This is Lola. If you saw her on the street -- sans flower crown -- you might wrongfully keep your distance, speed up or avoid eye contact. And yet here, when crowned with a whimsical coronet of candy-colored spring flowers, you probably feel your insides bubbling over with adoration, coupled with the intense desire to grab Lola by her wet, red nose and give her a kiss. 

Photographer Sophie Gamand, the artist behind "Flower Power," was not originally a fan of pit bulls. However, as a volunteer with animal shelters and rescue groups that frequently encounter the breed (or amalgamation of breeds), she felt the need to dig deeper to discover the roots of her aversion to pit bulls. "I wanted to understand for myself what the [larger] debate was all about," the artist explained to The Huffington Post. "Were they bloodthirsty monsters? Or just dogs with a bad reputation?"

Through photography, Gamand not only hoped to explore her bias but eventually to unhinge pit bulls from their stereotypically aggressive associations. "I decided to photograph them in a totally unexpected way, to see if new imagery could challenge the way we perceive them, and ultimately the way we treat them."

Thus -- the flower crowns.  

Gamand recruited her photographic subjects from various shelters, showcasing dogs too often abused and neglected in their previous lives. "I am interested in photographing these contemporary 'monsters' of our society, the rejects, the disposable lives they have become, similarly to [Bartolomé Esteban] Murillo or Egon Schiele," she added.

Styling her images according to the conventions of traditional baroque portraiture, Gamand captures her subjects facing the camera head on against an ambiguous, sparkly backdrop, positioning them as queen royalty in some alternate dog-driven universe. Additionally, Gamand makes each of the featured flower crowns herself, the ephemeral blossoms symbolizing the fragility of pitbulls' lives.

"In the U.S. alone, between 800,000 and one million pit bulls are euthanized every year," Gamand explained. "I am moved by their fate. I believe that, because we created dogs (through artificial selection) and made them what we wanted them to be, it should give us tremendous responsability towards them. Pit bulls are being quietly massacred."

Despite her initial hostility toward the pit bull, Gamand is determined to overcome her prejudice and shift the common conceptions of the glorious beasts. "With this series, I hope to break a cycle by reminding us that pit bulls are precious, fragile, moving creatures. And like any dog, they are what we make of them," she concluded.

"The way we treat pit bulls should remind us of our own shortcomings. They hold a mirror up for our humanity. What are they reflecting back at us?"

"Flower Power" is on view at Adrien/Kavachnina Contemporary until Oct. 12, 2015. See the Huffington Post's Arin Greenwood's coverage of the series here. 

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

When Mejgon was 11 years old, her father sold her to a married 60-year-old Afghanistan man for two boxes of heroin.

“In my whole life, I’ve never felt love,” Mejgon, who endured years of abuse, told National Geographic photographer Stephanie Sinclair when she was 16.

Every year, 14.2 million girls like Mejgon are forced to marry before they turn 18, a damaging tradition that disproportionately affects poor girls and leaves them more susceptible to abuse, poverty and death due to childbirth and other health complications. 

Sinclair met Mejgon at a safe house in Herat when she first began documenting the struggles and injustices child brides face. After learning that Mejgon had been sent back to live with her father, Sinclair felt emboldened to continue her photo initiative, which has now evolved into the "Too Young To Wed" series, a campaign that aims to raise awareness and funds for girls who are trapped in the cycle of child marriage.

“I have no idea what became of [Mejgon]. I’m sure it wasn’t good,” Sinclair told The Huffington Post. “The fact that I was powerless to do anything about it has been one of the main reasons why I continued the project and why I’m still working on it today.”

Sinclair started shooting child brides in Afghanistan in 2003, where 53 percent of girls marry before they turn 18. While the country banned the practice in 2009, advocates remain concerned about the effectiveness of such measures, which often go unenforced in the developing world. 

However some are hopeful that the U.N.'s new Sustainable Development Goals, which aims to eliminate child marriage as part of the overall effort to achieve gender equality, could help put a stop to the practice.

Still, advocates, like Sinclair, look to on-the-ground groups, which are working to protect girls from child marriage and give them a refuge to escape if they are forced to wed.

Through Tuesday evening, Sinclair is selling the photos she’s taken in more than 10 countries from her Too Young To Wed series to support a number of organizations that are saving young, at-risk girls.

Part of the proceeds will support women and girls in Kargati Village in Nepal, which was devastated during the recent twin earthquakes. The earthquakes, which claimed more than 8,000 lives, has also subsequently put children at a higher risk of exploitation, according to UNICEF. 

Child marriage rates are expected to soar in the disaster's aftermath considering that parents who have lost everything can no longer afford to raise their daughters and orphaned girls will likely be preyed upon, Reuters reported. 

Niruta, a subject Sinclair photographed in 2007, will be one of the beneficiaries of the Too Soon To Wed campaign’s efforts in Nepal.

