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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

Tuesday

You Gonna Finish That? What We Can Learn From Artworks In Progress

Anton Raphael Mengs left some key details out of his Portrait of Mariana de Silva y Sarmiento, duquesa de Huescar, 1775. Courtesy of The Met Breuer Museum hide caption

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Courtesy of The Met Breuer Museum

Fine Art

You Gonna Finish That? What We Can Learn From Artworks In Progress

Nearly 200 great works of unfinished art are now on display at The Met Breuer Museum in Manhattan. Spanning six centuries, the works offer a glimpse into the creative process — from Titian to Warhol.

You Gonna Finish That? What We Can Learn From Artworks In Progress

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Thursday

O'Keeffe Museum Acquires Rarely Seen Work By The Famed Artist

Georgia O'Keeffe's 1926 painting The Barns, Lake George, which has been privately owned and rarely displayed, now joins the collection of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. © Christie's Images Limited hide caption

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© Christie's Images Limited

The Two-Way

O'Keeffe Museum Acquires Rarely Seen Work By The Famed Artist

An atmospheric image of barns in Lake George, N.Y., is joining the collection at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, N.M. The painting reveals a lesser-known genre of the artist's work.

Monday

London Flower Show Hopes You Will Get Into The Garden, Too

A volunteer stands to the entrance of the 5000 Poppies Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, created by Australians Lynn Berry and Margaret Knight with designer Phillip Johnson. The project began as a small tribute to Berry and Knight's fathers, who fought in World War II. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

London Flower Show Hopes You Will Get Into The Garden, Too

Handmade poppies and take-home tips are hallmarks of this year's Chelsea Flower Show. The Royal Horticultural Society wants to use the show to promote the benefits of digging in the dirt.

Friday

Marc Kushner: How Do Buildings Make Us Feel?

Architect Mark Kushner on stage at TED in 2014. James Duncan Davidson/TED hide caption

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James Duncan Davidson/TED

TED Radio Hour

Marc Kushner: How Do Buildings Make Us Feel?

Architect Marc Kushner explains why architecture tends to swing drastically between traditional and experimental styles — and why the future of building design is going to be different.

Marc Kushner: How Do Buildings Make Us Feel?

Listen · 12:39
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Tony Fadell: How Can We Design For A Better Experience?

Tony Fadell speaking at TED2015. James Duncan Davidson/TED hide caption

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James Duncan Davidson/TED

TED Radio Hour

Tony Fadell: How Can We Design For A Better Experience?

The designer behind the iPod and the Nest thermostat explains why design is in the details, and why designers often get those details wrong.

Tony Fadell: How Can We Design For A Better Experience?

Listen · 12:29
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Janine Benyus: What Can Today's Designers Learn From Nature?

Janine Benyus at TEDGlobal in 2009. James Duncan Davidson/TED hide caption

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James Duncan Davidson/TED

TED Radio Hour

Janine Benyus: What Can Today's Designers Learn From Nature?

Science writer Janine Benyus believes innovators should look to nature when solving a design problem. She says the natural world is full of ideas for making things waterproof, solar-powered and more.

Janine Benyus: What Can Today's Designers Learn From Nature?

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Joe Gebbia: How Do You "Design" Trust Between Strangers?

Joe Gebbia speaking about designing for trust. Bret Hartman/TED hide caption

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Bret Hartman/TED

TED Radio Hour

Joe Gebbia: How Do You "Design" Trust Between Strangers?

When a stranger shows up at an AirBnB rental, what ensures that all goes well? Careful design of the website that brought them together, says Joe Gebbia, the co-founder of Airbnb.

Joe Gebbia: How Do You "Design" Trust Between Strangers?

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Alice Rawsthorn: Are The Best Designers Rebels?

Design critic Alice Rawsthorn speaking at TED in Vancouver. Bret Hartman/TED hide caption

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Bret Hartman/TED

TED Radio Hour

Alice Rawsthorn: Are The Best Designers Rebels?

Design critic Alice Rawsthorn explains why some of the greatest designers tend to be outsiders. She celebrates the innovations of unwitting designers like Florence Nightingale — and Blackbeard.

Alice Rawsthorn: Are The Best Designers Rebels?

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A Peek Into The CIA Art Gallery Reveals [REDACTED]

ARGO — The Rescue of the Canadian Six was painted by an undercover CIA employee. It depicts an operation in which six Americans ("The Canadian Six") were rescued after the U.S. embassy in Tehran was taken over in 1979. Courtesy of CIA hide caption

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Courtesy of CIA

Fine Art

A Peek Into The CIA Art Gallery Reveals [REDACTED]

There's a private art gallery at CIA headquarters — who knew? Museum director Toni Hiley says the agency has a young workforce, and the collection of art and artifacts helps them learn from the past.

A Peek Into The CIA Art Gallery Reveals [REDACTED]

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Tuesday

Too Much Technology Can Spoil Your Warhol Experience

Two people hold electronic devices while looking over a sculpture by George Segal with the Living Wall in the background at the newly expanded San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Eric Risberg/AP hide caption

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Eric Risberg/AP

All Tech Considered

Too Much Technology Can Spoil Your Warhol Experience

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has reopened after a three-year closure. Like a growing number of museums, it hopes new tech doesn't get in the way of looking at the art.

Too Much Technology Can Spoil Your Warhol Experience

Listen · 4:20
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Monday

Revamped San Francisco Museum Merges Modern Art With Interactive Tech

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art re-opened this weekend with groundbreaking interactive technology meant to enhance the experience of looking at art. But can there be too much tech in a museum?

Revamped San Francisco Museum Merges Modern Art With Interactive Tech

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Saturday

National

Student Art Project Gets Mighty High Appraisal

Antique dealer Alvin Barr was surprised when a piece of pottery he owned was appraised at as much as $50,000 on Antiques Roadshow. So too was the pot's creator, Betsy Soule.

Student Art Project Gets Mighty High Appraisal

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Mrs. Obama Saves The Cardigan: 'The Obama Effect' In Fashion

First Lady Michelle Obama wears her signature cardigan while dancing with performers from the television show So You Can Dance during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on April 6, 2015. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Code Switch

Mrs. Obama Saves The Cardigan: 'The Obama Effect' In Fashion

In fashion, most first ladies have worshiped at the altar of "The Suit." Michelle Obama transformed American fashion by favoring dresses, moderately-priced brands, and simple basics like the cardigan.

Mrs. Obama Saves The Cardigan: 'The Obama Effect' In Fashion

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Friday