Arts & Culture
Here we cover the latest and most uplifting exhibitions, creative movements, and imaginative design to keep you inspired throughout your day.
InkWell offers workshops for aspiring writers dealing with mental health
Canadian writer Kathy Friedman had been writing creatively ever since she could remember, and she also had a long history of mental health issues. She never thought to put the two together until she attended an event called “Art in Madness” in 2013, which explored the connection between Read More...
UC Santa Barbara professors win MacArthur endowment for racial justice project
Following a mass shooting at UC Santa Barbara in 2014, the campus began looking for new ways to rebuild community and trust. Professor Jeffrey Stewart decided to use his experience with the history of jazz to create a safe space for community growth. Partnering with Professor Victor Rios, the pair Read More...
Michelin showers stars on several plant-based restaurants this year
In January of this year, a Michelin star was awarded to a fully vegan restaurant for the first time in fine-dining history. The restaurant, called ONA, is run by Claire Vallee, who opened her doors in 2016. We wrote about Vallee’s impressive rise to the top despite being denied bank loans due to Read More...
Meet Pattie Gonia, the environmentalist drag queen fighting for inclusivity
The climate movement could use all the help it can get, and environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia is determined to make sure it can by pushing for it to be more inclusive. Pattie uses her Instagram account, which has more than 300,000 followers, to challenge what a conventional climate Read More...
Baltimore Museum of Art invites its security guards to curate new exhibition
As part of the Baltimore Museum of Art’s (BMA) ongoing efforts to highlight diverse voices, its newest guest exhibition directors are not the usual professionally trained and intellectually filtered curators, but 17 of the museum’s security officers. The exhibition, called “Guarding the Read More...
“Mount Recyclemore” brings attention to the dangerous issue of e-waste
The leaders of the world’s leading democracies who attended the G7 Summit in Cornwall last month were welcomed by a statement art installation called “Mount Recyclemore.” The piece featured the likeness of each of the seven world leaders in attendance, all made from discarded electronics. To Read More...
UK painter uses her talent to support wildlife conservation
UK-based painter Sophie Green combines her artistic talent and passion for wildlife conservation to raise awareness of the splendor and vulnerability of endangered animals. She paints photorealistic portraits with empty backdrops to capture the essence of giraffes, bison, elephants, and other Read More...
The Optimist View: Down to EarthーStorytelling as a solutions journalism medium
“Long-term survival on this planet for us and for all generations after us is a pretty good idea. Remember, the earth will probably always be here. We just may not be able to live on it for too long.” - Zac Efron BY Amelia Buckley and Arielle Tiango Little was known about the world of Read More...
This artist uses an ice cream van to talk about grief and mental health
Grief is often thought of as something that people handle privately, but this period of collective loss is changing how we mourn. Artist Annie Nicholson (who goes by The Fandangoe Kid) also believes in shattering the taboo around loss, trauma, and mental health. “Grief is a part of life and on Read More...
Ottawa apologizes for the racist treatment of all-Black military battalion
Over a century has passed since Canada’s only Black military unit, formed in Pictou, N.S. in 1916, was harshly denied the right to fight for their country in the First World War by the Canadian Expeditionary Force because of the color of their skin. Instead, they were deployed to France in Read More...