Back in 2007, Sinclair photographed Niruta when she was 14 at her wedding in Kagati Village. She got pregnant while she was engaged to Durga, who was 17 at the time, and Niruta was nine months pregnant at the ceremony.

Pregnancy is a major risk for girls for young girls whose bodies aren’t fully prepared to conceive. In fact, complications due to pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls ages 15 to 19, according to UNICEF. 

Niruta’s family’s home was flattened during the earthquake and they’re currently living in a cow stall, Sinclair told HuffPost. She hopes the funds raised will help the family to build a new home and Sinclair also aims to rebuild the village’s school, which was destroyed during the earthquake.

The initiative will also support the Samburu Girls Foundation in Kenya, a program that rescues girls from a number of harmful practices, including child marriage, female genital mutilation and beading, which is when families give their girls over for to sex for relatives in the warrior class who wouldn’t be allowed to otherwise marry.

To date, the group has placed 125 girls in boarding schools and has rescued a total of 200 girls, who are also provided with food and security, among other services.

Too Young To Wed hopes to provide daily supplies to the Samburu Girls Foundation and act as a bridge to other donor networks.

The group is also extending its efforts to Ethiopia where 41 percent of girls are married before 18, according to UNICEF.

Too Young To Wed is focusing on the village of Gombat, where Sinclair photographed a girl named Destaye, who was married at age 11 to an Ethiopian Orthodox priest in his mid-20s.

Ultimately, though, Sinclair’s goal is to expand the group’s efforts to touch even more underserved communities affected by child marriage.

“Our main focus will always be to provide powerful visual storytelling, then bring our girls’ stories to the world to help inspire an end to child marriage,” Sinclair told HuffPost. “We would also like to widen the scope of these on the ground projects. It’s important to us that the communities who share their stories and are open to change, find the support they need.”

Learn more about the Too Young To Wed Series and how you can get involved here. 

Related on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

This article originally appeared on artnet News.

The official, Valinda Freed, has apologized for her “thoughtless act," according to the Kansas City Star. A photograph by area journalist Dave Marner went viral on Facebook over the weekend. A “right to work" rally, featuring several Republican gubernatorial candidates, was the occasion for the exchange of phone numbers between Freed and the unidentified man.

“I offer my sincere apology for my completely unplanned and thoughtless act," vice chairwoman Valinda Freed wrote in a statement to the Star. “The Thomas Hart Benton mural, and all the magnificent artwork in the Capitol, are (sic) state and national treasures."

The mural, A Social History of the State of Missouri, resides in the Missouri State Capitol and was commissioned in 1936. According to an essay on Truman State University's website, Benton traveled the state, speaking to “everyone from educated art critics to Ozark hillbillies," to get an understanding of Missouri's character.

The paintings show log cabins, turkey shoots, and French settlers trading with Osage Indians, along with darker subjects like a slave auction, a lynched slave, and the tarring and feathering of a naked Mormon.

Freed is also, according to her LinkedIn page, director of the Christian Patriots Arise Assembly, “an organization calling Christian Patriots to renew their commitment to Christ" and “to become involved in all matters involving public policy that effect (sic) their families and their FREEDOM."

Related stories:

Met Unveils Thomas Hart Benton's America Today Mural

Was Christie's $46 Million American Art Auction a Flop?

Missouri Museum to Preserve Ferguson Protest Art

Kansas City Artist Accused of Posing as Native American to Sell His Art

Follow artnet News on Facebook.

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The city of Los Angeles is home to 3.8 million people. It boasts a booming food scene, beautiful beaches and the heart and soul of Hollywood. Tourists pack themselves into open air vans daily and are driven around the city, soaking up the history and culture. But living like a true local in L.A. requires skipping all of the well-known destinations. Here are 10 lesser-known spots that we can't believe we're telling you about.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Amy Schumer has reportedly landed a multimillion-dollar book deal. 

The actor and comedian -- whose recent giant successes include the hit summer film "Trainwreck" and an Emmy award for her sketch show "Inside Amy Schumer" -- has sold a collection of essays. According to Publisher's weekly, the book will discuss the star's family and childhood, breaking into comedy and "feminism."

Feminism! 

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," most people probably said upon hearing the excellent news.

Also on HuffPost:

For a constant stream of entertainment news and discussion, follow HuffPost Entertainment on Viber.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Carol Burnett is a bonafide feminist hero. She rose up at the helm of her own variety show decades before the question of whether women are funny was somehow a thing. While her brand of humor never contained explicitly activist messages, the very fact of her presence during the women's lib movement, of performing each night as the first female host of a comedy variety show, was a feminist act -- whether she realizes it or not.

“You know, Carol, variety is a man’s game," CBS told her at the time, trying to talk her out of creating what would become "The Carol Burnett Show." She didn't listen to them, of course; she just did what she wanted to do.

As Burnett tells it, her contract stipulating guest appearances on "The Garry Moore Show" contained a clause that allowed her to pursue a variety show within five years of her 10-year contract with the network. On the last day of that fifth year, she decided to push the button.

