Arts

Republican presidential candidate and real estate mogul Donald Trump is polling atop recent national surveys and is a virtual lock to make the cut for next month's first GOP presidential debate.

Trump Could Bump GOP Veterans Off Debate Stage

8:17am July 21, 2015

by Jessica Taylor

The billionaire businessman is under fire for remarks about prisoners of war. But his inclusion in GOP debates could mean Republicans' only two military veteran candidates don't make it on stage.

Irrational Man is a Hitchcock-style mystery wrapped in a Woody Allen romance.

Arts

Sleuthing With Offbeat Variations In 'Irrational Man' And 'Mr. Holmes'

10:03pm July 20, 2015

by Bob Mondello

NPR film critic Bob Mondello reviews two crime movies — Irrational Man and Mr. Holmes — that have different philosophies on logic.

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Books
Arts

Savor The Quiet Sweetness Of 'The Blue Girl'

8:09pm July 20, 2015

by Juan Vidal

Laurie Foos' gently surreal new novel is set in a small lakeside town where the local mothers bake their secret confessions into moon pies, which they feed to a silent, mysterious blue-skinned girl.

Caillebotte's 1875 painting The Floor Scrapers was rejected by the elite Salon, but it was the work that launched his career.

Arts

Known As A Collector, Gustave Caillebotte Gets His Due As A Painter

4:14pm July 20, 2015

by Susan Stamberg

Caillebotte was an independently wealthy artist who — unlike his Impressionist buddies — didn't need to sell paintings to make a living. Now, many of his works are on display at the National Gallery.

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Arts

At 76, Actor Ian McKellen Embodies An Older Sherlock In 'Mr. Holmes'

1:31pm July 20, 2015

The acclaimed British actor talks about playing a 93-year-old Sherlock Holmes, serving as grand marshal to New York City's gay pride march and his Lord of the Rings tattoo.

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Herrera looks out from amid his sculptures at his place in El Rito, N.M.

Arts

Jesus In A Lowrider: El Rito's Santero Carves Saints In Modern Clothing

12:30pm July 20, 2015

by John Burnett

Nicholas Herrera puts his own touch on the tradition of saint carving. The santero works out of his studio in a small New Mexico town — but his edgy work can be found in museums around the country.

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On the day that he announced his resignation, Richard Nixon ordered cottage cheese, pineapple slices and a glass of milk.

The Sad, Stately Photo Of Nixon's Resignation Lunch

11:49am July 20, 2015

by Dan Charles

A White House photographer captured the lunch that Richard Nixon ate before announcing his resignation. It's an unusual image of a humble meal as power is slipping away.

Arts

Reinventing An Artistic Identity: Digital Artist Kim Thore

9:19am July 20, 2015

by Bethany Chafin

Kim Thore became an artist at an early age (eight, to be exact). She has trained in everything from watercolor to drawing, pastels and sculpture. In her 30's, she took a break from producing art, but found ways to engage her creative energy in a more corporate realm, through design, marketing, and public relations.

In 2014 her home flooded and Thore lost her entire portfolio. Though discouraged, Thore's need to create didn't disappear. It was then that she discovered digital art.

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Visual effects supervisor Jake Morrison wanted Ant-Man's titular insects to be both accurate and relatable.

Science
Arts

Little Hero, Big Screen: The Entomology Of 'Ant-Man'

11:56pm July 19, 2015

by Neda Ulaby

In Ant-Man, the latest Marvel Studios superhero movie, filmmakers had to portray the tiny insects as realistic, yet relatable. Two ant scientists weigh in on whether the attempt was successful.

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The Orchestral-Rock-Folk-Synth-Jazz Sound Of L'anarchiste

9:35am July 19, 2015

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Rob LeCheminant and Alex Gilvarry of the Utah-based band L'anarchiste. The band's new album, Giant, is a blend of classical and folk, synthesized and acoustic.

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