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.
15 min read
How an Engineer Created a Band that Broke the Charts
Is what you're doing in life what you always thought you would be doing? Could you take what you know and create something new that could never have existed without you? Here's the story of an engineer turned rock star, whose story is one we can all relate to!
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16 min read
106-Year-Old Tattoo Artist in the Philippines Makes Local Artistry a Global Sensation
Apo Whang-Od has gained legendary status over the last few years, at 106 years old, she is one of the last practitioners of the Fillipino mambabatok artistry. Her fame has revived her art, and there's more than a thing or two we could learn from her!
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33 min read
Generations of Love Sewn into the Quilts of Gee’s Bend
In a tiny community tucked in a bend in the Alabama River, quilters are carrying on a tradition over a century old. In the past few decades, their quilts have moved from bedroom cupboards to the walls of museums across America! Here's their beautiful story.
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5 min read
Whales Have Viral Music, Too!
Did you know humpback whales have viral songs, too? Just like us, humpback whales love a catchy new tune. From Australia all the way to Ecuador, viral whale songs are taking over the ocean. This astonishing discovery is changing how we see whales and ourselves in the natural world.
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3 min read
Finding Music in the Mundane: Xavier Lozano Turns Everyday Objects into… Flutes?
Could that carrot be a flute? What about the wheel of your chair, or the hairbrush on your dresser? Xavier Lozano has been creating flutes out of everyday objects for close to 30 years, inspiring us all to think a little differently about how things appear at first glance.
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5 min read
How Mountain Biker & Artist Sarah Uhl Finds Inspiration in Motion
Artist, activist and adventurer, Sarah Uhl, aids us in discovering our environments in the name of finding our flow in life!
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5 min read
The White Horse: An Effort that Links 90 Generations!
This piece of art has been draped across an entire English hilltop for three thousand years. And we have an unbroken thread of ordinary people to thank for it being here today; they showed up unfailingly and sat patiently smashing it with hammers. Take a look!
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11 min read
Monsters You Must See: The Bulgarian Kukeri Dance Away Evil
Why are people in Bulgaria dressing up in elaborate fur costumes and dancing through the streets at night in the dead of winter? Join us as we explore the wild, strange, and awesome tradition of Kukeri, and learn what it means to gather for the greater good—whether you are superstitious or not!
Read MoreMonsters You Must See: The Bulgarian Kukeri Dance Away Evil
Zaria Forman’s Massive Glacier Portraits Inspire Love for Unseen Landscapes
This isn't a photograph of the Getz Ice Shelf, its a drawing! Zaria Forman creates large-scale depictions of glaciers, and NASA's Operation IceBridge invited her on a trip to get even closer to them. Here's that story and the gorgeous creations that came from it!
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60 min listen
Filmmaker Tours 150 Small U.S. Communities: The Surprising, Positive Lessons with Sarah Yourgrau (Episode #142)
The media seems to bombard us with stories of how bad it is “out there” and it would be easy to think that anywhere outside our particular pocket of the country is a bit frightening. But our guest today, Sarah Yourgrau, spent time in 150 small communities across America as a producer on Mike Rowe’s uplifting series: “Returning the Favor.” On this journey, she learned things that blew her away with joy. Here are some surprising stories that build a perspective we can all celebrate!
Read MoreFilmmaker Tours 150 Small U.S. Communities: The Surprising, Positive Lessons with Sarah Yourgrau (Episode #142)
10 min read
Kenyan Nonprofit Turns Flip Flops into Beautiful Works of Art, Cleaning Beaches and Empowering Communities
In sculptures made of flip flops that you have to see to believe featuring turtles, elephants, zebras, life-size giraffes, and many, many more, Kenyan nonprofit Ocean Sole’s artistic ingenuity solves more than one problem. Turning trash into treasure, this organization cleans Kenyan beaches, provides jobs for local artisans, and raises awareness for our flip flop problem, all at the same time. Ready to feast your eyes on this incredible art?
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8 min read/watch
Beyond the Ruins: Baking Bread Like the Ancient Romans
Are you a bread-lover? Perhaps you were a pandemic sourdough baker—or lived with one. Maybe you are always on the search for a good crusty baguette, or to you there is nothing better than a piece of toast slathered in your favorite peanut butter. Wherever you fall, you are a part of a long lineage of loaf-lovers that dates back 14,000 thousand years.
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