Culture and Society: Art and Music

Sometimes I stared at the abstract prints, randomly finding pictures in the shapes, like I’d found pictures in the clouds as a child. Twilight

Even Meggie could see that whoever had painted it was no more skilled at his trade than the sculptor who had carved the statue in the church. Inkheart

Of all the paintings in the exhibition, the ones people talk the most about are those by Vincent van Gogh. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers

From intelligent museum exhibitions to adventurous gallery shows, there is plenty to explore, according to the longtime residents and vacationers from the art world who helped build this list of recommendations. New York Times

To my amazement, the gallery accepted the exhibit—twenty-two portraits of my people, accompanied by write-ups and videos about their lives. How Dare the Sun Rise

The oldest surviving art objects are sculptures made from bone, ivory, stone, or antlers. The Annotated Mona Lisa

I didn’t see Margie in attendance, but she later told me that when she first saw the ballet’s depiction of the Reign of Terror, “it hit me in the stomach.” Killers of the Flower Moon

The kids would spend weeks choreographing the event and making up songs, and I would attend the rehearsals, dreaming of a day when I could be a dancer in the procession. How Dare the Sun Rise

The Hannover Orchestra will be visiting the camp to give us a concert, and they want our musical society to play with them. What the Night Sings

The Israel Museum, largest in the country, displayed archaeological wonders and contemporary art. Habibi

If she ever wants to play an instrument, I would vote for cymbals. Finding Junie Kim

My favorite lyric is “One song before I go...” They Both Die at the End

I knew the words and melodies of hundreds of songs—a symphony exploding inside my head with no one to hear it but me. Out of My Mind

It is fitting that the first great opera, composed by Monteverdi in 1607, features a hero faced with a life-or-death singing challenge in the Underworld, Orfeo. The Story of Music

“I play the cello, and I conduct an orchestra for teens called Rhythm NYC.” The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

Selby chose the songs, arranged the harmonies, selected the soloists, and conducted the performance. Long Walk to Freedom

According to the poster in the hallway, the date of the first performance of The Trials of Arabella was only one day after the first rehearsal. Atonement

“I rhymed! Did you hear that? I’m a poet and didn’t know it, although my shoes kind of show it.” The Smartest Kid in the Universe

Ms. Washington’s big into theater—she always directs the musicals up at the high school—and loves it when kids turn their presentations into performances. A High Five for Glenn Burke

In Milan there were six theatres in which opera was performed regularly; in Naples there were five plus one more occasional venue. The Story of Music