(From DCist contributor Seth Thomas Pietras) The influence of Greek and Roman architecture on our fair city is undeniable. The Capitol building, for example, is pure neoclassical bliss, evoking the connection the Founders had to ancient ideals when creating the Republic. On the outside, the building conveys all the balance and order of the Greek tradition without betraying the chaos within. It is this concept of Greek architectural poise and symmetry that will be the…

(From DCist contributor Seth Thomas Pietras) Rest assured citizens of D.C., you will have three to five days to formulate a survival plan during a worst-case scenario “super-volcanic” eruption of Yellowstone Park, according to the Discovery Channel and the United States Geologic Survey. The Yellowstone region is what is known as a caldera-forming volcano, which has the potential to spew some 250 cubic miles … yes, cubic miles … of liquid-hot magma into the atmosphere,…

(From DCist contributor Seth Thomas Pietras) