For approximately five centuries during the second millennium B.C.E., the Egyptian city of Thebes served as the backdrop for the construction of a bewildering array of religious temples, memorial complexes, and royal tombs. Historian Justin M. Jacobs introduces the chief cultural, religious, and political themes of the monuments of ancient Thebes: the Karnak and Luxor temples of the East Bank, the memorial temples of the West Bank, and the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings.

The 2,650-acre campus of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, Maryland, encompasses a mix of forests, farmland, wetlands, and shoreline and is home to some of the world’s most enduring environmental research projects. Spend the day with SERC’s expert staff as you explore this environmental research hub and learn about its cutting-edge ecological studies.

April and May are magical in the Enid A. Haupt Garden. Sketch there using watercolors to capture the changing light of the season.

As one of the most significant categories of painting in Western art, portraiture offers a window into both individual identities and broader social and cultural values. In a 4-part series, art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine looks closely at a variety of aspects of portraiture in historical contexts, providing a deeper understanding of the significance of this pictorial genre. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

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. The concert features music composed by Mozart, Beethoven, and Ravel.

This 3-session workshop invites participants to delve into the wonders of nature through the artistic vision of Georgia O'Keeffe. Each session emphasizes a different facet of O'Keeffe's life and artistry, intertwining art, environmental consciousness, and culinary experiences.