An Astonishing, Rarely Seen Islamic Art Collection Goes on Display
At the oldest public art museum in the United States, miniatures, glassware and other intricately created...
A Curious Industry Once Gave Anyone With a Song in Their Heart a (Long) Shot at Stardom
How the dubious tradition of song-sharking led to a strangely beautiful repository of folk art
How Fallingwater Gave Frank Lloyd Wright a Second Wind
The architectural wonder re-established the designer as a titan of his generation and shifted the public's...
Celebrate Day of the Dead With These 15 Scenes of Festivities and Remembrance
These images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show how communities in Mexico and beyond mark...
How the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Went From Its Modest Start to an American Tradition Rivaling Stuffing and Pumpkin Pie
A century on, the country’s most beloved Thursday spectacle reaches new heights
This Savvy Librarian Was the True Force Behind New York’s Iconic Morgan Library
It fell to Belle da Costa Greene, a Black woman whose racial identity was kept secret...
Meet the Italian 'Fruit Detective' Who Investigates Centuries-Old Paintings for Clues About Produce That Has Disappeared From the Kitchen Table
Renaissance paintings, medieval archives, cloistered orchards—how one Italian scientist is uncovering secrets that could help combat...
Why the World's First Pet Cemetery Was Revolutionary
A new book charts the history of pet cemeteries and honors the universal experience of grieving...
The Madcap History of Mad Magazine Will Unleash Your Inner Class Clown
In a twist befitting its pages, the satirical, anti-establishment publication that delivered laughs and hijinks to...
These Colorful Drawings Defy Expectations of Shaker Art
Colorful, intricate drawings on view at the American Folk Art Museum are anything but simple
The Stratocaster Became Rock Music’s Most Iconic Guitar 70 Years Ago
The plucky design behind the legendary instrument that forever changed the look of rock 'n' roll
Later in Life, Claude Monet Obsessed Over Water Lilies. His Paintings of Them Were Some of His Greatest Masterpieces
Completed more than a century ago, these artworks reveal the Impressionist's triumphs—and struggles
The Race to Save Mezcal From the World
Climate change, corporate money, soaring demand—can Mexico’s local agave growers find a viable path for a...
How Tyrus Wong Spent 106 Years Making the World More Beautiful
The Chinese American artist left a breathtaking legacy that ranged from fine art to Disney movies...
