Urban Art & Antiques + Antiques Mysteries and Great Paintings

Beneath the still waters of Lake Thomas lies a forgotten Nevada town—and perhaps a secret that never wanted to stay buried. When Sandy discovers a weathered hotel ledger tied to her grandmother’s past, her search leads to eerie artifacts, whispered memories, and a porcelain doll that may be watching her back.

A vivid and morally complex portrait of Paul Gauguin, Wild Thing explores how one of modern art’s most influential painters transformed color and artistic expression while living a deeply controversial life. Sue Prideaux balances scandal, colonialism, genius, and artistic innovation in a biography that refuses easy judgments about art and the artist behind it.

A sleeping man collapses at his desk as owls and bats gather behind him. In 1799, Francisco Goya created an image that still feels disturbingly modern. Was The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters a warning about society, or a glimpse into the terrifying darkness lurking inside Goya’s own mind?

A silver candelabra sits quietly in moonlight, its twin locked forever in police evidence after murder. One survives in beauty, the other in custody. Between them lies a haunting question: can objects carry the weight of the lives, violence, and mysteries they outlive?

A century-old book filled with the voices of the dead… and the markings of the living. Early copies of Spoon River Anthology reveal something unsettling: readers treating fiction as truth, leaving behind clues, accusations, and memories. What were they trying to say—and who were they speaking to?

Some paintings show you the world. Others seem to shape it. In a small Paris studio, a group of young artists began treating art less like representation and more like belief. What started as experiment became ritual, and one modest painting turned into something closer to an object of power.

Did you know that some of the most influential modernist art in Texas didn’t come from New York or Paris—but from Fort Worth? In the 1940s and ’50s, a small, tight-knit group of artists, known as the Fort Worth Circle, quietly reshaped what art could look like in the region and beyond. From Veronica Helfensteller’s thoughtful abstractions to Kelly Fearing’s imaginative explorations, these artists embraced experimentation and created a uniquely Texan modernism. In this episode, we explore their stories, their creative dialogue with Dallas Regionalism, and the lasting impact of their work on Texas’ art scene today.

Just 30 minutes south of Portland is a tiny town that feels like a time warp—in the best way. This week, we’re wandering through Aurora, Oregon, where historic buildings are packed with antiques, architectural salvage, and more than a few unexpected finds. Park once, wander slowly, and come along for one of our favorite easy Saturday escapes.

The 2026 Portland Fine Print Fair rebounded impressively, attracting diverse crowds and featuring a variety of prints from across the country. Notable contributions included contemporary works by Stefanie Hofer and linocuts by Allison Saar. The fair emphasizes the accessibility of print collecting, appealing particularly to younger, grassroots collectors.