Mostly Virtual Arts Round Up, June 18, 2020
By • June 18, 2020 0 790
Some noteworthy arts events and a mammal surveillance opportunity — all but one online — are listed and linked below.
National Gallery of Art: Documentary Film
The National Gallery of Art’s summer film series continues online with the Washington-area premiere of “Ursula von Rydingsvard: Into Her Own.” Daniel Traub’s documentary about von Rydingsvard, one of the few women in the world creating monumental sculpture, recounts her early struggles as a refugee and her emergence as a groundbreaking artist in the U.S. The film is available for viewing on the museum website through June 23.
The Washington Ballet: Virtual Gala
Streaming on June 18 at 7 p.m. on the Washington Ballet’s website, YouTube channel and Facebook page: The Washington Ballet Takes Center Stage Virtual Gala. This first-ever live online celebration of the Washington Ballet will feature five performances by company dancers and special guest appearances. The free event celebrates 75 years of the Washington School of Ballet, from which the professional company grew.
Mount Vernon: Father’s Day Reopening
George Washington’s 160-acre Virginia estate will partially reopen to the public on June 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a Father’s Day buffet available. Looking spry for his 288 years, the Father of Our Country will greet visitors and pose for photographs. The interior of the mansion will be closed. Capacity will be limited, social distancing maintained when possible and mask wearing required indoors and when social distancing cannot be maintained. Admission is $18 for age 12 and older, $12 for ages 6 to 11 and free for age 5 and under.
National Building Museum: Architecture Panel
This free online Spotlight on Design program on June 24 at 9 a.m. focuses on the nearly completed transformation of D.C.’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, which opened in 1972. Participating in this prerecorded event: D.C. Public Library Executive Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan; Francine Houben, founding partner/creative director of Mecanoo Architecten; and Gary Martinez, FAIA, partner at OTJ Architects.
International Spy Museum: Workshop and Performance
Professional magician Peter Wood will lead this live interactive virtual workshop and performance, “The Magic of Spying,” designed for adults and for children age 5 and older, on June 24 from 5 to 6 p.m. Wood will demonstrate the art of misdirection, sleight of hand and other illusions used by skilled spies. Participants will also learn simple magic they can use to entertain and deceive friends and family. Tickets are $10 per household and advance registration is required.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Bilingual Conversation
As part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, running from June 24 to July 5, a bilingual conversation with Ilê Aiyê musical director Sandro Telles, Terreiro da Goméia leader Mameto Kamurici and International Capoeira Angola Foundation capoeira master Kojo Johnson will stream free online on June 25 from noon to 12:45 p.m. A discussion of the intersection of arts, education and community work from Salvador, capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, to Washington, D.C., the event will switch from English to Portuguese at 12:30 p.m.
Smithsonian Associates: Virtual Tour
“The Dawn of Flight in Washington, D.C.,” live-streamed via Zoom on June 27 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., is a virtual tour of area locations that played a role in the formative years of powered flight. Led by Wright Brothers scholar Paul Glenshaw, the session will use contemporary and historic photos to bring to life the people, places and events that shaped that early 20th-century era of discovery. Tickets are $55 ($45 for Smithsonian Associates members).
Tudor Place: Kids’ Craft Activity
After watching a video of Tudor Place’s education team reproducing Maj. George Peter’s 19th-century steel pocket watch using recycled materials, participants in this free online program will pretend they are museum workers who need to make a copy of a historic artifact (sometimes done when an object is too fragile to display for extended periods). Materials needed to craft an exhibit of reproduction objects at home: glue, tape, scissors and markers; decorations of your choice; recycled materials.
The zoo is closed but would-be zoologists of all ages can observe African lions, cheetah cubs, Asian elephants, giant pandas, black-footed ferrets and naked mole-rats on live webcams. An online packet contains instructions for engaging elementary school-age students in looking closely and thinking deeply about animal behavior and habitats.
