Purple Prince

The History of Purple, From Pliny to Prince

In August Pantone honored late singer/songwriter Prince with a new shade of purple called Purple Rain. Why is the color purple considered to be so special?
Dreamcatcher at Walker Art Center

Honoring History with Edgar Heap of Birds’s Building Minnesota

Prior to discussions about appropriation art, artist Hock E Aye Vi (Hachivi) Edgar Heap of Birds honored the 40 executed Dakota men in "Building Minnesota."
Marian Beyonce

Beyoncé, the Virgin Mary, and the Power of Imagery

Why did Beyoncé pose as the Virgin Mary in her pregnancy and birth announcements? Learn about her art historical referents and iconic portraiture here.
Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis: French Film Master

Jerry Lewis was lionized in France as a film auteur, a genius of movie-making. What did the French know that Americans didn't?
SF MOMA text art project

A Museum in the Palm of your Hand

SFMOMA recently made headlines with its digital campaign to make art go viral with their Send Me SFMOMA project — but what museum exhibits came before this?
Roloff Family

Little People on TV: Educational or Exploitative?

Little people have been used for entertainment purposes in royal courts from ancient Egypt to medieval Europe. But can this be more than exploitative?
Kate Lingley

Kate Lingley and the Art History of China

Looking for an insider’s view of life in academia? We interviewed Kate Lingley, a Professor in the Art Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
Pope Francis Sistine Chapel

How Pope Francis Will Redefine Art at the Vatican

Inaugurated in 2013, Pope Francis has been full of surprises and has redefined the papacy, including the ways in which he considers the power of art.
Marilyn Monroe

The Many Meanings of Marilyn Monroe

The life, times and image of Monroe has been expounded upon tirelessly in the decades after her tragic death at age 36.
Jay Z on stage

Can Jay Z Help Students Read James Joyce?

Rapper Jay Z recently released his 13th studio album 4:44. Could this be used in the classroom to enlighten and educate students in secondary schools?