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National Museum of American History Colloquium: Mary Jane Appel, “Russell Lee: A Photographer’s Life and Legacy”

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

March 9; 4 pm. Zoom Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/j/87174916962?pwd=VCtyZkpHdnJkT1ZDTjRzcHk1R01Odz09 Join curators and historians for a presentation and discussion on historical topics. Audience questions are encouraged and will be addressed in the moderated dialogue.

Innovative Lives: My Inventor Dad

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

March 10; 4-5:30 p.m. Registration is free but required: https://myinventordad.eventbrite.com Two independent filmmakers discover their own inventiveness while documenting the lives of their inventor fathers. For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovative-lives-my-inventor-dad-tickets-140337456109.

Art Signs Online: Artful Conversations in ASL with the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street and 8th Street NW, Washington DC, DC, United States

Curious about American art? Join us for a 30-minute virtual conversation about selected works from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection. This program is presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with voice interpretation for participants who are deaf or partially deaf. Zoom link to be provided via email upon registration. Location: Online Tickets: Free | Registration Required […]

National Museum of American History Colloquium: Catherine Stewart: “Race and Domestic Service”

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

March 16; 4 pm. Zoom Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/j/87307811475?pwd=Y3ppUnZqSkFMRmhMSWhXazM5SXpkQT09 Join curators and historians for a presentation and discussion on historical topics. Audience questions are encouraged and will be addressed in the moderated dialogue.

Virtual Cherry Blossom Celebration with the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street and 8th Street NW, Washington DC, DC, United States

Virtual Cherry Blossom Celebration Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m. ET Celebrate the start of spring and the National Cherry Blossom Festival with the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Join us for a virtual program full of springtime fun for the whole family. Enjoy a lively performance of traditional Japanese Taiko drumming by the group Nen Daiko. Then learn more […]

Pandemic Perspectives: How the National Museum of American History is Collecting COVID-19

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

March 23; 4-5 p.m. Zoom Registration Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1CC-6lICQR-mlo4j_X8tTg Join curators and historians for a series of panel discussions offering perspectives on the current pandemic. Panelists will virtually share objects from the past as a springboard to a discussion of how to better understand the present. Audience questions are encouraged and will be addressed in the […]

Wind Down Wednesday: First Ladies and Fashion

Virtual Event

Wednesday, March 24, 5 p.m. Instagram Live @smithsoniannpg Wind down with a virtual program to bring out your creativity and mindfulness. In partnership with independent mixologists, crafters, artists, and experts in a variety of fields, Wind Down Wednesday offers an optimistic approach to the middle of the week. First ladies are often expected to be […]

(At Home) On Art and Exploration: Artist Talk With Michelle Stuart

Virtual Event

Wednesday, March 24; 7 p.m. ET Free, registration required for Zoom. Live stream also available on YouTube and Facebook Live. Michelle Stuart will join Hirshhorn assistant curator Betsy Johnson to discuss her extensive practice exploring the role that landscape and natural materials play in shaping personal and collective memory. Often characterized as an artist-explorer, Stuart is internationally recognized as a pioneer […]

Podcast Release: Luce Listening Party with Lightmare with the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street and 8th Street NW, Washington DC, DC, United States

Podcast Release: Luce Listening Party with Lightmare FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021 Luce Unplugged has gone digital! Tune in for a podcast episode featuring the soulpunk arrangements of Lightmare in conversation with Paul Vodra and Anthony Porreco of Hometown Sounds. Lightmare’s ability to blend the punchy, the political, and the personal into powerful, danceable music has […]

(At Home) Artist Talk With Deana Lawson

Virtual Event

Wednesday, May 26; 7 p.m. ET Free, registration required for Zoom. Live stream also available on YouTube and Facebook Live. More information to come.

Where There Is a Woman There Is Magic: Women’s History Month Virtual Festival

Virtual Event

Saturday, March 27, 11 a.m. Online via Zoom Join the Portrait Gallery in a virtual celebration of women making history! We will explore the online exhibition “Where There Is a Woman There Is Magic,” which highlights leaders in sports, arts, science and activism. It is part of a day-long lineup featuring events and activities for […]

Spotlight on the American Scene: Trailblazing Women Who Have Shaped the Entertainment Industry

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

March 31; 2 p.m. Free with registration: http://bit.ly/NMAH331 The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History celebrates Women’s History Month and its forthcoming exhibition Entertainment Nation by convening a conversation with trailblazing women who have shaped the entertainment industry. Topics will include how women have built and shaped their roles throughout the history of entertainment, how women off-screen have worked […]

