Passions and hobbies come in all shapes and sizes, including toilet seats. Barney Smith decorated and customized toilet seats for over 50 years, passing away at 98 years old in 2019. His life’s work is currently on display at the Truck Yard beer garden in Houston, Texas, carefully relocated from his garage in San Antonio, Texas.
In addition to its devastating health effects, COVID-19 has resulted in an increase in domestic violence cases. It is a horrendous story that is, sadly, only part of an ever-growing realization—a “shadow pandemic,” as the United Nations has claimed. A veritable scourge against women around the world. Along with the help of some friends (new and old) from Mexico and the U.S., one woman has channeled her frustration regarding this alarming trend into a unique therapeutic artform. The results have resonated far and wide.
The Boston Typewriter Orchestra began with a revelation that any inanimate object makes a suitable musical instrument. Taking the world (and YouTube) by storm, this charmingly funny, yet sarcastically serious group of musical typists is ready for anything. Ditching traditional instruments in favor of typewriters from yesteryear, The Boston Typewriter Orchestra is finding well-deserved success as fans everywhere marvel at their talent.
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1983, Lauren Rinaldi stands in a class of her own among contemporary, empowered female artists. Representative – an exclusive exhibition hosted by Paradigm Gallery + Studio® in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – personifies Rinaldi’s figurative style and the sociopolitical tumult of 21st-century America.
2020 has ushered in a renewed uprising against systemic racism, social injustice, and excessive police force. As the “Black Lives Matter” movement gains momentum all over the United States and abroad, Portland has taken center stage for its unwavering stand for change. Don’t Shoot Portland, a nonprofit civil rights agency, is collaborating with Portland-based HOLDING Contemporary on its second exhibit in a series designed to shine a light on injustice.
The city of Amarillo sits squarely in the wide, open spaces of the Texas panhandle. Aptly known as the “Yellow Rose of Texas,” Amarillo boasts plenty of cattle ranches, beautiful scenery, and world-famous museums. One of its lesser-known attractions, however, has long drawn attention from locals and tourists alike. Although christened the “Dynamite Museum,” the project isn’t a museum at all; instead, it’s a vast urban art installation of nearly three thousand distinct road signs.
When you think of watching movies under the stars, your mind may immediately cut to images of the age-old American pastime of the drive-in theaters, which have since witnessed their own type of renaissance and resurgence in popularity. The romance, the entertainment, the personal touch—all of these elements are brought to the forefront when indulging in alfresco cinema. But is there a way to take this quintessentially American experience and make it… better? A dedicated crew of French culture enthusiasts seems to think so.
For any artist, the ability to create a message and showcase a work for the world to see is the ultimate goal. But what if your finished work ends up displayed somewhere completely out of sight—like, at the bottom of the ocean? One artist has made a career of this method, putting his hyper-realistic sculpting work to use in a meaningful way by showcasing it in a location where few are likely to see it—because that’s the point.
Over the years, the advancements made in crime scene studies have helped capture countless criminals and brought justice to an even greater number of victims and their families. Frances Glessner Lee, a curator of dollhouse-sized crime scene dioramas, is perhaps one of the least likely candidates to serve this role. At first glance, that is.
In Cincinnati’s Hyde Park neighborhood lies a building that looks like it came right out of a children’s storybook. This is Ohio’s very own Mushroom House, also known as the TreeHouse.
