Melania Trump announced Friday that artwork by Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi has been installed on the east terrace of the White House Rose Garden, which she renovated earlier this year. Noguchi is the first Asian-American artist to be featured in the White House collection, according to the first lady and the White House Historical Association. He died in 1988. Noguchi’s piece, titled “Floor Frame,” was a gift from the privately funded, nonprofit historical association. “This sculpture not only showcases diversity within our nation’s finest art but it also highlights the beautiful contributions of Asian American artists to the landscape of our country,” the first lady said in a statement announcing the installation. Noguchi viewed “Floor Frame” as representing the intersection of a tree and the ground, taking on the qualities of both an implied root system and the canopy of a tree, Melania Trump’s office said. He envisioned the sculpture placed directly on the ground in order to reconnect viewers to the planet. Noguchi’s work was installed on the east terrace of the Rose Garden to complement the power symbolized by the Oval Office at the west end of the expanse, the White House said. Born in Los Angeles, Noguchi spent most of his childhood in his father’s homeland of Japan. After graduating from high school, Noguchi apprenticed with Gutzon Borglum, who created Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. He later dropped out of Columbia University’s premedical program to pursue a career as a sculptor.
K-pop band BTS released their highly anticipated new album, which they described as a “letter of hope.” The band held a socially distanced news conference in Seoul to unveil “BE,” their second album this year. It includes their English-language hit “Dynamite,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever for a South Korean group. The band — composed of J-Hope, RM, Suga, Jungkook, V, Jin and Jimin — said they wanted to send “a letter of hope” that life goes on despite the uncertainties during the pandemic. Jin said he hopes people can relate to the album’s emotions of emptiness and anxiety and find comfort in the shared feelings. The band, which debuted in 2013, became the biggest boy band in the world, selling out stadiums worldwide and delivering a video message at the U.N. General Assembly this year. Their songs, filled with intimate, socially conscious lyrics, are credited for their success. Unlike other K-pop bands that carefully maintain the personas created by their labels, BTS is known for its active engagement with fans — known as ARMY — through social media. BTS has over 30.8 million followers on Twitter.