Academy
November 4, 2025

Artist Who’s Been Painting for 20 Years Shares Her Inspiring Journey [Interview]

Viviene Astakhova is a mixed-media artist from St. Petersburg who has a talent for creating beautiful and elegant illustrations of European architecture. Her unique style lends her works a kind of lightness to them, while still maintaining a technical precision that exudes quiet sophistication. Astakhova primarily works in watercolor and ink to achieve this look, a testament to her talents as an artist and her love of beautiful architecture.

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Photo Contest
November 3, 2025

A Bird in Mourning Wins the 2025 European Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

A heartbreaking look at the realities of parenthood in the wild won the 2025 European Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. Photographer Luca Lorenz took the moving photo of a male pygmy owl returning with a meal for his young, only to discover they were no longer in the nest. The 20-year-old photographer from Berlin became the youngest overall winner in the competition’s 25-year history.

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Dogs
November 3, 2025

Adorable Dog Warms Hearts by Listening Attentively as His Human Plays the Piano

Dogs are truly loyal companions. And as pianist Kara Mehrmann has discovered, they are also great listeners. While she has earned fans around the world with her music, none are as attentive as her own dog, Bradford. In Mehrmann’s videos, the pooch can be seen sitting on her lap, listening attentively as she masterfully glides her fingers across the piano. Now, Bradford has grown a following of his own.

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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.