Paul Gauguin. Self-Portrait, 1889. Chester Dale Collection, National Gallery of Art.

>> Celebrate Black History Month with the American History Museum. Enjoy theater, performances and exhibits at the Black History Month 2011 Family Day Celebration on Saturday, February 5. 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

>> At the National Geographic Museum, explore nearly 500 years of African American contributions to the United States, including over 200 rare objects spaning from the 1600s to present time. America I AM, opening February 2. $12.

>> While time has taken its toll on much of Chinese Buddhist sculpture from the sixth century, the Sackler is using new technology to recreate it. In Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan, explore digital recreations of the majestic cave sculptures of Xiangtangshan in conjunction with a video installation of one of the largest temples. Opening February 26.

>> Artists in Dialogue II: Sandile Zulu and Henrique Oliveira is the second in the series, in which two artists (at least one of whom is African) are invited to engage in a dialogue based off of one another’s work. On display are selections from each of the artists’ bodies of work as well as the newly-created pieces. Opening February 2 at the Museum of African Art.

>> If you A) are a photographer or B) have family or friends who are one, you know that a camera is never far away and that all subject matter is a go. In Close to Home: Photographers and Their Families, get an intimate glimpse into the lives of two artists and their families as they turn their cameras on themselves. Or as some of our photographers might call it: being a photographer. Opening February 4 at the American Art Museum.

>> The National Gallery of Art opens Gauguin: Maker of Myth a major exhibition of Gauguin’s work featuring 120 of his self-portraits, genre pictures, still lifes and landscapes from throughout the artist’s career. Opening February 27.

>> Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles, opening at the Textile Museum, shows how the repurposing of materials isn’t a new invention, as historically textiles were so valuable that threadbare fabrics were seldom completely discarded. See a vest made from a blanket and a coat woven from rags, among other fabric reinterpretations. February 4.