Arts

The Sackler Gallery's Ming dynasty dish dates back to 1430 China.

Arts

See Red In A New Light: Imperial China Meets Mark Rothko In D.C. Exhibition

5:06am December 21, 2016

by Susan Stamberg

The Smithsonian show finds links between a 15th-century Ming dynasty dish and a 20th-century Rothko painting. Curator Jan Stuart says, "You almost weep with beauty of red."

Shinya Tsukamoto (right) plays Christian convert Mokichi and Andrew Garfield plays Father Rodrigues, a Jesuit priest who has traveled to Japan in search of his mentor.

Arts

The Modern Lessons Of Martin Scorsese's 17th-Century Epic, 'Silence'

6:49pm December 20, 2016

by NPR Staff

The director's new film follows a pair of Portuguese Jesuit priests in Japan. He says he's been trying to make it since the late 1980s.

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The Snow Angels, Ice Skating, Cookie Dough & Snuggles cocktail is served in a Santa Claus mug at Miracle on Seventh Street, a pop-up holiday cocktail bar in Washington, D.C. The cocktail contains butter-washed vodka, coffee liqueur, creme de cacao, hazeln

Arts

Christmas Cookie Cocktails: Nice, Naughty Drinks For (21+) Boys And Girls

6:24pm December 20, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

They sound completely disgusting. But cookie-dough-themed cocktails are a trend this holiday season, including at a D.C. pop-up where they're the most popular drinks.

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Ornaments from Kaitlin Stevenson, Joan Bowen, Cindy Hornberger and Israel Morales.

Arts

A Christmas Tree Ornament Is Worth A Thousand Words

5:04pm December 20, 2016

by NPR Staff

From an undeliverable prenatal email address to an F2 tornado, every Christmas tree ornament tells a story.

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Arts

Disney Becomes First Studio To Cross $7 Billion Global Box Office

5:04pm December 20, 2016

by Andrew Limbong

The Disney corporation has sold more than $7 billion worth of tickets to its movies so far this year. NPR takes a look at the movies that did so well and how Disney did it.

Model China Machado, from the film About Face, poses for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Arts

China Machado, Groundbreaking Model, Muse And Editor, Dies At 86

2:06pm December 20, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

In a fashion industry dominated by whiteness, Machado was a Portuguese-Chinese superstar — and a force to be reckoned with. She blazed trails on runways, in photos and on magazine mastheads.

A monk prepares fruitcakes at Assumption Abbey in Ava, Mo. The bakery makes about 6,000 pounds of fruitcake per year.

For Cash-Strapped Monks, Selling Fruitcakes Is A Saving Grace

11:52am December 20, 2016

by Jodi Helmer

While monks aren't trying to dominate the fruitcake market, they have made enough money to help support their solitary way of life. And there might be a little competition between monasteries.

The year's best podcasts according to Lauren Ober, WAMU's host of Big Listen.

Arts

Here Are Some Of Our Favorite Podcast Episodes Of 2016

6:00am December 20, 2016

Need some podcasts to listen to on your way home for the holidays? We recommend 19 specific episodes of (non-NPR) shows that dropped in 2016.

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Atlanta, starring Donald Glover, is one of critic Eric Deggans' favorite shows of 2016.

Arts

2016 Had So Much Good TV, It Was Almost Too Much — We Pick Some Standouts

6:24pm December 19, 2016

by Eric Deggans

It has been a perplexing and wonderful year for TV lovers, with more good and great shows than ever, but that overload left viewers drowning in content. We've picked out some of the best for you.

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Annette Bening and Lucas Jade Zumann play a mother and son in Mike Mills' film, 20th Century Women. Mills says the film was inspired by his own life.

Arts

Mike Mills Grapples With His Mother's 'Tricky Ghost' In '20th Century Women'

5:07pm December 19, 2016

The director's latest film is inspired by his desire to understand his mother. Set in Santa Barbara in 1979, it stars Annette Bening as a woman struggling to raise her teenage son on her own.

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