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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

A Year Of Photographs, Taken At The 'Sametime'

Six photographers spent a year cataloging their lives with daily photos taken at 7:15 p.m. The online yearlong gallery project, sametime715.com, concludes Dec. 31. The photos document the mundanity of life: yoga, playing pool, traveling and sunsets.

A Year Of Photographs, Taken At The 'Sametime'

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Tuesday

Culture

For Jenna Fischer, 'Office' Life Is A Great Act

Fresh Air

Jenna Fischer may be best known for her role as Pam, the receptionist on the NBC comedy series The Office. In this interview, Fischer tells Terry Gross about creating all those pained looks and knowing smiles — and about how her five years as an office temp helped to prepare her for the role.

For Jenna Fischer, 'Office' Life Is A Great Act

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Monday

Museums In The 21st Century

Hands-On Kids' Museums Make Learning Fun

Immersion and interaction are the name of the game at children's museums around the country. NPR visited WaterWays in San Jose and the Dinosphere in Indianapolis to see the next generation firsthand.

Hands-On Kids' Museums Make Learning Fun

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Dina Vierny, Model And Muse For Art's Masters

Henri Matisse made drawings of her, with spare, pure lines. Aristide Maillol sculpted her in bronze. Now, Dina Vierny, the muse of those 20th-century artists, is 89 years old; she still speaks of them with affection and clarity.

Dina Vierny, Model And Muse For Art's Masters

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Friday

Movies

Injecting Noir Into A Comic-Book Classic

Frank Miller, who became known for bringing new depth to Batman in the '80s and expanding the audience for graphic novels, has directed The Spirit, created by comic-book pioneer Will Eisner. Miller says the key to keeping the movie dark is its tone.

Injecting Noir Into A Comic-Book Classic

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Wednesday

Indian Or Not? Fritz Scholder's Art And Identity

Scholder was only part Native American, so when he created his "Indian" series in the 1960s, he made a lot of people mad. He shunned the sentimental portrayal of traditional Indians with his art.

Indian Or Not? Fritz Scholder's Art And Identity

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Tuesday

Louisville Art Hotel Offers Rooms With A View

When you go to an art museum, you don't expect to be able to take a shower or sleep there. But in Louisville, Ky., there's a place where you can do both. It's called 21c, and it feels a lot more like a contemporary art gallery than a hotel — but in fact, it's a little of both.

Louisville Art Hotel Offers Rooms With A View

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Monday

Museums In The 21st Century

Museum Field Trips Tailored To Teach To The Test

School field trips are falling off the curriculum as teachers feel pressure to fill class time with basic skills. Museum directors are working to make their exhibits more field-trip friendly to lure teachers and students back from the classrooms.

Museum Field Trips Tailored To Teach To The Test

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Tuesday

Chelyabinsk, Russia: Then And Now

Economic Crisis Hampers Chelyabinsk's Growth

Ten years ago, the factories of Chelyabinsk were almost at a standstill. Then prices for raw materials and metal began to rise, which fueled extraordinary growth. Now factories and businesses have started cutting back again.

Economic Crisis Hampers Chelyabinsk's Growth

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Monday

Museums In The 21st Century

Missing A Masterpiece? Call FBI's Art Crime Team

The FBI used to treat cases of art theft just like any other case involving stolen property. But today, a team of special agents at the FBI is devoted to tracking down priceless cultural artifacts. Dina Temple-Raston explores the world of real-life art heists.

Missing A Masterpiece? Call FBI's Art Crime Team

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Saturday

Education

Teens See Themselves In Photos Of Immigrants

A group of teens in Los Angeles took cameras to tell stories of immigrants in America. For some students of first-generation immigrant families, this meant looking inward.

Teens See Themselves In Photos Of Immigrants

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Books

Reza: Bearing Witness To War And Peace

Reza Deghati is considered among the world's great photojournalists. He has traveled the globe for nearly 30 years, bearing witness to wars, unrest, great leaders and the courage of ordinary people trapped by history.

Reza: Bearing Witness To War And Peace

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Monday

Museums In The 21st Century

Balancing Form, Function In Museum Architecture

Two American museums designed by one world-famous architect have evoked two very different reactions from visitors and critics alike. Laura Sydell investigates the tensions between form and function in the latest installment of NPR's series on 21st-century museums.

Balancing Form, Function In Museum Architecture

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Thursday

Economy

Billionaire Eli Broad Offers To Bail Out L.A. Museum

The Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art is in serious financial trouble. The museum has rising operational costs and is not receiving enough money from donors. Philanthropist and art lover Eli Broad discusses the conditions of his $30 million offer to save MOCA.

Billionaire Eli Broad Offers To Bail Out L.A. Museum

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Wednesday

Culture

Conceptualizing Sol Lewitt's 'Wall Drawings'

Sol LeWitt was one of the pioneers of conceptual art. He saw it in his mind, then communicated it to others to complete. Dozens of people have done just that with his ideas for his famous Wall Drawings, which are now at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

Conceptualizing Sol Lewitt's 'Wall Drawings'

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