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

Curator Elizabeth Lay is joined by art historian and collector Samantha Viksnins, who delves deeper into the history of the Hermès Carré, the production process of the limited-edition scarves, and illustrates what sets the Hermès designs apart from those of other luxury scarves. Part of a 3-session Decorative Arts summer series.

From colossal Olmec heads to the paintings of Frida Kahlo, Aztec temples to Mexican murals, this survey of Latin American art sweeps through the centuries. Join art historian Michele Greet, who traces the significant creators and trends that defined and shaped the arts of Latin America from their earliest expressions through the 19th and 20th centuries. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

In the late 19th century, Paris was the only place to be for any self-respecting aspiring American artist. Art historian Bonita Billman highlights the city’s ascension as the center of the art world and how it transformed the young painters who in turn transformed American art. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Smithsonian curators started collecting Olympic artifacts in earnest in the 1970s and ’80s. Join Kenneth Cohen, a curator at the National Museum of American History, for an engaging discussion about what’s in the Smithsonian’s Olympic collections—and what’s not—as well as a look at how Smithsonian curators might approach the Games this year and beyond.

The pandemic has upended the travel industry and changed the way we explore the world. What will smart travelers need to know once we can pack our bags again? Andrea Sachs, the Washington Post’s travel writer; Pauline Frommer, editorial director of Frommer’s Guidebooks; and Karin King, deputy assistant secretary of state for overseas citizen services share the best advice and resources for staying safe, healthy, and well-informed so you can relax on your long-overdue trip.  

Their scandals became the stuff of legends, but this royal family in just three generations, reshaped the monarchy and changed England, Europe, and the world. Scholar Carol Ann Lloyd Stanger of the Folger Shakespeare Library leads a look behind the Tudors’ carefully contrived image of monarchy.

Tudor and Renaissance scholar Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger explores how London served as a backdrop and inspiration for William Shakespeare. She reveals how he was inspired by the humanity he observed in the city to create the unforgettable worlds of his plays.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki describes changes in presidential communication in recent years, and shares her insights into President Joe Biden as a public leader and a private person.