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National YMCA Town Hall: “Unlearning Systemic Racism”

YMCA of Metropolitan Washington 1112 16th St. NW, Washington, DC, United States

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2021—The YMCA of Metropolitan Washington is participating in a national virtual town hall, “Unlearning Systemic Racism,” hosted by the African American YMCA CEOs on Wednesday, Feb. 24 […]

Reset at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Virtual Event

(Washington, D.C.) This March, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company launches RESET, a new, free digital collection featuring historical resources, excerpts, and video performances curated by Nicole M. Brewer, Faedra Chatard Carpenter, Jordan Ealey, Kristen Jackson, Leticia Ridley, and Nikkole Salter. […]

Art Chats @ 5 with the National Museum of Women in the Arts

National Museum of Women in the Arts 1250 New York Avenue NW

Art Chats @ 5 Fridays, March 5–26, 5–5:45 p.m. Jump-start your weekend with art! Join NMWA educators online every Friday for informal 45-minute art chats about selected artworks in the […]

International Women’s Day at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

National Museum of Women in the Arts 1250 New York Avenue NW

International Women’s Day Monday, March 8, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Join NMWA for a virtual festival in celebration of International Women’s Day. Throughout the day, museum staff, artists and makers will […]

N Street Village (Virtual) Annual Gala & Auction

N Street Village

N Street Village will be hosting our Annual Gala and Auction virtually on Tuesday, March 9. As we navigate the virtual landscape, this year’s event will be a chance for our […]

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.

36th Annual Catholic Charities Gala

Virtual Event

The 36th annual Catholic Charities Gala will honor the work of the social services agency and acknowledge the contributions of its philanthropic community at its first-ever virtual celebration on the evening of March […]

Meditation Mondays at the NMAAHC

Virtual Event

Meditation Mondays Mondays March 15 and March 29; 12:30 p.m.–1:15 p.m. In this virtual program, participants will contemplate the journey of black Americans toward liberation through meditation. During the 45-minute […]

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.

Introducing…

Virtual Event

Wednesdays, 11 a.m. YouTube @smithsoniannpg March 17: Abigail Adams March 24: Lady Bird Johnson March 31: Maya Lin Introducing… a new kind of story time. Each week in March, a […]

BMA x NMWA: In Relation

National Museum of Women in the Arts 1250 New York Avenue NW

BMA x NMWA: In Relation Tuesday, March 9, 12–12:45 p.m. Join us for BMA x NMWA, a livestreamed monthly talk show co-presented by The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) and […]

(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.

The Avenue Live: Living Room Series – Inaugural Event

Virtual Event

The Avenue Live: Living Room Series - Inaugural Event TheAvenue.Live March 26th 7-9 PM Free Of Charge Tipping Is Optional but Encouraged (Tips will benefit Baltimore Restaurant Relief) Live Performance by Cat […]

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 […]

Hungarian Delicacies with the National Chamber Ensemble

National Chamber Ensemble

The National Chamber Ensemble continues it's successful virtual season with Hungarian Delicacies on March 27. We have been keeping our followers and artists safe all season without losing contact. The […]

Will Kimbrough – Live Stream – PRESENTED BY SHC Music Tribe

Virtual Event

Will Kimbrough - Live Stream - PRESENTED BY SHC Music Tribe Reserve: omuseum.org/Kimbrough Tickets: FREE (donations appreciated) Where: O Museum in The Mansion, 2020 O Street NW When: 3/28/21 Concert Starts: 6:00pm […]

Will Kimbrough Benefit for O Museum

Virtual Event

Will Kimbrough is an award winning instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. His credits include a Americana Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year Award, 12 songs on four recent Jimmy Buffett albums, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Anne-Marie McDermott, piano

The Barns at Wolf Trap 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, VA, United States

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) present Chamber Music Society’s “Front Row” streaming concert series.

