Category Arts & Culture

From artistic collaborations to creative problem solving, the arts have the power to lift us up and transform our future. These stories celebrate art, creativity, and culture in all its forms.

Image: A player for the Savannah Bananas doing a backflip off of a barrel in front of a cheering crowd.

The Savannah Bananas Bring Fun and Excitement to America’s Favorite Pastime

Have you heard of the Savannah Bananas? This Georgia based team has hit a real home run with their mission: to make baseball fans first, and most of all, fun! Roasting s’mores during a game, going up to bat on stilts, and a dancing umpire are just the tip of the iceberg of antics that go on at these games. And they make this, as the Bananas like to call it, the greatest show in sports!

Image: child sitting in front of two crossword puzzles pretending to solve them

The Secrets Hidden in Your Sunday Crossword

There's a lot more to these puzzles than meets the eye. So what goes into making them? Why do we love them so much? And is there really any truth to the claims that completing a puzzle a day will ward off aging? Here's all you could want to know about the world of crosswords, with a bit of fun added in! (We promise, it's quite exciting!)

5 min read

Image: Natalya Kishchuk, a Hutsul weaver from Ukraine weaves a traditional blanket on a loom

Ukraine Family Uses Etsy to Keep Heirloom Weaving Tradition Alive

In the Carpathian mountains of Ukraine, the Kischuk family has taken to the internet to keep the centuries old tradition of weaving lizhnyk blankets alive. From sheep to final shipping, Natalya Kischuk and her husband Yaroslov, along with their children, use traditional methods handed down for generations to craft beautiful blankets, rugs, and clothing that are now enjoyed by people around the globe.

Do As The Aussies Do, Lose the Shoes!

What’s the deal with Australians being barefoot all the time? Dip your toes into the history behind a cultural tradition that began just after WWII and remains prevalent to this day. You may just walk away feeling relaxed, with a newfound appreciation for your own feet!

Image: girl jumping rope double dutch style

How the Jump Rope Became an Elite Sport and a Symbol of Community

Double dutch may be one of the most underrated sports out there. These young athletes combine football star levels of footwork with the flexibility of gymnasts and the speed of sprinters. Better yet, they are a part of a community built to give them the support and love they need. Now this is inspiring!

5 min read

Symphony of Broken Instruments Raises Money for Philadelphia Music Programs

What do you do with a gymnasium full of broken instruments? Play them! Check out how this symphony of broken instruments repaired a community.

Image: loaves of artisan sourdough bread

The Bread as Unique as the Place You Make It

There is a revival happening. And it's coming in the form of something we all love: bread! Sourdough has been a connection to the bread ovens of our ancestors for more than 5000 years, and now you can travel the kitchens of the world from a unique library in Belgium!

Image: A girl smelling a rose with deep satisfaction

Walk Through the City You Didn’t Know You Were Smelling Everyday!

Perfume has influenced our lives for more than 4000 years! But did you know many of the perfumes we know best today have their origins in the fields and flowers of one city in France? Let's travel to this city behind some of the most iconic smells in history to learn how perfume has shaped our cultures.

5 min read

Image: Japan's "Do-Nothing Guy" walking through Tokyo

Tokyo’s “Do-Nothing Guy” Shows Us the Power In Being Present for Others

Would you rent a guy to do absolutely nothing? In a society where productivity is praised, can someone make a living by just being around? Today we’re introducing Shoji Morimoto, Tokyo’s “Do-Nothing Guy”, who gets paid to simply show up. He’s enriching the lives of others without hardly saying a word, and his approach to making a career out of his seemingly useless talent is brilliant. Here’s why.

5 min read

Image: A young girl helping a young boy get up off the ground in the woods. Representative of the public's gravitation towards movies like Casablanca, where people end up selflessly helping each other.

Here’s Looking at You Kid! A Lesson from Casablanca

Oftentimes, the most compelling and transcendent media are those in which characters act in other-centered manners, overcoming their petty personal concerns for the sake of someone else or a greater cause. Take Casablanca, for example. One of the most well known films of all time does just this...

How Cecilia Chiang Changed Food in America

If you’ve ever enjoyed Chinese food in the United States, like potstickers and Peking duck, then we’d like to introduce you to Cecilia Chiang. She's the "Julia Child" of Chinese cuisine, and the story of how she changed the way Americans eat is as remarkable as her influence!

Image: Students in a classroom learning from their teacher. 1 in 7 of these students experience food insecurity, and their primary source of food is the school cafeteria.

Heroes of the Cafeteria, Keeping 9 Million Children from Going Hungry

School cafeterias are some of the busiest kitchens in America, and when 1 in 7 kids relies on school meals as their major source of nutrition, the job of cafeteria worker becomes even more important! It’s time we take a minute to thank those cafeteria workers and to get a glimpse into their world.

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