Photo by Eric Spiegel

During the first two years of the Fotoweek DC festival, most galleries in town dropped whatever they were doing to participate. Not so much this year: there’s actually quite a bit to do in the art world this weekend that isn’t looking at or learning about photography.

But first, let’s note the big news from yesterday: the Gates Foundation will donate $50 million to the Smithsonian Institution. Ten million will go towards the National Museum of African American History and Culture (I’m just gonna say it: NMAAHC is a mouthful), which is still in the planning stages, though the Smithsonian hopes to have final building approval by 2012. The museum is slated to cost $500 million, with half of that coming from private donations, such as the Gates’. Another ten million will go to various research and public programming. The remaining $30 million will establish the new Youth Access Endowment, which the Washington Post reports will “target [underserved] students in grades K-12, and will create a series of interactive Web sites and online conferences.”

>> Irvine Contemporary opens their second annual street art exhibition, Street/Studio 2.0, with a full weekend of programming. On Friday, join some of the artists at The Phillips Collection for a discussion on “Urban Code: New Categories of Art” at 6:30 p.m. (free, RSVP). On Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m., visit the exhibition openings at two venues, Irvine and the Montserrat House (2016 9th Street NW) to see the work of Gaia, Dalek, Shepard Fairey and more. Finally at 11 p.m., join them all for an after party at Eighteenth Street Lounge.

>> Pyramid Atlantic celebrates its 11th Biennial Book Arts Fair this weekend. Visit for exhibits on the evolution of the book as an art form, speakers, demonstrations, film screenings and receptions. The fair runs Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Full weekend registration is $55, but you can get scaled-down tickets as well.