Last week, thanks to the weather, I had to extend a business trip to Chicago by two days. In a sheer twist of occurrences that often make you wonder how much is really left to coincidence, I attended an art opening at the State Street Gallery. It’s not often that one gets to see the creative side of collegiate faculty and presidents.

Michael Hayden’s encaustic works, recently on display at the Art.Life show in Los Angeles, draw you in with their intricate play of texture and color. Michael’s successful career as an artist is an inspiration for anyone to follow their passion. . . . Originally from Memphis Tennessee, he started an apartment painting business in New York, then went on to San Francisco to hone his decorative painting skills at The Day Studio with JoAnne Day.

Paper Farms’ publishing debut features three novellas published under the Black Hills Press imprint. Defined as “a distinctive, mid-length fiction often overlooked as a literary genre,” the novellas have often fallen out of place, being too long to be a short story, and too short to be considered a full-blown novel.

Romain Court, founder of USeduce.com, is a Seduction Coach who trains his willing students in the art of French Seduction. He discusses his work and overall philosophy in the following interview, ending with some useful seduction tips for both men and women.

In February 2013, the Pan African Film Festival, America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival, celebrated its 21st anniversary, as it screened more than 150 films representing 34 countries: U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the South Pacific, and Canada, with entries from Egypt, Nigeria, Namibia, Tanzania, Guadeloupe, South Africa, Kenya, and Brazil. The films include 23 documentaries, 13 short documentaries, 67 narrative features, and 51 narrative shorts.

I have been in the publishing industry for over 10 years. It started with ISM. We had just graduated college and were searching for something to inspire us. What began as a concept with simple business cards developed into an internationally recognized movement and arts non-profit, welcoming all to share their creative ideas, giving a voice to many who shared a passion for art with no avenue to explore their talent.Our mission is to support collaborative creativity by producing international art experiments and providing free public programs.

Over the last two years, we have witnessed what amounts to an explosion of African fashion around the globe: Ghana Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz Africa Fashion in South Africa, and Lagos Fashion Week in Nigeria, all in October. Across the ocean in New York, we had Adiree Fashion Week in July, Arise Fashion Week during September New York Fashion Week, and Africa Fashion Week LA in October.

Suzanne DeLaurentiis is an accomplished, award-winning filmmaker who’s worked on over one hundred feature films throughout her 30-plus years as a filmmaker and received numerous awards. A powerhouse of activity and inspiration, she is also a tireless humanitarian and philanthropist, actively contributing to over 30 charities. As she talks about her work as a producer and her work with veterans, one cannot help but be inspired to push forward.

The pleated shell structures at the Zaha Hadid installation at Sci Arc seemed like something straight out of one of Masamune Shirow’s anime visions of utopian cities: organic, futuristic shapes, half-plant, half-egg-shaped, that seem to have sprouted up from the ground. This prototype explores the creation of new physical shapes and draping of materials (i.e. cloth, chains, and fiberglass) over mathematically-generated structural wood skeletons.

Evander Holyfield, one of the last heavyweight boxing legends, recently celebrated his 50th anniversary and announced his retirement. Looking at his collection of boxing memorabilia on display at Julien’s in Beverly Hills felt like being hit with three decades of boxing history all at once—exciting, yet slightly overwhelming, and a slight tinge of wistfulness.