BANNED IN DC @HIRSHHORN

The Hirshhorn celebrates the 30th anniversary of a book that’s a key document of Washington’s legendary punk scene with a discussion and signing. Co-authored by Cynthia Connolly, Leslie Clague, and Sharon Cheslow, Banned in DC, published on December 13, 1988, was one of the first books of its kind, illustrating the era with photographs, flyers, and stories about the glory days of a local DIY network that inspired generations of independent musicians to come. Connolly will share stories and images from the period and join in a discussion with founding co-editor Leslie Clague and Hirshhorn curator of media and performance art Mark Beasley.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, December 13, 2018 at 7 p.m. Advance tickets for the program have been claimed, but a select number of seats will be available for walk-ups on a first-come, first-served basis. FREE

THE LONG CONVERSATION @ SMITHSONIAN ARTS & INDUSTRIES BUILDING

What do New York Times columnist David Brooks, geologist Liz Cottrell (curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History), comedian Cheech Marin, and actress Alfre Woodard have in common? They are just a fraction of the wildly diverse group that will be on hand at the Smithsonian’s Arts & Industries Building this Friday for an unusual salon. Artists and scientists, drag queens, and DJs will gather for what the museum calls, “a rollicking creative marathon of conversations around one big question: What makes you hopeful about the future?” The participants will offer a game-changing idea from their field for a series of 15-minute talks. This is the second year the Smithsonian has hosted this event—watch highlights from last year’s program here. Tickets for the event are long gone, but you will be able to stream the program live on Facebook.
Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building, Friday, December 7 from 2-10 p.m. Watch the event on Facebook here. 

ISABEL MANALO: ADRENALINE  @ ADDISON/RIPLEY

Former American University professor Isabel Manolo, who documented visits with artists in their working environment on the non-profit web journal The Studio Visit, presents her own new work at this upper Georgetown gallery. The vivid paintings continue Manolo’s embrace of her Filipino heritage. Manalo writes that the pieces in the show are, “a rush of very layered and textured adrenaline towards the quintessential cliche of attaining truth and acceptance and living in a civil society once again.”
Addison/Ripley Fine Art, 1670 Wisconsin Ave., NW. December 7, 2018-January 19, 2019. Opening reception takes place on December 7 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. FREE

GEORGETOWN GLOW @ VARIOUS GEORGETOWN LOCATIONS

D.C. projection artist Robin Bell, who has shined messages of protest on the Department of Justice building as well as Trump International Hotel, is one of the 16 local, national, and international artists participating in this annual illumination of historic Georgetown. Georgetown GLOW curator Deirdre Ehlen MacWilliams writes that each of the installations, “is responsive to the historic and unequaled landscape of Georgetown, and conveys a sense of magic and warmth in DC…[bringing] a renewed light to all during the holiday season.” The exhibition will be up for five weeks, and the Georgetown BID hosts a special GLOW All Night program on Friday, December 7 from 5 p.m.-9 p.m., during which more than 50 neighborhood merchants will offer in-store promotions, trunk shows, pop-up shops, and product launches.
Various locations, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. nightly through Sunday, January 6, 2019. GLOW All Night takes place on Friday, December 7 from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. See the exhibition website for a complete list of artists and participating locations. FREE.

PORTRAITS OF THE WORLD: KOREA @ NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

The second in the National Portrait Gallery’s series that puts American portraiture in a global context (the inaugural program on Switzerland closed in November), this exhibition focuses on the provocative work of Yun Suknam. The Chinese-born South Korean artist has created portraits of her mother and of such American artists as Louise Bourgeois, Louise Nevelson, Marisol, Kiki Smith (pictured) and Nancy Spero.
National Portrait Gallery, December 14, 2018 – November 17, 2019.

AMBREEN BUTT: MARK MY WORDS @ NMWA

Pakistani-American artist Ambreen Butt was trained in traditional Indian and Persian miniature painting, but has transformed the genre to focus on contemporary women and politics. According to the National Museum of Women in the Arts, her work, “tackles larger global issues of oppression, violence, and the role of art as social commentary … while also speaking to broader ideas about women making their marks on society.”
National Museum of Women in the Arts, December 7, 2018–April 14, 2019. Open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday noon-5 p.m. $10.

PAINTING THE CLASSICS: JAPANESE SCROLLS AND BEYOND @ FREER

In three related exhibitions, the Freer explores the work of Japanese artists in the early modern era who transformed narratives and poetry from Japan’s classical age. For instance, this 16th century work (pictured above) from the Edo period relates a classical tale from the Heian period (794–1185). Exhibition curators write, “As artists typically illustrated a limited selection of famous episodes, the public understanding of old stories became centered on a few key moments. At the same time, this repetition motivated artists to invent new ways of interpreting literary subjects, even while using traditional formats. Japanese Scrolls and Beyond shows this creativity through handscrolls, hanging scrolls, and albums.”
Freer Gallery of Art, November 24, 2018–May 19, 2019. FREE

This post has been updated to reflect that Kiki Smith is the artist of “Free Fall.”