PBS NewsHour - Art Beat

The Smithsonian’s board of regents issued a statement on Monday declaring that “all personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the secretary, with oversight by the board.” It comes amid President Trump's efforts to fire one of its leaders. Jeffrey Brown discussed more with Philip Kennicott for our series, Art in Action, and our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Broadway hit a record-breaking box office haul of $1.9 billion this season driven by renewed interest in the Great White Way and boosted by star-studded shows. At the Tony Awards, there was a call to celebrate acting on stages big and small. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown peeks behind the curtain for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Sarah Silverman is known as one of the sharpest, most fearless voices in comedy, pushing the art form in new directions. In her new Netflix special, "Postmortem," she talks about losing her father and stepmother just weeks apart. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on saying goodbye. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

At 37 years old, Jacinda Ardern was the world’s youngest female head of government when she became prime minister of New Zealand. She was also just the second to give birth while in office and led her nation through crises, including a devastating mass shooting and the pandemic. Ardern joined Amna Nawaz to discuss her memoir, “A Different Kind of Power," and the documentary, “Prime Minister.” PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

On May 3, the National Endowment for the Arts sent emails to hundreds of arts organizations around the country terminating their grants. The abrupt loss of federal support has organizations scrambling to make up for budget shortfalls. Jeffrey Brown reports for our series, Art in Action, and our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker knows a thing or two about success and how to achieve it. Since announcing her retirement last year after 16 seasons, the seven-time all-star and two-time MVP has stepped into a new role as an author. Amna Nawaz spoke with Parker about her first book, “The Can-Do Mindset: How to Cultivate Resilience, Follow Your Heart, and Fight for Your Passions." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

After decades of political and social progress, women’s rights are now the subject of renewed debate and policy change, amid a broader backlash on the goals of modern feminism. Atlantic staff writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sophie Gilbert joins Ali Rogin to discuss her new book, "Girl on Girl," which argues that pop culture of the 90s and early 2000s may have set back a generation of women. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is opening its Galleries of the Arts of Oceania to the public for the first time since 2021. It comes after a major renovation that allowed curators to reimagine how to present art from the vast region. Senior Arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The violin has a storied place in so much of European classical music. But sometime in the 17th century, it began to intrigue maestros from a very different and ancient music tradition. Fred de Sam Lazaro has the story of one American violinist who sought to explore what’s become known as the Carnatic violin. It's for our arts and cultures series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Barry Diller has been a towering force in American entertainment and business for more than half a century. He helped reshape television at ABC, led Paramount during a golden era of filmmaking and launched the Fox network. Today, his digital empire spans travel, home services and online dating. Geoff Bennett spoke with Diller about his remarkable journey and his candid new memoir, "Who Knew." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

On Friday nights, you see Jonathan Capehart alongside David Brooks discussing the big political stories of the week. But it was a long journey that led him to the News Hour. He joined Amna Nawaz to discuss his new memoir, "Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man's Search for Home." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Fabiola Jean-Louis has been researching and exploring her Haitian heritage to create art that reimagines history and identity through a deeply personal lens. That work is now on display in Boston in the exhibit "Waters of the Abyss." Special correspondent Jared Bowen takes us there for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

He’s a writer who mines his own history to look deeply at broader currents of working-class American life. In his new novel, Ocean Vuong crafts a narrative that weaves together themes of grief, healing and resilience. Senior Arts Correspondent Jeffrey Brown sat down with Vuong to discuss "The Emperor of Gladness" for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Food is a tangible and accessible way to understand and connect with different societies. One chef has led the movement to bring traditional food from her home country of Laos to diners across the United States. Laura Barrón-López reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A powerful new work of fiction, rooted in real events, explores the role of the artist in times of crisis. "The Director" by Daniel Kehlmann is resonating deeply with the challenges of our own time. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown has the story for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Photography is known for its power to capture a singular moment in one frame. But collectively, and as time passes, photos can take on much more meaning. Filmmaker Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine used a chance encounter with a photographer in a small Ugandan village to bring to life the everyday stories of its residents. He spoke with Ali Rogin as part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Two-time Grammy nominee Sierra Hull has reached the pinnacle of bluegrass on her chosen instrument, the mandolin. But how she got there is a story like no other. Special Correspondent Tom Casciato has more for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Artists with different physical and developmental abilities sometimes have to be creative not just with the content of their art, but also with how they make it. One studio in Utah is trying to do just that, customizing tools for each individual’s unique needs and talents. Ali Rogin reports for our ongoing look at the intersection of health and arts, and our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump has accused the Smithsonian and other museums of promoting “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” Previously, Jeffrey Brown spoke with a historian critical of the president’s moves. Now, he has a different view from conservative Christopher Scalia. It's part of our series, Art in Action, and our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Trump administration has put its mark on the nation’s cultural sector. One focus is on how American history is told and presented in museums and monuments. That has roiled many in the academic and art worlds. Jeffrey Brown explores the effort to reshape institutions for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

