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Art & Design NPR explores the visual arts including design, photography, sculpture, and architecture. Interviews, commentary, and audio. Subscribe to the RSS feed.

Art & Design

Wednesday

Politics

Political Cartoonists Cast an Eye Back on 2005

Political cartoonists Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Mike Peters of the Dayton Daily News discuss 2005, as seen through the prism of their own work.

Political Cartoonists Cast an Eye Back on 2005

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Wednesday

'In Prison Air': Echoes of Life Behind Bars

Thomas Roma has a new book of photos of some of the cells of now-closed Holmesburg Prison in Pennsylvania, where inmates "volunteered" to use their own bodies to test everything from skin creams to LSD.

'In Prison Air': Echoes of Life Behind Bars

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Wednesday

World

Ancient Mayan Mural Found in Guatemala

Archaeologists have uncovered an elaborate wall of 2,000-year-old Mayan murals buried in a tunnel deep in Guatemala's northern jungle. Guest David Stuart, professor of art history; director, Mesoamerican Center, University of Texas.

Ancient Mayan Mural Found in Guatemala

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Tuesday

Monday

Culture

U.S. Museum Collections in Dire Condition

A new survey shows that museum collections are deteriorating. More than 3,000 institutions participated in the study by ranking their own preservation practices, and the results were alarming.

U.S. Museum Collections in Dire Condition

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Friday

University to Sell O'Keeffe Gift Painting

Fisk University plans to sell an iconic Georgia O'Keeffe painting donated by the artist in 1949. The sale, designed to raise money for the cash-strapped Nashville university, could break an O'Keeffe sale record of $6.3 million. It also may violate the terms of O'Keeffe's gift, which specified the modern art collection of her late husband Alfred Stieglitz not be broken up.

University to Sell O'Keeffe Gift Painting

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Thursday

Friday

Museum Charts Spread of Africans Across Globe

The Museum of the African Diaspora, the latest addition to San Francisco's Museum Row, opens its doors to the public Friday. Through art and artifacts, the museum aims to tell at least part of the story of all people who can trace their roots to Africa -- from present day to ancient times.

Museum Charts Spread of Africans Across Globe

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Thursday

Culture

Frank Lloyd Wright School in Turmoil

Forty-six years after Frank Lloyd Wright's death, the architecture school and the fellowship that bear his name are fighting for their survival -- in part because of their unconventional nature. Ted Robbins visits Taliesin West -- Wright's home, school and studio in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Frank Lloyd Wright School in Turmoil

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Monday

Katrina & Beyond

Katrina Alters the View for New Orleans Artists

Some artists from New Orleans say Hurricane Katrina will mark a turning point in their careers, and not only because it ruined some of their work. They say the altered visual and cultural landscape of the city will affect the art they have yet to make. Joel Rose of member station WHYY reports.

Katrina Alters the View for New Orleans Artists

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Monday

The Hand of America's First Black Female Poet

Phyllis Wheatley was America's first published black poet -- a native of Senegal, sold into slavery in Boston in 1761 and taught to read and write. Now a newly discovered letter by her is expected to fetch top dollar at auction.

The Hand of America's First Black Female Poet

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Sunday

Loving the Imperfections of Toy Cameras

Photographer Theresa Manzanares describes why she loves her toy cameras, even though the cheap plastic housing often allows light to leak in and partially expose the film inside. Fans of the cameras say the leaks make for oddly intriguing photos that add mystery to the process of creating art.

Loving the Imperfections of Toy Cameras

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National

Western Architects Push the Envelope in Beijing

China's urbanization is perhaps the most extensive the world has ever seen. In Beijing and elsewhere, the job of designing prominent urban buildings is going more often than not to Western architects -- and the rush to remake the capital of China is crowding the ancient city with out-of-character designs.

Western Architects Push the Envelope in Beijing

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National

Sleuthing for Rock Art in New Mexico

Southwestern New Mexico is littered with rock art and artifacts from long-gone ancient cultures. Doug Fine goes on a trek through the desert back country with a local man who sleuths out hidden "rock art" sites.

Sleuthing for Rock Art in New Mexico

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Saturday

Spy Cameras, Portraits Offered in Collector's Sale

Over the course of 50 years, Jack Naylor has amassed the world's largest private collection of cameras and photographs. It includes spy cameras, a 157-year-old photo of circus performer Tom Thumb and an underwater camera used by Jacques Cousteau. And Naylor is looking for a buyer.

Spy Cameras, Portraits Offered in Collector's Sale

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