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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

Empire State Building Goes Green — For Good?
Photos Courtesy of the Empire State Building

Empire State Building Goes Green — For Good?

A $550 million renovation on the Manhattan landmark might seem like a lot of work — and a lot of money. In the name of long-run environmental efficiency, it may actually be easier being green.

Empire State Building Goes Green — For Good?

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Friday

Contemporary Iranian Art Takes Off In L.A.

Shervin Shahbazi is an L.A.-based art curator who has two exhibits featuring contemporary Iranian artists. "From the Streets of Iran" showcases the work of graffiti artists in Tehran, and "Traces of Being" features the work of Iranian artists living in the U.S. The art in both exhibits responds to the current political climate in the country.

Contemporary Iranian Art Takes Off In L.A.

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Tuesday

Sunday

Saturday

Books

Science Was A Muse To Inspire Romantic Art

John Keats' famous 1816 sonnet "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" celebrated the recent discovery of Uranus — the first new planet to be found in more than a thousand years. In fact, says author Richard Holmes, the scientific discoveries of the Romantic age inspired generations of great artists and their work.

Science Was A Muse To Inspire Romantic Art

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Tuesday

Illustrator Keeps Artistic Vision Despite Eye Injury

After nearly four decades of illustrating plants for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Alice Tangerini is still trying to perfect the art. But an eye injury has made her job more difficult, so she's had to make accommodations such as wearing an eye patch to allow her to focus better and using a computer to draw.

Illustrator Keeps Artistic Vision Despite Eye Injury

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Thursday

Walking Through History At Zion National Park

A hiker takes in a view of rock formations at Utah's Zion National Park that rise more than 3,000 feet above the canyon floor. Courtesy of Zion National Park hide caption

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Courtesy of Zion National Park

National

Walking Through History At Zion National Park

A tunnel, carved into a canyon wall, opened up Zion to visitors in the 1920s. An engineering marvel, it became nearly as much of an attraction as the park itself. As part of the park's centennial celebration, the tunnel was opened to nighttime explorers.

Walking Through History At Zion National Park

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Sunday

Friday

Culture

X-Ray Technology Rediscovers Lost Paintings

Van Gogh, N.C. Wyeth and other artists recycled canvases by painting over previous works. Today museum scientists are using new x-ray technology to uncover the outline of hidden paintings, and using chemistry to fill in the colors.

X-Ray Technology Rediscovers Lost Paintings

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Monday

First Family Fabrics: Batiks From Obama's Mother

Ann Dunham with her children, Maya and Barack. Courtesy Maya Soetoro-Ng hide caption

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Courtesy Maya Soetoro-Ng

Fine Art

First Family Fabrics: Batiks From Obama's Mother

Ann Dunham was an avid collector of intricately patterned, hand-dyed textiles when she lived in Indonesia in the 1960s. Fabrics from her collection are currently on display at the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C.

First Family Fabrics: Batiks From Obama's Mother

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Sunday

Culture

Do-It-Yourself Guru Makes Treasures From Trash

Crafty people often make useful things out of stuff normally headed for the trash heap, but rarely do their creations spell fame and financial success. Unless, of course, you're Tim Anderson, a rock star of the DIY crowd.

Do-It-Yourself Guru Makes Treasures From Trash

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Saturday

Developers Threaten To Boot Artist Squatters In Berlin
Eric Westervelt/NPR

World

Developers Threaten To Boot Artist Squatters In Berlin

Increasing gentrification in Berlin is putting the city's famous and raucous alternative art scene at risk. Artists who have squatted in a ramshackle building for nearly 20 years now face eviction by corporate owners who want to turn the site into high-end apartments.

Developers Threaten To Boot Artist Squatters In Berlin

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Friday

'Ponyo,' Swimming Magically Against The Tide

Up Where They Walk, Up Where They Run: Ponyo, a goldfish turned little girl, gets her chance to live where the people are in a sweet-natured film by Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki. Nibariki-GNDHDDT hide caption

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Nibariki-GNDHDDT

Review

Movies

'Ponyo,' Swimming Magically Against The Tide

A goldfish gets her chance to live above sea level in a sweet-natured film by visionary Hayao Miyazaki. Kenneth Turan says its mixture of fantasy, adventure and affection make Ponyo unforgettable.

'Ponyo,' Swimming Magically Against The Tide

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Monday

Italy Cracks Down On Raiders Of Lost Art
Mary Altaffer/AP

World

Italy Cracks Down On Raiders Of Lost Art

The gripping tale of the theft and ultimate return of a magnificent ancient Greek vase has helped to cripple the illicit international art trade. A new book traces the looted vase's journey from Italy to America and back again through the labyrinthine world of smugglers and shady dealers.

Italy Cracks Down On Raiders Of Lost Art

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Wednesday

The Guggenheim At 50: A Legacy Spirals On Fifth

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, The Guggenheim Museum, celebrates 50 years on Fifth Avenue and it's acceptance into architectural society. George Heyer/Getty Images hide caption

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George Heyer/Getty Images

Architecture

The Guggenheim At 50: A Legacy Spirals On Fifth

A half-century ago, an eye-popping object landed on Fifth Avenue in New York City. It looked like it had dropped from outer space, and was treated as such. It was the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and today, tourists come from around the world to marvel at it.

The Guggenheim At 50: A Legacy Spirals On Fifth

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