Free

Virtual Earth Day Event

Hillwood Museum 4155 Linnean Ave. NW, Washington, DC, United States

Virtual Earth Day Event Thursday, April 22, 2021, 1:30-2 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day and join Jessica Bonilla, director of horticulture, for a virtual tour of Hillwood’s conservation efforts. www.HillwoodMuseum.org  4155 […]

Gay is Good: Frank Kameny and the Fight for LGBTQ Rights

DC History Center

Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 pm Frank Kameny spent five decades in DC as a civil rights activist and politician, including serving on Mayor Walter Washington’s inaugural Commission on Human […]

Podcast Release: Luce Listening Party with Jenna Camille

Virtual Event

Friday, April 23 Luce Unplugged has gone digital! Tune in for a podcast episode featuring singer-songwriter Jenna Camille in conversation with Paul Vodra and Anthony Porreco of Hometown Sounds. Jenna Camille’s background in improvisational jazz brings […]

Floral Design How-To | Abundant Roses

Friday, June 18, 2021, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Roses evoke delightful memories with their lovely scent and delicate petals. Join Ami Wilber, floral and event décor designer, via Zoom to create a […]

Alzheimer’s Association Brain Ball (Virtual)

Virtual Event

This year’s virtual Alzheimer's Association Brain Ball is free and open to all. Join us from the comfort of your own home for a memorable evening hosted by Doreen Gentzler, […]

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 […]

Virtual May Day Family Celebration

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

Virtual May Day Family Celebration Saturday, May 1, 10 a.m. ET Celebrate spring and learn more about art and environmental conservation with our virtual May Day family program. Explore how the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s team of art conservators preserve and protect works of art in a sustainable way. Then join the musical group Bash the […]

Round House Theatre – Throw Me on the Burnpile and Light Me Up

Virtual Event

By Lucy Alibar Directed by Ryan Rilette MAY 3 – MAY 30, 2021 A small Florida farmhouse on a watermelon field may not seem like much, but for one little girl, it’s where magic happens. It’s where her father runs with her every morning, plays Sam Cooke on the radio, and defends death row inmates […]

$30

Throw Me on the Burnpile & Light Me Up at the Round House Theatre

Round House Theatre 4545 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD, United States

By Lucy Alibar Directed by Ryan Rilette MAY 3 – MAY 30, 2021 A small Florida farmhouse on a watermelon field may not seem like much, but for one little girl, it’s where magic happens. It’s where her father runs with her every morning, plays Sam Cooke on the radio, and defends death row inmates […]

Woolly Mammoth Virtual Free Gala

Virtual Event

Our annual gala returns virtually on Monday, May 3, 2021 at 8pm ET with a very “Woolly” interpretation on the rite of spring cleaning! SOAPBOX: A MAMMOTH SPRING CELEBRATION is free and online. Join Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes and Managing Director Emika Abe for dynamic performances, special sneak peeks into next season, and a rousing celebration of […]

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 […]

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 […]

Art AfterWords: A Book Discussion

Virtual Event

Tuesday, May 11, 5:30-7 p.m. Online via Zoom The National Portrait Gallery and the DC Public Library would like to invite you to a virtual conversation about power, gender and collective memory. Join us as we analyze portraits from the exhibition “Every Eye Is Upon Me: First Ladies of the United States” and discuss the related book “Rodham” by Curtis Sittenfeld. Participants are […]

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 […]

Innovative Lives: Sarah Will and Mike Schultz

Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation

May 12; 4 p.m. Free registration: invention.si.edu/events Sarah Will, Paralympic skier and accessibility advocate and Mike Schultz, inventor of the Moto Knee and Versa Foot, will come together to talk with NMAH sports curator Jane Rogers about their respective careers and overlapping interests in advocacy for accessible sports and the history of and ongoing technology innovations in adaptive […]

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 […]

