Programs

Discover the power of reflective writing inspired by art guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Inspired by the masterful prints of one of Japan’s most innovative artists, Katsushika Hokusai, and by poetry across time, slow down, look closely, and reflect to explore the metaphor of wind in our world and in our lives.

Overshadowed for many decades, women artists who made important contributions to the Abstract Expressionist movement are finally getting their due. Most notable were five painters whose work was featured in the groundbreaking Ninth Street Art Exhibition of 1951. Art historian Nancy G. Heller examines the art and lives of these “Ninth Street Women,” their relationships with their male counterparts, and the gender-related obstacles they had to overcome to claim their place in a changing art world. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

The feats and names of baseball’s Negro Leagues stars are legendary: Satchel Paige, James “Cool Papa” Bell, Josh Gibson, and more. The story of the league and its players is more than a history of sports: It’s a story about American society. Historian Louis Moore explores how baseball became Black America’s game; the rise and fall of the Negro Leagues; and what inclusion of their stats into those of today’s Major League Baseball means for the past and present players.

During India’s colonial period (1757–1947), the British imperial system sought out Indian resources for exploitation and had a dramatic impact on the traditional arts and crafts of the subcontinent. Art historian Robert DeCaroli traces the rising influence of European powers in South Asia. Topics include the late art of the Mughal Empire, Company painting, Orientalism, photography, traditional crafts for domestic and foreign markets, Indo-Saracenic architecture, and colonial museums. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Visitors to Poland often focus on major cities such as Warsaw and Krakow, but the country abounds in historical, cultural, and natural treasures elsewhere. Join tour guide Christopher Skutela as he leads a visual journey to places in Poland that are off the beaten path.

The life of Eleanor of Aquitaine is the stuff of legend. But what’s true? Tudor and Renaissance scholar Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger considers some of the stories—such as going on a Crusade dressed as an Amazon—that have grown from the real life of the ambitious and powerful woman who managed to become queen consort of England and France and shaped the reigns of two of England’s most famous kings: Richard the Lionheart and King John.

Although writer James Baldwin and his queer contemporaries had to keep their sexuality at least partly hidden during the 1950s and ’60s, they could fight openly for civil rights. An exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance captures the spirit and times of the activists who created a historic and enduring force for equality. Rhea Combs, co-curator and the gallery’s director of curatorial affairs, provides an overview. 

The enigmatic boxes created by Joseph Cornell have confounded, astonished, and entranced viewers for decades. These mysterious juxtapositions of ordinary objects have been parsed, interpreted, speculated upon, and simply relished by art historians and museumgoers alike. Art critic Judy Pomeranz examines Cornell’s astonishing life and explores why his iconic boxes continue to deeply touch viewers around the world. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Artificial intelligence is transforming the world of art authentication. Art historian Noah Charney and Carina Popovici, co-founder of Art Recognition, an AI-driven art verification company, reveal how AI analyzes brushstrokes, patterns, and pigments with precision beyond human capability, offering groundbreaking solutions to combat art forgery and identify authorship. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

While women have traditionally faced challenges breaking into the culinary world, you’ll find them leading the kitchens of some the most exciting restaurants in Washington, D.C., today. Following the path paved by culinary innovators, including Julia Child, Alice Waters, and Washington’s own Nora Pouillon, today’s female trailblazers are making their distinctive mark on the capital’s dining scene. In an evening of lively conversation, join several of these star chefs as they discuss what it’s like to work in the male-dominated restaurant industry; how restaurant dining in Washington has evolved over the years; and what’s next on the region’s culinary horizon. Top things off with a bite from each of the chefs’ restaurants, along with cocktails.