One Million Bones on the National Mall Shed Light on Genocide Around the World (photos)
• June 17, 2013

Thousands of volunteers, dressed in white, gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., June 8 through June 11, to create a powerful visible protest against genocide and to raise awareness of mass atrocities in Sudan, Burma, Somalia, Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One million bones, crafted by artists, students and activists from around the world were laid out as a striking symbol of our common humanity. The field of bones between Third and Seventh Streets was evocative of a mass grave.
The project was inspired by New Mexico-based artist Naomi Natale. The bones were hand-crafted by 100,000 persons from every state and 30 countries from clay, plaster, paper and other materials.

View our photos of One Million Bones by clicking on the icons below. [gallery ids="101333,151581,151575,151569,151563,151558,151553,151548,151542,151537,151531,151526,151592,151597,151519,151601,151586" nav="thumbs"]

Pro Cycling on the Streets of Clarendon for the Air Force Classic
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For one weekend every June, the streets around Clarendon and Crystal City in Arlington VA turn into a high speed bicycle course as part of the Air Force Association Cycling Classic. We were on hand to June 8 to photograph some of the top professional men and women cyclists compete for the Clarendon Cup which is part of the prestigious USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar.
The Air Force Association Cycling Classic’s Clarendon Cup has been the Washington DC region’s premier Pro/Am races since 1998. The race showcases a form of cycling involving a series of high-speed bike races that take place on a 1km course on city streets. The Clarendon Cup is known as one of the most difficult criterium races in the U.S. due to technical demands of the course and the quality of the participants. The men’s pro race is 100 laps (100km), the women’s race is 50 laps at speeds upwards of 30 MPH.

Aldo Imo Ilesic of Slovenia was the first place male finisher in the Clarendon Cup. American Amanda Miller topped the field among elite women.

View our photos of the racers in action by clicking on the photo icons below.

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Inside the Benghazi Hearing (photos)
• May 23, 2013

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing on the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in which Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died on Sept. 11, 2012. The hearing took place on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on May 8. Witnesses included Gregory Hicks, a former U.S. diplomat in Libya, who said more could have been done to help the American victims of the attack. Also testifying were Eric Nordstrom, a former regional security officer in Libya, and Mark Thompson, the State Department’s acting deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism. Democrats on the committee accused Republicans of a full-scale media campaign designed to smear the Obama Administration and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Go inside the hearing by viewing our photos. Just click on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101280,149380,149386,149393,149400,149406,149412,149420,149427,149434,149440,149373,149365,149359,149472,149319,149466,149325,149460,149331,149455,149339,149345,149353,149449" nav="thumbs"]

Daytime Television’s Susan Lucci, Alex Trebek and Barney Objects Added to Smithsonian Collection (photos)
• May 16, 2013

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History added artifacts from daytime television programming to its national entertainment collection in a special ceremony May 9 to mark a new partnership with the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

The donation from “All My Children” actress Susan Lucci, “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek and Barney creators Kathy and Phil Parker represent three of the primary Daytime Entertainment Emmy categories: daytime dramas, game shows and children’s programming. The objects range from show scripts and original art to set props and other memorabilia, including a pink gown and shoes worn by Lucci when she appeared on a national magazine cover after winning her 1999 Daytime Emmy, a 1984 “Jeopardy!” script with handwritten notes by Trebek and a script from the first video to be released in the “Barney & the Backyard Gang” series along with a plush toy of the purple dinosaur.

The ceremony officially launched a three-year collecting initiative by the museum in partnership with NATAS to help the museum expand its capacity to tell the story of daytime television and the Daytime Emmys.

View our photos of the ceremony at the Smithsonian with Susan Lucci, Alex Trebek, the creators of Barney and the head of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101291,149713,149706,149697,149690,149683,149675,149668,149661,149653,149644,149727,149636,149732,149630,149738,149622,149744,149720" nav="thumbs"]

Fallen Journalists Honored at Newseum (photos)
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In a solemn ceremony , the names of 82 journalists who died covering the news in 2012 as well as six who died in previous years were added to the Newseum’s Journalist Memorial on Monday, May 13, in the Journalists Memorial Gallery.

Six additional journalists who died in previous years and were brought to the Newseum’s attention in 2012 were also recognized. Their names have been added to a separate panel in the memorial, and their stories are included in the interactive kiosks in the gallery.

The keynote speaker was Richard Engel, chief foreign correspondent for NBC News. Engel and several members of his crew were kidnapped in Syria last December. In his remarks, Engel said he feared his own name would be added to the list of fallen journalists honored on the memorial. Said Engel: “Journalist take risks … to understand the world and how it changes.” The honored journalists died “doing what they loved….They died in the line of duty with their boots on, with their pencils in hand and they should be remembered and celebrated and honored for that.”

With this year’s addition of 88 names from 2012 and previous years, the memorial will honor a total of 2,244 reporters, photographers, editors, broadcasters and news executives from around the world, dating back to 1837.

