Ice block blessings and a Reading Rainbow reboot

Spine-Tingling 3D Art That Breaks Free of Its Canvas

It’s October, meaning it’s officially spooky season. It’s the perfect time to highlight the work of mixed-media artist Tanya Gomelskaya. Her three-dimensional pieces are especially alluring. They blur the line between sculpture and painting as her subjects break through the barriers of the canvas. The surrealist works feature people (often women) who appear to be crawling out of the confines of the frame, out into reality.

It’s all at once creepy and captivating. Like a scene straight out of the horror film The Ring (where there’s an iconic scene of a young girl climbing out of the TV), Gomelskaya’s figures escape their two-dimensional boundaries, their three-dimensional limbs poking out from the canvas. In many cases, the figure appears to be headed straight toward the viewer, using their hands to pull themselves closer.

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Though these are stationary sculptural works, there’s an undeniable visual effect that makes you feel as though the subject is creeping up on you. They’re motionless when you’re looking at them, but if you turn away… who’s to say they won’t fully drag themselves out of their framed prison and lunge at you from behind?

Of course, the scare factor of Gomelskaya’s art is especially successful because of her artistic prowess. The remarkable level of hyperrealism she achieves in each nightmarish scene is a testament to her talents.

Not So Swift: ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ Lyrics Has Fans Divided

@noahcastillero

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Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, came out, and Swifties are losing their minds. After one day, it had already registered the second-largest sales week in modern history (sorry, Taylor, but no one takes out Adele’s 25). Swift has been everywhere promoting the record — from fiancé Travis Kelce’s podcast to collaborations with Kitchenaid — but now the focus is firmly on the music and the reaction is… a bit mixed.

Of course, this should come as no surprise. Pop culture loves to build people up and tear people down; but until now, Swift’s music has been universally praised. And not that the concept album isn’t getting praise, but mixed in are critiques of something that is usually rock solid, Swift’s lyrics. The New York Times calls them “a step backward,” and Esquire says that the album, as a whole, is “wildly uneven” while still acknowledging that Swift’s dominance in pop culture is something we’ve never seen.

Whether you are a fervent Swiftie or wish the world would stop talking about her, it’s hard to deny that we’re living the Taylor Swift era. What happens next remains to be seen.

• 🛑 Though the U.S. is entering its 7th day of the government shutdown, the federally funded Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo have vowed to stay open to the public through October 11 by using “prior-year funds.” If the shutdown goes beyond that… well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

• 🪙 And while the government shutdown persists, there is talk of issuing a commemorative $1 coin with Trump’s face on it in 2026. The U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach confirms it’s true. But, as many online have pointed out, this could actually be illegal. The U.S. code governing coin design states: “No coin issued under this subsection may bear the image of a living former or current President, or of any deceased former President during the 2-year period following the date of the death of that President.” However, there appear to be some loopholes.

• 🔮 Marina Abramović’s new four-hour performance, Balkan Erotic Epic, dives into Balkan fertility rituals and folklore with 70 performers, surreal erotic imagery, and scenes ranging from skeleton orgies to giant phalluses — a provocative blend of myth, politics, and personal history.

• 🚨 Italy’s art police have seized 21 suspected forgeries (18 lithographs + 3 drawings) from a Dalí exhibition in Parma, following alerts from the Dalí Foundation and a Rome court order. If confirmed fake, the show’s organizers may face criminal charges for art forgery or knowingly dealing in counterfeits.

• 🧊 Pope Leo XIV blessed a 20,000-year-old block of Greenland ice brought to Rome by artist Olafur Eliasson, at the inauguration of the “Raising Hope” conference — a symbolic gesture linking faith, climate action, and the urgency of ecological conversion.

• 🌊 Artist Leandro Erlich has submerged 22 “cars” made of marine-grade concrete about 600 feet off Miami Beach as part of The ReefLine project. Each 13-ton sculpture is seeded with coral and intended to become a functional reef, transforming a symbol of emissions into a life-giving underwater ecosystem.

• 🇵🇸 The art world has been actively rallying around Gaza: in the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Muhanna turned World Food Programme aid boxes into canvases for more than 40 works reflecting survival under siege; in Italy, 1,500+ arts workers signed an open letter urging government action against the assault; and at sea, a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying artists and media professionals called on peers worldwide to act in solidarity, arguing that artistic resistance must go beyond symbolism in times of crisis.

• 🎤 Bad Bunny is officially performing the Super Bowl Halftime show, and the world (or rather MAGA) has strong opinions. But if his SNL monologue is any indication, the Puerto Rican musician couldn't care less. He spoke in Spanish for part of it and then said in English: “If you didn’t understand what I just said… you have 4 months to learn.” *Mic drop*

• ⚖️ The P. Diddy saga is coming to a close with Judge Arun Subramanian sentencing the disgraced mogul to 50 months in prison. From Subramanian’s vibe throughout the entire trial, you know he wished he could do even more. Kudos to him for not bending to the tale Diddy’s lawyers spun about a changed man. He’ll now spend his remaining time in prison teaching inmates about entrepreneurship and serving as a mentor. 🫤🫤

• 🌈 As children of the 80s, we can’t help but rejoice at the news that Reading Rainbow is getting a reboot. While there’s no LeVar Burton, librarian-turned-internet-sensation Mychal Threets will be taking over. The real question is, who will remake the iconic theme song?

• 🪫 We often focus on the tremendous success of former SNL cast members who go on to superstar heights, but Punkie Johnson and Chloe Troast are getting real about just how difficult it is to transition off of the NBC juggernaut.

• 📺 In the world of Real Housewives, Miami is heating up with what is sure to be a spicy second episode of the cast’s reunion. At the same time, four episodes in, the ladies of Salt Lake City are showing that their streak of slam dunk seasons isn’t going anywhere, and Potomac makes its season debut with the shadow of Karen Huger looming large.

• 🤣 If you need a good laugh, watch this TikTok of ESPN SportsCenter hosts doing their own makeup when a snafu occurred with the day’s glam.

• 🎭 Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon! is headed to Broadway thanks to Lorne Michaels. The underrated musical-comedy television show, which was canceled after its second season, is set to open in April 2026. The show has yet to announce the cast, but here’s hoping at least some of our favorites (like Cecily Strong) make it to the Broadway version.