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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

Saturday

Monday

Illustrator Maira Kalman Moving To The Stage With Choreographer John Heginbotham

Kalman is collaborating on a stage work with choreographer John Heginbotham. The piece is based on The Principles of Uncertainty, and is all about living while knowing you're going to die.

Illustrator Maira Kalman Moving To The Stage With Choreographer John Heginbotham

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Sunday

Gourmet Sprinkles Make Sweets And Other Treats Sparkle

Sprinkle Pop's Unicorn Mix includes a variety of sprinkle textures and flavors. It's one of the company's most popular mixes. Emily Bogle/NPR hide caption

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Emily Bogle/NPR

The Salt

Gourmet Sprinkles Make Sweets And Other Treats Sparkle

Around the holidays, many bakers pay extra attention to how pretty their baked goods look. Their new secret weapon? Gourmet sprinkles.

Gourmet Sprinkles Make Sweets And Other Treats Sparkle

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Saturday

'Fascinating And Also A Little Bit Uncomfortable': Andrew Wyeth At 100

Artist Andrew Wyeth — pictured on his property in Chadds Ford, Penn. in 1964 — would have turned 100 in July of 2017. Bill Ingraham/AP hide caption

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Bill Ingraham/AP

Fine Art

'Fascinating And Also A Little Bit Uncomfortable': Andrew Wyeth At 100

The late American painter created one of the 20th century's most recognizable works in "Christina's World." His centenary puts his distinct mastery, and varied critical reception, into perspective.

'Fascinating And Also A Little Bit Uncomfortable': Andrew Wyeth At 100

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Wednesday

A Painting Stored Away And The Artist Who Wants It To See The Light Of Day

The Fulbright Triptych by Simon Dinnerstein. Courtesy of Simon Dinnerstein hide caption

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Courtesy of Simon Dinnerstein

A Painting Stored Away And The Artist Who Wants It To See The Light Of Day

Critically-acclaimed when it was first shown, Simon Dinnerstein's painting The Fulbright Triptych has been in storage for 25 of its 41 years — and Dinnerstein is working to change that.

A Painting Stored Away And The Artist Who Wants It To See The Light Of Day

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No Kitten Around: Museum Exhibit Celebrates 'Divine Felines'

Stone bust of the goddess Sakhmet. Brooklyn Museum/Gift of Dr. and Mrs. W. Benson Harer, Jr. hide caption

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Brooklyn Museum/Gift of Dr. and Mrs. W. Benson Harer, Jr.

No Kitten Around: Museum Exhibit Celebrates 'Divine Felines'

Ever feel fearful? Or brave? Protective? Aggressive? The ancient Egyptians had a cat for that! Ancient Egypt was full of animal deities, but cats reigned supreme, celebrated in sculptures and stories.

No Kitten Around: Museum Exhibit Celebrates 'Divine Felines'

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Thursday

Wednesday

'I Came, I Saw, I Selfied': How Instagram Transformed The Way We Experience Art

A woman photographs inside the "Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity" room during a preview of the Yayoi Kusama's "Infinity Mirrors" exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum on Feb. 21, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Here & Now Compass

'I Came, I Saw, I Selfied': How Instagram Transformed The Way We Experience Art

Immersive exhibits, such as "Infinity Mirrors" and Artechouse, are driving people to museums in search of the perfect snapshot. The craze is changing the way we experience art in the Instagram-era.

Wednesday

At Design Miami, The Future Isn't So Bright

'Isolation Sphere' by Maurice Claude Vidili at Maison Gerard Courtesy of Maison Gerard hide caption

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Courtesy of Maison Gerard

At Design Miami, The Future Isn't So Bright

The Florida fair is an alternative to the expensive contemporary art market: collectible design, which includes everyday items that speak to a shift away from seeing the future as bright and polished.

At Design Miami, The Future Isn't So Bright

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Wednesday

Painting Stolen By The Nazis Is Returned To Poland

A museum worker carries a 19th century painting by Polish artist Robert Sliwinski during a ceremony Wednesday in Warsaw, Poland. The work was looted by the Nazis during World War II and recently recovered in the U.S. by the FBI. Alik Keplicz/AP hide caption

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Alik Keplicz/AP

The Two-Way

Painting Stolen By The Nazis Is Returned To Poland

The FBI got a tip from the Polish government and recovered the painting in a town near Philadelphia. Representatives from the U.S. and Polish governments unveiled it in Warsaw.

Sunday

Their Doodles Entertain, But Google Hopes They Spark Important Conversations, Too

A Google doodle from earlier this year commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Silent Parade, during which almost 10,000 African-Americans marched in New York City to protest violence against African-Americans. Google hide caption

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Google

All Tech Considered

Their Doodles Entertain, But Google Hopes They Spark Important Conversations, Too

Google doodles have been surprising and oftentimes delighting users for almost 20 years, but the tech giant wants them to do more than just make us smile. Google hopes they help teach us, too.

Thursday

When Making Books Was As Much Of An Art As Writing Them

Gray Zeitz at his 1915 Chandler & Price printing press. Noah Adams/NPR hide caption

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Noah Adams/NPR

Book News & Features

When Making Books Was As Much Of An Art As Writing Them

The Larkspur Press in Kentucky is two years behind schedule, with no plans to catch up. Printer Gray Zeitz sets each letter of the book by hand and then prints on a press from the early 1900s.

When Making Books Was As Much Of An Art As Writing Them

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Sunday

Saturday

Azzedine Alaia, French Fashion Designer Known As The 'King Of Cling,' Dies

Franco-Tunisian fashion designer Azzedine Alaia poses during an exposition of Britain's artist Richard Wentworth photographic work on fashion design on Sept. 7, 2017 at the Maison Alaia in Paris. Francios Guillot/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Francios Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Azzedine Alaia, French Fashion Designer Known As The 'King Of Cling,' Dies

The Tunisian-born designer was known for his body-hugging designs that were sculpted to celebrate the female form. In the 1980s, stars such as Madonna and Naomi Campbell popularized his fashions.

Friday