【推荐1】What is art? That's an easy question to answer. Art is a painting, a drawing or a sculpture. Now there are new items to add to the list. Art is a dead shark in a glass case. Art is an unmade bed. Art is a video of a group of people standing completely still for sixty minutes.

A new group of young artists began to produce work that challenged the accepted idea of what art is and the role the artist should play in society. This group came to be known as the YBAs—the Young British Artists. The art of the YBAs does not just stick to painting and sculpture. It uses all kinds of different materials to express the feeling of the artist.

Damien Hirst is the most famous of the YBAs. The shark in the box is his work and is meant to express his own fear of dying. The shark stands for death. Right now, it is harmless. But eventually it will come for you. There is nothing to be done about it.

Traditionally, artists have a message. They use their skills to lead us to enlightenment (启迪). The message of the YBAs is that they cannot do this. They are just as mixed up and confused as everybody else. A journalist once asked Damien Hirst what his next idea was for an artwork. “I don't know what I'm going to do next. I never know what I'm going to do next,” he replied.

Another YBA, Tracy Emin recently produced a work called “Bed”. This is just her own bed with the sheets disarranged and dirty. And the message? “Look at me—I'm a mess.”

Some artists work with the public in producing their work. Gillian Wearing filmed a group of people dressed as policemen trying to keep still for 60 minutes while standing on top of a table. At the end of that time, the table falls apart and everyone falls to the floor. You can try to be a good citizen and a respectable member of the community. But don't try too hard or the pressure will be too much.

Art mirrors the state of society. In the work of the YBAs we can see a society on the threshold (开端) of the future—a bit worried, a bit excited and wondering what is going to happen next. The YBAs can't guide us, but they can make the journey more interesting.

【推荐2】Day Trip: Van Gogh Alive at The Dali Museum

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to step inside an artistic masterpiece, Van Gogh Alive at The Dali in St. Pete is a must-do experience. The Dali is the first museum in North America to host this hilly immersive (浸入式) art experience.

Read on for all the details, on display through June 21, 2021.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Book your timed ticket and your timed entry at thedali.org in advance. This includes Dali members, out of concern for social distance. Face mask wearing is required.

NEW HOURS AT THE DALI

Open 10:00 a. m. — 6:00 p. m. daily and until 8:00 p. m. on Thursdays and Fridays. Admission is half off on Thursday nights.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

The Dali has a fantastic app worth downloading, which takes you on a deeper dive about the art you’ll experience and more about the artist himself. You’ll also get the augmented reality (AR) experience with Dali’s works, too.

THE EXHIBIT

The exhibit has three areas — there’s a smaller open room, a larger open gallery, and lying in between is a bedroom sized room. You are surrounded by enormous screens on the wall and even a few on the floor. High-definition projections (高清投影) of his paintings like ‘Sunflowers’ and ‘starry Night’. sketches, and even quotes pulled from the numerous letters he wrote during his lifetime fill the giant screens on the walls and floor, making you feel as if you’ve stepped inside Van Gogh’s masterpieces. In a way, you have.

It’s not just the images, but the sound that makes this a multi - sensory experience. The classical music soundtrack of Van Gogh Alive helps bring the works to life by tugging at your heartstrings, connecting you to the misterpieces in a way you’ve probably never felt before.

【推荐3】Early on, Sandra Marshall showed a talent and love for art. A New York native, Sandra owes her passion for art, and her thirst for learning, to childhood trips into New York City to visit the museums, and galleries.

After Sandra received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arizona State University, she worked as a portrait painter and mural (壁画) artist but turned to food art when her daughter declared she would no longer eat meat. Sandra started exploring with fruits and vegetables to make cooking more fun, and was inspired by the colors of nature. She would write stories about her dinnertime art pieces so her children would see the magic in produce.

In 2014, Sandra opened a studio called Be...An Artist Studio, which welcomed artists to come and learn many different types of art. Paint nights, sculpting nights, live entertainment and eventually a cooking school, all came together and helped to bring the community creating together. She was featured on many television networks displaying her passions for the arts. Sandra began posting her creations on social media which led to her first published book One Hot Night at the Veggie Bar.

In 2019, Sandra closed her studio to expand and bring art to more people. This also gave her more time to create and explore he town art, including her food art. Sandra hosted painting events, painting with thousands of people at her large Be...An Artist events, such as the National Football League’s owners meeting in 2019 where she painted with the NFL owners and their families.

Sandra is now working with schools, bringing the joy of creating to children and their families with her “Success For All” painting programs that n re supported by the sales of her food art books and grants given to the schools. Last year alone, she painted with thousands of children and their families over Zoom.

【推荐1】J.K. Rowling to Release New Children’s Book “The Ickabog”

J.K. Rowling is making her return to children's literature for a good cause. In a blog post published on her website Tuesday, the author announced that she will release a new story called The Ickabog, releasing new chapters weekly to help distract children in lockdown as a result of the novel coronavirus.

The author explained that she formulated(构想出) the idea for her new story while writing Harry Potter, and had the intent of publishing it after releasing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — the new story is not connected to Potter.

“Over time I came to think of it as a story that belonged to my two younger children, because I’d read it to them in the evenings when they were little, which has always been a happy family memory,” she wrote. However, amid the novel coronavirus, the author decided she wanted to publish her story free, “for children in lockdown.”

She will post new chapters every weekday between May 26 and July 10 on the Ickabog website. The Ickabog will be published in November 2020 in English in print, eBook and audio book formats.

Hoping to offer some relief to those affected by the pandemic, Rowling announced that, when the book is published, she will donate all author royalties(版税) to those impacted by the virus crisis.