Weekly Arts Round Up, November 19, 2020
By • November 19, 2020 0 1230
Among the art exhibitions open for in-person visits is Glenstone’s first display of works by British artist Tacita Dean. Nov. 23 is the Day of Reflection, the D.C. arts community’s tribute to those lost to COVID-19. Due to the rise in cases, the National Gallery of Art, including its sculpture garden, will be closed starting Nov. 21 and all Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo and Glenstone will be closed starting Nov. 23. Note: Each headline below is linked to the sponsoring organization’s website.
Hemphill Fine Arts: New Exhibitions
Three sculptures by the late William Christenberry — the semi-abstract “Roadside Tableaux,” the representational “Night Spot” and “Southern Monument XXIII,” constructed from decaying landscape remnants — are on view with related photographs and works on paper at Hemphill Fine Arts, 434 K St. NW, through Dec. 19. The new exhibition is concurrent with “Julie Wolfe: Wildfires & Dreamfields” (through Nov. 25) and “Romare Bearden” (Nov. 21 to Dec. 19). Hemphill is open Tuesday through Saturday by advance appointment.
Middle East Institute: New Exhibition
The works in “Art in Isolation: Creativity in the Time of Covid-19,” on view through Jan. 29 at the MEI Art Gallery, 1763 N St. NW, express the experiences and reflections of artists from the Middle East and its diaspora as they shelter in place. Thirty-eight of the 53 pieces are hung in the gallery; the full exhibition is viewable on the Middle East Institute’s website. All the works are for sale, with most of the proceeds going to support the artists. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except between noon and 1:30 p.m.) by advance appointment.
“Painting While Barefoot,” a solo exhibition of large abstract mixed-media works by Pamela Keravuori, is on view through Nov. 29 at the Athenaeum, 201 Prince St. in Alexandria, Virginia. Keravuori, a former President’s Fellow at the Rhode Island School of Design who studied in France, England, Germany and Lebanon as well as in the U.S., now has a studio in Virginia. Hours are Thursday to Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Glenstone, the museum of postwar sculpture and installation art set on close to 300 acres in Potomac, Maryland, is displaying three monumental chalkboard works by British artist Tacita Dean: “Sunset,” “When first I raised the tempest” and “The Montafon Letter.” Located at 12100 Glen Road, Glenstone is open from Thursday to Sunday, with scheduled visits every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. (the museum closes at 5 p.m.). The maximum group size is five. Admission is free. UPDATE: The last day for in-person visits in 2020 will be Nov. 22.
Goethe-Institut: Streamed Films
The Goethe-Institut Washington — in partnership with the Austrian Cultural Forum Washington and the Embassy of Switzerland — is presenting “Film Neu,” an annual festival of contemporary cinema from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, through Nov. 22. The opening film, Bernd Böhlich’s historical drama “Sealed Lips,” is available to stream through Nov. 20. The film follows a German woman and her young daughter as they are repatriated to East Germany after spending many years in a Soviet labor camp. In addition to dramas, the festival includes documentaries and an animated family film. All films are subtitled in English. Streaming is free.
Arena Stage: Online Conversation
Molly’s Salon is Arena Stage’s free series of half-hour weekly conversations with company artists and leaders. On Nov. 19 from 7 to 7:30 p.m., Artistic Director Molly Smith will welcome playwright Tom Kitt, author of “Next to Normal,” “If/Then” and “Jagged Little Pill”; Tara Susman-Pena, senior technical expert at the International Research & Exchanges Board’s Center for Applied Learning and Impact; and artist Suzanne Firstenberg, creator of the “In America” installation of white flags representing COVID-19 deaths on the D.C. Armory Parade Ground.
American History Museum: Online Discussion
On Nov. 20 from 1 to 2:30 p.m., the National Museum of American History will present the concluding event in the free weeklong series Black Inventors and Innovators: New Perspectives. Arthur Daemmrich, director of the museum’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, will moderate a discussion by Charlton McIlwain, vice provost for faculty engagement and development at New York University, and André Brock, associate professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Literature, Media, and Communication, on the topic: “How Have Black Individuals & Communities Experienced Technology?”
Dumbarton House: Virtual Walking Tour
Dumbarton House will offer a Kennedy-themed virtual meander through Georgetown led by Dwane Starlin, a member of the Guild of Professional Tour Guides, on Nov. 22 from noon to 1 p.m. Viewers will learn about JFK and Jackie’s Georgetown homes and the neighborhood spots they frequented during their years in Washington, D.C. The recorded lecture will be followed by a live Q&A. Tickets are $10 ($8 for members).
DC JazzFest: Day of Reflection
The Day of Reflection, an official remembrance event spearheaded by the DC JazzFest and other area arts organizations, will honor friends, family and loved ones lost to COVID-19 on Nov. 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. The free program, broadcast live on Facebook, will feature tributes and performances by D.C. luminaries in music, dance, theater, poetry, literary arts, visual arts and media, with a reading of the names of those who have died. The Day of Reflection will also include a conversation with mental health specialists, who will offer positive strategies to help those still grieving stay connected to family and friends this holiday season. Produced by the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment’s Creative Affairs Office, the conversation is part of Care for Creatives, a new program offered through the George Washington University Community Counseling Services Center.
On Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m., as part of the City Choir of Washington’s Masterworks with the Maestro series, Artistic Director Robert Shafer will lead a free virtual sing of Francis Poulenc’s Gloria, conducting to a recording of the City Choir’s 2019 performance. All are welcome to join. Participants are advised to obtain a complete score. Links are available on the choir’s website to Shafer’s recent talk about the piece, to the recorded performance, to learning tracks and to an animated score.
