Arts & Culture | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/arts-culture/RSS feed for Arts & CultureenThu, 10 Jul 2025 12:55:21 +0000How Superman Became a Character for the Ageshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-superman-became-a-character-for-the-ages-180986954/The superhero from Krypton has a forgotten superpower: the ability to connect to people across space and timeThu, 10 Jul 2025 12:55:21 +0000Here’s How Superman’s Iconic Motto of ‘Truth, Justice and the American Way’ Evolved Over Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/heres-how-supermans-iconic-motto-of-truth-justice-and-the-american-way-evolved-over-time-180986927/The quintessential superhero has always stood for truth and justice, but the final part of his catchphrase has morphed to match a more connected world—and his place in itThu, 03 Jul 2025 18:00:36 +0000See a Stunning Photo of New York City From Above in 1932https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/see-stunning-photo-new-york-city-above-1932-180986810/In her dazzling portraits of a metropolis on the rise, Berenice Abbott captured the city that never sleepsWed, 02 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000A New Biography Offers the Most Intimate Portrait Yet of One of the 20th Century's Greatest Authorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/new-biography-offers-most-intimate-portrait-yet-20th-century-greatest-authors-180986815/Research into James Baldwin's archives reveals incisive details about the writer's personal relationships, both platonic and romantic, with other menWed, 02 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000Why the Ancient Craft of Dry Stone Walling Still Holds So Much Appeal in the 21st Centuryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/ancient-craft-dry-stone-walling-still-holds-appeal-21st-century-180986807/Artisans around the world are ditching the mortar and embracing an old method of building rock wallsTue, 01 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000Why You Should Love Durian, the World's Smelliest Fruithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-you-should-love-durian-the-worlds-smelliest-fruit-180986874/The southeast Asian crop is a complex and layered one-of-a-kind fruit that consumes the lives of the devotedMon, 30 Jun 2025 13:03:03 +0000The Colorful History of Tarot Is as Mesmerizing as the Decks Themselveshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/colorful-history-tarot-mesmerizing-decks-themseles-180986811/The original meaning behind the cards, first created 500 years ago, still remains elusive. But that didn't stop our reporter from traveling to Milan in an effort to find outMon, 30 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000A Bold Finnish Artist Brought These Precious Little Hippopotamus-Like Trolls to the World 80 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-bold-finnish-artist-brought-these-precious-little-trolls-to-the-world-80-years-ago-180986897/Tove Jansson was a trailblazing illustrator and author—and the inventor of the beloved Moomins, the central characters of her whimsical children's booksFri, 27 Jun 2025 19:00:51 +0000How the Beloved 'Peanuts' Found Its Way to Define the Modern Comic Striphttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/beloved-peanuts-found-way-define-modern-comic-strip-180986809/With poignant wisdom and gentle wit, Charles M. Schulz reinvented the form and introduced the nation to Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and so many more indelible charactersThu, 26 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000A Search for the World's Best Durian, the Divisive Fruit That's Prized—and Reviledhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/search-worlds-best-durian-where-divisive-fruit-prized-reviled-180986806/Devotees of the crop journey to a Malaysian island to find the most fragrant and tasty specimensThu, 26 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0000These 15 Dynamic Photos Will Make You Want to Dancehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/these-15-dynamic-photos-will-make-you-want-to-dance-180986771/Get footloose with these Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest dance scenesFri, 13 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000Meet Martha Swope, the Legendary Broadway Photographer Who Captured Iconic Moments From Hundreds of Productions and Rehearsalshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/meet-martha-swope-the-legendary-broadway-photographer-who-captured-iconic-moments-from-hundreds-of-productions-and-rehearsals-180986773/She spent nearly 40 years taking theater and dance pictures, providing glimpses behind the scenes and creating images that the public couldn’t otherwise accessWed, 11 Jun 2025 17:25:00 +0000