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Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Addison N. Scurlock at work making a portrait in his studio, 900 U St. N.W. Wash. D.C. [photoprint], courtesy of the National Museum of American History.
Black History Month:
The Smithsonian has a month chock full of events of all types for Black History Month—way too many to name here, so see below for highlights, and check their site for full details.
>> Tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the S. Dillon Ripley Center hosts a Black History Month Family Day Celebration, which will include "kalimba music, art activities, free performances by the Discovery Theater, self-guided tours of the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s exhibition Road to Freedom, and a panel discussion of the history of the Shaw neighborhood."
>> The American History Museum opened its new exhibit The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise on January 30. The exhibit includes more than 100 photographs which " form a vivid portrait of black Washington, D.C., in all its guises -- its challenges and its victories, its dignity and its determination."
>> At 7 p.m. tonight and tomorrow, the Portrait Gallery is hosting "a musical narrative highlighting the life of Todd Duncan, the legendary baritone who created the role of Porgy in George Gershwins folk opera Porgy and Bess." The performance piece was written and will be narrated by Jewell Robinson, and will include vocalists Alvy Powell and Janice Chandler Eteme.
>> On Febuary 18-19 and Feb. 25-26 at 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., the S. Dillon Ripley Center is presenting a play for ages 6 to 11 titled How Old is a Hero?, which tells the story the Little Rock Nine.
>> Head to the African Art Museum every Thursday this month at 7 p.m. for the Africa in Reel Time African Diaspora Film Festival.
>> The Air and Space Museum is hosting a family day titled African American Pioneers in Aviation on both Saturday the 14th and the 21st. The event on the 14th is at the National Mall location, while the event on the 21st is at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.
Lincoln:
One Life: The Mask of Lincoln has been on display at The Portrait Gallery since November, but the NPG and SAAM are holding some special events this month to correspond with the exhibit.
>> On Monday, February 16, the NPG is holding a three-hour Lincoln Symposium from 9 a.m. to noon, which "will consist of four lectures that will examine various aspects of Lincoln and his times."
>> On Saturday, February 21, head to the NPG Education Center for Facing History: Be the Artist, a two-hour youth art class aiming to help kids and families understand the print processes used in the Mask of Lincoln exhibit; times vary according to age.
>> On Saturday the 14th, the SAAM is holding a free day of Presidential Family Fun from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., which isn't just about Lincoln, but I'm sure he'll be mentioned.
>> In addition to the NPG exhibit, the American History Museum opened both Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life and America's New Birth of Freedom: Documents from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on January 16. The former exhibition explores Abe's life and presidency through objects (yes, the top hat will be there) and personal stories.
>> The Library of Congress opens "With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition" on Feb. 12, offering a chance to view Lincoln goodies from the Library's collections.
>> And, your Valentines Day wouldn't be complete without a Newseum exhibit and Inside Media lecture on Lincoln, especially one titled Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. The exhibit runs through the end of December, so if you have other V-Day plans, don't fret.
Art:
>> The Phillips Collection opens Morandi: Master of Modern Still Life on the 21st, which features approximately 50 paintings, and "is the first retrospective of Morandi’s work in Washington in half a century."
>> The Hirshhorn opens its spidery Louise Bourgeois on the 26th. Go on opening day and catch a lecture with Donald Kuspit titled The Phallic Woman: Conflict and Fragmentation in Louise Bourgeois' Conception of the Female Body. Painter Cara Ober will lend her knowledge on the artist that Friday the 27th in the Hirshhorn's weekly gallery talk. In the meantime, attend a Meet the Artist talk with London-based Israeli artist Ori Gersht on the 17th.
>> The American Art Museum celebrates the public art of The New Deal with their exhibition 1934: A New Deal for Artists opening on February 27. On view will be "56 paintings created by artists from across the United States working under the Public Works of Art Program, a federal New Deal program that lasted only six months from mid-December 1933 to June 1934."
Music:
>> The Smithsonian Associates have a number of music programs happening at the museums throughout the month, from chamber to piano to jazz, and even a Valentine concert. See below for the details, and visit their site for ticket info.
>> Masterworks of Five Centuries with the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Esterhazy Machine, and the Smithsonian Consort of Viols is on Sunday the 15th at 7:30 p.m. in the Grand Salon of the Renwick; get there early for a pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m.
>> Rob Kapilow: What Makes It Great?, a "series exploring masterpieces of the Romantic piano repertoire," is on Wednesday the 18th at 7 p.m. at the Freer.
>> On Saturday the 21st at 5 p.m., the Portrait Gallery hosts a series of 21st century music titled Recalling Valentines, which will include music by Jacob Druckman, Augusta Read Thomas, David Froom, and Robert Beaser; get there by 4 p.m. for the pre-concert lecture.
>> Later that night at 7:30 p.m., the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra will present a concert at a yet-to-be-determined location.
>> And, the Smithsonian brings us more jazz on Friday the 27th at 7:30 p.m. with John Eaton and Friends: A Salute to American Song and Jazz.
Science:
>> The Air and Space opened Spectacular Saturn: Images from the Cassini-Huygens Mission on February 2nd, which showcases 60 images of the Saturn system, taken from the Cassini spacecraft, and "revealing a dynamic world of wind and lightning, rippling rings, and a menagerie of moons."
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If you live in DC you must visit the Scurlock Studio exhibit at the NMAH, to understand the history of this city, and especially the amazing way how African Americans in DC have used art and photography to create a sense of identity during hard times. I was at the opening reception and have photos and videos posted in my blog.