Photographs That Depict Dementia With Dignity

In photographer Alicia Vera’s portrait of her mother, Concepcion, she gazes skyward, her expression somewhere between curious and awestruck. The image has enough stylistic mottling and grain to obscure any sort of background, but Concepcion is clear: broad cheekbones,...

The Artist Freeing Museums’ Captive Instruments

Satch Hoyt (undated) (photo by and courtesy Gabriel Schimmeroth) HAMBURG, Germany — “Ok, stop the cameras,” the head conservator commanded from the belly of the storage department. “I want to hear what these instruments sound like without Satch wearing the...

An Ancient Roman Guide to Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook 

Authoritarianism is on the rise across the globe, including in the United States. In April 2025, NPR reported that in a survey of over 500 political scientists, the majority believed that the United States was moving from a liberal democracy toward authoritarianism....

Skawennati’s Cyberpunk Future Is Now

OTTAWA — I first encountered multidisciplinary artist Skawennati in person at her December 2019 talk at the former McLuhan Centre for Communication and Technology in Toronto. I recall that the artist wore Barbie-doll pink; I later learned that she is a Barbie...

The Indigenous Artist Making Dazzling Labubu Regalia

One of the greatest pleasures of owning a Labubu, the massively popular and elusively obtainable line of toy monsters designed by Kasing Lung and sold by Pop Mart, is customizing it. Labubus have been adorned with gel tips, dressed in Prada, and topped with the Puerto...

When Chinese Astrology Becomes Portraiture

Portraiture has always been a slightly misleading art form. A good portrait gives the viewer the sense that they can peer into the essence of the sitter. It’s a glimpse, a passing moment in a person’s life. But to know someone more fully, we have to...

Dispatches From the Ever-Evolving Santa Fe Indian Market

SANTA FE — Every third weekend in August, New Mexico’s capital becomes a hub of Indigenous creativity for the Santa Fe Indian Market, hosted by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA). This year, the air felt charged as lightning propelled down from...

This Is Not the Real Geronimo

Elbridge Ayer Burbank, “Geronimo” (1897), oil on canvas (image no copyright – United States, via the Newberry Library) Editor’s Note: The following text has been excerpted with permission and adapted from Speculative Relations: Indigenous...

How Is Art Selected for New York City’s Airports?

Earlier this week, a group of New York City’s cultural institutions announced the latest initiative to beautify John F. Kennedy International Airport’s new Terminal 6. The plan includes a permanent installation by singer and artist Yoko Ono inspired by her...