Art Signs Online: Artful Conversations in ASL

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

Thursday, May 13, 5:30 p.m. ET Curious about American art? Join us for a 30-minute gallery 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 hard of hearing. Zoom link provided via email upon registration. […]

Rug and Textile Appreciation Morning: Good, Better, Best

GW Museum & Textile Museum 701 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052

Panelists Ben Evans, editor, Hali Publications Detlef Maltzhan, managing director and proprietor, Rippon Boswell & Co. Mary Jo Otsea, former worldwide director of rugs and carpets, Sotheby’s  Wendel Swan, museum trustee and collector (moderator) How to Participate You can register for this program online. After you register, we will email you a link and instructions for joining online via Zoom. Simply […]

Native American Code Talkers

Virtual Event

May 19, 2 p.m. EST An illustrated talk by author and historian William C. Meadows followed by audience Q&A. Check the museum’s website for updates and Zoom link.

Native American Code Talkers: A Lasting Legacy

Online

During World War I and World War II, American Indians made a unique contribution to the U.S. Armed Forces by using their tribal languages in secret battle communications. Watch author and anthropologist/historian William C. Meadows of Missouri State University revealing how these Native American “code talkers” played a key role in important battles and campaigns—and […]

Free

Youth in Action: Ecological Knowledge in Pacific Coastal Communities

Online

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. Moderated by Gabbi Lee (Kanaka ʻŌiwi). Panelists include Franceska De Oro (Chamoru/Taotao Tåno Ginen Guåhan), […]

Free

Award-Winning iSing Silicon Valley Girlchoir Spring Concert Choosing Harmony

Virtual Event

iSing Silicon Valley is pleased to announce its eighth annual Spring Concert, which will premiere on Saturday, May 22, at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET on YouTube (free). Choosing Harmony features 250 iSing girls joined by the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Amaranth Quartet, and other guest artists. Choosing Harmony is the virtual concert premiere of iSing’s first […]

Free, please RSVP to receive viewing link

Free Screening of “Our Time Machine”

Virtual Event

The Alzheimer's Association National Capital Area Chapter will hold a virtual Q&A discussion with the directors of Our Time Machine, along with a discussion on the warning signs of Alzheimer's, […]

Free

Round House Theatre – We’re Gonna Die

Virtual Event

By Young Jean Lee Directed by Paige Hernandez JUNE 14 – JULY 11, 2021 Bad things will happen to all of us. That’s a certainty in life, but it also […]

$30

2 Divas on a European Vacation

Virtual Event

2 Divas on a European Vacation Thursday, July 29, 11am ET Washington Performing Arts – Family Art Moments Travel to France, Italy, Spain, and Austria through song with opera singer […]

Free

Megha Majumdar’s “A Burning” Virtual Event at Loyalty Books

Loyalty Books

An instant New York Times bestseller and a National Book Award longlist honoree, Megha’s debut was lauded by Parul Sehgal for The New York Times as “riveting…fate has rarely been so many-faced, so muscular, so […]

Exploring Africa with Sylvia Soumah

Virtual Event

Exploring Africa with Sylvia Soumah Thursday, August 5, 11am ET Washington Performing Arts – Family Art Moments Trek through several regions of Africa with the music and movement of Sylvia […]

Free

Viewfinder Virtual Film Series: Leslie Thornton on Surviving 

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

August 5, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. ET 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 […]

Indigenous Peoples’ Curriculum Day and Virtual Teach-In Indigenous Land: Rights, Relationships and Responsibility with the National Museum of the American Indian

online MD, United States

Indigenous Peoples’ Curriculum Day and Virtual Teach-In Indigenous Land: Rights, Relationships and Responsibility Saturday, Sept. 25, 12:30 p.m.–3 p.m. ET Registration cost is $10 https://www.teachingforchange.org/2021-indigenous-peoples-teach-in The Smithsonian’s National Museum of […]

