Arts

August 21, 2007 -- GETTYSBURG – Pennsylvania First Lady Judge Marjorie O. Rendell today announced the recipients of the coveted 2007 Governor’s Awards for the Arts at the newly renovated Majestic Theater in Gettysburg. The award honors outstanding artists, arts organizations and patrons of the arts in Pennsylvania for their excellence and achievement in the arts.    » read more »

18 August 2007 -- Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman was buried Saturday on his home island in the Baltic Sea.

Family members and close friends, including actresses Live Ullman and Bibi Andersson, attended the private funeral on Faro Island.

Bergman made more than 50 films and is considered one of the most influential directors of the 20th century. His films, including "Wild Strawberries," "Cries and Whispers" and "Scenes from a Marriage" explored human relationships, mortality and madness and were tinged with melancholy, anger, and humor.    » read more »

MADE IN IBM LABS: The World's Tiniest Art on Display

Washington, D.C. - 14 Aug 2007: Two atomic-sized images resulting from scientific work at IBM's labs are part of an art exhibit opening today at the United States Patent and Trademark Museum in Alexandria, Virginia.    » read more »

Jon Peede joins growing NEA Literature Division

July 25, 2007, Washington, DC — The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced today the appointment of Jon Parrish Peede as the agency’s Director of Literature, Grants Programs. In this position, he manages applications, panels, and grant awards for literature fellowships, as well as grant awards for literary presses, magazine, and organizations. He assumed the role earlier this month.    » read more »

19 June 2007 -- A painting of water lilies by French Impressionist Claude Monet has sold for $36.8 million, the second-highest price ever paid at auction for a Monet.

An anonymous bidder purchased the Nympheas painting Tuesday from Sotheby's auction house in London.

The painting, which not been seen in public for more than seven decades, was estimated to sell for between $20 million and $30 million.

Source: VOA News

07 May 2007 -- More than 80,000 people recently attended the 20th annual Merlefest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, April 26-29, making the four-day event the largest music festival in the southeastern United States. That's quite a contrast to the first Merlefest in 1988, an event that attracted only 4,000 fans. VOA's Katherine Cole has more on this year's musical tribute to the late Merle Watson, son and musical partner of folk and country great Doc Watson.    » read more »

First of Its Kind Outdoor Exhibition Honors Top Photography Talent From Across the Globe

ASPEN, Colo., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Tonight at dusk, the first-ever international action and adventure sports photography competition -- Red Bull Illume Image Quest -- unveiled 50 of the best raw moments in action and adventure sports from across the globe in a larger-than-life outdoor exhibition that "illuminated" Aspen Mountain. Judges, heroes of the sport and special guests took witness during a special opening ceremony exhibition as finalist photographers vied for first place honors and the Athletes' Choice Award. Judges selected the top 10 category winners and named the Illume Image of Year.

Amidst the snow and darkness, the top 50 photographs were unveiled in a breathtaking spectacle of luminous glass and metal cubes that left the slopes of Aspen Mountain aglow. This illuminated exhibition, co-hosted by renowned music industry photographer Danny Clinch, included the very best of action sports, resulting in the most dramatic compilation of action and adventure sports imagery ever assembled.    » read more »

Five Performers Receive Kennedy Center Tribute for Career Work

Annual arts tribute honors legends of music, theater, film, dance

05 December 2005
By Michael J. Bandler
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Amid the flood of annual awards in the United States that make headlines at home and abroad, the Kennedy Center Honors, bestowed annually at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, tend to linger in the shadows of the glitzier Oscars, Emmys and Grammys.    » read more »

Legendary Jazz Icon Dave Brubeck Celebrates 85th Birthday on Queen Mary 2

VALENCIA, Calif., Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary jazz musician Dave Brubeck celebrated his 85th birthday aboard a recent Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossing to England.    » read more »

Contemporary African Art Exhibition Opens at Smithsonian

African art museum showcases works by 27 artists from Pigozzi Collection

16 November 2005
By Christine A. Terada
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington--The National Museum of African Art in Washington is exhibiting one of the world's most significant collections of contemporary African art from November 16 through February 26, 2006. "Africa Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection" features 100 objects by 27 contemporary African artists, most of whom are lesser-known, self-taught artists.    » read more »

22 Honorees Named for 2005 National Arts, Humanities Medals

Award recipients drawn from diverse cultural worlds

Twenty distinguished men and women and two cultural organizations are winners of the 2005 National Medals for Arts and Humanities, which will be presented by [W] on November 10, the White House announced November 9.    » read more »

Harold Pinter Wins 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature

13 October 2005

The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2005 has been awarded to the English writer Harold Pinter.    » read more »

Exhibit Showcases Afro-Latino Experience in the United States

Presentation seeks to reach out to Afro-Latinos throughout the Americas

October 12, 2005
By Lauren Monsen
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- A multimedia presentation by young Afro-Latino artists from the United States will travel to five countries in the Western Hemisphere October 10 to November 11 according to the U.S. Department of State.    » read more »

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince Wins Book of the Year at First Annual Quill Awards

Three Scholastic Titles Nominated for Top Honors

NEW YORK, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic announced today that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince won Book of the Year at the first annual Quill Awards ceremony held in New York City last night. Harry Potter's competition included many adult fiction and nonfiction bestsellers for the year. Harry Potter also won top honors in the Children's Chapter Book/Middle Grade category. The Quill Awards is the first national book awards program in which the readers, not the critics, choose the year's best books.    » read more »

National Press Club Book Fair, Thursday, Nov. 17

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Press Club's 28th Annual Book Fair and Authors' Night will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2005. As one of Washington's largest literary events, the Fair attracts authors from across the nation. Meet the authors, get the story behind the story and have them sign your purchase. This is an ideal place to begin your holiday gift- buying.    » read more »