News & Topics

Vincent Van Gogh’s 1888 masterpiece The Night Cafe is one of the most famous paintings in the world. And now it’s in the middle of a sticky lawsuit that could send shockwaves throughout the entire world of art.   The problem dates back to 1918, when the communist government nationalized personal property–including the Van Gogh in question–in the USSR. Years ... Read More »

While we’re not always fans of compilation albums, sometimes a single record can capture an entire movement in music history. This weekend we went back into the vaults and rediscovered ‘Rock at the Edge‘, the 1977 comp that features a who’s-who of New York protopunk pioneers, including Blank Generation all-stars Richard Hell, Patti Smith, Lou Reed and Debbie Harry. Pop ... Read More »

Think fast: On on-location shoots, what do movie people call the special trailer that houses the bathrooms?   Read More »

  It’s been a museum and a murder scene, a palace and a private home, but today, the Mauritshuis (Korte Vijverberg 8, The Hague, Netherlands) is home to one of Europe’s premier art collections. There you’ll find the so-called “Mona Lisa of the North,” Johannes Vermeer’s famed portrait, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, and the rest of the royal ... Read More »

Seventy-five years ago today, the world of music was forever changed when Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Now you can honor his legacy with a king-sized celebration at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. All weekend long the seriously OTT museum is hosting special tours and talks in addition to their usual Elvis-centric fare. The mansion is a U.S. ... Read More »

Let’s get real…the hassles of planning a trip can almost take the fun out of travel. Well not anymore, thanks to gliider, a new service which promises to help “plan funner trips.”   The brainchild of a veteran travel writer, gliider is a new tool to help gather and store online travel info. And if you need inspiration, gliider also ... Read More »

  For pianist Kirill Gerstein it was the surprise of a lifetime — and a good one. The Russian-born musician thought he was headed to an interview, but the “interviewer” had some news for Gerstein: He had just won the $300,000 Gilmore Artist Award, an elite grant given every four years. Kirill is the sixth musicians to join the prestigious ... Read More »

Painter Francisco Goya is Spain’s national treasure — in fact, even the nation’s version of the Oscars are named after him. For most of his life, the artist was a painter to the royal court, but in his old age, he left Spain, disillusioned with the political situation, and settled in France. It was there that he painted what some ... Read More »