(At Home) In and Around America: Artist Talk With Catherine Opie

Virtual Event

Wednesday, March 31; 7 p.m. ET Free, registration required for Zoom. Live stream also available on YouTube and Facebook Live. On the heels of America’s most recent transfer of presidential power, Catherine Opie will join Hirshhorn associate curator Anne Reeve to revisit her 2009 series and discuss the role of photography in both creating and undoing our sense of self-hood—as both […]

Fit for a Queen: Perkins Harnly, Victorian Style and Queer Identity in Midcentury America

Virtual Event

Tuesday, April 6, 5 p.m. Online via Zoom Closed captioning provided Presented by Sarah Burns, Ruth N. Halls Professor Emerita, Art History, Indiana University Born on a hardscrabble Nebraska farm, artist Perkins Harnly crossed paths with legendary celebrities and colorful characters while visiting famous graveyards, winning prizes at drag balls and toiling in an upscale Los Angeles cafeteria. From […]

(At Home) On Art and Representation: Artist Talk With Riva Lehrer

Virtual Event

Wednesday, April 7; 7 p.m. ET Free, registration required for Zoom. Live stream also available on YouTube and Facebook Live. Riva Lehrer will join Hirshhorn assistant curator Sandy Guttman to explore the intersection of art and representation through her powerful portraits and to discuss and read from her 2020 memoir, Golem Girl. Representations of historically marginalized people across the media, the arts […]

In Dialogue: Smithsonian Objects and Social Justice

Virtual Event

  Thursday, April 8, 5 p.m. Online via Zoom Heighten your civic awareness through conversations about art, history and material culture. Each month, educators from the National Portrait Gallery will partner with colleagues from across the Smithsonian to discuss how historical objects from their respective collections speak to today’s social justice issues. How can the desire for […]

In Dialogue: Smithsonian Objects and Social Justice

Virtual Event

Thursday, April 8; 5 p.m. EST Free, registration required What is the connection between a desire for recognition of one’s culture and activism for equity? Join educators from the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of the American Indian in a conversation about identity and assimilation in relation to a portrait of activist Zitkála-Šá/Gertrude […]

(At Home) Artist Talk With Danh Vō

Virtual Event

Wednesday, April 14; 12 p.m. ET Free, registration required for Zoom. Live stream also available on YouTube and Facebook Live. Danh Vō will join Hirshhorn curator-at-large Gianni Jetzer to discuss the role that objects can play in defining and interrogating cultural heritage.  Vō makes powerful use of fragments—fragments of objects and fragments of stories—to explore issues of self-identity and cultural heritage. His […]

At Home) On Art and Everyday Life: Artist Talk With Rachel Harrison

Virtual Event

Wednesday, April 21; 12 p.m. ET Free, registration required for Zoom. Live stream also available on YouTube and Facebook Live. Rachel Harrison will be joined in conversation by art history professor Darby English, author of the catalog essay “A Way Beyond Art” for the 2019 Whitney Museum exhibition “Rachel Harrison Life Hack.” Harrison and English will discuss her work “Pretty Discreet,” in the […]

(At Home) On Art and Eco-Trauma: Artist Talk With Teresita Fernández

Wednesday, April 21; 7 p.m. ET Free, registration required for Zoom. Live stream also available on YouTube and Facebook Live. Teresita Fernández will join Hirshhorn associate curator Marina Isgro to discuss how she brings together concepts, materials, rigorous research and evocative imagery. The Cuban American artist, based in New York, creates immersive, sculptural installations and monumental public projects defined by a […]

People Power! Citizen Scientists and the Smithsonian

Online

As we lead up to Earth Day, meet Smithsonian researchers and volunteers involved in two citizen science projects. eMammal uses motion-activated game cameras to understand and track the diversity of mammals throughout the United States. Fossil Atmospheres examines modern and fossilized ginkgo leaves to understand how local climate patterns have changed through time. Learn how […]

Free

Mother Tongue Film Festival 2021: Conversation with the Director – The Forbidden Strings

Online

Soori, Hakim, Akbar, and Mohammed have a collective dream: to travel from Iran to their parents’ homeland of Afghanistan and play their first rock concert. Discussing their feature-length film "The Forbidden Strings," director Hasan Noori and producer Afsaneh Salari will explore the intricacies of production with the National Museum of Asian Art film curator, Tom […]

Free

The Story of the Lūʻau: Dance and Cooking Demonstration

May 1 – 31; on demand Explore the story of the Native Hawaiian tradition of lūʻau and learn why it plays such an important role in Hawaiian culture featuring Vicky Holt Takamine, renowned kumu hula (master teacher of Hawaiian dance), and ʻūniki (graduated) as a kumu hula from hula master Maiki Aiu Lake. As part […]

