When the Kogod Courtyard opened at the Reynolds Center last November, we knew the elegantly curved structure would become a favorite of our keen eyed photographers. Little did we know it would capture worldwide attention: the hoity toity magazine Condé Nast Traveler picked the Courtyard as one of the new Seven Architectural Wonders of the World in its April issue. more ›

Just as predicted, the Kogod Courtyard is becoming a popular site with our photographers, and for good reason. Flickr user tklancer took this striking black and white that gives a kind of majestic feel to the canopy and entrance to the Reynolds Center. EXIF. more ›

FRIDAY: >> Local comic book store Fantom Comics is celebrating the grand opening of their new Union Station store tonight with a party from 6 to 10:30 p.m. They'll be serving up free pizza on the early side and the comedy stylings of the Geek Comedy Tour during the second half of the night. There will also be a trivia contest with $500 gift certificates up for grabs. The party is inside the Union... 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 ›

>> What's more fun than gathering your friends to go see your very own art on the wall of a gallery? The Wall Mountables community event kicks off this week, so we hope you've pulled that painting/photo/whatever out of the closet and prepared it for the limelight. The first installation date was last night, but you've still got tonight, 3 to 8 p.m., and tomorrow night, 3 to 6 p.m., to grab a space of... more ›

It's summer and our beloved Arts Editor is away this week, so the agenda is a little on the short side. Here are a few things to see. >> We have written before about the Washington Project for the Arts\Corcoran's Experimental Media project. Starting this week, WPA\C is hosting a new show called SiteProjects DC. Curator Welmoed Laanstra has asked 15 local artists to create site-specific outdoor artwork, both installations and performances, through July 28,... more ›

There are, of course, many criteria by which one can judge a photograph: form, composition, color, subject matter, context, or the viewer’s emotional response. In viewing Harry Benson: Being There, currently on display at Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery, it is not Benson’s technical ability as a photographer that impresses, but his uncanny ability to be present when historic moments occur and then place himself... more ›

Things are a little slow this week in classical music, because of Easter and all that. There are still a few good things to be heard, but the list is shorter than normal. Besides, it's hard to tolerate being indoors when those trees are doing their whole pink thing. more ›

The Smithsonian Institution's woes have been front and center in the news lately, and now it has sent its first victim to the chopping block. In the wake of last week's fairly crushing – though not entirely surprising – report on the state of the museums, Secretary Lawrence M. Small has submitted his resignation, announced today by the Board of Regents Executive Committee. Some have noted that Small may only be the first of the... more ›

The weather had better start behaving normally: we want a snow day! Now that there is a reason to be inside again, here are some places with interesting things lying around or hanging from the walls. The new season has officially begun. Make sure to check the gallery's Web site for specific hours before visiting. THURSDAY: >> Baltimore artist Cara Ober will open a show of new work, Prayers and Joking, at Flashpoint (916 G... more ›

Have you or anyone know you know sat for a portrait? In the world since photography, what relevance does the tradition of painted portraiture have? These are questions that the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery would like us to consider. The museum is offering a free event, the Edgar P. Richardson symposium, this Friday (November 17, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.) on the subject of Today’s Face: Perspectives on Contemporary Portraiture. The morning session features two... more ›

On Sunday, the new auditorium at the Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture hosted the inaugural concert of the Smithsonian Chamber Players. The space still has that new hall smell, refinished in a blonde-wood louver style that reminded me of the new hall at Strathmore. more ›

The Classical Music Agenda has been missing in action for several weeks now, but there just has not been that much to hear. My weekly recommendations will return at the end of this month, as the September schedule heats up. For now, you will have to content yourselves with the following concerts, few and far between. more ›

While we celebrate the reopening of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery as classic examples of what museum care and innovation should be, the Smithsonian Institution at large may be slowly losing its grasp on the rest of its constituency. D.C.-based art critic and blogger Tyler Green has some critical words in a Los Angeles Times op-ed about the dilapidated conditions the other Smithsonian museums are suffering due to Congress' underfunding of the Institution, and the questionable sources to which it is turning as a result. more ›

at. Not only will museums around town be open all summer (unlike many private galleries), but they're usually open seven days a week and will rarely charge you a cent to see some of the greatest artwork in the world (centainly not as much as lodging on the Left Bank). Our advice: As residents, you've got the upper hand, so try to go during the week when the tourist-mania wanes a little, and wear some comfy shoes — you'll want to stay awhile. more ›