Against All Odds: Artists Tarzan and Arab Creating Art on the Gaza Strip

by Lindsay Shapka in ,


If you think you've met a struggling artist before, think again.

Tarzan and Arab (real names Ahmed and Mohamed Abu Nasser) are 25-year-old twins who were born and raised in Gaza City where theatres don't exist (the last one was destroyed a year before they were born), and artistic expression (of ANY kind) is considered to be pornographic.

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Creative Personality: An Interview With Artist Malorie Shmyr

by Lindsay Shapka in ,


After just one visit to malorieshmyr.com it is obvious that this talented creative director, fine artist and 3D modeler is something special.

The last couple of years have brought a world of success for this Edmonton, Alberta-based talent whose whimsical view of the world has been translated in movies, on the runway, on canvas, in print, and in photographs. I have had the honour of knowing Malorie for many years now and have had the pleasure of interviewing her to get some insight into the life and mind of a working artist.

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The Readymade World of Marcel Duchamp

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


When I was studying Art History, the most fascinating artists to me were the ones that made an effort to do something entirely different — the men and women that stuck their tongue out at the norm and refused to make the highbrow art world happy.

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Is Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling at The Vatican Under Threat?

by Lindsay Shapka in , , ,


The Sistine Chapel recently celebrated its 500th Birthday and, along with a huge party, it also got a warning — it may soon have only a limited amount of visitors.

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"642 Things To Write About" by The San Francisco Writers' Grotto

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


Write a short story that is set in Argentina in 1932, in which a teacup plays a crucial role. Describe the greatness of sandwiches. You are a pirate — describe your perfect day. What is a character holding a blue object thinking right now? Write ten new cheers for a high school cheerleading squad.

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