See Me Online at SAAM 

Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street and 8th Street NW, Washington DC, DC, United States

Wednesday, May 5, 2 p.m. ET Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a virtual program designed for art lovers with mild to moderate dementia and their care partners. Enjoy an opportunity to discuss and engage with artworks from SAAM’s collection. Space is limited, and registration is required; email access@si.edu or call 202.633.2921 to register. Location: Online Tickets: Free […]

New Writings in American Art: Virtual Conversation with Adair Margo 

Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street and 8th Street NW, Washington DC, DC, United States

Wednesday, May 5, 7 p.m. ET Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a virtual conversation featuring author and arts leader Adair Margo. Learn more about Margo’s most recent publication, Voices of La Lydia: The History of Lydia Patterson Institute (2020), which details stories of success and perseverance from the more than 100-year history of the Lydia Preston […]

(At Home) On Art and Other Senses: Artist Talk With Anicka Yi

Virtual Event

Wednesday, May 5; 7 p.m. ET Free, registration required for Zoom. Live stream also available on YouTube and Facebook Live. Anicka Yi will join Hirshhorn associate curator Anne Reeve for an important exploration into the artist’s groundbreaking conceptual work highlighting key intersections of art, science and humanity. Over the past year, many people have wondered how art fits into their lives as […]

New Writings in American Art: Virtual Conversation with Adair Margo

Online

Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a virtual conversation featuring author and arts leader Adair Margo. Learn more about Margo’s most recent publication, Voices of La Lydia: The History of Lydia Patterson Institute (2020), which details stories of success and perseverance from the more than 100-year history of the Lydia Preston Institute. A Methodist […]

Free

Enduring Images: Enslaved People and Photography in the Antebellum South

Virtual Event

  Tuesday, May 11, 5 p.m. Online via Zoom Closed captioning provided Presented by Matthew Fox-Amato, Assistant Professor of History, University of Idaho From the 1840s to the end of the Civil War, some enslaved people paid to have their photographs taken and then used these portraits to shape their identities and social ties. Slave narratives, newspapers and […]

Smithsonian American Art Museum Virtual Fellows Lectures

Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street and 8th Street NW, Washington DC, DC, United States

Wednesday, May 12, 2:30–5 p.m. ET Thursday, May 13, 2:30–5 p.m. ET Friday, May 14, 2:30–5 p.m. ET Join the 2020–2021 class of Smithsonian American Art Museum research fellows as they present new scholarship on a range of topics and time periods, media, and messages. This series of lectures presented entirely online highlights a new […]

(At Home) On Art and the Improbable: Artist Talk With Diana Al-Hadid

Virtual Event

Wednesday, May 12; 7 p.m. ET Free, registration required for Zoom. Live stream also available on YouTube and Facebook Live. Diana Al-Hadid will join Charlotte Burns to discuss her work for the U.S. Embassy in addition to her experimental practice. The artist has described her practice as “getting a material to misbehave.” Her sculptures and wall panels draw influence from her Middle […]

In Dialogue: Smithsonian Objects and Social Justice

Virtual Event

Thursday, May 13, 5 p.m. Online via Zoom Heighten your civic awareness through conversations about art, history and material culture. Each month, educators from the National Portrait Gallery will partner with colleagues from across the Smithsonian to discuss how historical objects from their respective collections speak to today’s social justice issues. Why is it important to have agency […]

¡Printing the Revolution! Virtual Conversation Series: Creating in a Digital Sphere

Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street and 8th Street NW, Washington DC, DC, United States

Thursday, May 13, 6:30 p.m. ET The digital realm defines a new chapter of Chicanx graphics. Artists use technologically based artwork to critique Big Tech, as well as distribute digital graphics across social media networks as a unifying call for social justice. This virtual conversation features artists from ¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of […]

¡Printing the Revolution! Virtual Conversation Series: Creating in a Digital Sphere

Online

The digital realm defines a new chapter of Chicanx graphics. Artists use technologically based artwork to critique Big Tech, as well as distribute digital graphics across social media networks as a unifying call for social justice. This virtual conversation features artists from ¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now who use digital strategies as a […]

Free

Smithsonian American Art Museum Reopening

Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street and 8th Street NW, Washington DC, DC, United States

The Smithsonian American Art Museum and its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, reopen to the public Friday, May 14. This is the second reopening of the museum following closures on March 14, 2020 and on Nov. 23, 2020 as a public health precaution due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The museum has negotiated extensions into […]

Youth in Action: Ecological Knowledge in Pacific Coastal Communities

Virtual Event

Youth in Action: Ecological Knowledge in Pacific Coastal Communities May 20; on demand Indigenous coastal Pacific communities have respected and protected their homelands’ ocean resources for thousands of years. Listen to a conversation with young Indigenous activists from across the Pacific who are utilizing traditional knowledge to inform environmental work within their communities. Youth in […]

