Joan Miró. Head of a Catalan Peasant, 1924 Gift of the Collectors Committee. 1981.9.1>> On May 6, see the surrealist works of Joan Miró at the National Gallery of Art in Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape. Through some 120 paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints from a career spanning almost a century, this exhibition reveals a politically engaged side to Miró’s work, including his passionate response to one of the most turbulent periods in European history as well as his sense of Spanish—specifically Catalonian—identity.
>> In the mid-1850s American photographers, from Mathew Brady to L.W.F. Mark, embraced a new photographic medium known as the ambrotype. Taking its name from the Greek word ambrotos (meaning immortal or imperishable), an ambrotype was created when an underexposed collodion negative on glass was made to appear as a positive image by placing it against a dark backing. Drawn exclusively from the Portrait Gallery’s collection, the exhibit Ambrotypes from the National Portrait Gallery will showcase ambrotypes of abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Anna Dickinson, as well as West Point classmates George Armstrong Custer and John Pelham, who later served as generals for opposing sides of the Civil War. Opening May 25.
>> The Patents and Trademarks of Steve Jobs: Art and Technology that Changed the World At the Ripley Center, learn about the far-reaching impact of Steve Jobs’ entrepreneurship and innovation on our daily lives, and how his patents and trademarks reveal the importance intellectual property plays in the global marketplace. On view are an Apple Macintosh computer, mouse, and keyboard; a NeXT monitor, keyboard, mouse, sound box, and microcomputer; and an Apple iPod. Opening May 11.
>> On May 17, Sandra Cinto’s Untitled (After the Rain) opens at the Phillips Collection. This multipart drawing in ink and acrylic on canvas will cover the café walls. The installation follows the movement of sunrise to nightfall, paying homage to Arthur Dove’s landscapes in The Phillips Collection.
>> Get your tickets to the Hirshhorn’s SONG 1: A Happening, taking place May 11. This after-hours event features live performances from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., access to the galleries and a cash bar. $25 in advance only.
>> Lalla Essaydi’s elegant, creative work belies it subversive, challenging nature. In Revisions, opening at the African Art Museum on May 9, see approximately 30 works of diverse media including a selection of new works, as well as rarely exhibited paintings and installations.
>> This month at the Textile Museum, choose between two Rug & Textile Appreciation Mornings. On Saturday, May 12 learn about Commissioning Textile Artwork for Federal Buildings. The U.S. General Services Administration’s Fine Arts Collection includes over 1,100 permanently installed artworks that are integral to the architecture of federal buildings. Jennifer Gibson, director of GSA’s Art in Architecture and Fine Arts Division, will discuss textiles in the collection, the commissioning process, and the challenges an artist confronts when creating fiber-based artwork for a public space. Then on Saturday May 19, Philadelphia dealer and collector Dennis Dodds shares a sampling of his favorites from decades of collecting. The audience is invited to share favorites from their own collections as well in Textile Treasures. Both lectures are free and start at 10:30 a.m.
>> As part of the Perspectives series of contemporary Asian art at the Sackler Gallery, Perspectives: Ai Weiwei features works by the prolific and provocative artist Ai Weiwei. From large-scale installations, performances, and architectural design to photography and video, he deftly melds traditional materials and craftsmanship, local histories, and current events to creative incisive commentaries on the individual in today’s society. On view will be the installation Fragments in which Weiwei takes fragments from works that began hundreds of years ago and puts them through a destructive and creative process. Opening May 12.
>> Join current Corcoran College of Art + Design students on select afternoons this month for a special gallery talk series to learn more about the thesis projects on view in NEXT at the Corcoran: Class of 2012, a showcase of work by graduating BFA and MA students. Attend a panel discussion with friends and colleagues of Tim Hetherington on May 7 to discuss his work on view in Tim Hetherington: Sleeping Soldiers. Join interior designers Rob Brown and Todd Davis on May 8 – famed for their work on two residences of the Clinton’s and the British Embassy residence – as they discuss their unique approach to interior design. Then iconic designer Jonathan Adler stops by the Corcoran on May 22 to celebrate the grand opening of his new Georgetown store to discuss the evolution of his signature style and the inspiration behind his vibrant designs. Free, but please register in advance.
>> Get ready for the 2012 Olympics by learning about Native American athletes who have provided some of the most dramatic moments in Olympic history. At the American Indian Museum see Best in the World: Native Athletes in the Olympics and celebrate the 1912 Games in Stockholm, Sweden, in which Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox) won both the pentathlon and the decathlon (a feat not since accomplished); Duke Kahanamoku (Native Hawaiian) won the 100-meter freestyle; Andrew Sockalexis (Penobscot) placed fourth in the marathon; and Lewis Tewanima (Hopi) won the silver medal and set an American record for the 10,000 meters that stood for more than 50 years, until another American Indian, Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota), won gold in Tokyo in 1964. Opening May 25.
