Suckers for Lost Generation literature and the birth of modern art have Gertrude Stein flavored events to look forward to this week. more ›

Imagine a season of Project Runway where almost none of the designers has ever used a sewing machine, one of the models becomes a winning designer, all the contestants are nice to each other -- and they're all in their teens. more ›

As the temporary collection they created notched its 5,000th visitor, Mike Blasenstein and Michael Dax Iacovone -- the pair who were "banned" from the Smithsonian museums last December after protesting the removal of David Wojnarowicz's "A Fire in My Belly" from the National Portrait Gallery -- are now allowed to return to the the Institution's museums. more ›

It's been nearly two months since the Smithsonian removed David Wojnarowicz's "A Fire in My Belly," and the criticism towards Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough’s decision has not died down. In fact, one of the Smithsonian's own museums, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden released a statement on their website decrying the precedent that Clough set. more ›

Anyone who missed David Wojnarowicz's "A Fire in My Belly" before it was removed from the National Portrait Gallery exhibit Hide/Seek on November 30 will soon be able to see it right outside the museum. Mike Blasenstein and Michael Dax Iacovone, who were detained on December 6 for playing the video on an iPad in the NPG lobby, have followed through on their promise to host a temporary gallery for censored work. more ›

Last night, the Washington Jewish Community Center (DCJCC) hosted a packed house of over two hundred people for the highly-anticipated panel discussion "hide/SPEAK: An Evening with David C. Ward of the National Portrait Gallery." The panel also included Transformer director Victoria Reis, ARTINFO blogger Tyler Green and DCJCC Bronfman Gallery director Dafna Steinberg. But everyone was there to hear Ward, the National Portrait Gallery historian and co-curator of Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, explain his stance on the Smithsonian's controversial decision to pull the Wojnarowicz video and their subsequent rejection of AA Bronson's request, made in protest, that his work be pulled from the show and returned to the National Gallery of Canada. more ›

It's been a few weeks since the National Portrait Gallery chose to take down David Wojnarowicz's "A Fire in My Belly" after conservative writers and Congressional Republicans complained. A few protests followed, various galleries are now showing the piece, the Andy Warhol Foundation threatened to withdraw its funding to the Smithsonian. Now the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation is threatening to do the same, if the Portrait Gallery does not reinstate the piece in its gallery. more ›

After two local artists were detained and "banned" from the Smithsonian museums for screening a recently censored video on an iPad in the lobby of the National Portrait Gallery, they're planning more long-term methods to get the artwork shown and provide some public shaming while they're at it. Mike Blasenstein and Michael Dax Iacovone are now working to obtain permits for a temporary structure to be erected outside the NPG which will screen David Wojnarowicz's A Fire in my Belly through next February – the run of the exhibit Hide/Seek, from which is was removed. more ›

Protests over the removal of David Wojnarowicz's A Fire in My Belly from the National Portrait Gallery began to pick up steam last week, when about 100 people marched from Transformer Gallery, who had displayed the work in its front window, to the Gallery. Now, some are taking the protest into the halls of the Portrait Gallery. more ›

The recently maligned National Portrait Gallery was the setting Thursday night for a protest over its controversial removal of a video piece, A Fire in My Belly by artist David Wojnarowicz, from its GLBT-focused exhibits. TBD reports that a crowd of about 100 people showed up, walking from the Transformer Gallery, which started displaying the 4-minute segment in question the day before, near Logan Circle to the front steps of the National Portrait Gallery on 8th and F Streets where the film was projected onto its northside walls by performance artist Adrian Parsons. From the NPG, they moved on to the steps of the Capitol Building, all the while protesting with "mouths tied." In addition to other local media outlets, several of our Flickr photographers were on hand and in the crowd to document the demonstration. more ›

Former DCist editor Kriston Capps reports that Transformer Gallery will pick up the slack and publicly screen David Wojnarowicz's A Fire in My Belly, the video which the National Portrait Gallery removed from an exhibit after several conservatives and Congress members deemed it offensive. The gallery, located at 1404 P Street NW, will begin screening an abridged 4-minute cut of Wojnarowicz's 1987 work in its front window by 1 p.m. this afternoon; Capps also notes that gallery management is attempting to secure the rights to show the full thirty-minute video, as well. (UPDATE: City Paper now passes along word that Transformer is organizing a protest in which people will walk from 1404 P Street to the National Portrait Gallery tomorrow evening with "their mouths bound.") Can't wait? You can view A Fire in My Belly here. (Note: the imagery could be considered NSFW in some environments.) more ›

This snap by andertho is indisputably a picture from the National Portrait Gallery. But have you noticed how everyone refers to that building -- the Old Patent Office Building and the two museums it contains -- as the National Portrait Gallery? Have you ever heard anyone refer to it casually as the Smithsonian American Art Museum? Because half of it is, in fact, the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Have you ever heard anyone call it The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture? I hope not, because that's awfully ungainly. But it's never "the American Art Museum" or "the American/Portrait Museum" or even "the Old Patent Office Building" -- people call it the National Portrait Gallery. Full disclosure: I wrote a blog for the Smithsonian American Art Museum around when it reopened at that site -- before any time I noticed people using "National Portrait Gallery" as shorthand for both institutions. more ›

When the National Portrait Gallery opened at 11:30 this morning, visitors were able to view the recently installed Andy Warhol portrait of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy in the first-floor gallery space marked "In Memoriam." The space was designated in June as a place to display images of the recently deceased, beginning with an honorary portrait of Michael Jackson. more ›

This morning, members of the press, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), the Podesta Group, the Boeing Corporation and friends of the Smithsonian gathered in the National Portrait Gallery's Kogod Courtyard for the unveiling of Shepard Fairey's iconic Obama Hope portrait. The courtyard was abuzz with the well-dressed (oddly more gala than press conference), and photographers scrambled to get a piece of the suddenly-ubiquitous Fairey. more ›

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The American story isn’t just told by famous people. That's apparent at the National Portrait Gallery, which recently opened Feature Photography, the fourth installment of Portraiture Now, the series that showcases 21st century portrait artists. A nice departure from many of the other shows that the gallery presents, which focus almost exclusively on the more well-known members of our society, Feature Photography shows the work of six artists, who each give us their take on portraiture. more ›

Graphic designers: Back away from the computer and head to the Ballyhoo! Posters as Portraiture exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. In the sixty displayed postered portraits, one can see an evolution of graphic design and advertising, with each era screaming its identity through fonts, colors and graphic techniques, as well as the obvious context of the featured face. Keeping true to the NPG’s mission, all 60 posters are about Americans or American films, however many of them were produced in Europe to promote overseas releases. In addition to the numerous film ads, the exhibit also highlights circus posters from the late 1800s, war propaganda, and the $100,000 reward poster for John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices (which, interestingly, screams "100,000 Reward! THE MURDERERS," only naming Lincoln and Booth in very small type beneath). more ›

The National Portrait Gallery recently opened a pair of shows, Zaida Ben-Yusuf: New York Portrait Photographer and Edward Steichen: Portraits, which combine to weave a single portrait of American cultural life in the early decades of the twentieth century. Though Steichen is the much better known photographer, Ben-Yusuf’s work is equally compelling, and together the two exhibitions portray a range of politicians, actors, writers, musicians and other important figures, giving us a glimpse back into time. more ›

Even though he has a room dedicated to his likeness in the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s new exhibit, The American Evolution: A History Through Art, one of George Washington’s most famous portraits resides at the National Portrait Gallery and has a storied history. more ›

We were getting set to remind everyone that time is running out to catch the wildly popular Stephen Colbert portrait hanging at the National Portrait Gallery, but a spokesperson at the NPG has just told us they've decided to extend the run of the "painting" until April 1 - April Fool's Day. The portrait was hung on Jan. 16 between the 2nd floor bathrooms of the museum as part of a lengthy three-part gag on the Colbert Report that the NPG agreed to play along with. Since then, record crowds, especially of young people, have visited the Portrait Gallery to catch a glimpse of the cultural icon. more ›