 "They had forgotten about it," she said, laughing at the implausibility of her rise to prominence on a technicality.

CBS initially asked Burnett to consider a sitcom instead, but she balked at the idea of doing the same thing each week. She wanted to play different characters. She wanted to have musical numbers. She was a Broadway baby, after all.

"The Carol Burnett Show" debuted in 1967 and ran for over 10 years. It was a ratings gem for the network, heralded as a good enough excuse to stay in on Saturday nights. Burnett made waves bringing in huge names for her musical acts and convincing them to participate in sketches, with the likes of Bing Crosby entangled in her physical comedy. She parodied entire movies, using the typically uneven genre of the variety show to deliver lengthy one-acts based on cultural staples. (See: That "Gone With The Wind" skit, in which Burnett emerges in the dress made of curtains, curtain rod and all.)

In 1978, Burnett ceased production on her own, having tired of the format in the shifting landscape of TV. "I’m sorry to see attention spans so short," she said, when asked if the show could exist today. "You know, because we did longform. Sometimes, we had sketches that were 12 or 15 minutes. We took the time to build."

Now, nearly 50 years after the premiere, Burnett is just as affable and giggly in interviews as during her famous question-and-answer sessions. On the phone with The Huffington Post, and in conversation with Ellie Kemper at the Paley Center, she talks about her impressive legacy with a sense of bemused incredulity. Her mode of looking back at "The Carol Burnett" show is perhaps best summed up by the shruggie emoji with a speech bubble reading, "I know, right?!" 

While speaking with Burnett about the release of her "Lost Episodes" DVD collection, she tap danced around the question of taking up space in a man's world. I attended her event at the Paley Center, hoping she'd saved her discussion of women in comedy for Kemper.

The event was punctuated with clips from the show, most of which Burnett would chuckle at as though they had happened mere days before. She discussed her early years, of having first moved to Manhattan and working on "Once Upon A Mattress." She remembered her time on "The Garry Moore Show" as the inspiration for her titular variety hour. She was as charming and wonderful as you would hope, but when Kemper asked about the current moment for women in comedy, Burnett giggled something like, "Oh, it's all so great!" and waved her off.

Each question about the "current state of comedy" aimed at Burnett is a request for a mission statement, a call to action with hope that Burnett will urge the current generation to continue on the path she forged in Lucille Ball's footsteps. But Burnett is elusive. She doesn't overanalyze her impact or think about her career in such theoretical terms as "what she means" to the industry.

"My feeling is that if I had never been born, those women like Tina and Amy would still be doing what they’re doing today," she said during our call.

Pushed to elaborate, Burnett shrugged again. "I never thought, 'Oh gosh, I’m doing something only the guys could do or should do.' I never felt that. Once we started the show I was the person who wanted to be funny and sing a song or two. I never analyzed it."

At first glance, it might seem disappointing that Burnett doesn't own -- or maybe isn't surprised by -- her impact. But, on some level, her irreverent stance is even more defining than a fiercely defensive one might be. 

Whether the result of her whimsy or intention, there is power in refusing fearfulness, in combatting the obstacles by pretending they simply don't exist.

When Burnett first started on the "The Garry Moore Show," she leapt out a window during one scene and screamed with relief when she hit the mattress below. She had no experience with stunts and no idea it would be there.

"I was so naive!" she gasped. "I just thought, 'Well, I’m just going to jump and land on the floor!' I was never taught how to do it."

Five decades ago, she broke down barriers with the same free-wheeling bravery she used to hurl herself off Moore's set. In that skit and across her career, Burnett has never been totally sure that anything would be there to catch her when she fell. And it never totally mattered. She became a goddess of comedy by some mythical combination of transcending the sexist nonsense and not really worrying about it in the first place.

"You just have to go out there and do it," she said, when asked what advice she'd give young comedians before hopping off the call. "I just went out there and did it. The more experience you get, the better you’re gonna be."

Also On HuffPost:

For a constant stream of entertainment news and discussion, follow HuffPost Entertainment on Viber.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

In this video, Susan describes one quiet leader you may not have heard of -- a former CEO whose shyness and introversion guided, rather than inhibited, his leadership style.

The results were nothing short of remarkable: during his tenure, his company’s employee engagement, which had been among the lowest in the Fortune 500, rose to among the highest-ranked.

Have a question for our Chief Revolutionary? Email us via the Contact Susan page. You can also ask via Twitter with the hashtag #AskSusanCain.

This article originally appeared on QuietRev.com.

You can find more insights from Quiet Revolution on work, life, and parenting as an introvert at QuietRev.com.

Follow Quiet Revolution on Facebook and Twitter.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Director and producer Nancy Meyers got real about the sexist attitudes towards"chick flicks" in a conversation with HuffPost Live on Tuesday.