Renwick Invitational 2020 Virtual Studio Tour with Rowland Ricketts 

Renwick Gallery

Thursday, May 20, 7 p.m. ET Enjoy a behind-the-scenes virtual studio tour and artwork demonstration by Rowland Ricketts, one of the artists featured in Forces of Nature: Renwick Invitational 2020. Discover more about Ricketts’s work and his holistic creative process. From farming his own indigo to dyeing and aging the fabric, Ricketts looks to nature for inspiration […]

Renwick Invitational 2020 Virtual Studio Tour with Rowland Ricketts

Online

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes virtual studio tour and artwork demonstration by Rowland Ricketts, one of the artists featured in Forces of Nature: Renwick Invitational 2020. Discover more about Ricketts’s work and his holistic creative process. From farming his own indigo to dyeing and aging the fabric, Ricketts looks to nature for inspiration and material when constructing […]

Free

Beyond the Studio Virtual Workshop: Watercolor Illustration with Marcella Kriebel 

Luce Foundation Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum F St NW &, 8th St NW, Washington, DC, United States

Sunday, May 23, 1–2 p.m. ET Venture beyond the studio with DC artist Marcella Kriebel. Register now for this engaging Zoom workshop and learn the basics of watercolor and illustration techniques, then try your hand at making your own masterpiece. Kriebel is known for her culinary watercolor paintings and murals throughout DC, which include collaborations with […]

Music for the Moment: An Asian American Offering

Online

A performance featuring Asian American women musicians and performers who draw on deep cultural heritages and contemporary genres—from performance art and ritual to hip-hop, rock, and pop. Streaming on Facebook and YouTube. Co-presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.Accessibility services provided.

Free

The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

If you’ve ever crossed a suspension bridge, you’ve used Andean Indigenous technology. Open through June 27, “The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire” explores the foundations of the Inka Road in earlier Andean cultures, technologies that made building the road possible, the cosmology and political organization of the Inka world, and the legacy of the […]

Free

The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

If you’ve ever crossed a suspension bridge, you’ve used Andean Indigenous technology. Open through June 27, “The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire” explores the foundations of the Inka Road in earlier Andean cultures, technologies that made building the road possible, the cosmology and political organization of the Inka world, and the legacy of the […]

Free

Americans

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

How did American Indians become national and commercial symbols? Pervasive, powerful, at times demeaning, the images, names and stories in “Americans” highlight the ways in which American Indians have been part of the nation’s identity since before the United States was founded. The exhibition surrounds visitors with images, delves into three historic stories important to […]

Free

Historically Speaking: In Remembrance of Greenwood

Virtual Event

Wednesday, June 2; 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. NMAAHC and Smithsonian magazine join forces in a virtual program to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. A panel discussion explores the development of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, the events that led to its Black residents being the target of racially motivated violence, and the community’s resilience and regrowth. […]

Beyond the Mall: Making Matters

Online

A weekend digital program series featuring both seasoned master artisans and the everyday makers who find solace and connection in creativity.

Free

At the Movies 2021: Monkey Beach  

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Sunday, June 27; 4 p.m.   americanindian.si.edu/online-programs  (Canada, 2020, 105 min.) Director: Loretta Todd (Cree/Métis)   Based on the novel by award-winning author Eden Robinson (Haisla/Heiltsuk), Monkey Beach is a supernatural coming-of-age story that layers tragedy, humor and redemption. Lisa Hill (Grace Dove) reunites with her Haisla family in Kitamaat Village and realizes she is meant to save […]

“¡Pleibol!” Virtual Exhibition Opening

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

July 9; 7 p.m. Free; required signup: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pleibol-virtual-exhibition-opening-tickets-157118189735 In a virtual opening celebration of the new exhibition "¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues" / "En los barrios y las grandes ligas," the online exhibition showcases Latinas/os' influence on the game for over a century, and highlights the impact of baseball within Latino communities across the nation. In this digital tour, curators provide […]

Summer Virtual Field Trip: Native Expression – The Art of Totem Poles

National Museum of the American Indian, Online 4th St SW, Washington D.C., United States

Native Americans created and used many shapes, designs, colors, and materials as an expression of their cultures and identities. Native art designs became a way to communicate tribal and family traditions and individual artistic skill and expression. These art forms have adapted over time and ensure that future generations continue traditions and reinforce tribal identity. […]

Free

Summer Virtual Field Trip: Native Games of the Americas

National Museum of the American Indian Online 4th St SW, Washington D.C., Washington DC, United States

