Susan Stamberg

Photographer Carolyn Russo says these beacons of the landscape serve as "cultural greeters." Her dramatic photographs are on display at the Air and Space museum in Washington, D.C.

"It's these fresh vocal cords that haven't been abused yet, broken in yet." Susan Stamberg dives into Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air, a box set of rare radio broadcasts.

In 2011, about 100 Americans living and working in Kabul gathered for a Thanksgiving feast a long way from family. But a dish familiar to many NPR listeners helped bring them a taste of home.

Penn created many of the stark, glossy pictures of stick-thin fashion models that appeared in Vogue. He also made portraits of nudes, celebrities and also everyday objects, like cigarettes.

Any fan of the Great American Songbook could hum a few bars of "Over the Rainbow," "Stormy Weather" or "That Old Black Magic" without having to think too hard. And yet, the composer of those songs remains little known. Harold Arlen had major hits, won an Oscar and ...

During the National Gallery's first Vermeer exhibit 20 years ago, the federal government shut down twice, and a major blizzard hit the East Coast. But The Woman in Blue Reading a Letter is undeterred.

With sculptural swoops and sweeps, Gehry changed the course of architecture. Paul Goldberger, who has known the architect for 40 years, has written a new biography called Building Art.

Mary Savig, curator at the Archives of American Art in Washington, D.C., says the contact lists reveal a lot about the artists' personal and professional networks.

Parisian art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel acquired some 5,000 impressionist works long before others were buying them. Claude Monet said he and his artist friends "would have died of hunger" without him.

After moving to the U.S. in 1906, Kuniyoshi became a prize-winning artist. But with World War II, things changed. "When he walked down the street," says one curator, "he looked like the enemy."

For some 30 years, Alan Cheuse was our guide to the best and worst of the written word. He passed away today at 75, after a car accident two weeks ago. NPR's Susan Stamberg has an appreciation.

Here, you can find the Cowardly Lion's mane, the designs for Scarlett O'Hara's drapery dress, and many other artifacts that reveal the history of the movie biz.

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.

At the turn of the 16th century, Joachim Wtewael painted passionate stories from the Bible and mythology. The Dutch artist was a very strict Calvinist, but on canvas, he let loose.

Gustav Klimt's 1907 portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer was seized by the Nazis. A film now tells the story of Adele's niece, who fought to recover her family's paintings more than a half century later.

The painting by George Caleb Bingham became popular for its depiction of the 19th-century American experience. Now, it's the star of a new show at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Two Smithsonian institutions have given artist Darren Waterston their blessings as he reimagines James McNeill Whistler's lavish and legendary 19th-century artwork as an utter ruin.

One of de Kooning's friends once asked her what it was like to work in the shadow of her husband, Willem de Kooning. She replied: "I don't paint in his shadow, I paint in his light.'"

The dramatic images at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art linger in the mind. Curator Linda Komaroff says she hopes the collection challenges an American audience to rethink preconceptions.

The first president of NPR has died at the age of 84. Don Quayle had a long career in public broadcasting, both in television and radio. Susan Stamberg reflects on his impact on NPR and her career.