From Hieronymus Bosch to Asher B. Durand to John James Audubon, the influences inherent in John Alexander’s work are clear. His paintings and drawings run the gamut from landscapes to abstractions, making for a diverse and extraordinary exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. John Alexander: A Retrospective, with 40 paintings and 27 works on paper, opens today and runs through March 16. Alexander explores politics and religion in many of his works, infusing them…

With classical art not always well-represented in the District, the new exhibit at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Wine, Worship and Sacrifice: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani, is a great opportunity to see some pieces from the sixth century B.C.E. to the mid-first century B.C.E. Colchis, now the country of Georgia. The exhibit highlights items that were found in eight graves; gold and silver jewelry and decorations, wine bowls and ladles, and glass vessels…

Hidden underneath the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall is a treasure waiting to be discovered — the Smithsonian Latino Center, which has been celebrating Latino culture, spirit, and achievement in America for 10 years, presents a terrific exhibit, Mexican Treasures of the Smithsonian, on display through November 11 at the S. Dillon Ripley Center’s International Gallery. The exhibit pulls together objects from different museums around the city to explore the shared histories and cultural…

Katharine Hepburn, one of the most iconic actresses of the 20th century, is the latest person to be featured in the National Portrait Gallery’s “One Life” gallery. Kate: A Centennial Celebration, which opened today, presents a multi-media approach to Hepburn’s life — photographs, video clips, her four Best Actress Oscar statuettes, a Brooks Brothers red turtleneck sweater, and a studio contract are all on display. The four statuettes, which Hepburn won for Morning Glory, Guess…

Hollywood, rock and roll and reality TV are all subject to artist Jeremy Blake’s critical eye in Wild Choir: Portraits by Jeremy Blake. The Corcoran Gallery of Art, where the show opens tomorrow, calls his work “psychological pop portraits” — trippy digital videos depicting the lives of cultural figures. Flashing images, voice overs, music and explosions of color are typical in the three videos on display — 2003’s Reading Ossie Clark, 2005’s Sodium Fox, and…

Impressionism, one of the most popular and accessible art movements, continues with yet another show at the Phillips Collection — on the heels of American Impressionism, comes Impressionists by the Sea, an exploration of the rise of plein air painting and vacationing on the northern coast of France. Opening tomorrow, the exhibit features the major French Impressionists, along with some of their predecessors, to present a lush visual experience. The exhibit is a feast for…

Written by DCist contributor Amy Cavanaugh With all the Smithsonian museums clustered around the mall, it’s easy to overlook the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, which has been chronicling the life of the area’s residents since 1967. Their new exhibit, East of the River: Continuity and Change, celebrates 500 years of southeast Washington in a sweeping overview of its triumphs and tragedies. From archaeological artifacts to paintings to documents to video, the multimedia components of East…

Written by DCist contributor Amy Cavanaugh The Tuareg people, who once roamed a region of the Sahara, are the subject of a new exhibit at the National Museum of African Art. Art of Being Tuareg: Sahara Nomads in a Modern World uses art to explore the present-day world of a nomadic tribe, and explains that though the end of French colonial rule and droughts made most Tuareg settle down permanently, many aspects of their lives…

It can be difficult to jumpstart a motionless crowd of D.C. concert goers, but one Baltimore band has found a way literally to bring life to the lifeless. In fact, in a very meta sort of way, Yeveto formed their group a few years ago for the sole purpose of adding a modernized sound to a classic horror film. They wrote and recorded a new score to the 1920s Paul Wegener movie, Der Golem, about…