Art & Culture

NEW ORLEANS – September 09, 2026 -- TrineDay Books is promoting a slate of titles tied to the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, offering readers a catalog of books that challenge the official government account of that day.

Two authors question the World Trade Center collapse and Pentagon strike

Mark H. Gaffney's "Black 9/11" and "The 9/11 Mystery Plane" argue that technical evidence, including footage the author attributes to CNN, points to flaws in the official narrative of the WTC collapse and places a military command-and-control aircraft near the White House during the Pentagon attack.

Harlem, N.Y. – September 09, 2026 -- Beyoncé has donated $2 million to the Studio Museum in Harlem, timing the gift to coincide with her birthday.

The institution, founded in 1968, is dedicated to artists of African descent and work shaped by Black culture. Beyoncé, a longtime art collector, said the museum introduced her to several of her favorite young Black artists through its exhibits.

Beyoncé says art from the museum reflects shared humanity

"Art tells all our stories; the past and the present, but is not always accessible to everyone," Beyoncé said. She praised the museum's effort to make itself an integral part of the community, calling it a place where diverse storytellers reflect humanity through their work.

Levallois-Perret – September 08, 2026 -- L'Oréal is opening five of its landmark French sites to the public on September 19 and 20, 2026, as part of the 43rd European Heritage Days.

Five sites reveal the science behind everyday beauty products

Visitors can tour the Episkin research center in Lyon, the luxury skincare production plant in Caudry, the historic Paris headquarters known as "Le Visionnaire," the Thermal Center in La Roche-Posay, and the Domaine de la Rose in Grasse. This marks the fourth consecutive year L'Oréal has taken part in the national heritage event.

France anchors over a century of L'Oréal research and manufacturing

The company operates 11 industrial sites and 7 research centers in France, employing 2,700 researchers. L'Oréal invests nearly one billion euros annually in research and innovation, spanning early hair dye formulas, sunscreen development, and current AI-driven research into skin aging.

Hamburg – September 08, 2026 -- The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra opens its 2026/27 season on September 4, marking ten years as the resident ensemble of Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie concert hall. Since the venue opened, the orchestra has performed 654 concerts in its Great Hall, serving as the house's musical core and global ambassador.

Chief conductor calls the orchestra 'the luckiest in the world'

Chief conductor Alan Gilbert credits the hall's flexibility for shaping the ensemble's decade-long identity. "We at the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra might be the luckiest orchestra in the world having the Elbphilharmonie as our home," Gilbert said, adding that the space works equally well for full orchestral forces and solo instruments.

New York – September 08, 2026 -- Tickets are now on sale for "Jim Henson's Harmonious Hoopla," a musical revue playing just two nights, Thursday, September 24, 2026, and Friday, September 25, 2026, both at 7:00 PM. The show is part of the Museum of the Moving Image's celebration of Jim Henson's 90th birthday, with tickets available at movingimage.org and discounted pricing for MoMI members.

The production comes from The Jim Henson Company and Heather Henson, pulling songs from across the Henson universe, including Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.

Houston – September 08, 2026 -- A Houston plastic surgeon is applying decades-old principles of classical sculpture to modern body-contouring procedures, arguing that anatomy and artistry must work together for safe, natural-looking results.

Dr. Emmanuel De La Cruz studies proportion and shadow before ever entering the operating room

Emmanuel De La Cruz, MD, founder of De La Cruz Plastic Surgery and a double board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, says his years studying classical portrait and figurative sculpture shape how he approaches liposuction and body contouring. "Sculpture changed the way I see the human body," De La Cruz said. "You begin seeing how every contour flows into the next."

Seoul – September 07, 2026 -- Tickets for the K-Royal Culture Festival Fall 2026 go on sale starting noon on Sept. 4 through the Ticketlink website, opening access to five days of performances, exhibitions and historical reenactments across four royal palaces and Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul.

The festival, hosted by the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Korea Heritage Service and organized by the Korea Heritage Agency, runs Oct. 7-11 at Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung Palaces. The spring 2026 edition drew roughly 725,000 visitors, a record for the event.

Llantrisant – September 07, 2026 -- The Royal Mint has launched two commemorative 50 pence coins marking 60 years of Star Trek, with the first design going on sale September 3 and priced at £19.95.

The first coin features the Vulcan salute alongside the phrases "Live Long & Prosper" and "Star Trek 60"

It marks the first time an image from the original Star Trek series has appeared on a UK 50p coin. A second coin, arriving in November, depicts four starships spanning different eras of the franchise -- the U.S.S. Voyager NCC-74656, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, the Enterprise NCC-1701-D, and a Klingon Bird of Prey -- paired with the inscription "Star Trek 60."

Grand Rapids – September 07, 2026 -- Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will reopen ENLIGHTEN Presented by PNC Bank on Nov. 23, running through Jan. 10, 2027, with member ticket sales starting Sept. 1 and public sales beginning Sept. 8.

The third season of the immersive holiday light experience guides guests along a one-mile outdoor path from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on select evenings, featuring sculptures synchronized with music and lighting.

A reimagined midway stop highlights Mark di Suvero's Scarlatti sculpture

At the midpoint of the walking path, Scarlatti by Mark di Suvero returns with new lighting, music and choreography. The stop also includes a warming tent, firepits, and food and beverage options for visitors.

Munich -- German broadcaster ARD is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks with three new productions: a primetime documentary, a special broadcast, and an investigative podcast series.

A 90-minute documentary revisits New York's last carefree summer before the attacks

"SEPTEMBER," directed by Johan von Mirbach and produced by WDR, contrasts the everyday lives of New Yorkers during the summer of 2001 -- shaped by Fashion Week and the US Open -- with the parallel preparations of the 19 hijackers. The film combines personal testimonies with previously unpublished archive footage and interviews with voices from politics, media, and security agencies. It is streaming now on ARD Mediathek and airs on Das Erste on September 11 at 8:15 p.m.