Artist Roger Blum, now 78, grew up in a troubled Seventh-day Adventist home in Northern California. That upbringing led him to register as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. In 1965, when he was beginning a master’s degree program and trying to establish himself as an illustrator, he received a draft notice.

A New York moment: 

You see a lot of weird stuff on the sidewalks of Manhattan, from discarded pants to one-legged pigeons. One time I came across a steaming pile of potatoes, scattered on the sidewalk, a scenario that still leaves me baffled.

A New York moment:

A D.C. moment:

The new official portraits of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama found a home in the National Portrait Gallery just in time for Presidents Day. The normally quiet gallery—a Smithsonian building visitors often neglect because it’s not situated along the National Mall—was swamped with crowds over the weekend to see the additions to the collection.

By World Journalism Institute students Myrna Brown, Paul Butler, Alex Duke, Steve Patton, Hannah Phillips, Andrew Shaughnessy, Dane Skelton, Russell St. John, Brigitte Sylvestre, and Marty Van Driel—with Marvin Olasky

A New York moment:

By the piers in swanky Battery Park City, curators set up a very serious outdoor sculpture show. The intended audience: dogs. Yes, this was an art show specifically for dogs, and because of the high demand, owners had to reserve time slots for their dogs to experience the art. “What was your favorite art, Harry?” a staffer asked an unresponsive poodle. The assembled gallery visitors were mostly childless, and the “exhibits” seemed designed for Instagram purposes.

On March 7, a bronze statue popped up on Manhattan’s Bowling Green at the intersection of Broadway and Whitehall. The timing, one day before International Women’s Day, is no accident: “Fearless Girl” faces the “Charging Bull” of Wall Street with feet spread, hands on hips, and puny chest thrust out like an 8-year-old insisting she will not, absolutely not, clear the table because it’s her brother’s turn.