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The best the Bay Area has to offer, from the writers and editors of KQED Arts & Culture.

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Honoring the African Legacy, Sound and Craftsmanship of the Banjo

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A group of people gather on a street corner at night, opposite a residential building. A projection of a simple black and white figure waving is being projected onto the side of the building.

A New San Francisco Scavenger Hunt Is Worth the PURSUIT

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A Black man wearing a baseball cap and white t-shirt in close-up.

Raphael Saadiq Talks One-Man Show, Beyoncé’s Work Ethic and ‘Sinners’

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Superman stands firm in a bold stance inside an industrial-looking space.

James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Is a Surprising and Creative Immigrant Story

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A small figurine faces forward and lays bricks at the center of a diorama.

The Oakland Library Wants YOU ... to Make Weird History Dioramas

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A book cover featuring an illustration of two women and two men walking along a beach, viewed from behind and above.

‘These Summer Storms’ Is a Steamy Take on Rich People Behaving Badly

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painting with Elvis, sardine recipe and Grease logo overlaid

At Pacific Saw Works, Puzzling Paintings Make Surreal Sense

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A 20-something white woman with dark messy hair tied back, stands in the street holding up and intently staring into the face of a kitten.

‘Sorry, Baby’ Conveys the Everyday Ordinariness of Terrible Things

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artwork of color prints mounted on metal strips over brown leather hides

A Show of Queer Desire Pairs Abandon and Restraint

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An illustration showing four young people in a field flying books like kites.

The Best Fiction of 2025 So Far, According to NPR Staffers

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