"A picture is worth a thousand words." It's a well-worn phrase but there is special resonance when applied to editorial cartoons, a centuries-old tradition that is evolving as the media landscape itself does. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown takes a closer look for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

If you think of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, you might conjure an image of Michelangelo’s famous ceiling. But what does that famous place, or any place, sound like? A new project timed to World Heritage Day asks us to experience the world through its sounds. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As the first Asian, and only South Asian, to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, Merle Oberon’s place in the pantheon of cinema is historic. But it came with enormous sacrifice as Oberon had to hide her race to stay working. Amna Nawaz sat down with writer Mayukh Sen to discuss "Love, Queenie," a new book on Oberon’s rise to fame, her groundbreaking career and eventual fade from the spotlight. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Maggie Doyne's decision to postpone college and work with refugees in India transformed her life and the lives of many others. Her story has been captured through the lens of filmmaker and partner Jeremy Power Regimbal. Maggie and Jeremy give us their Brief But Spectacular take on family. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For more than 50 years, architectural illustrator Frank Costantino has been bringing buildings to life with his meticulously hand-drawn project designs. A new exhibition of Costantino’s work is celebrated at one of Boston’s most storied institutions. Special correspondent Jared Bowen of GBH Boston takes a look for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In 2023, we told you about the debut of Nat Myers, an acclaimed blues musician from Kentucky. American Songwriter said his work "reverberates with the sound of a deep bluesman from the 20s and 30s." Special correspondent Tom Casciato has an update to Myers' personal story for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For decades, legendary photographer Platon has been taking portraits of some of the world’s most prominent people, from heads of state, to movie stars and everything in between. He recently started filming his photo shoots in which he gets his subject talking in a most disarming way. We share Platon’s dialogue with musician Nile Rodgers for our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

"The Handmaid’s Tale" began as a novel read by several generations and has been turned into a film and an opera. Then, beginning in 2017, a hit series on Hulu that is now coming to its conclusion. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown has a look for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Max's medical drama The Pitt has its season finale this Thursday. The show tackles urgent issues like the impact of gun violence, hospital staffing shortages and the lasting effects of the pandemic. It has earned praise from both audiences and critics for its raw, realistic portrayal of life inside American hospitals. Geoff Bennett spoke with star Noah Wyle for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Kennedy Center is one of the nation’s premier performing arts centers, holding around 2,000 events each year. It’s a public-private partnership with most funding raised privately, but some coming from the federal government. The center has traditionally been a bipartisan institution but it’s now at a crossroads. Jeffrey Brown reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Local arts organizations have the power to tackle everything from community challenges to threats against national democracy by expanding access to art. That mission drives one of the country’s most vibrant and diverse artistic hubs in West Philadelphia. Jeffrey Brown reports for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For generations, women have been operating lighthouses across the country, saving lives and keeping history. John Yang reports from the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the U.S. Pacific coast. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The sprawling metropolis of Phoenix seems an unlikely place to build an apartment complex without parking for residents. Car dependency is just part of life for most people there. But a new development in the suburb of Tempe is providing a blueprint for car-free and more environmentally friendly living. Stephanie Sy reports for our Tipping Point series and our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Graydon Carter rose through the ranks at Time, Life, Spy, The New York Observer and Vanity Fair, becoming known for his sharp wit and keen eye for talent. Under his leadership, Vanity Fair transformed into a cultural juggernaut. Geoff Bennett spoke with Carter about his new memoir, “When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This Women’s History Month, we’re taking a look at a special series of quarters honoring notable American women. This is the final year of the program, and one of the coins for 2025 features journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells. John Yang reports from the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, where the coins are being made. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Nearly every song ever recorded is available for about $12 a month, or free if you don’t mind the ads. But while the streaming giant Spotify has conquered the music industry, many of the artists responsible for the music on the platform say they are getting a raw deal. Geoff Bennett reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

An archaeologist is providing a different lens on the tension at the southern U.S. border, one that applies deep-dive anthropology to learn more about migration. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown spoke with National Book Award-winning author Jason De León, whose work explores the clandestine world of human smuggling, for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Kim Deal, a founding member of The Pixies and legendary bassist, has had many chapters in her career. She was also known as the frontwoman of The Breeders and now becoming a solo artist at the age of 63. Special correspondent Christopher Booker caught up with her before she kicked off a 25-city tour. It’s part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Autry Museum's “Future Imaginaries” exhibit brings together works by Indigenous artists to reimagine science fiction characters and storylines. In this story from PBS News Student Reporting Labs, Mercedes Dorame and Angelica Trimble-Yanu met to discuss their work and how contemporary Native artists draw upon their culture and connections to envision possible futures. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Robert Trujillo grew up in Santa Monica, California, where his passion for music set the stage for an extraordinary career. Today, he’s known as the bassist for Metallica, one of the biggest rock bands. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on manifesting a dream. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Punk music is known for its raw, aggressive sound, edgy fashion and mosh pits. It’s also known for being predominantly white, but that's changed a lot in recent years. Resurfaced music from its earliest days underscores that punk has always been influenced and shaped by Black artists as well. Stephanie Sy has the story for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders