Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
Art
July 24, 2025

Sprawling ‘Art Paris 2025’ Was as Grand as the Restored ‘Grand Palais’ Where It Was Held

The fully restored Grand Palais in Paris held its first major event in April of this year. From April 3 to April 6, 2025, it hosted Art Paris 2025, a sprawling spring fair that welcomed 170 galleries from 25 countries. Back under the soaring glass dome, this year’s edition was a smash return—not only for the Grand Palais but also for Art Paris.

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Music
July 18, 2025

Italian Sound Festival Fuses History With Electronic Music To Recreate an Electrifying Arch on Stage

Live music can immerse you in the moment, making you feel as though you’re in a different world. The music itself plays a large part, but so does the visual design of the event. Architecture studio STUFISH created a striking stage design for the electronic Adriatic Sound Festival at Fano Airport in Italy from June 13 to June 14, 2025.

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Music
July 17, 2025

Musical Instrument Museum Highlights the Shared Experience of Making Music Across the World

Music tells the story of our history and culture, and one museum showcases different instruments from around the world and across time. The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) showcases more than 4,200 instruments and associated objects (out of over 12,000) in its collection, housed over two floors of light-filled galleries in Phoenix, Arizona. Boasting a diverse, international collection, MIM recognizes that music is something we all share.

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Architecture
July 10, 2025

MAD Unveils Giant Graceful ‘Chinese Paper Umbrella’ at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale

Pioneering architecture studio MAD has designed a stunning canopy for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. The structure is a reinterpretation of traditional Chinese oil paper umbrellas, featuring a monumental floating form that doubles as a sheltered outdoor space next to the China Pavilion. (MAD also designed the China Pavilion.) Aptly called Chinese Paper Umbrella, the design offers relief from the external elements and a site of tranquility within a subtly shifting interior space.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.