View our photos by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101294,149854,149861,149868,149874,149882,149888,149895,149902,149909,149916,149922,149930,149847,149840,149961,149783,149954,149791,149949,149797,149944,149805,149813,149820,149827,149834,149938" nav="thumbs"]

‘On Cinco de Mayo, everybody is Latino!’ (photos)
• May 9, 2013

“On Cinco de Mayo, everybody is Latino!” read the banner atop the stage at the National Cinco de Mayo Festival held on the National Mall on Sunday, May 5. The festival is an annual celebration featuring music and dance, arts and crafts, food, games, and fun for the whole family. Visitors also were able to win cash prizes in dance competitions. The name of the festival commemorates the date of the Battle of Puebla when Mexican forces decisively defeated the army of France in 1862. Although the holiday is originally Mexican in origin, the “Cinco de Mayo Festival” on the Mall has come to represent a larger “Latin-American Family Reunion.” This year, and for each of the past 21 years, the festival in D.C. has been the production of the Maru Montero Dance Company.

View our photos of this year’s Cinco de Mayo Festival by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101277,149163,149171,149177,149184,149191,149198,149205,149211,149219,149225,149233,149241,149248,149156,149150,149279,149089,149274,149096,149268,149103,149264,149109,149116,149124,149130,149136,149143,149256" nav="thumbs"]

Celebrating Shakespeare’s Birthday at the Folger (photos)
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Hundreds came out to celebrate the 449th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., under sunny skies on April 21. There were plenty of activities for young and old alike, including jugglers, jesters, demonstrations, workshops and arts and crafts. It was also the one day of the year when the Folger reading rooms are open to all.

View our photos of the celebration by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101249,147129,147135,147143,147153,147161,147167,147175,147181,147188,147196,147203,147211,147217,147224,147231,147122,147115,147107,147262,147256,147025,147251,147033,147246,147041,147049,147056,147064,147071,147079,147086,147093,147100,147238" nav="thumbs"]

Comic Lovers Dress to Character at Awesome Con D.C. (photos)
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For too long, the District has been without a comic-con of its own. Not any more. The Washington D.C. metro area held its first of a kind comic-con on April 20 and 21 to an enthusiastic crowd at the Walter Washington Convention Center. Awesome Con D.C. promises to be an annual event, “bringing together comics and pop culture with a fun atmosphere.” Celebrity guests included Nicholas Brendon of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and Theodus Crane from “The Walking Dead.” The event boasted 50 events, panels, presentations, contests and Q&As, including “Sci-Fi Speed Dating” and costume contests.

View our photos of Awesome Con DC featuring the best of the costumes worn by attendees by clicking on the photo icons below.
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D.C. Celebrates Earth Day at Union Station (photos)
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April 22 was the 43rd anniversary of the Earth Day, first celebrated in 1970. According to director of Earth Day Franklin Russell, Earth Day is the largest secular event in the world with millions simultaneously participating in countries around the globe. Washington’s locals celebrated the occasion at Union Station with a farmers market, speakers, educational booths and live music. The theme chosen by the Earth Day Network for this year’s event was “the face of climate change.” Russell hinted at big plans for the 45th anniversary of Earth Day in 2015 with a massive event on the National Mall that should draw hundreds of thousands.

Two works of art decorated the entrance to Union Station during the event, “Atlas Recycled” by Tom Tsuchiya and “Plastic Storm Sculpture” by George Sabra.

Cincinnati-based Tsuchiya created “Atlas Recycled” in 2010. The seven-foot-tall sculpture depicts the mythical Greek Titan Atlas bearing the earth on his shoulders. It also doubles as a recycling container for aluminum cans and plastic bottles. In addition to being a recycling aid, “Atlas” itself is made mainly from reused materials. Pieces of 14 used atlases and road maps cover the entire surface of the sculpture. This was a return trip to D.C. for “Atlas Recycled,” having appeared last year on the National Mall during Earth Week.

“Plastic Storm Sculpture” by Austin, Texas-based George Sabra is a 14-feet-tall storm funnel made of reclaimed plastic bottles, cups, jars and caps which “represent the massive storm of plastic waste generated by humans on a daily basis.”

You can view our photos of these works of art and the activities from Earth Day at Union Station by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101267,147942,147936,147929,147922,147915,147907,147900,147894,147885,147954,147878,147959,147871,147964,147865,147969,147948" nav="thumbs"]

Zaytinya Celebrates Greek Easter with Agora Day and Night Market (photos)
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The Penn Quarter restaurant Zaytinya held its first annual outdoor market and celebration of Greek culture on April 21-22 with Agora Day and Night Market to coincide with the Greek Easter holiday. Participants were greeted by two ancient Spartan warriors in full armor as they enjoyed Greek music, food, wine and spirits on the restaurant’s newly renovated patio. In ancient Greece the “agorá” was the gathering place in the center part of the city state which also served as a market place. The popular Zaytinya Restaurant, located in the District’s Penn Quarter at 701 9th Street NW, specializes in Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisines.

View our photos of the Agorá at Zaytinya by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101268,148002,147994,147988,147981,148016,147974,148021,147967,148027,147960,148032,148008" nav="thumbs"]