Playing games is an important tradition shared by all ages in numerous Native communities. Many games are designed to build strength in both body and spirit through exercise, group cooperation, and practicing important skills such as hand-eye coordination. Games are an integral part of Native community life, they connect communities and teach cultural values, history, […]

Free

Cooking Up History: Pleibol and Eat Well! Latino Culinary Traditions and Américas’ Game

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

Monday, July 26; 6:45 p.m. Virtual demonstration Tickets available for purchase here: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/subscriptions/series/?id=175503 Explore the tangible connections between baseball and Latino culinary traditions, food fusions, and experiences that reflect broader themes and trends in American history—the focus of the National Museum of American History's new exhibition "¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues" / "En […]

Viewfinder Virtual Film Series: Leslie Thornton on Surviving

Online

Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for an engaging virtual lecture with award-winning filmmaker Leslie Thornton. Learn how Thornton, with her decades-long episodic film epic Peggy and Fred in Hell (1983–2015), secured a place of reverence in cinema history. Enjoy a special screening of the series’ most well-known video, Peggy and Fred in Kansas (11 […]

Free

Cooking Up History: Lena Richard’s New Orleans Cook Book: A Groundbreaking Story of Innovation and Resilience

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

Guest Chef: Dee Lavigne Aug. 5; 6:45 p.m. Virtual demonstration Tickets available for purchase here: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/lena-richards-new-orleans-cook-book-groundbreaking-story-of-innovation-and-resilience Lena Richard, a Black chef and entrepreneur in New Orleans, built a culinary career in the segregated South, defying harmful stereotypes of Black women that hindered their participation in the creation and development of American food culture and its economy. She owned […]

“Upending 1620: Where Do We Begin?”

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

Opens Aug. 6; Closes July 2022 Second Floor, Center “Upending 1620: Where Do We Begin?” is a display that examines the early encounters between Wampanoag peoples and English colonists, and the important legacies of those encounters over the next 400 years. Those initial meetings became the subject of powerful yet changing myths, when later Americans […]

SAAM Arcade 2021: Building Community, Embracing Individuality

Online

SAAM Arcade is back and online this year! Join us for a day of virtual play and be the first to discover the latest independent games created during SAAM’s inaugural game jam. Test out brand new video and tabletop games created by the talented developers, artists, and creators that make up our SAAM Arcade community. This […]

Free

Stories of Black Philanthropy: Treasures from the National Museum of American History

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

Aug. 10, 3-4 p.m. EST Virtual program Free with online registration: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eSo6QtNGQSCs1I7abyyeUw In celebration of Black Philanthropy Month, this program takes audiences behind-the-scenes to learn what curators and interns are discovering in the collections. From the “pancaked” ballet shoes worn by Misty Copeland, American Ballet Theater prima ballerina and Project Plié mentor to dancers of color […]

Hung Liu: Portraits of Promised Lands

National Portrait Gallery

  Aug. 27, 2021–May 30, 2022 Credit information: “Resident Alien” by Hung Liu, oil on canvas, 1988. Collection of the San Jose Museum of Art; gift of the Lipman Family Foundation. © Hung Liu The National Portrait Gallery will present the first retrospective of portraiture by the internationally acclaimed artist Hung Liu (b. 1948 in Changchun, […]

Sept. 11th 20th Anniversary Programming at the National Museum of American History

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

SEPT. 11 20TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMMING The National Museum of American History will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11 with three panel discussions centered on the theme of “Hidden Stories, Hidden Voices” to explore little known impacts on New York’s Latino/a and Chinese American communities as well as how artists from these communities have portrayed the attacks and their impact. […]

Smithsonian American Art Museum September Events

Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street and 8th Street NW, Washington DC, DC, United States

America InSight Online: Verbal Description Tours Thursday, September 2, 5:30 p.m. ET Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum online for a docent-led tour designed for participants who are blind or have low vision. Discover highlights from the collection through rich audio verbal descriptions that invoke a multisensory experience. Location: Online Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Eventbrite […]

Emmet Till: River Site Historical Marker

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

Opens Sept. 3; Closes Oct. 5 Flag Hall, Second Floor, Center During a visit to see his great uncle in Mississippi, 14-year-old Emmett Till, of Chicago, was brutally lynched Aug. 28,1955. When his mutilated body was recovered from the Tallahatchie River, his mother insisted on an open-casket funeral in Chicago. Starting in 2008, the Emmett […]

Emmet Till: RIver Site Historical Marker

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

Opens Sept. 3; Closes Oct. 5 Flag Hall, Second Floor, Center During a visit to see his great uncle in Mississippi, 14-year-old Emmett Till, of Chicago, was brutally lynched Aug. 28,1955. When his mutilated body was recovered from the Tallahatchie River, his mother insisted on an open-casket funeral in Chicago. Starting in 2008, the Emmett […]

