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Art & Design
The face in Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada's larger-than-life portrait is a composite of photos the artist took of young men from many racial backgrounds.

The face in Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada's larger-than-life portrait is a composite of photos the artist took of young men from many racial backgrounds. Tami Heilemann/Department of the Interior hide caption

itoggle caption Tami Heilemann/Department of the Interior

Fine Art

On The National Mall, An American Portrait In Sand And Soil

This month, the National Portrait Gallery presented its largest portrait yet, a 6-acre face rendered in sand and soil on the National Mall.

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Fashion designer Natalie Chanin stands in front of in-progress garments at the Alabama Chanin Factory. Chanin and Billy Reid, internationally acclaimed designers, have teamed up to test the concept of organic, sustainable cotton farming and garment-making.

Fashion designer Natalie Chanin stands in front of in-progress garments at the Alabama Chanin Factory. Chanin and Billy Reid, internationally acclaimed designers, have teamed up to test the concept of organic, sustainable cotton farming and garment-making. Debbie Elliott/NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Debbie Elliott/NPR

American Made: The New Manufacturing Landscape

Reviving A Southern Industry, From Cotton Field To Clothing Rack

Garment-making once thrived in the South. Two acclaimed designers are trying to bring it back with a field-to-garment concept, creating a clothing line from their own organic cotton grown in Alabama.

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The broadcast tower at Alexanderplatz looms over the city center. A crossing point of tourists, commuters, shoppers, lovers, artists and bums, Alexanderplatz was rebuilt by the communist authorities of former East Germany in the 1960s. Today, it's a popular gathering place in the reunified city.

The broadcast tower at Alexanderplatz looms over the city center. A crossing point of tourists, commuters, shoppers, lovers, artists and bums, Alexanderplatz was rebuilt by the communist authorities of former East Germany in the 1960s. Today, it's a popular gathering place in the reunified city. Sean Gallup/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Cities Project

In Berlin, Remaking The City Can Rekindle Old Frictions

City planners rushed to erase divisions between East and West Berlin after the wall came down in 1989. But the fate of communist-era buildings can still provoke friction a quarter-century later.

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Raeanne Rubenstein first photographed Johnny Cash at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. "It was just the most amazing experience," she says.

Raeanne Rubenstein first photographed Johnny Cash at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. "It was just the most amazing experience," she says. Raeanne Rubenstein hide caption

itoggle caption Raeanne Rubenstein

Photography

Meeting Country Music's Superstars: Behind Each Portrait, A Story

Nashville-based photographer Raeanne Rubenstein recalls working with charismatic stars like Johnny Cash. Jerry Lee Lewis, on the other hand, dodged her (and his audience) by leaping out a window.

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Plaster casts taken from soldiers' mutilated faces (top row), new sculpted faces (bottom row), and final masks (on the table) sit in the studio of Anna Coleman Ladd in 1918.

Plaster casts taken from soldiers' mutilated faces (top row), new sculpted faces (bottom row), and final masks (on the table) sit in the studio of Anna Coleman Ladd in 1918. American Red Cross/Anna Coleman Ladd papers/Archives of American Art/Smithsonian Institution hide caption

itoggle caption American Red Cross/Anna Coleman Ladd papers/Archives of American Art/Smithsonian Institution

Arts & Life

One Sculptor's Answer To WWI Wounds: Plaster, Copper And Paint

World War I left many soldiers with disfiguring scars. For those whose faces were no longer recognizable, an American artist, Anna Coleman Ladd, sculpted masks to cover their injuries.

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These pastel boxes originally owned by Mary Cassatt were acquired recently by the National Gallery of Art. Click here for a closer look.

These pastel boxes originally owned by Mary Cassatt were acquired recently by the National Gallery of Art. Click here for a closer look. National Gallery of Art hide caption

itoggle caption National Gallery of Art

Fine Art

Now That's An Artifact: See Mary Cassatt's Pastels At The National Gallery

Cassatt gave the three well-loved, wooden boxes of pastels to a friend's 10-year-old granddaughter, who later recalled: "I wasted lots of them on playing and swapping them with my friends."

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"It's one of those moments in your life where you're so conscious about what you're about to do, and what you're about to do will change your life." --€” Geena Rocero

"It's one of those moments in your life where you're so conscious about what you're about to do, and what you're about to do will change your life." --€” Geena Rocero James Duncan Davidson/TED hide caption

itoggle caption James Duncan Davidson/TED

TED Radio Hour

Geena Rocero: How Do You Reveal A Life-Changing Transformation?

For most of Geena Rocero's career modeling lingerie and swimsuits, no one knew she was born a boy. Rocero talks about her decision to risk her career and reveal her background.

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This human-scale lab rat cage is parked near a skate park in Denver, Colo., to make a point about the lack of science on marijuana.

This human-scale lab rat cage is parked near a skate park in Denver, Colo., to make a point about the lack of science on marijuana. Richard Feldman Studio/Sukle Advertising and Design hide caption

itoggle caption Richard Feldman Studio/Sukle Advertising and Design

Shots - Health News

Colorado Tries Hard To Convince Teens That Pot Is Bad For You

Do you want to be a lab rat? That's what teenagers are doing when they smoke marijuana, the state of Colorado says. But since hard evidence of marijuana's harms is scanty, it may be a tough sell.