https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/arts-culture/RSS feed for Arts & CultureenFri, 26 Jun 2026 12:01:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/youll-be-more-than-just-amused-by-these-15-photos-of-theme-parks-their-electrifying-attractions-will-have-your-heart-racing-before-you-even-set-foot-on-a-ride-180989008/These images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest remind us that amusement parks have entertained generations of thrill-seekersFri, 26 Jun 2026 12:01:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/youll-be-more-than-just-amused-by-these-15-photos-of-theme-parks-their-electrifying-attractions-will-have-your-heart-racing-before-you-even-set-foot-on-a-ride-180989008/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/who-were-the-couples-that-posed-for-david-hockneys-famed-double-portraits-180988970/One of his subjects was a cousin I never knew. I wanted to learn more about the large-scale portraits that helped define the English artist's legacyWed, 17 Jun 2026 18:51:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/who-were-the-couples-that-posed-for-david-hockneys-famed-double-portraits-180988970/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/five-advances-that-helped-turn-night-out-movies-into-all-enveloping-experience-it-has-become-180988820/The power of film is often in its ability to feel larger than life. Movie makers have been developing ways to accentuate that aspect for more than a centuryWed, 17 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/five-advances-that-helped-turn-night-out-movies-into-all-enveloping-experience-it-has-become-180988820/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/every-generation-teenagers-redefines-pop-culture-through-favorite-music-fads-movies-trends-180988821/When new government policies allowed kids more time to grown up, the teenager was born. And every decade or so, they’ve changed the ways they entertain themselves … and everyone elseWed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/every-generation-teenagers-redefines-pop-culture-through-favorite-music-fads-movies-trends-180988821/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-astounding-true-story-of-americas-comic-book-creators-from-the-yellow-kid-to-superman-to-webcomics-180988883/A groundbreaking cartoonist paired images with a running narrative in 1896 to create the first comic strip. They've mutated into books, blockbuster movies and Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novelsTue, 16 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-astounding-true-story-of-americas-comic-book-creators-from-the-yellow-kid-to-superman-to-webcomics-180988883/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/queen-soap-operas-started-off-telling-stories-about-drama-missing-own-life-180988817/Irna Phillips was a radio voice actor in Chicago when she was asked to create a serialized program. From that, she created a legacy that includes ‘Guiding Light’ and ‘As the World Turns’Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/queen-soap-operas-started-off-telling-stories-about-drama-missing-own-life-180988817/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/they-were-just-having-back-school-party-apartment-rec-room-little-did-know-creating-hip-hip-180988814/The music genre that became a global sensation started with some creative teens just getting together and riffing rhymes to DJ Kool Herc’s curated beatsMon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/they-were-just-having-back-school-party-apartment-rec-room-little-did-know-creating-hip-hip-180988814/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/no-american-regional-cuisine-until-one-virginia-housewife-thought-compile-diverse-collection-recipes-180988811/Mary Randolph, an in-law of the Jefferson family who was influenced by enslaved cooks and traditions of European immigrants, didn’t change Southern cooking with her 1824 cookbook … she originated itFri, 12 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/no-american-regional-cuisine-until-one-virginia-housewife-thought-compile-diverse-collection-recipes-180988811/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-rare-recording-of-harpo-marx-speaking-publicly-was-mislabeled-in-an-archive-for-decades-now-you-can-listen-to-the-silent-comedy-star-yourself-180988929/The comedian of the stage and big screen thrilled millions of Americans without ever speaking a word, leaving many to wonder what his voice sounded likeWed, 10 Jun 2026 16:16:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-rare-recording-of-harpo-marx-speaking-publicly-was-mislabeled-in-an-archive-for-decades-now-you-can-listen-to-the-silent-comedy-star-yourself-180988929/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/alan-lomax-spent-years-traveling-country-record-sounds-america-legacy-obsession-live-forever-180988858/By letting Muddy Waters hear himself for the first time, he unlocked a new confidence that set the sharecropper on the path to superstardom. And that’s just the start of what he found in churches, prisons and even lumberjack campsWed, 10 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/alan-lomax-spent-years-traveling-country-record-sounds-america-legacy-obsession-live-forever-180988858/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/georgia-okeefe-ignored-advice-mimic-great-european-masters-goal-instead-be-great-american-painter-180988804/The genius of her work was in painting things as she saw them through her own eyes. So when she surrounded herself with beauty, her work reflected itThu, 04 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/georgia-okeefe-ignored-advice-mimic-great-european-masters-goal-instead-be-great-american-painter-180988804/