This photo of a mandrill from the rain forests of equatorial Africa is featured in Joel Sartore’s Photo Ark exhibit at the National Geographic Museum, running through April 10. (Joel Sartore/National Geographic Museum)
It’s been quite a few years since DCist featured local art and gallery events in the Arts Agenda, and we’re back! Check back at the beginning of each month for the month’s arts highlights.
March Arts Highlights
Photo Ark @ National Geographic Museum. Through April 10. ($15)
Time is running out to catch photographer Joel Sartore’s inspiring, poignant, and stunning Photo Ark exhibit at the National Geographic Museum. Sartore aims to document every species at zoos in the U.S. and across the world in order to expose their endangered status and convince viewers they are worth saving. While the project itself includes photographs of more than 5,000 creatures and growing, this exhibit includes pandas, primates, tigers, turtles, rhinos, and more.
National Geographic is located at 1145 17th St NW
Exposed DC Photography Show – 10th Anniversary Exhibition. Opens March 10 ($35)
We can’t believe it’s been ten years since the very first Exposed Photography Show in 2006 (which was run through DCist)! This year’s opening night promises to be bigger than ever before, since it will be hosted by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. at the Carnegie Library, and Bluejacket Brewery is providing the libations. Plus, cocktail attire is suggested (fancy!). The exhibit features 47 images of life in the D.C. area. If you can’t make the reception, be sure to check it out for free another day on the second floor of Carnegie Library, where you can also see their ongoing exhibit Window to Washington.
The Carnegie Library is located at 801 K St NW.
Typecast and Embracing Abstraction @ Hillyer Arts Space. Opens March 4 (Free)
The first Friday of every month, Dupont Circle holds First Fridays gallery walk from 6 to 8 pm, with an $8 suggested donation. This month’s event on March 4 features the opening reception for two exhibits at Hillyer Arts Space: TYPECAST—an all-media group exhibit of 33 artists exploring identity— and Embracing Abstraction from painter Lina Alattar.
Hillyer is located at 9 Hillyer Ct. NW
#Thisiswhyimsingle @ Flashpoint. . Through March 19. (Free)
#ThisIsWhyImSingle features artists Dafna Steinberg, Jennifer Towner, and Jenny Walton as they examine their experiences with modern dating and the search for meaningful romantic connections in our social media- and app-filled world. The artists pack a ton of small work into this small space—the work promises to be a great conversation starter if you’re brave enough to check it out on a first date!
Flashpoint is located at 916 G St. NW
No Sharps, No Flats @ Transformer. Opens March 19. (Free)
Head to Transformer 6 to 8 p.m. on March 19 for the opening of this sound-art show curated by Alex Braden. All set in the key of C Major, more than 30 original compositions by local artists are housed within an installation made of cassette boom boxes and interacted with by viewers.
Transformer is located at 1404 P St. NW.
Museum Day Live! @ Various Smithsonian Museums. March 12 (Free)
Even though our Smithsonian Museums are always free, it’s still worth it to check out the local Museum Day Live! events on March 12. This year’s events are run as part of Women’s History Month and are aimed specially at young women and their families (Girl Power!). At the ARTLAB+ audio workshop from 10 a.m. to noon at the Hirshhorn, you’ll write a spoken word piece and then make a song out of it in GarageBand. The African Art Museum also has a full day of events planned, including art workshops, a teen poetry workshop with Award-winning Sudanese-American poet Safia Elhillo, and an interactive West African dance performance from the Coyaba Dance Ensemble.
