The Love Letter, Johannes Vermeer, circa 1669-70

See Three Breathtaking Vermeer Paintings That Capture the Lost Art of Letter Writing

A trio of the 17th-century Dutch painter’s works featuring women writing and receiving letters is on display at the recently reopened Frick Collection

Walter De Maria's The New York Earth Room, which opened in 1977

New York City Loft Filled With 280,000 Pounds of Dirt Lives on After Death of Beloved Caretaker

Bill Dilworth, who died at age 70, had carefully maintained the curious art installation—known as “The New York City Earth Room”—and charmed visitors since 1989

"Mysteries From the Deep: Exploring Underwater Archaeology" features interactive experiences, 3D models and excavated artifacts.

How Underwater Archaeology Brings Secrets to the Surface, From Lost Shipwrecks to Submerged Cities

An immersive new exhibition at the Intrepid Museum in New York City spotlights the science and technology behind the discipline

One of the Central Park coyotes trots by with the New York City skyline as a backdrop.

In a Milestone for Manhattan, a Pair of Coyotes Has Made Central Park Their Home

For six years, two photographers have carefully followed the canines and documented their secret lives

Tove Jansson with Moomin dolls

A Bold Finnish Artist Brought These Precious Little Hippopotamus-Like Trolls to the World 80 Years Ago

Tove Jansson was a trailblazing illustrator and author—and the inventor of the beloved Moomins, the central characters of her whimsical children’s books

Box in a Valise (From or by Marcel Duchamp or Rrose Sélavy), Marcel Duchamp, 1935-41

See How Marcel Duchamp Broke the Rules and Shocked the Art World Again and Again

The subversive French artist is receiving his first retrospective in the United States in more than 50 years. Decades after his death, his work is still influencing contemporary art

Pages from Eve Adams' Polish passport

LGBTQ+ Pride

America Deported Her for Publishing a Book Titled ‘Lesbian Love.’ Years Later, She Was Murdered by the Nazis for Being Jewish

Eve Adams, an immigrant and the proprietor of a 1920s lesbian tearoom, was imprisoned for disorderly conduct and obscenity, then sent back to Europe, where she became a target of the Holocaust

More than 450 of Arbus' pictures are on view in the Park Avenue Armory, a former National Guard hall.

Diane Arbus’ Largest-Ever Retrospective Features Photographs of Society’s Celebrated and Marginalized Figures

With 454 images arranged with as little order as possible, viewers are encouraged to wander and make their own observations—much like Arbus did on the streets of New York

A 19th-century miniature portrait of Jane Austen by an anonymous artist

See Inside Jane Austen’s Lively Literary Mind Through Letters, Line Edits and Locks of Hair

To celebrate the author’s 250th birthday, a new exhibition at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City features original manuscripts, financial records and correspondence with family and friends

Ma’amoul is a traditional Middle Eastern cookie often enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays, made by combining semolina flour with butter and milk, forming it into a dough, and filling it with nuts or dates.

The History of Ma’amoul, a Middle Eastern Cookie That Is a ‘Love Letter’ to Our Ancestors

Stuffed with nuts or dates, the shortbread cookie is enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays

Tony Schwartz recording audio outdoors

When Midcentury New York Spoke, This Sound Archivist Listened—and Recorded Every Word

Armed with a tape recorder and open ears, Tony Schwartz turned everyday noise into lasting art. Now, his recordings live on at Smithsonian Folkways, where they continue to inspire new ways of listening to, remembering and understanding the world

Seltzer is the little black dress of drinks—suitable for any occasion.

The Effervescent History of Seltzer, From the Early Days of Home Delivery to Today’s Trendy Cans

A century before LaCroix or Spindrift were refrigerator staples, factories in New York City were carbonating gallons and gallons of tap water each day

Photographer Martha Swope sitting on a floor covered with prints of her photos in 1987

Meet Martha Swope, the Legendary Broadway Photographer Who Captured Iconic Moments From Hundreds of Productions and Rehearsals

She spent nearly 40 years taking theater and dance pictures, providing glimpses behind the scenes and creating images that the public couldn’t otherwise access

This image, taken by an unknown photographer in 1905, is an example of a cyanotype.

Study the Secrets of Early American Photography at This New Exhibition

“The New Art: American Photography, 1839-1910” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will feature more than 250 photographs

Mary Abbott in her Southampton, New York, studio, circa 1951

Women Who Shaped History

Mary Abbott Worked Alongside Abstract Expressionists Like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. Now, She’s Finally Getting Her Due

Abbott was an integral part of New York City’s mid-century avant-garde art scene, but her better-known male colleagues have long dominated the movement’s legacy

A replica of Benjamin West's Reception of the American Loyalists by Great Britain in the Year 1783 appears in the background of this 1812 portrait of English judge John Eardley Wilmot.

America's 250th Anniversary

Meet the Defiant Loyalists Who Paid Dearly for Choosing the Wrong Side in the American Revolution

American colonists who aligned with the British lost their lands, their reputations and sometimes even their lives

Portrait of Rashid Johnson, New York, 2025 

This Renowned Artist Brings Plants, Shea Butter and Black Soap Into His Groundbreaking Work

In Rashid Johnson’s largest show of art yet, the power of mixed media is on full display

Irises on Yellow Columns, Graphic Rewilding

See Soaring Sunflowers and Radiant Roses That Bring Vincent van Gogh’s Paintings to Life

Featuring 18,000 plants and works by three contemporary artists, a new exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden celebrates the Dutch painter’s love of nature

 The Chrysler building was completed in 1930.

The Chrysler Building Has Towered Above New York City for Nearly a Century. Now, the Art Deco Skyscraper Is for Sale

When it was completed in 1930, the 1,046-foot building was briefly the tallest in the world. In recent years, it’s fallen into disrepair

And When We Die It Will Feel Like This (2023), one of Wright's photographs on display at the exhibition

Photographer Who Scales Buildings to Get the Perfect Shot Arrested at Opening Night of His First Solo Exhibition

Isaac Wright was detained for climbing the Empire State Building’s spire in 2024. The photo he took during the climb was on display at the show in New York City

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