Daytime Programs

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the most influential musicians of his time. Opera and classical music expert Saul Lilienstein offers a rich view of Mozart’s most important accomplishments, from his beginnings as a child prodigy in Salzburg to becoming one of the leading musicians of the Classical period.

This unique exhibition, Parallels and Peripheries explores how emigrant and first-generation immigrant artists negotiate the issues of migration, identity, visibility and invisibility in a time of social volatility.

Join Bill Keene on a walking tour to discover the Mall’s history, design, and architecture, from its earliest vision to the latest developments. View and compare a wide range of architectural styles from the Gothic-revival Smithsonian Castle to the rich symbolism of the latest addition to the Mall, the new African American Museum. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Learn the benefits of quiet time spent in touch with nature as Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a certified nature and forest-therapy guide and author of The Joy of Forest Bathing, leads a series of 2-hour walks in the Smithsonian’s beautiful Enid A. Haupt Garden.

Two distinct and complimentary exhibitions on nature share the first floor of the Renwick Gallery, and while both artists present a variety of mediums, their collections could not be more different. Visitors will use a downloadable App to superimpose digital information over seeming barren sculptures to create an entirely new work of art.

Learn the benefits of quiet time spent in touch with nature as Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a certified nature and forest-therapy guide and author of The Joy of Forest Bathing, leads a series of 2-hour walks in the Smithsonian’s beautiful Enid A. Haupt Garden.

Possibly the finest, intact example of a Beaux Arts style mansion in Washington, the Perry Belmont House was built by Perry and Jessie Belmont in 1906 when he was a Congressman and Ambassador to Spain for the specific purpose of entertaining Washington notables and dignitaries from all over the world.

With the impending centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment, several Washington museums are spotlighting the decades-long struggle for women’s suffrage in special exhibitions. Join tour guide Kathleen Bashian to view them and explore how the movement’s leaders and activists—as well as ordinary women—achieved that goal.

Enjoy the beauty of an autumn morning on the 90-acre wooded oasis and national memorial in the middle of the tidal Potomac. Author and naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley leads a scenic walk around Roosevelt Island, focusing on its woodlands, wildlife, and history.

The best food in Cuba can be found in paladares, small private restaurants generally run out of family homes. Join chef and cookbook author Guillermo Pernot as he serves up a paladares-inspired meal at his D.C. eatery, Cuba Libre.

Enjoy the beauty of an autumn morning on the 90-acre wooded oasis and national memorial in the middle of the tidal Potomac. Author and naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley leads a scenic walk around Roosevelt Island, focusing on its woodlands, wildlife, and history.

Jonathan Rosenberg of Hunter College delves into the singular and complex relationship of classical music and political ideology in 20th-century America. He examines how in the decades that spanned two world wars and the Cold War, classical musicians, singers, composers, and conductors could find themselves celebrated as cultural ambassadors or ostracized for their nationality or political beliefs.

In a fascinating overview of ancient material culture, art historian Renee Gondek surveys the paintings, sculptures, and architectural wonders produced in ancient Egypt and the Greco-Roman world that served as inspiration for generations of creators to come. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)