National Museum of American History Spring Events

MARCH EXHIBITION OPENING

APRIL EXHIBITION OPENING

This new exhibition will present young visitors with really big money; that is, money that is large in size, quantity or denomination. It will feature striking objects from the museum’s National Numismatic Collection, such as Swedish plate money, German billion-mark banknotes, a Roman coin hoard, and the long tail feathers of the quetzal bird as well as a range of interactive activities. These artifacts and activities will help young visitors understand that money can be a powerful and memorable way to learn about the natural environment, community and cultural identity, political leadership and the process of exchange.

For more information, visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/really-big-money.

JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH

For nearly 90 years, historians, audiences and musicians have studied and compared Duke Ellington’s orchestrations with Count Basie’s “Swing.” In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra juxtaposes the music of the Duke Ellington and Count Basie Orchestras.

This program is produced in partnership with the Smithsonian Associates.

“The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Octet Jazz Appreciation Month Performance of ‘A Night in Tunisia'”
April 2022 Jazz Video Release
Virtual eventSmithsonian Jazz Masterworks Octet performs this rendition of “A Night in Tunisia” by Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli, arranged by Buddy Clark. This video will be uploaded to the museum’s YouTube page.

For more information on Smithsonian Jazz, please visit https://americanhistory.si.edu/smithsonian-jazz.

LEMELSON CENTER FOR INVENTION AND INNOVATION

Innovative Lives: Warren Shadd
April 13; 4 p.m.
Virtual Event
Free registration required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovative-lives-2022-tickets-204454407637

Waren Shadd, inventor and the first African American piano manufacturer, is the CEO of Washington, D.C.-based SHADD Pianos and Keyboards. Shadd is a second-generation piano technician and third generation musician, who has performed and toured worldwide as a jazz drummer. Recently, Warren has been developing augmentations for the SHADD piano to assist individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities including those on the autistic spectrum, deaf/hard of hearing, and blind/hard of seeing. This discussion with Shadd will be moderated by Krystal Klingenberg, NMAH Curator in the Division of Cultural and Community Life, who specializes in music. For more information, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovative-lives-2022-tickets-204454407637.

HistoryTime videos are designed for children ages 5-8 and adults in their lives. Each video features an object or object(s) in the museum’s collection as a launching pad for exploring historical concepts that are relevant to young children. The videos are available on YouTube and are also linked to resource collections on the Smithsonian’s Learning Lab platform. Learning Lab collections can inspire lesson plans or help learners explore the videos’ topics further.

For more information, visit HistoryTime on YouTube.