Arts & Entertainment

An oil on canvas portrait painting by acclaimed British artist Jonathan Richardson (1665-1745); an oil painting by the legendary Louisiana folk artist Clementine Hunter (1887-1988); and a selection of fine watches (including Rolexes) are just part of Crescent City Auction Gallery’s Important Estates Auction planned for the weekend of September 19-20. The sale will be held online as well as live in the Crescent City showroom located at 1330 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, starting at 10am Central Time both days. In all, 696 lots will come up for bid, featuring property from the estates of William and Beverly (Gallo) Caulffield and William Prentice Farrington, both of New Orleans, and other fine local and regional estates. Achille Gallo was a New Orleans-born musician, artist and marathon runner whose collection of musical instruments, gathered from around the world, is legendary. Three of his instruments are in the auction, all of them attributions: a violin made by Henry ... Continue reading →

Preston Evans has dropped hints in the past that the next auction on his calendar would be his last, but there was always a longtime friend’s estate that needed liquidating, or a major consignor would beat a path to his door that he couldn’t turn away. Fate always conspired to keep him in the game, a game he’d been playing for decades. Only this time it’s different. The legendary Georgia-based auctioneer – who was featured on TV’s American Pickers and whose property is home to a veritable museum of rare and highly collectible items in a rainbow of categories – will finally sail off into retirement following one last hurrah: a two-day monster auction planned for October 10th and 11th at a former church building Evans owns in Macon. “My motto has always been, ‘Where Rare is Common,’ and at no time will that be more true than in my farewell auction event,” Evans said. “My wife’s been after me to do this for ... Continue reading →

An outstanding single-owner collection of artworks dedicated entirely to the renowned American artist and illustrator Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) will come up for bid in an auction planned for Wednesday, September 24th, by Grant Zahajko Auctions, online and live in the gallery located at 510 Morgan Street in Davenport, starting at 9am Pacific time.  The auction is officially titled Maxfield Parrish: Artist & Illustrator, Celebrating a Career!  Maxfield Parrish was active in the first half of the 20th century. His works featured distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery. His career helped shape the Golden Age of illustration and American visual arts. In his storied career he produced almost 900 pieces of art, including calendars, greeting cards and magazine covers. His works are highly collectible today.  “After 47 years of discerningly collecting items relating to Maxfield Parrish, one of the more serious collectors of the artist has ... Continue reading →

Ricardo Salinas Pliego has long styled himself as an innovator and patriot. But behind the façade lies the machinery of fraud: a sprawling carousel of more than eighty shell companies, woven across Mexico, the United States, and offshore jurisdictions, designed to conceal wealth and cheat the public purse. These paper entities do not innovate, they do not create, and they do not employ. Their only purpose is to shield debts, shuffle capital, and dissolve into nothingness once liabilities surface. Regulators and courts have been left chasing shadows, while Salinas has drained value from Mexico with ruthless efficiency. But the carousel is grinding to a halt. Grupo Elektra has been slammed with billion-peso defeats in court. TV Azteca has been condemned for dodging tax obligations. Banco Azteca’s role as a funnel for suspicious capital flows is now under the microscope. Each ruling exposes the same truth: the empire rests not on productivity, but on deception. ... Continue reading →

Author Charlene Wexler recently won a 2025 Global Book Award in the Contemporary Fiction category for her book We Won’t Go Back, published by Speaking Volumes. We Won’t Go Back is the story of Babs, who lived a pleasant life in a northern suburb of Chicago, devoting her time to her husband and two teen daughters. But when the Supreme Court issues a landmark ruling, Babs’ life changes as she reunites with her late mother’s fellow activists from the 1970s to take up the fight for women’s rights once again. Family matters continue to intervene, however: a close relative’s death, meeting a previously unknown half-brother, an unplanned pregnancy, and a nostalgic great aunt who wants her 100th birthday party to be a pilgrimage to the now-downtrodden South Shore community of Chicago. Through it all comes a determination that We Won’t Go Back to a time when women lacked basic rights. The frightening Highland Park, IL, Fourth of July parade shooting of ... Continue reading →

