This week we offer a toast to RBG, some formidable first ladies, newly opened doors, and to the chance to think about traveling again (even if it,s still in the future).
They're among the offerings designed to make sure you continue to enjoy what you,ve come to value from Smithsonian Associates: programs and experiences that are entertaining, informative, eclectic, and insightful. Cheers!
Remembering an Icon
The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg instantly sparked tributes from around the globe. The Washington Post produced a unique and eloquent visual one: a collection of portraits in a wide range of styles of the jurist who became a pop culture icon, interspersed with some of her most famous quotes. NPR's Nina Totenberg twice interviewed Ginsburg in Smithsonian Associates appearances, most recently a 2015 program with Justice Antonin Scalia. The spirited evening revealed the deep friendship and mutual respect of a pair of seemingly polar philosophical opposites. Later on NPR, Totenberg reported on the event and its biggest revelation: Ginsburg's self-deprecating admission that her love of a good glass of wine with dinner led news cameras to catch her nodding off during President Obama's 2014 State of the Union speech.
Washington Posts' Visual Tribute
NPR on Justices Ginsburg and Scalia
A Portrait of Nancy Reagan
Though popularly known as the doting wife of the president, in reality Nancy Reagan had much more than a supporting role in the first "Hollywood" presidency. On Friday, October 2, Smithsonian Associates members can view an exclusive preview screening of an episode from the new CNN Original Series "First Ladies" that explores her influence. The docuseries, narrated by Robin Wright, focuses on six iconic first ladies and offers a bold revision of each woman,s traditional portrayal, revealing how they were transformed by their years in the White House and how their achievements fundamentally shaped American and global history. A panel discussion follows the screening, with Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, the National Portrait Gallery's senior historian and director of history, research, and scholarship; Ron Reagan, son of Nancy Reagan; and Sheila Tate, Nancy Reagan's White House press secretary. CNN anchor Brianna Keilar moderates the discussion.
Register for the Program
More Museum Doors Open
If you,ve missed visiting your favorite museums for the past six months, here's some good news. As part of a phased reopening plan, the Smithsonian has opened six more museums to the public: the National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of American History, and the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall; the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, both located at 8th and G Streets NW; and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum near the White House. The locations have reopened with new health and safety measures and reduced days or hours of operation, and visitors to most will need to reserve free timed-entry passes. They join the previously reopened National Zoo and the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
Learn More About Visiting the Smithsonian
A Healthier Welcome
PBS travel host Darley Newman always has the inside line on the next great travel trends and destinations, and she regularly shares her tips with Smithsonian Associates audiences. Though most everyone's luggage is in the closet right now, Newman is looking ahead to what 2021 will hold: spas, wellness vacations, national parks, and "clean and green" travel. Ahead of her Tuesday, October 20 Smithsonian Associates Streaming program, Newman offered Forbes a preview of what our brand-new world of travel might look like-and it probably includes robots.
Forbes' Program Preview
Register for the Program
Small Soldiers, Big Battles
Looking for a fascinating and fun learning experience to share with the 6th-to-11th grader in your family? Recruit them to join you in one of the Soldiers and Dioramas workshops offered by Smithsonian Fall Virtual Adventures. In each, two Saturday sessions include four hours of live online instruction with miniature-military masterminds Al Gaspar and Taliesin Knol: two focused on history, and two of facilitated diorama construction in which each participant makes their own terrain board and leads troops of 1/72-scale soldiers in war games that offer vivid insights into the military strategies and conflicts that have shaped the world. You can plunge into battles from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, or WWII as you enjoy working together. But students don't have to draft an adult to join them-they can also take part in the workshops on their own.
Learn More About Adventures
