The Christian Science Monitor | The Culturehttps://www.csmonitor.comCoverage of arts and culture from The Christian Science Monitor.The Christian Science Monitor | The Culturehttps://images.csmonitor.com/csm/2024/04/1172291_2_csmlogo_feed_250x30_standard.pnghttps://www.csmonitor.comChristian Science Monitor. All rights reserved.300en-usThu, 09 Apr 2026 22:24:17 EDTAudrey Spillman’s musical and spiritual journey led her to peace, and inspirationhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0403/audrey-spillman-new-album-nightingale?icid=rss2e9bb01b28fd77f81bfe0bcb12e79bd9Americana singer-songwriter Audrey Spillman says her third album, “Nightingale,” is the “most important record” of her life.Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:28:55 EDTStephen HumphriesAliens and UFOs still fascinate. ‘Project Hail Mary,’ ‘Disclosure Day’ are proof.https://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0319/ufos-aliens-movies-project-hail-mary?icid=rss5d8d96aeb8ce2cf93c0127698a0303daMovies like "Disclosure Day" and "Project Hail Mary" renew our fascination with extraterrestrials and the idea that humankind is not alone in the universe.Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:00:09 EDTStephen HumphriesDancing offers children refuge in conflict-torn Congohttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0316/goma-congo-breakdancing-children?icid=rssb8eb862daa06d9578e5a24710ca7f68dA workshop on breaking, also known as breakdancing, has been a source of joy for children in Goma since 2008.Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:44:59 EDTPaloma LaudetThéodore de Kerros Ahead of the Oscars: Our critic’s picks for the best acting awardshttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Movies/2026/0313/oscars-acting-awards?icid=rss762487a6b24fd32225aaf0b8e7a2f6aaNo matter which actors receive an Oscar March 15, our critic has already decided who his winners are.Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:25:10 EDTPeter RainerRyan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ isn’t just a vampire flick. It’s an American story infused with blues.https://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Movies/2026/0311/ryan-coogler-sinners-michael-b-jordan?icid=rss3c773a1162703b8f7bb331c88a603ffaFor the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, “Sinners,” directed by Ryan Coogler, is a contender for best picture and 15 other nominations, the highest number for any film in Academy history.Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:19:47 EDTKen MakinQuoting the Bible, more Democrats lean into being Christianhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Faith-Religion/2026/0305/talarico-democrats-christian-religion?icid=rssb06335005b910b3ff9b69f4ad1d9a45cFor decades, Republicans have embraced Christianity and faith-based leadership. A new crop of Democrats is now doing the same.Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:44:21 ESTSophie Hills“High Water” embodies the struggle of historic Black coastal communitieshttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Movies/2026/0302/charleston-south-carolina-high-water-tyquan-morton?icid=rss896279bec9ff29d67ed10025ad1351b2Tyquan Morton’s “High Water” demonstrates the impact of gentrification on Gullah Geeche culture along the Atlantic coast. Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:36:35 ESTKen MakinAn enslaved potter left messages for the future, inscribed in clayhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Arts/2026/0302/reparations-slavery-dave-the-potter?icid=rss862698adc2f6cdc42609e90232305c32Several groups lay claim to artisan David Drake: a museum, a county, and his descendants. His work serves to illuminate America’s fractured past.Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:18:43 ESTKen MakinEnglish painter John Constable captured the rhythms of rural lifehttps://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2026/0226/john-constable-landscape-painting?icid=rssd66251e74137d3d4a7d32eaa2f326723The farms and fields of Constable’s native Suffolk county provided rich material and spiritual sustenance.Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:02:58 ESTHeller McAlpinIn Taiwan, athletes are ageless on and off the fieldhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0226/taichung-taiwan-aging-baseball?icid=rss0f22cf5419da4f9c6e6ebfcf0fd21e37Initiatives such as the Bulao Baseball League aim to change perceptions about older people.Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:21:38 ESTAdri SalidoRemember landline phones? Parents want them back.https://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0220/landline-phone-resurgence?icid=rssa7d43381f20dad9fe21aaf4ee4777e4cParents are not the only ones looking for screen-free alternatives. Some children enjoy the experience of chatting with friends over a landline phone.Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:23:15 ESTVictoria HoffmannKenyan stylists are using the West’s discarded clothing to refashion the futurehttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0219/nairobi-kenya-gikomba-secondhand-clothing?icid=rsscc66207fb298bf51cfe76ec89304686dGikomba market hosted its first fashion show in mid-October, with 19 Kenyan models taking to the runway in reimagined secondhand garments.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:16:31 ESTDiego Menjíbar ReynésFrom ‘The Godfather’ to ‘Tender Mercies,’ Robert Duvall made each role his ownhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0216/robert-duvall-appreciation?icid=rssa07047ceb342f61c87d73a51ee45c42aRobert Duvall inhabited each role fully. It didn't matter if he was playing a country singer, a military commander, or a preacher, he invested his all. Mon, 16 Feb 2026 22:03:04 ESTPeter RainerThis Nigerian educator gave a river a voice. The next generation is listening.https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2026/0211/nigeria-ogun-river-children?icid=rss7a69c3b8d35627f1adedbb76a0c999c7Solomon Ekundayo wrote the storybook “The Loud Cry of Ogun River” to explain a river’s decline in terms children can absorb.Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:28:49 ESTOgar MondayAI can write songs, plays, and novels. What does that mean for human creativity?https://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Arts/2026/0211/ai-music-creativity-llm-jobs?icid=rsseb45b859ca8b6e483b0957776a2ae98fThe age of AI-generated music and AI-aided fiction has arrived. Will “canned” art push musicians, writers, and others out of jobs?Wed, 11 Feb 2026 05:00:10 ESTLaurent BelsieMelanie Stetson FreemanClergy look to Bible on immigration enforcement. Interpretations can differ.https://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Faith-Religion/2026/0209/faith-clergy-immigration-enforcement?icid=rss89e86f41a60ebebe948819cc5628ee60Several Christian faith denominations denounce federal immigration enforcement tactics, but not all do. It depends on how they interpret key Bible instruction.Mon, 09 Feb 2026 05:00:16 ESTSophie HillsCannes favorite ‘The President’s Cake’ is a fable with real-world immediacyhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Movies/2026/0205/the-president-s-cake-iraq-cannes-winner?icid=rsse3fcf3671a7d067a33db94f8f9240f88Set in early ’90s Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s rule, “The President’s Cake” reveals not only corruption but also kindness and fortitude.Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:52:56 ESTPeter RainerPurrs in paradise: Lanai Cat Sanctuary rescues felines and protects vulnerable birdshttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0203/hawaii-lanai-cat-sanctuary-birds?icid=rss691befafa777c02f8936f200f852883aThis four-acre, open-air haven exists in Hawaii to make feral cats “become friendly,” says the sanctuary’s director of operations. The ultimate aim is to make it easier for the felines to find loving forever homes.Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:21:17 ESTMelanie Stetson FreemanJackie ValleyMinneapolis inspires protest songs, from The Boss to Billy Bragghttps://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2026/0131/protest-songs-billy-bragg-minnesota-city-of-heroes?icid=rss078a78f5b88fd25b204bcdbbb9a91535Billy Bragg, who just wrote and released the song “City of Heroes,” talks with the Monitor about the impact of protest songs.Sat, 31 Jan 2026 05:00:09 ESTStephen HumphriesIn Oscar-nominated ‘One Battle After Another,’ a message for a troubled America?https://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Arts/2026/0124/oscar-one-battle-after-another-extremism?icid=rss27436cc19a28f35a338aa5a44ee3bf37In “One Battle After Another,” nominated for best picture, the risks of political extremism come to the fore in a film that might feel uncomfortably close to the current news cycle.Sat, 24 Jan 2026 05:00:16 ESTStephen Humphries