Rauschenberg's Photos Of The City; How French Poet Rimbaud Inspired David Wojnarowicz's NYC Work; NPR Student Podcast Challenge Finalists

The artist Robert Rauschenberg — born 100 years ago Tuesday — strove to incorporate the 'real world" into his work through found objects, magazine images, and his own photographic practice. Now, a new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York shows his fascination with the city, and how he viewed it. Curator Sean Corcoran discusses the show "Robert Rauschenberg’s New York: Pictures from the Real World."

David Wojnarowicz was an influential New York artist and AIDS activist who established himself in the East Village scene in the 70s and 80s. The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, which curates work from LGBTQ+ artists, has organized a new exhibition around a series Wojnarowicz made inspired by French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Curator Antonio Sergio Bessa details what you can see in the show, "David Wojnarowicz: Arthur Rimbaud in New York," on view through January 18, 2026.

Every year, NPR organizes its Student Podcast Challenge, where it invites middle and high school students from around the country to submit a short podcast or reported piece. This year, a few of the finalists happened to be from our listening area. Teachers and students from Edgemont High School in Westchester, William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ, and Mount Olive Middle School in Budd Lake, NJ, talk about their pieces and present a sample.