Create your own story as you learn to upcycle book pages as surfaces for drawing, painting, and collage using gelatin plate prints, textures, photo transfers, drawing, painting, and text redaction.
Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular four-concert series on Saturdays. This concert features music composed by Haydn, Bartók, and Beethoven.
Discover the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. In this workshop, participants explore the innovative compositions of the 20th-century Dutch printmaker M.C. Escher, to discover how his interlocking forms and shifting patterns inspire creative reflection about the connections and transformations in our lives.
The Massachusetts 54th Regiment, one of the first African American units in the Civil War, fought under Col. Robert Gould Shaw, a white officer who shared their commitment to freedom. They famously led the July 1863 assault on Fort Wagner, where nearly half, including Shaw, were killed. Paul Glenshaw examines how Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Shaw Memorial, unveiled in 1897 on Boston Common, honored their sacrifice with individualized portraits of the soldiers. At its dedication, the memorial reflected a growing recognition of Black soldiers’ valor and the war’s legacy of emancipation. (World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit)
World’s fairs have long served as global showcases for innovation, culture, and progress. In a 3-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh delves into the pivotal exhibitions held in St. Louis in 1904, San Francisco and San Diego in 1915, and Paris in 1925, examining how these landmark events showcased each era’s groundbreaking achievements in technology, culture, science, art, and architecture. This session focuses on the California 1915 World's Fairs.
Ages 3 to 7. Come learn about the mighty pollinators at the ecosystems they help to thrive in this new Discovery Theater Original Production.
The three voyages of Captain James Cook from 1768 to 1779 were filled with high drama, tragedy, intrigue, and humor. Historian Justin M. Jacobs places Cook and his world in historical context, highlights his substantive connections with the Polynesian world, and examines his search for the “Great Southern Continent” and Northwest Passage.
Travel journalist Bill Clevlen draws on his book Presidential Road Trips to guide history-lovers through presidential sites across the country. Explore homes, retreats, and landmarks like Madison’s library, Eisenhower’s living room, Johnson’s desk, Kennedy’s Air Force One, Nixon’s helicopter, and Lincoln’s Springfield home. Fill the tank for the ultimate presidential road trip including mansions, museums, grave sites, memorials, historic landmarks—and plenty more.