"It's really hard for me to talk about," Meyers, of  "Something's Gotta Give" and "The Holiday," fame told host Alyona Minkovski. "But I suppose people dismiss 'chick flicks' because women go to them, which is a really difficult thing to hear. It's dismissive of our gender and what we may find interesting, and maybe what's in [the film] is something [women] relate to."

According to Meyers, today's male-dominated film industry gives men the "opportunity to sort of say, 'That's not good enough' or 'That's not as good as...'" to woman-centric movies -- and something needs to change.

Meyers latest film, "The Intern," hits theaters Sept. 25. Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with Meyers and star Anne Hathaway here.

Want more HuffPost Live? Listen on the go with free downloads of our best interviews on iTunes here, and subscribe here for our morning email to guarantee you won't miss our buzziest conversations. 

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

After 124 years, The Metropolitan Opera is finally getting rid of blackface.

Starting Monday, The Met will stop using makeup to darken white performers’ skin in their production of “Otello.” The opera, based on William Shakespeare’s "Othello,” stars a black general as a lead character, but the performer cast to play this role is white.

HuffPost Live host Josh Zepps asked Naomi André, an editor at ‘Blackness In Opera,’ why didn’t they cast a black performer to play the role in the first place. André noted that even today, darkening white performers' skin with makeup isn't uncommon and this is "a big step for The Metropolitan Opera."

Yohuru Williams, professor of history at Fairfield University, told Zepps that The Met's decision is "long overdue." Williams noted that separating the historical context of blackface used during minstrel shows in the 19th century from white performers darkening their skin today is an issue.

"Especially today in 21st century America where we find ourselves in the midst of this Black Lives Matter movement … it is, for me, problematic to divorce conversations from race away from this play," Williams said. "So it’s a huge step for The Met... but at the same time, if we divorce conversations from race, that history, from this play, we lose a great deal in the process."

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation about The Met getting rid of blackface here. 

Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live’s morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before.

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Ta-Nehisi Coates will be writing a new Black Panther comic book series for Marvel, The New York Times announced Tuesday.

Coates, 39, a national correspondent at The Atlantic, National Book Award nominee, and author of the recent New York Times bestselling book Between The World And Me, is one of the most thoughtful and provocative writers about the African-American experience, America's long struggle with racism and issues of social and criminal justice. He's also a Marvel Comics superfan and living encyclopedia on the subject.

“How often do you find a literary voice as singular and powerful as Ta-Nehisi Coates, who also happens to be a hardcore fan of the Marvel mythology?” Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso told The Huffington Post about the announcement. “Through comic books’ first and greatest black super hero, and the fictional kingdom over which he presides, Ta-Nehisi will shed unique insight into the world in which we live."

Here's a look at the cover art of the first issue of Black Panther, courtesy of Marvel:

Coates told the Times that the Marvel universe was “an intimate part" of both his childhood and adulthood. 

“It was mostly through pop culture, through hip-hop, through Dungeons & Dragons and comic books that I acquired much of my vocabulary," Coates said.

Black Panther, the first black superhero, was created in 1966 by Marvel comics legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The Panther, whose real name is T'Challa, was born in the fictional African country of Wakanda. When he eats a special "heart-shaped" herb, T'Challa's senses and physical strength are enhanced to superhuman levels.

The storyline to be written by Coates is titled "A Nation Under Our Feet." It's inspired by Steven Hahn's book of the same title. The comic book will follow Black Panther as he responds to an uprising in his country set off by a group of superhuman terrorists called the People.

"In the crucible of a bloody revolution, T’Challa must take a good hard look at who he is and what he stands for, and determine if that is, in fact, enough to save the day," Alonso said of the storyline. 

New and more diverse characters are becoming a trend at Marvel. Recently Michael B. Jordan stepped into the role of the Human Torch in the latest Fantastic Four reboot. Earlier this year Marvel reintroduced their classic Thor hero as a female. A black teenage girl is the new "Moon Boy" in Marvel classic Devil Dinosaur. There's also a new black-Hispanic Spider-Man and a new Pakastani-American Muslim Ms. Marvel.

"The Marvel Universe is at its best when it reflects the world outside your window -- and that world looks different in 2015 than it did in 1963," Alonso told HuffPost in an earlier interview. 

Following the new comic book series, Marvel also has plans to release a Black Panther movie in 2016, staring Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa. Award-winning director Ava DuVernay was rumored to be at the helm of the film, but she told The Huffington Post in July that she passed taking on the job.  

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The Wailing Wall is a 187-foot ancient wall located in the Old City of Jerusalem. In Judaism, the site is believed to be the only remnant of the Holy Temple, and as such, a hallowed place for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage. Often, those who visit the wall write their prayers onto small pieces of paper and stick them between the wall's cracks and crevices. The wall is now teeming with miniature crumbled papers, each containing within them an individual's innermost truths. And there are a lot of papers; the tradition dates back to the 18th century. 

