With the weather frightful, hibernating seems like the thing to do. But what better place to escape the cold than in the refuge of D.C.’s museums and galleries?

>> The Kennedy Center kicked off its six-month tribute to the 1940s on Sunday night. “A New America: The 1940s and the Arts” spans a wide range of performing arts and is the largest, most expensive event the center has presented.

>> “Rembrandt’s Late Religious Portraits” opens Sunday at the National Gallery. The 17 paintings on display — all from the 1650s and early 1660s — have never before been shown together. This weekend is also your last chance to see Gerard ter Borch at the National Gallery; the exhibit closes Sunday. Stop by this weekend and catch both shows!

>> An exhibit that opened Tuesday at the Embassy of Austria, “Ida Sofia Maly (1894-1941)” includes watercolors, drawings and prints by the artist, who suffered from poverty and depression and was killed as part of the National Socialists’ euthanasia program. Free, but call for reservations at (202) 895-6776.

>> “Beyond the Bag: Textiles as Containers” opens Friday at The Textile Museum in Kalorama. The exhibition provides insight in different cultures through various textile bags and containers.

Now we turn to F. Lennox Campello of DC Art News, who details a number of new openings in D.C.