Though masonic fraternal groups have existed for centuries, their rites and methods have long been shrouded in secrecy.

Lauren Moya Ford
Lauren Moya Ford is a writer and artist. Her writing has appeared in Apollo, Artsy, Atlas Obscura, Flash Art, Frieze, Glasstire, Mousse Magazine, and other publications.
A Teenager’s Dreamy Art Deco Bedroom From 1929
A new book reconstructs a unique teen bedroom from 1929 and resurrects Joseph Urban’s far-reaching but now-forgotten influence on modern American design.
Another Look at Hinko Smrekar, Slovenia’s Rebel Caricaturist
Though little-known outside of his native country, Smrekar left a strong imprint on his nation’s art world and political thought.
Florine Stettheimer, Highly Original Artist, Gets Her First Comprehensive Biography
Barbara Bloemink’s thorough, engaging book is the first comprehensive biography and full reading of Stettheimer’s paintings, and gives the artist the attention she has long deserved.
Mauricio Lasansky’s “Nazi Drawings” Confront the Unthinkable Evil
Lasansky’s series drew massive crowds when it toured major museums between 1967 and 1970.
Digital Exhibition Examines the Darker Side of Bananas
The banana’s dominance and ubiquity has had serious and far-reaching implications for the region, engendering exploitative labor systems, climate change, and migration.
How Venetian Glass Seduced American Artists a Century Ago
A lavishly illustrated, fascinating book explores the resurgence of Venetian glass and the ways it influenced American ideas about taste and beauty.
How the Face of Rio de Janeiro Radically Changed Over Five Centuries
A new digital atlas, imagineRio, reveals how the city’s urban evolution has unfolded from its 16th century roots to the present day.
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.
An Intimate Look at the Landscape of the South Texas Borderlands
Though the area has been at the center of recent border wall debates, its complexity and diversity have been politicized and oversimplified for centuries.
A History of Utopian Nudist Clubs in Buttoned-up Britain
In the mid-1900s, nudists in Britain believed they could improve national health and remedy buttoned-up social norms and rigid class divisions.
Feliza Bursztyn, a Colombian Sculptor Who Obliterated Norms
Bursztyn created vibrating, noisy kinetic sculptures out of scrap metal and cloth with a mix of sensual and disturbing energy.