A newer tradition, however, is "The Waiting Wall," an atheist's alternative to the Jewish tradition. The project, created by musician and technologist Alan Donohoe along with designer and technologist Steven Parker, was inspired by philosopher Alain de Botton, who originally championed for an electronic version of the divine Jewish destination in his book Religion for Atheists. This week, until Sept. 28, commuters traveling through the U.K.'s Brighton Station will be greeted with a visual display that replaces travel announcements and advertisements with anonymous hopes, fears, prayers and regrets. 

 "An electronic version of The Wailing Wall … would anonymously broadcast our inner woes," de Botton once said. "The wall would offer a basic yet infinitely comforting -- public acknowledgement that … none us are alone in the extent of our troubles."

Now, coinciding with the Brighton Digital Festival, "The Waiting Wall" will do just that. One message reads, "I constantly worry about people I love dying," another, "I'm 33 and have never been in a relationship. I feel like a freak." The messages, at once intensely personal and strangely universal, reveal how interconnected our innermost thoughts often are, suggesting we do not have to face our darkest burdens alone. 

Somewhere between Post Secret and Yoko Ono's "Wishing Tree," "The Waiting Wall" offers a unique chance to speak your truth to individuals all over the world through the anonymous vessel of your very own keyboard. Whether or not you are in Brighton, visit "The Waiting Wall" website to submit your own message and view others'. 

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

If a bias against redheads is real, the gingers of art history have a few things to say:

"I woke up like this." 
(Sandro Botticelli, "The Birth of Venus," circa 1485)

"So did I."
(Mary Cassatt, "Maternal Kiss," 1896)

"I'm still sleeping, but my hair is on point."
(Gustav Klimt, "Danae," 1907-1908)

"I will murder you if one splash of water hits my mane."
(John William Waterhouse, "The Lady of Shalott," 1888)

"I love my strawberry blonde hair so much it hurts."
(José de Ribera, "Magdalena," circa 1638-1640)

"This is how I feel about your redhead bias."
(James Tissot, "Seaside," 1878)

"My thumbs-up is for all the gingers out there."
(Edgar Degas, "Dancers," 1900)

"Excuse me, my flowing red locks are up here."
(Bacchiacca, "Sibyl," circa 1525-1550)

"Look deeply into my top bun and tell me red hair isn't the best."
(Paul César Helleu, Portrait of Alice Guérin, 1900)

"Red hair? Check. Orange tabby? Check check."
(Franz Marc, "Akt mit Katze Français," 1910)

"I could care less about that 'redheads shouldn't wear red' rule."
(Berthe Morisot, "Le corsage rouge," 1885)

"I dub thee ... worthy of my ginger hair."
(Edmund Blair Leighton, "Accolade," 1901)

"Oh, I didn't see you there, checking out my gorgeous red hair."
(Edvard Munch, "Lady from the sea," 1896)

"This rose has nothing on my hair."
(John William Godward, "Choris - A Summer Rose," 1902)

"Nothing."
(Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "Jeune fille coiffant ses cheveux," 1894)

"If you haven't grasped the superiority of redheads yet, you cannot be helped."
(Frederick Sandys, "Mary Magdalene," circa 1858-60)

"Bye, Felicia."
(Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys, "Helen of Troy," 1867)

Each week, HuffPost Arts & Culture attempts to bring to light a few forgotten gems with our slightly humorous look back at art history. For past examples see here, here, here, here, here and here. 

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Call them art rockers. Call them experimental performers. Call them hybrids. 

The following artists, bands, collectives and in-betweens work somewhere in the haze of art and music. They're hard to classify and impossible to forget, combining seemingly infinite avant-garde influences to craft multi-disciplinary expressions that hit the viewer's senses all at once.

This weekend The Hammer museum in Los Angeles is hosting "ALL THE INSTRUMENTS AGREE: an exhibition or a concert," two jam-packed days of programming featuring some of the most legendary names and emerging talents in the tangled up space between art and music. To prepare you for the weekend's festivities, fill you in on what you're missing, and provide you with a playlist for the coming week, here are some of the artists/musicians that you should add to your playlist. 

Just listen to their music. Right. Now.   

1. Odwalla88

Think: Bikini Kill + tUnE-yArDs

Baltimore-bred best friends Chloe Maratta and Flannery Silva are Odwalla88, a riot grrrl reprise made of creepy-cute lyrics that veer from Hallmark sweet to pull-your-hair-out angry, complimented by looping drums and early 2000s nostalgia. Add in a little of tUnE-yArDs' frenzied pace and you have yourself one of the most buzzy underground art bands in the game. 

Sample lyric: "Crochet the past / Dark silhouette / Hate me happy / Fragile reflection / Parting my hair / Sitting in a stairwell / Jotting down this note / Be you and do your own thing."

2. The Bushes

Think: Lonely Island + Tim and Eric

Los Angeles-based Ry Rocklen and Nick Lowe, usually dressed like Steve from "Blue's Clues," deliver tongue-in-cheek rap songs coupled with delightfully surreal videos that seem plucked from one of artist Alex Da Corte's color-blocked sets. 