With brightly-colored graffiti murals lining the gallery hallways, and riffs on 17th century Dutch painting, the National Portrait Gallery has brought a breath of fresh air to the often traditional Smithsonian Institution. Last Friday, just weeks after hanging the Stephen Colbert portrait, the NPG opened RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture, a show that’s bound to appeal to a wide-ranging audience. But RECOGNIZE! isn't only about trying to bring a younger audience to a museum — the works on display are powerful evocations of American culture that have a broad appeal both in terms of message and artistic merit. From subtle black and white hip hop performance shots by David Sheinbaum to an ode by poet Nikki Giovanni illustrated with an installation by Shinique Smith, the exhibit captures and gives insight into a cultural movement that is essential to understanding American culture. more ›

Many of you may have stopped by the Portrait Gallery to catch a glimpse of Stephen Colbert’s aptly positioned portrait, but did you have the time to take in the rest of the museum as well? Recently, DCist was given an insider’s tour of the National Portrait Gallery by Assistant Director of Exhibitions and Collections Management Claire Kelly. more ›

The Colbert Report has been blissfully, if not nearly at full speed without its striking writers, back for a little more than a week now on Comedy Central. For three nights straight they've been running a series showing Stephen traipsing all over Washington with a portrait of himself strapped to his back, trying to convince one of the Smithsonian museums to actually hang it up. Without dwelling on how we managed to miss out on catching this spectacle up close and personal, the real news is that as of last night, Stephen Colbert was successful in his quest. The National Portrait Gallery confirmed this morning that Colbert's portrait is in fact now hanging above the bathroom on the 2nd floor, just outside of the America’s Presidents exhibit. more ›

My mother and I used to think we were so clever sneaking out of the house after the post-pumpkin pie haze to spend our tryptophan relaxing time at the movie theater, while our extended family lay sprawled on the couches in front of the boob tube ... until a few years later when the entire world caught on and every theater had lines around the block on Turkey Day. Lucky for you, we're in Washington,... more ›

Dynamic, lively, stunning, soaring. These are the words used by Smithsonian officials and architect Spencer de Grey to describe the new Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, home to both the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. With a blend of modern aesthetics and historic sensibilities, the new courtyard is a gorgeous space that the Smithsonian plans to use to hold public... more ›

A little over a year since the Reynolds Center, where the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are housed, re-opened its doors, it continues to celebrate huge improvements to the building. This Sunday stop by for the grand opening of the Kogod Courtyard, which will include tons of musical performances both in the courtyard and inside on the third floor, hands-on activities for all ages (a Lite Brite station!), and, as usual,... more ›

Katharine Hepburn, one of the most iconic actresses of the 20th century, is the latest person to be featured in the National Portrait Gallery’s “One Life” gallery. Kate: A Centennial Celebration, which opened today, presents a multi-media approach to Hepburn’s life — photographs, video clips, her four Best Actress Oscar statuettes, a Brooks Brothers red turtleneck sweater, and a studio contract are all on display. The four statuettes, which Hepburn won for Morning Glory, Guess... more ›

>> Art Whino, the new 22,000 square foot exhibition and studio space at 717 N. Asaph St. in Old Town Alexandria, holds its grand opening tonight. The gallery's debut event will be soundtracked by DJ Stylo, and marks the start of two new exhibits: a solo show by artist Derrick Wolbaum and a group show of Pop-Surrealism work in the Permanent Gallery. The opening reception is tonight from 6 to 11 p.m, admission is free.... more ›

>> The Rock and Roll Hotel hosts Austin's electro-indie Octopus Project and Shout Out Out Out Out. $10, 8:30 p.m. >> Rustico in Alexandria is bringing back its delightfully insane Don't Hassel the Hof Brau party, which honors Munich's famous Hofbrau Oktoberfest beer as well as perennial German favorite and noted drunk entertainer, David Hasselhoff. Free Hofbrau mugs with every beer, and our own beer guy, Eric Denman, will be tending bar and sporting... more ›