A 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle baseball card graded PSA 1 Poor but still considered a “holy grail” collectible; a Boston Red Sox Mitchell & Ness jersey with a period Babe Ruth PSA signature applied to the number 3; and a Maurice “Rocket” Richard signed and game-used hockey stick from his 1946-47 Hart Trophy season, are a few of the top lots in Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.’s Pre-1980 Sports Cards & Memorabilia auction. This is an online-only auction with no live webcast portion. Lots will close in sequential order beginning at 6pm Eastern time on Sunday, September 28th. There are 280 lots up for bid. “This sale brings together some of the most significant treasures in sports collecting history, from the legendary 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle to a game-used 1902 Stanley Cup stick by the winning goaltender,” said Ben Pernfuss, Consignment Director for the sale. “There’s a lot of variety.” Complementing the marquee ... Continue reading →

The Supreme Court’s moves to reopen Elektra's amparos mark the collapse of Ricardo Salinas Pliego’s delay tactics, leaving his empire exposed to billion-peso tax liabilities. The legal noose is tightening around Ricardo Salinas Pliego and his sprawling financial empire. In a stunning turn that underscores mounting judicial pressure, the newly reconstituted Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) has reinstated Minister Lenia Batres as the ponente (drafting judge) in a case aimed at revoking an amparo granted to Elektra. That amparo had delayed Elektra’s obligation to pay a tax credit exceeding 67 million pesos. The reinstatement comes despite earlier rulings that declared Batres disqualified from handling cases involving Salinas Pliego, due to demonstrated bias. This judicial maneuver threatens to unravel one of Salinas Pliego’s primary delaying tactics—his legal shield. By bringing Batres back into the fold, the SCJN signals a willingness to ... Continue reading →

A 1940s Canadian single-sided porcelain sign for Black Cat Cigarettes sold for $34,220 and a circa 1920s Canadian two-sided lithographed tin for C.C. Snowdon Numidian Automobile Cylinder Oil finished at $20,060 in two days of auctions held September 13th and 14th by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. There were four sessions held overall. All prices quoted in this report are in Canadian dollars and include an 18 percent buyer’s premium. The September 13th morning session, featuring the Terry Henderson Collection, had 377 lots of advertising signs, petroliana, coin-op and automobilia. The evening session, titled Push Comes to Shove, contained 160 lots of advertising signs and petroliana. The September 14th sale featured Parts 1 & 2 of the Don Titherington Advertising Collection, 435 lots total across two sessions. The Black Cat Cigarettes sign, impressive at 50 ¼ inches by 46 ½ inches, was the top lot of Day 2 and the top lot overall. The sign was professionally ... Continue reading →

Inclusive Web, a leader in digital accessibility solutions, was recently honored by Fast Company for its Accessibility Portal in the magazine’s 2025 Innovation by Design Awards. Inclusive Web received this recognition in the Established Excellence (5–14 Years in Business) category. The recognition highlights Inclusive Web’s mission to reframe accessibility as not just a compliance issue, but a critical business and marketing priority. “ADA lawsuits may grab headlines. The real cost of inaccessibility is invisible: the customers you never win. People with disabilities are not a liability—they’re a valuable market. Every barrier is lost business,” said Matthew Elefant, the manager director of Inclusive Web, who began the New York-based agency in 2018 after two decades in the digital transformation and video streaming space. “We’re grateful for the Fast Company honor because it both recognizes our work and affirms our vision: ... Continue reading →

Ballet is often associated with elegance, poise, and tradition. While these qualities are part of its enduring charm, they do not capture the full reality of the art form. Misconceptions about ballet often discourage children, teenagers, and even adults from exploring it. In truth, ballet combines strength, athleticism, and inclusivity, making it accessible to anyone willing to learn. Myth One: Ballet Is Only About Grace and Beauty Many people think ballet is primarily about appearance. In practice, it requires immense stamina, flexibility, and muscular control. Professional dancers are often compared to athletes, as their craft demands rigorous training, balance, and endurance. Even beginners quickly discover that ballet challenges both body and mind while improving posture, coordination, and overall fitness. Myth Two: Ballet Is Only for Children Another widespread belief is that ballet is best started at a young age. While children may adapt quickly, it is by no means limited to ... Continue reading →