Sample lyric: "Where'd you get them panty liners / Where'd you get them panties? / From Macy's, Sears or J.C. Penney's? / Before they hit the store they sailed across the seven seas / And were made in factories by the hands of Cantonese."

3. Landed 

Think: FNU Ronnies + Forcefield

If you like your noise rock served up '90s style with punctuated grunts, let Providence dudes Bjorn Copeland, Shawn Greenlee, Matthew Johnson, Joel Kyack, Rick Pelletier and Dan St. Jacques slay you with their alarmingly endless energy. 

Track titles: "The biggest shit," "Dairy 4 Dinner," "Super Stupid Market"

4. Penis

Think: Siouxsie and the Banshees + Potty Mouth

Sophia Cleary and Samara Davis are Penis, the feminist punk band with the best name since "Perfect Pussy." The ladies describe their band as "committed to transformation," with jams like "Process Bitch" and "Too Big to Fail" providing pumped up inspiration without any of the genial bullshit. 

Sample lyrics: "Running from myself when I think I can catch up / Why am I to blame? / Cuz I think that that’s natural / Kill the judgment / kill the judgment / kill the judgement boys."

5. The God in Hackney

Think: Tangerine Dream + Peter Gabriel 

The U.K.-bred band, featuring Andy Cooke, Dan Fox, Ashley Marlowe and Nathaniel Mellors, picks up where British art rock meets something far spookier and stranger. They define their sound as "contemporary Neolithic," made with the help of chants, synths, shells, teeth, tree bark and cheap music apps, among other things. 

Sample lyric: "My imps' names are Holt, Jamara, Fat Spaniel, Louis like a pole cat and Vinegar Tom."

6. Genesis Breyer P-Orridge

Think: The Legendary Pink Dots + The Tear Garden

Dubbed "the Godm/other of Industrial Music," Manchestser-born P-Orridge has fronted legendary groups including Psychic TV and Throbbing Gristle, releasing over 200 songs throughout h/er career. Combining industrial sounds with psychedelic, punk and electronic influence, video art and chaotic performances involving blood and magic, P-Orridge is a legend of avant-garde re-invention. 

Track list: "Interlube I: Slipping Away," "Demilitarized Ozone," "Spillage"

7. Xina Xurner

Think: Hixxy + Bile + Ryan Trecartin

Chicago-based Xina Xurner, fronted by Chicago artist Young Joon Kwak along with noise musicians Michael Perkins and Marvin Astorga, puts happy hardcore in the blender with some '90s industrial jams and a little bit of Spirit Girls' cult-diva persona, yielding a glamorous and terrifying rave bacchanal sped up and spit out. Bile's 2013 album "Built to Fuck, Born to Kill" hasn't had such stiff title competition yet. 

Track titles: "Your Anus Is the Abyss," "You Will Die (I Will Fuck You)," "Poppers."

8. Hassan Khan

Think: John Cage + Sadat

Artist and musician Hassan Khan began making music in 1990s Cairo to accompany a theater troupe's performances. The self-taught musician incorporates fragments from sources including Jimi Hendrix, dubstep, local Egyptian musicians, minimalist composition and more, layering synthetic beats on traditional instruments like the tabla or hand drum. 

Track list: "Tabla Dubb," "Cosmetic Surgery," "To the Man Masturbating in the Toilet of the Charles De Gaulle Airport

9. Lonnie Holley

Think: The Space Lady + John Lurie National Orchestra 

The Alabama-born artist and performer channels the cinematic sounds of junk rustling and materials colliding in his monumental songs, coupled with Holley's soaring, improvised vocals that riff and loop as if digging into an infinite yet consistent stream of materials. 

Sample lyric: "I was looking for all to be rendered / To be the truth / From deep inside of my internal self / And I told everybody I said art is to me / the 'a' is for all / the 'r' is for render / and the 't' is for truth."

"ALL THE INSTRUMENTS AGREE: an exhibition or a concert" takes place on Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27, from 12-10 p.m at The Hammer Museum.

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The moment a parent of young kids finally gets some sleep can feel like a total miracle.

That's why mom Shannon Abbott's soulful parody of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is resonating with so many parents. As she sings in the first verse, "When nap time comes I'll sing 'oh hallelujah.'"

Abbott originally performed the song earlier this month at a talent show in Payson, Utah. But her real moment to shine came when she posted a video of her singing the parody next to her 5-month-old son Adam on Facebook and YouTube -- where it reached 2.9 million and 116,000 views respectively.

"It's 3 a.m. and you're wide awake. Baby, go to sleep for heaven's sake. Mama's gonna be a zombie in the morning," Abbott sings in the second verse. 

Other standout lyrics include,"It starts with diapers, spit and no sleep. He pulled my hair, I scraped my knee" and "It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it." 

Preach!

