The ~curARTorial LAB

09/01/2026

The British fashion designer was convicted of a hate crime in 2011 for anti-Asian and antisemitic remarks.

09/01/2026

The U.S. government has waived dozens of federal laws protecting Native American graves and archaeological sites to fast-track a border wall through southern Texas. The Big Bend Project 5 will cut directly through the Lower Pecos Canyonlands, destroying sacred rock art and burial sites dating back up to 10,000 years.

By bypassing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, and the Clean Water Act, contractors can now proceed without mandatory surveys or documentation. Dr. Karen Steelman of the Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center warns that dynamite will be used in areas containing some of North America's oldest and most significant murals—irreplaceable cultural treasures that will be lost forever.

This decision reflects a troubling pattern: when infrastructure projects clash with cultural preservation, whose history gets protected? The Lower Pecos Canyonlands holds thousands of archaeological sites that tell the story of Indigenous peoples across millennia. Once destroyed, that knowledge can't be recovered. We're witnessing the prioritization of border security over the permanent protection of human heritage.

09/01/2026

Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino applauds today’s historic decision by the Board of Regents to make the Arts and Industries Building the permanent home of the Latino museum.

This is a testament to all of those who fought for decades to make this museum possible. Today we are one step closer to making that a reality.

While this decision is long overdue, it is deeply welcome, and brings us closer to a museum that tells a fuller story of America and the Latino communities that have helped shape it.

08/31/2026

08/31/2026

Have you ever seen the Singing Stone? When it was first displayed at the Museum, this massive block of vibrant blue azurite and green malachite (both copper ore minerals) made high-pitched sounds when the humidity changed with the weather and seasons. These noises were produced as the porous stone absorbed and released moisture from the air. Since it’s now exhibited in a climate-controlled environment, it no longer sings. This colorful specimen was collected in 1891 from the Czar Mine in Bisbee, Arizona, which was a vital source of U.S. copper. You can spot it in the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.

Photo: D. Finnin / © AMNH

08/31/2026

It's unlike any library most people have ever been to. Learn more at the link in the comments ⬇️

08/31/2026