December 28, 2021 • View in browser

Good morning. ☁️ Today, how the first “viral” media spawned a 16th-century peasant uprising, a renowned private art collection goes on view in California, and as tarot cards gain in popularity, a new BIPOC deck offers a different take.

— Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief

Wayne Thiebaud, Whose Paintings Were (Almost) Good Enough to Eat, Dies at 101

He mastered the textures of frosting, meringue, and donut glaze, but was also known for his dizzying cityscapes and Pop-like humor. | Valentina Di Liscia

IN OTHER NEWS

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Jennifer Coates Communes with the Gods of Nighttime Revelry

A thought experiment I sometimes engage in is to ask myself what kind of god would make the world that is being represented in the work I’m seeing. | Seph Rodney

How the First “Viral” Media Spawned a Peasant Uprising in Germany

Pamphlets on Reformation-era poverty, widely considered Europe’s first drafts of human rights, were printed millions of times in the early 16th century. | Billy Anania

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Arts Faculty and Staff Positions Now Open at the George Washington University

The Corcoran School of the Arts and Design is seeking applications for full-time professors in Art History, Design, Interior Architecture, and Theatre, as well as Exhibitions staff. Learn more.

Stitched Scenes of Everyday Life in LA’s Boyle Heights

Erick Medel’s labor-intensive pieces pay tribute to the labor being done around him. | Lauren Moya Ford

How Joan and Jack Quinn Built a Major Art Collection Based on Friendship

Seeing On the Edge purely in art historical terms misses what the Quinn family and their guests have been appreciating for years, that their collection is really about friendship and encouragement. | John Seed

A BIPOC Tarot Deck for Navigating Trying Times

Tarot in Pandemic and Revolution reinstates tarot’s enduring ability to offer structure and guidance in moments of social unrest. | Faith Adiele

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