Arts & Culture Opinion

Painted Into the Record: Public Artists Who Are Returning Erased Histories to American Streets

Across American cities, a new generation of muralists and public artists is challenging who controls the telling of history — not through academic papers or gallery exhibitions, but through large-scale works painted directly onto the walls of the communities those histories belong to. By transforming overlooked and suppressed regional narratives into vivid public art, these creators are opening conversations that traditional heritage institutions have long struggled to initiate. Here, we profile

Sep 16, 2026

Who Owns the Story? The Growing Demand for Community Authority Over Cultural Representation

A deepening tension is emerging across American cultural life as communities increasingly challenge the authority of outside institutions to define, interpret, and broadcast their histories and identities. From disputed museum exhibitions to contested documentary films, the question of who holds the legitimate right to tell a community's story has moved from academic debate to urgent public controversy. This opinion piece examines the stakes, the power dynamics, and the compelling case for placi

Sep 16, 2026

Scrolling Through Tradition: When Gen Z Becomes the Unlikely Steward of America's Cultural Heritage

A new generation of Americans is doing something their elders did not anticipate: turning to TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube to resurrect and reinterpret the traditional arts practices of their ancestors. Whether beading intricate Indigenous regalia between college classes or performing classical ragas for an audience of thousands who discovered them through an algorithm, Gen Z creators are reshaping the relationship between heritage and modernity. This editorial explores whether digital vi

Aug 8, 2026