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The music of Maurice Ravel brings a unique form of magnetism, delicacy, passion, and a frisson of disquiet to the concert experience. Concert pianist and speaker Rachel Franklin celebrates Ravel's 150th birthday by exploring a wide range of works from such masterpieces as Daphnis et Chloé and La Valse to solo display works like Tzigane that dazzle with their beauty and technical brilliance.
The rapid changes brought during the first weeks after Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany in January 1933 made it clear to the country’s Jewish population that they would never be viewed as assimilated German citizens. Historian Michael Brenner explores the broad variety of reactions from Jews to Hitler’s rise—including Zionist, Liberal, and Orthodox branches—ranging from attempts to accommodate the new regime to religious responses to calls for emigration.
Despite being one of the most documented artists of the 20th century, Frida Kahlo remains an elusive figure, clouded by a mythology that was partly of her own making. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts exhibition “Frida: Behind the Myth” explores the defining moments of Kahlo’s life as depicted through self-portraits plus prints and photographs of her. The day also includes a visit with the Latin Ballet of Virginia. Arts journalist Richard Selden leads the tour.
Pull out your sketchbook and pencil to take an artful break as you explore the Smithsonian while drawing objects from vast and fascinating collections. Option to register for this program as a 6-session series.
The island of Santorini boasts one of the most well-preserved archaeological sites of the Greek Bronze Age. It is often described as the “Pompeii of the Aegean” because around 1600 B.C.E., a cataclysmic volcanic eruption engulfed the island in layers of pumice and ash up to 60 yards deep. It was not until 1967 that systematic excavations began in earnest. Art historian Renee Gondek delves into the ancient site and discusses the colorful frescoes found in many of the preserved structures.
Learn the difference between Abstract art and Abstract Expressionism by discovering their basic elements, characteristics, and principles while creating fun, enlightening experiments using an array of media.
Spend a summer evening sailing on the Potomac, taking in Washington, D.C.’s architectural icons and history from a new perspective. Cast off from Georgetown with your architecture guide from DC Design Tours and professional crew from Capitol River Cruises. As you cruise south on the Potomac, soak in sunset views of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and Georgetown waterfront, then sail past Theodore Roosevelt Island, under Arlington Memorial Bridge, and along the National Mall and Tidal Basin.
A group of white, Black, Hispanic, and Native American soldier-mariners from Marblehead, Massachusetts, became one of the most indispensable forces of the American Revolution. A special-operations–like regiment, Marbleheads did everything from seizing British ships to ferrying George Washington’s troops across the ice-filled Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776. Military historian Patrick K. O’Donnell discusses the exploits and heroism of this unique group of soldiers.
In his published works and private journals, the 19th-century philosopher Søren Kierkegaard presented an analysis of the dangers of the daily press—particularly how it fosters a culture of anonymity and conformity, eroding the foundations of meaning, truth, and moral responsibility. Steven M. Emmanuel, a professor of philosophy at Virginia Wesleyan University, explores the parallels between Kierkegaard’s stance and present-day concerns about the effects of algorithm-driven social media and news culture.
Galileo Galilei is one of the larger-than-life heroes of intellectual history. Astrophysicist Mario Livio traces his fascinating life, examining Galileo’s monumental and enduring achievements in astronomy, mechanics, and the development of the scientific method. Livio also analyzes Galileo’s complex and tragic interaction with the Catholic Church, which eventually led to the scientist being denounced as a suspected heretic by the Inquisition.
