Arts-Music

It’s the beginning of a new school year and if you are a parent who dropped a mortgage payment so your student could see Taylor Swift this summer, consider it an investment: A new report says Swifties are smarter! A study by College Rover

“The Obama Portraits Tour” visits its seventh and final stop at the MFA Boston to celebrate both history and legacy through exceptional art.

Lighthouse ArtSpace Boston (130 Columbus Ave.) – home to the largest display of immersive art in the city of Boston – is partnering with local nonprofit School on Wheels of Massachusetts for a special back-to-school supply drive.

Lighthouse Immersive is bringing its acclaimed “Paint Party” series to Lighthouse ArtSpace Boston this August.

For some people, music is more of a distraction than a motivator.

If you’re like me, you’ve already decked the halls at home, put on the Christmas playlists and started rewatching your favorite Christmas movies (we all need a little extra joy this year!).

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who decorate for fall and those who decorate for Halloween.

The good folks at Microsoft News shared their list of the twenty best movies about elections.

Boston may not join the ranks of Milan or Paris as a fashion capital of the world any time soon,…

Art lovers of Boston will have a new contemporary art museum to patron beginning February 2020. The best part of visiting the newly renovated 15,000-square-foot space? It costs nothing.

If you’re tired of giving people the same old birthday, graduation or wedding gift (hello gift cards, journals and potholders) – we have an idea to shake things up: handmade paper roses.

Gargantuan roommates Ruth and Emily received five new toys earlier this month from Massachusetts College of Art and Design students as part of an annual program offered at the school. The gifts presented to the Asian elephants living at Buttonwood Park Zoo are as enriching as they are fun.

Dubbed “the most Instagrammable pop-up in America,” Happy Place will keep Bostonians smiling at 500 Boylston St. through June 2.

Learn traditional Greek dancing, watch a theater rehearsal, become a TEDx Talk master and paint like Monet. Sounds like a solid bucket list, but these are actually activities previously offered during ArtWeek, a 10-day festival featuring unique artistic experiences in Massachusetts.

MFA Boston’s first exhibit dedicated to Frida Kahlo – “Frida Kahlo and Arte Popular” – is on display at the museum through June 16.

Get excited, Instagrammers: Yayoi Kusama’s largest infinity room, “Love is Calling,” will be on permanent display at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston beginning fall 2019.

Around 100 of Ansel Adams’ iconic photographs are on display at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston’s exhibit “Ansel Adams in Our Time” until Feb. 24.

When summer surrenders to fall, I’m conflicted. After a mesmerizing garden season, colorless frigid air has me running inside to my design studio where last spring’s stone purchases have been waiting for my attention for months.

The Levitate Music and Arts Festival is a two-day event taking place on July 7 and 8 in Marshfield, Massachusetts. The first Levitate Music and Arts Festival was in 2013, and it has since blossomed into New England’s premier grass-roots festival.

Entertaining characters? Check. Unique story line? Check. Vivid details? Check. The list goes on with “Ready Player One.” This futuristic society is dominated by the OASIS – an online program where people interact via their avatars. The book follows characters as they partake in a treasure hunt to find the OASIS founders’ fortune.

Boston artist Eli Cedrone is known for her impressionistic style and flare while capturing the world’s beauty. She fancies herself a nomad, hosting painting workshops in Bermuda, Italy and Portugal.

I’m the world’s biggest Natural Stone NERD. I love the mystical, natural energy this antique expels, and admittedly, not too many man-made materials interest me.

“The Nutcracker” is a ballet staple of the holiday season and an iconic Christmas classic. Many folks likely saw the performance as a child with their family, and may even go as a yearly tradition. No matter the case, you’ll experience beautiful scenery, an exciting story and incredible ballet performances among the iconic Sugar Plum Fairy snow dancing scenes and throughout the show.

People often ask, “What’s your favorite stone?” My answer is easy: one I haven’t seen before!

The soon-to-be-launched book by bestselling author John David Mann (“The Go-Giver”), “The Recipe,” is set to be another masterpiece of charming storytelling and profound wisdom.

A Reader’s Digest article points to the benefits of laughing, cited by various studies showing improved health, burning calories and better relationships.

The “end-of-summer blues” are going to set in soon with Labor Day around the corner, but it doesn’t mean the party has to stop. From Lady Gaga to Sting, there are great concerts coming to Boston. Grab your friends, grab some tickets and keep the party going!

• Sept. 1 and 2 – Lady Gaga at Fenway Park
• Sept. 2 – Sting at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
• Sept. 22 and 23 – Ed Sheeran at TD Garden
• Sept. 29 and 30 – Katy Perry at TD Garden
• Oct. 7 and 8 – Bruno Mars at TD Garden
• Oct. 29 – Gavin DeGraw at Wilbur Theatre

Binge worthy is an understatement when it comes to these great TV series:

• Netflix’s “Ozark” – Starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. Dad agrees to pack up his family to launder money for a Mexican cartel … this gem is an emotional roller coaster.
• Netflix’s “House of Cards” – Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood and Robin Wright as his ambitious wife, Claire, bring Washington and the country to its knees. Just don’t get on their bad sides. Sound familiar?
• USA’s “The Sinner” – Jessica Biel is outstanding in this dark drama about a young mother trying to understand the cause behind her violent tendencies.

My aunt and uncle were in the prime of their youth in the 1940s – he returning home from WWII, she an aspiring artist. I’ve been fascinated with the styles back then and loved looking at photos of my aunt’s clothes, shoes and hairstyles.

The fourth annual Levitate Music & Arts Festival will be held at the Marshfield Fairgrounds on July 8 and 9. What began as a 10-year anniversary party for Levitate, a local surf and skate shop, has transformed into one of New England’s premier grass roots festivals. The two-day event features an eccentric fair of artisan products, delicious food trucks and alcohol tents.