Clarice Smith Virtual Lecture Series with Fred Wilson

Online

Take a journey lead by the creative powerhouse, Fred Wilson, during this captivating virtual lecture. Listen as he traces his artistic career and process through many decades, mediums, and techniques. Wilson is known for challenging assumptions of history, culture, race, and conventions of display by reframing objects and cultural symbols, altering traditional interpretations, and encouraging […]

Free

Escaramuza Dress New Perspectives case in Girlhood (It’s complicated)

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

Opens Sept. 17; Closes Winter 2021 Second Floor, East  A new case outside of “Girlhood (It’s complicated)” will showcase additional collections. An escaramuza charra dress worn by Veronica Davila is on view, representing the only female event in the Mexican charrería. Escaramuzas consist of teams of 8 riding horses in synchronized maneuvers. Davila wore this colorful dress […]

Indigenous Peoples’ Curriculum Day and Virtual Teach-In Indigenous Land: Rights, Relationships and Responsibility

Online

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and Teaching for Change host a day of online conversation, curriculum sharing and ideas exchange. The museum education experts, Teaching for Change and K–12 teachers will share curriculum and teaching strategies and explore the museum’s Essential Understandings for teaching about Indigenous peoples’ histories and their experiences around […]

$10

Cooking Up History: Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge: Chinese Americans and the Power of Stir-Frying at the National Museum of American History

Online

Cooking Up History: Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge: Chinese Americans and the Power of Stir-Frying Sept. 30; 6:45 p.m. Virtual demonstration Tickets available for purchase here: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/stir-frying-to-skys-edge-chinese-americans-and-power-of-stir-frying In Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge, culinary historian and award-winning cookbook author Grace Young writes of how the ancient technique of stir-frying played an important role in the culinary lives of […]

Clarice Smith Virtual Lecture with Nada Shabout

Online

Examine the enduring impact of colonialism and orientalism within the mainstream history of modernism with scholar Nada Shabout. During this captivating virtual talk, discuss efforts to decolonize the field of art history and prioritize inclusion and equity. Shabout highlights the noticeable absence of Arab artists in conventional narratives about modern and contemporary art, and uses […]

Free

Smithsonian Virtual Craft Show

Virtual Event

The 2021 Smithsonian Craft Show will be held virtually from October 23 to October 31. Originally scheduled in-person for October, the craft show will now be online due to health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The 2020 Smithsonian Craft Show was also held virtually due to the pandemic. For nine days […]

Día de los Muertos celebration (Day of the Dead)

National Museum of the American Indian, Online 4th St SW, Washington D.C., United States

In recorded presentations by two renowned Mexican families, the museum showcases two traditions central to Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos): the art of making figures from sugar and papier-mâché. These two presentations will take place in Spanish. Closed captioning in Spanish and English will be available. “The Sweet Story of Alfeñique” follows […]

Free

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Virtual

Oct. 28, On demand americanindian.si.edu/calendar To celebrate Día de los Muertos, the museum will showcase two unique Day of the Dead traditions: figural sugar work and papier-mâché arts. The Mondragón family are skilled sugar workers known for their sugar animals and the most popular symbol of Día de los Muertos: the sugar skull. They come […]

Smithsonian’s New “FUTURES” Will Blast Through the Space-Time Continuum to Open Saturday, Nov. 20

Smithsonian Arts & Industries

Smithsonian’s New “FUTURES” Will Blast Through the Space-Time Continuum to Open Saturday, Nov. 20 First Major Exploration of the Future on the National Mall to Launch With ‘FUTURES Remixed’ Festival, Featuring Bill Nye, Pattie Gonia, SHAED, HBO Max’s “Legendary,” Kal Penn and More   The historic Arts and Industries Building (AIB), America’s first National Museum, […]

Wampanoag Celebration

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Watch members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), both of Massachusetts, as they share their culture and history in a virtual celebration of food, art, traditional stories, and film. The event features a talk by Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on the […]

Free

2022 Mother Tongue Film Festival: Opening Night and “Bootlegger” U.S. Premiere

Online

Following opening remarks from Smithsonian organizers, the festival’s first screening presents the U.S. premiere of Caroline Monnet’s debut feature film Bootlegger alongside the world premiere of Ixim Ulew, the latest music video from Maya hip-hop artist Tz’utu Kan. This program is hosted in partnership with the Québec Government Office in Washington, DC. Film synopsis: Mani, […]