H/T The Stir

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

When Serena Williams revealed on Twitter that she would be featured in the 2016 Pirelli calendar, we knew that "fashion's sexiest calendar" would be getting a whole lot hotter.

And while the annual project is known for its nude and nearly nude images of the world's most beautiful women and supermodels, this year the calendar is moving away from that overtly sexy aesthetic to an exceptionally inspiring one. 

Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz was tapped to shoot the 2016 calendar and has captured a list of powerful women that includes actress Amy Schumer, director Ava Duvernay, singer and activist Yoko Ono, supermodel Natalia Vodianova, author Fran Lebowitz and blogger-turned-actress Tavi Gevinson, just to name a few. 

“I started to think about the roles that women play, women who have achieved something. I wanted to make a classic set of portraits," Leibovitz said in a press release. " I thought that the women should look strong but natural and I decided to keep it a very simple exercise of shooting in the studio. This calendar is so completely different. It is a departure. The idea was not to have any pretense in these pictures and be very straightforward.”

We can't wait to see the finished product. But in the meantime, here are a few behind-the-scenes photos from the amazing shoot. 

Also on HuffPost: 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Doodlebugs of the world: gather 'round! Though you may feel alone while scribbling in notebook margins during lectures, there are, in fact, others like you. Others who covet the perfect pen like it's the perfect romance. Others who can't hold a writing utensil without compulsively scribbling. 

As with so many other hobbies made inclusive and participatory by social media platforms, writing words out by hand is a craft that's found its home on Instagram, where graffiti gurus and modern calligraphy artists post their work.

So if you've got a Moleskine with a firm spine -- or, if you just want a break from reading and skimming blocks of typewritten text, dull and without variation -- look below. We've wrangled up our favorite accounts devoted to handwriting. Many put their skills to use by designing wedding invitations and company logos, but many others simply take pleasure in the hobby.

1. Jessie.

A soft, thick calligraphy that rolls like waves. Bonus: account-holder Jessie photographs her sketches in the spots that inspired them.

2. Paula Lee

Though she's skilled at classic calligraphy, Paula Lee's signature scribblings have more of a raw, offhand look to them.

3. Chronicle Books

Okay, okay, Chronicle isn't solely a lettering-based account (the publisher features its children's books and art books as well), but it offers up an array of journals and inspiration for how to fill them.

4. Alexis Deaton

Alexis Deaton, like many lettering accounts, chronicles her wedding invitation design forays, but she also uses her modern calligraphy to write out quotes she enjoys.

5. Love + Thank + You

Another contemporary take on classic script -- dressed up by sprigs and flora.

6. Chalkboy

A divergence from more traditionally beautiful scrawl, this account showcases precious sans serif lettering, featured on storefronts and logos.

7. The Stamp Foundry

The Stamp Foundry designs -- you guessed it -- stamps. But they first sketch out their custom images, some rustic, some clean and contemporary.

8. Pez & Pencil

This account harkens back to the Old West, with thick, slabby letters.

9. Jeremy Tow

Jeremy Tow's graffiti-inspired lettering is a refreshing addition to delicate, straightforwardly pretty script.

10. Action Jaccson

A versatile account that mimics the fonts of popular logos, and invents worthy new designs, too.

11. Christina Chahyadi

If you love girly curls, the ornate doodles of Christina Chahyadi will wow you.

12. Victoria Rothwell

Victoria Rothwell does wedding invitations, but she's also a great one to follow if you enjoy refreshing watercolors or all things metallic.

13. Chris Wright

With thick scrawl that winds like wrought iron, Chris Wright's gorgeous handwriting is both bold and playful.

14. Melane

Another modern calligraphy account that'll attract anyone who relishes a daily dose of inspiration (Taylor Swift-inspired or not).

15. Anna Rowe

Anna Rowe's handwriting is chunky, childlike and sometimes a little silly -- perfect for brightening grey days.

16. Fitz

This isn't necessarily a handwriting-centric account, but the artist's fun, cartoonish doodles often feature bubbly letters and offhand remarks -- a good one to follow if inspirational quotes make you cringe a little.

17. ivylao

Like regular calligraphy, only tinier!

18. Zak Southgate

 Delicate, funny, and often intricate.

19. Old English Company

Old English Company prints cutesy, hand-written mantras on notepads, coasters -- and just about everything else.

20. Janne

An offhand scrawl that's a cool blend of calligraphy and graffiti.

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

President Obama and Pope Francis were treated to a gospel choir performance during the pontiff's visit to the White House on Wednesday.

The St. Augustine Gospel Choir, part of an historic black Catholic church in Washington, D.C., sang Richard Smallwood's 1996 tune, "Total Praise." The gospel musician wrote the song, one of his most popular, during a difficult time in his life. His mother was beginning to show sings of dementia and a family friend was diagnosed with cancer.

Smallwood said the song came to him in a dream. 