Summer Virtual Field Trip: Bison – One Stop Shopping 

Online

Summer Virtual Field Trip: Bison - One Stop Shopping Tuesdays through Aug. 31, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET. 30 mins. Free, advance registration is required https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/student-programs/virtual-field-trips/ The American bison—or […]

Curative Collective Conversations

Virtual

WHAT Curative Collective Conversations Join the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) and members of the Curative Collective for a weekly conversation at the intersection of food, art […]

Virtual Happy Hour: Mary Vaux Walcott

Virtual Event

WHAT Virtual Happy Hour: Mary Vaux Walcott Join the staff of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) for a virtual happy hour to celebrate the life and […]

Building Your Future in a Changing Museum World

Online

Museums are powered by professionals with wide-ranging backgrounds—from historians and scientists to accountants, attorneys, computer programmers, and graphic designers. Join staff members from the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and Smithsonian Gardens for an engaging virtual conversation about the changing landscape of the museum field and the need for greater diversity among the professional staff. […]

Free

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 […]

CHESAPEAKE FILM FESTIVAL

Virtual Event

CHESAPEAKE FILM FESTIVAL is LIVE and VIRTUAL October 1-10, 2021 For more information: chesapeakefilmfestival.com Easton, Maryland, August 13, 2021—As the lights dim in the grandeur of the historic Avalon Theatre in Easton, MD, a hush falls over the audience.  Excitement builds as the first images of the 14th annual Chesapeake Film Festival mark the return of a LIVE Festival […]

Collection Highlights Talk at the National Museum of Women in The Arts (virtual)

Virtual

WHAT:  Collection Highlights Talk Join the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NWMA) for Collection Highlights Talks. Drop in to these virtual tours to explore NMWA from home. During this interactive, docent-led talk, participants will look closely at and discuss artworks from the museum’s collection. Join in as often as you like—docents select the artworks, […]

Happy Hour: Alma Woodsey Thomas and Her Circles 

National Museum of Women in the Arts 1250 New York Avenue NW

WHAT Happy Hour: Alma Woodsey Thomas and Her Circles  A virtual happy hour will celebrate Alma Woodsey Thomas and her remarkable art circles. A specialty cocktail will be made in her honor and artworks and stories about the Little Paris Group and Washington Color School, a visual art movement primarily concerned with non-representational color field […]

Curative Collective Conversations

Online

Join the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) and members of the Curative Collective for a weekly conversation at the intersection of food, art and social change. From social justice work to restorative self-care, the Curative Collective is a group of organizations that serve communities throughout the Baltimore–Washington area and are contributing to RECLAMATION: […]

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

Immigration and Innovation: New Perspectives webinar series with the National Museum of American History

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

Immigration and Innovation: New Perspectives webinar series Nov. 1, 2 and 3; 1-2:30 p.m. Check Lemelson website for Zoom link at https://invention.si.edu/ Immigration has long been—and remains—a key driver of American innovation. […]

Clarice Smith Virtual Lecture with Richard Powell

Online

Discover the magnificent Scandinavian landscapes and other European-based paintings created by celebrated Harlem Renaissance painter William H. Johnson. Take a deep dive into this often overlooked and misunderstood period in […]

Free

NMWA xChange: Remembering Those Lost

Virtual

WHATNMWA xChange: Remembering Those LostThis monthly talk show, a spin-off of the 2021 GLAMi award-winning series BMA x NMWA, connects viewers to NMWA and its mission to champion women artists. Join us […]

Virtual Tour of Positive Fragmentation: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation

Virtual

WHATVirtual Tour of Positive Fragmentation: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family FoundationJoin curator Virginia Treanor for a virtual tour of NMWA’s exhibition Positive Fragmentation: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, on view at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. Positive Fragmentation includes more than 100 works […]

The Tea: Cecily

Virtual

WHATThe Tea: CecilyJoin the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) for The Tea, a series of virtual live performances by women musicians. DC-based vocalist and songwriter Cecily is known for […]