Culture and Arts

With the amassing of great fortunes came the drive to document the wealthy in portraiture, echoing a cultural pattern reaching back to colonial times. A brilliant generation of American and European artists rose to meet that demand. The exhibit examines those portraits of famous society beauties and powerful titans of business and industry. more »

Doris O'Brien writes: So what really defines courage? In the case of those chosen by John F. Kennedy for their "acts of bravery and integrity," the common measure lay in the degree of risk to themselves for the bold actions they undertook. In times of crises — whether in war or peace — true heroes are those who put at risk all that they have striven to possess: their reputations, livelihoods, futures — even their very lives. more »

Tam Gray writes: The holidays may be absorbing our audience but there are readers who may not be gathering, shopping, cooking, conversing and socializing with others during most of these holidays. For you and all those who might be interested in an ancient art easily experimented with from MIT, here's a video and craft books we've selected that can enjoyed as well as considered as gifts. more »

Julia Sneden writes: Age brings changes of body and points of view, but the self, the essential me-ness, doesn't change, just as it doesn’t when a fine actor takes on a role in a play or movie. In the interests of parity, and with profound apologies to William Shakespeare, here’s my take on the seven ages of women, 21st century. more »