“I felt left by God,” he told the Washington Post in July. “I was trying to write a pity-party song, but God pulled me to do a praise song. God said, ‘I want your praise no matter what the situation you are in, good or bad.’ It’s about trusting him.”

"Total Praise" was used by the choir of Emanuel A.M.E. Church to begin its first service after the Charleston shooting that took the lives of nine church members. The lyrics brought the crowd inside the grieving church to its feet. 

Lyrics

Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills
Knowing my help is coming from You
Your peace you give me in time of the storm

You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to you

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

Pope Francis listened attentively during the performance on White House's South Lawn, breaking out into a smile at the very end.

The pontiff is on a six-day trip to the United States. He'll be visiting three cities -- Washington, D.C., New York City, and Philadelphia, where he'll participate in the World Meeting of Families, a Catholic conference.

Also On HuffPost:

• Pope Francis Addresses President Obama And Guests At White House (Full Transcript)  


• Women Walk 100 Miles To See Pope Francis, Plead For Immigration Reform


• Live Blog: Photos, Videos Capture Pope's Historic Visit To The U.S. 


• Native Americans Decry Sainthood For California's Iconic Missionary 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

It's been nearly two months since Typhoon Soudelor made a direct hit on Saipan, the most populated island among the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. Commonwealth located in Micronesia.

But, despite local and federal recovery efforts, many there are still without life's basic necessities, such as reliable access to water or electricity, or even a safe shelter to call home. 

Photographer Dan Lin originally traveled to the island on assignment from the Associated Press, but after spending more than a week in Saipan embedded with many of the island's now-homeless residents, Lin left with more than just photographs of the typhoon's aftermath.

As Lin watched the community pull together despite their limited resources and the ruins that surrounded them, he made it his personal mission to share their post-storm experiences with the world.

"The story of Saipan's recovery, though seemingly tragic, is actually one of resiliency, endurance and humanity at its best," Lin told HuffPost.

Take Jenny Hegland, for instance. 

Hegland, a resident of Saipan, started United 4 Saipan, a grassroots volunteer group, days after the typhoon by handing out bottles of water to isolated villages on the island with her sister.

Weeks later, and with help from more than 300 dedicated volunteers and donors, United 4 Saipan distributed 40,000 gallons of water and 3,000 food and care packages directly to remote villages, according to Hegland. 

"I don’t think that people elsewhere understand the magnitude of the suffering here," Hegland told HuffPost.

Which is why Lin has made it his personal mission to share Saipan's story.

He says the most difficult part of photographing the devastation "was trying to stay focused on taking pictures when people are asking for help with basic human needs."

On occasion, he sang with the children in the shelters and cried with adults as they tried to restore their lives.

"There were times when I felt that my role was so trivial in relation to what was needed," Lin told The Huffington Post.

"But then I remembered that there were so many other people doing their part to support recovery efforts -- and that my role was to help tell their story." 

Below, meet the everyday heroes in Saipan who are getting by amidst the chaos with strength and grace.  

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

An emotional photo series is giving moms the opportunity to talk about their traumatic childbirth experiences and foster conversation about the issues too many moms face during childbirth.

Titled "Exposing The Silence," the series was created by Cristen Pascucci, who works for the advocacy organizations Improving Birth and Birth Monopoly, along with doula and photographer Lindsay Askins. The two women drove across the country with their own kids and met with moms who had experienced trauma in pregnancy and childbirth -- from difficult stories of emergency C-sections to miscarriages to claims of abuse by medical professionals.  

Pascucci and Askins believe it's important to give moms a platform to openly discuss their traumatic birth-related experiences. "Most women are very hesitant to speak about what they've been through because it is met with dismissive comments or invalidation," Askins told The Huffington Post.

"'At least you have a healthy baby' or 'stop complaining' is often the common response, and the result is these mothers second-guess what they are truly feeling and fall into a place of isolation and depression," she continued, adding that this silent, inner turmoil can overwhelm parents and have long-lasting effects on their families. 

Pascucci and Askins hope "Exposing The Silence" raises awareness of trauma related to childbirth and emphasizes the importance of supporting these moms. Their immediate goal, however, is to empower women who have experienced this kind of trauma and help them feel less alone. "Most of these women feel silenced," Pascucci said. "There is strength and healing in speaking out."

Keep scrolling for a sample of the emotional stories and photos from "Exposing The Silence."

H/T Refinery29

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Floors. You've seen them. You've walked on them. You've barely noticed them. Why would you? They're floors, after all. 

Germany-based photographer Sebastian Erras, however, noticed. He observed how certain tiles, when arranged geometrically, form a flattened field of identical, sharp-edged flowers. Or a hypnotic grid of selfsame angular shapes, yielding a labyrinth that stumps you before you start. Erras captures these sorts of staggering floors, the ones that sneakily stop you in your tracks, on his Instagram Parisian Floors.

See some of Erras' most compelling snapshots of the ground below, below. Don't be surprised if they stop you in your tracks.

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.