Smithsonian Associates - Educating and Entertaining Audiences for More Than 50 Years

American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and NEA Jazz Master Joseph Benjamin Wilder left a broad footprint that still resonates in the world of music today. In a virtual concert, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra celebrates Wilder’s unique talents during what would be his 100th year.

For centuries, the English monarchy was male, but several notable women shattered that royal glass ceiling. Tudor scholar Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger leads an assumption-challenging survey of female reigns, from the first crowned queen of England to the record-breaking longevity of Elizabeth II, examining how each redefined the role of the ruler and nature of the monarchy.

Geologist and cosmochemist Natalie Starkey reveals how exploring these enigmatic celestial objects will help scientists understand a crucial time in our history: The origins of the solar system and everything contained within it.

Great art is timeless, and speaks to us across time, culture, and space. Yet great works come from real people living real lives. Paul Glenshaw examines Albert Bierstadt’s 1868 work Among the Sierra Nevada, California—a majestic depiction of the natural beauty of the American West that also served as part of a brazen self-marketing scheme, a lure to immigrants and settlers, and a reflection of the complex legacy of Manifest Destiny. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Join one of the most famous art detectives in the world to hear tales from a long FBI career solving art crimes. Drawing on the headline-making cases he worked on, Robert Wittman explores notorious art heists and daring recovery operations.

Most of us think of ourselves as good, but it’s not always easy to determine what’s good or bad—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and bad advice. Michael Schur, creator of “The Good Place,” joins Todd May, the show’s philosophical adviser to offer plenty of funny and practical wisdom on tough issues we face every day and thought-provoking guidance on living an ethical life based on 2,500 years of deep thinking from around the world.

Veggies are usually the supporting culinary players in a meal, but the new Milk Street: Vegetables moves them center of the plate. Christopher Kimball shares tips on how to roast, braise, steam, and stir-fry everyday vegetables into simple but appealing dishes, and demonstrates a recipe or two from the book’s globally influenced collection.