Free

National Museum of American History February Events

COOKING UP HISTORY "Bakers Against Racism: The Power of Community Activism through Food" Guest Chef: Paola VelezFeb. 22; Virtual demonstration at 6:45 p.m. For more information, see https://americanhistory.si.edu/topics/food/pages/cooking-historyChef Paola Velez, co-founder of Bakers Against Racism, will share a recipe from her home kitchen that reflects and embodies her identity as an Afro-Latina chef rooted in her family’s Dominican heritage. […]

“Without A Whisper”: Film Screening and Virtual Discussion

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the National Museum of the American Indian is presenting “Without A Whisper,” a film about the untold history of Native women’s influence on the early women’s rights movement in the United States. The screening will be followed by a virtual panel discussion among Bear Clan Mother Louise Herne (Mohawk), […]

Free

National Portrait Gallery: Watergate—Portraiture & Intrigue

National Portrait Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will present “Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue,” an exhibition exploring the 50th anniversary of the watershed moment through portraiture of the era. The exhibition will display 25 objects in various mediums spanning from fine art to pop culture to explore the relationship between portraiture, investigative journalism, activism and politics. “Watergate: Portraiture […]

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian April & May 2022 Events

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Public Events Calendar April - May 2022 New in New York City Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe Open through Sept. 11 View this major retrospective of the Yanktonai Dakota artist’s work. One of the 20th century’s most innovative Native American painters, Oscar Howe (1915–1983) challenged stereotypes and created pathways for Native painters. His […]

Reveal of the winner of the 2022 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and preview of “The Outwin 2022: American Portraiture Today”

National Portrait Gallery

WHAT:          Reveal of the winner of the 2022 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and preview of “The Outwin 2022: American Portraiture Today”   WHEN:          Friday, April 29 10–11:30 a.m.                         WHERE:       Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Eighth and G streets N.W.                                                 WHO:            Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery Taína Caragol, curator of painting, sculpture, and Latinx art and […]

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

National Mall Madison Dr. and 12th Street, Washington, DC

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall this summer! Explore cultural traditions of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism initiative during almost two weeks of workshops, demonstrations, performances, family activities and discussion sessions. Enjoy evening concerts after daytime programming concludes. Try delicious foods and browse artisans’ crafts at the […]

Free

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

National Mall Madison Dr. and 12th Street, Washington, DC

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall this summer! Explore cultural traditions of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism initiative during almost two weeks of workshops, demonstrations, performances, family activities and discussion sessions. Enjoy evening concerts after daytime programming concludes. Try delicious foods and browse artisans’ crafts at the […]

Free

The National Museum of the American Indian Summer Events

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is now open every day. Look for the QR codes and enjoy a free tour with new bilingual (English-Spanish) audio guides, which can be accessed via your cellphone. For all information about visiting, go to AmericanIndian.si.edu. Tsimshian Celebration featuring the Git Hoan Dancers Join us in person Saturday and […]

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

National Mall Madison Dr. and 12th Street, Washington, DC

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall this summer! Explore cultural traditions of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism initiative during almost two weeks of workshops, demonstrations, performances, family activities and discussion sessions. Enjoy evening concerts after daytime programming concludes. Try delicious foods and browse artisans’ crafts at the […]

Free

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

National Mall Madison Dr. and 12th Street, Washington, DC

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall this summer! Explore cultural traditions of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism initiative during almost two weeks of workshops, demonstrations, performances, family activities and discussion sessions. Enjoy evening concerts after daytime programming concludes. Try delicious foods and browse artisans’ crafts at the […]

Free

National Portrait Gallery Presents Two Exhibitions of Early American Photography on View in July

National Portrait Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery announces two exhibitions of early American photography to premiere July 1 alongside the reinstallation of “Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900” in the museum’s collection galleries. “Family Ties: Daguerreotype Portraits” and “Powerful Partnerships: Civil War-Era Couples” will explore portraiture from the mid-19th century. Both exhibitions are curated by Senior Curator […]

“I Dream a World: Selections from Brian Lanker’s Portraits of Remarkable Black Women”

National Portrait Gallery

   The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will present an exhibition of portraits by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Lanker. “I Dream a World: Selections from Brian Lanker’s Portraits of Remarkable Black Women” celebrates the first exhibition of photographs from the “I Dream a World” project to be shown in Washington, D.C., in over 30 years. […]

NMAAHC Inaugural Hip-Hop Block Party

National Museum of African American History and Culture

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will host its inaugural Hip-Hop Block Party Saturday, Aug. 13, to celebrate the first anniversary of the release of the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap. The event will feature performances by local and national talent, presentations and activities that explore hip-hop music’s origins and […]

