 Mario Vargas Llosa, Peruvian author and Nobel laureate, dies at 89 By Franklin Briceno, Ciarán Giles, Associated Press Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel literature laureate and a giant of Latin American letters for many decades, has died. Continue reading