The Culture Beat: Where people come together

Culture takes shape wherever people gather, from theaters and cafés to galleries and the great outdoors. This month’s lineup celebrates creators finding new ways to share their work, preserve what matters, and bring people together.

PROJECTS WE LOVE

String and Shadow Puppet Theater's Tour

BY EMILY McHUGH

A all-ages theatrical production on the west coast with giant handmade puppets, intricate sets, and detailed costumes.

Wooden Whale Shark Automaton 

BY NICK'S WOOD ART STUDIO

A handcrafted figure that brings the ocean rhythm to life and reminds you to pause, breathe, and reconnect with a calmer pace.

Egg Palace in Oakland

BY EGG PALS

A beloved pop-up is putting down roots with a restaurant and bar serving signature favorites, brunch, dinner, and drinks.

Photoautomat

BY SIMON MURPHY

From a multiple-award-winning photographer: a celebration of Berlin’s analog photoautomat machines.

The Portal Cinema in San Francisco

BY THE PORTAL CINEMA

A nonprofit arthouse theater featuring new releases, repertory films, global cinema, and artists’ moving-image work—presented in a range of projection formats.

Queer Religion Volume 1 — Limited Edition 

BY FRANCES MARSHALL

A photography project forcing the conversation between two of the greatest paradoxes that exist today: Queerness and Religion.

Jerry Goldsmith's 

Thriller: Volume 3 

BY LEIGH PHILLIPS

This musical anthology continues with unreleased scores from the Thriller TV series, releasing one episode at a time, starting with "The Cheaters."

Woodlands — Expanded Art Book & Calendar

BY ATTHIS ARTS

An art book and 2027 calendar filled with dreamlike fantasy illustrations of magical forests, hidden gardens, and enchanting new worlds.

Newbery Street Coffee Roasters in Boston

BY PACK KATISOMSAKUL

A Thai specialty coffee pop-up is opening its first café, centered on slow, hand-brewed coffee, Asian café culture, and community.

Preserved Japanese White Peaches

BY KARAKU CO.

Help an Okayama farm preserve peak-season peaches to reduce waste and share a prized taste of Japan worldwide.