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

National Portrait Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 with virtual programs and an in-person festival highlighting Hispanic history, culture, traditions and stories. Following Hispanic Heritage Month, on Nov. 2, the museum will commemorate el Día de los Muertos with an indoor festival and an outdoor video and […]

INTERSECTIONS: Where Diversity, Equity and Design Meet

WASHINGTON, D.C.—August 31, 2022—The National Building Museum will bring leading Black voices in design, art, and architecture to the Museum for INTERSECTIONS: Where Diversity, Equity and Design Meet, dynamic discussions about culture, equity and representation in the built world through the lens of design. The programming is a part of the Museum’s ongoing signature series, Equity in […]

Smithsonian Associates Fall Programming

Smithsonian Associates

All in-person events: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/in-person/ Author Reza Aslan will discuss An American Martyr in Iran: Howard Baskerville on Oct. 12.   Authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finley Boylan will join us in person at the National Zoo on Oct. 15.   A Sakes 101 program will be held in collaboration with Sake Discoveries and Michelin-starred Cranes on Oct. 24.   We're […]

Smithsonian American History Museum “Food History Weekend”

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

Food History WeekendOct. 13 and 14For more information: https://americanhistory.si.edu/events/food-history-weekend The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will host its eighth annual Food History Weekend Oct. 13-14, a multifaceted festival that consist of two days of lively events, including a cooking demonstration, panel discussions and objects out of storage displays.Food History GalaOct. 13; 6:30 p.m.For more information: https://americanhistory.si.edu/events/food-history-weekend/galaFor tickets: https://amhistory.si.edu/donate/food-gala/The […]

Winter Blast: A Weekend of Indigenous Games

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Games can be fun as well as teach important life skills. Visit the National Museum of the American Indian and join Jeremy Red Eagle (Sisseton Wahpeton) from the International Traditional […]

Free

Winter Blast: A Weekend of Indigenous Games

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Games can be fun as well as teach important life skills. Visit the National Museum of the American Indian and join Jeremy Red Eagle (Sisseton Wahpeton) from the International Traditional […]

Free

Native Cinema Showcase Screening: Encanto

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in a magical house in a vibrant town in the mountains of Colombia. The magic of this […]

Free

Film Screening: Prey

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

(USA, 2022, 100 mins.) Director: Dan Trachtenberg, (Rated: R) Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly evolved Predators […]

Free

Living Earth Festival 2023: Native Nations Confronting Climate Change

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

From water scarcity to floods and erosion, Native nations are addressing climate change across Indian Country. During the Living Earth Festival, join the museum for a weekend of conversations, demonstrations, and artmaking to learn how Indigenous communities are stepping forward with aggressive plans to protect their ways of life. Throughout the weekend, visitors can hear […]

Free

Native American Veterans Film Screening: Corridor Four

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Saturday, May 27, 2 p.m. https://americanindian.si.edu/events/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D166293693 Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/b72vxs9ccd6zbsj/CorridorFour_01.jpg?dl=0 Corridor Four challenges the image of the American hero in a heartfelt portrait of 9/11 first responder Isaac Ho‘opi‘i (Native Hawaiian) as he works […]

National Museum of American History: Calendar of Exhibitions and Events: June 2023

national Museum of American History 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, Washington D.C., United States

EXHIBITIONS OPENING “Treasures and Trouble: Looking Inside a Legendary Blues Archive”Archives Center, First Floor, WestOpens June 23 The exhibit explores the many treasures and troubles found within Robert “Mack” McCormick’s one-of-a-kind music archive. McCormick (1930-2015) was a white, Houston-based, self-trained folklorist who built one of the world’s largest and most significant archives on blues and other Southern […]

Native Art Market

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Make your holiday shopping special and support more than 30 award-winning Indigenous artists. Visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and enjoy the museum’s annual Native Art Market. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 2–3, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. This weekend event invites lovers of art and craftsmanship to meet Indigenous artists and […]

Free

Blossom to Beverage: The Story of Chocolate

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Saturday and Sunday, February 17–18, 10:30 AM–5 PM National Mall The story of chocolate begins with a small cacao tree rooted deep in the history of Mesoamerican culture. Learn the […]

Mother Tongue Film Festival: Frybread Face and Me

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Frybread Face and Me follows two adolescent Navajo cousins from different worlds as they bond during a summer on their grandmother’s Arizona ranch, learning more about their family’s past and […]

Women’s History Month: Bountiful Baskets

National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, United States

Visit the National Museum of the American Indian and learn about the art of basketweaving from Indigenous women as they share the beauty of Native basketry and the significance of keeping this tradition alive through the different weaving traditions, materials, and stories and inspirations that go into making a basket. Join us and hear directly […]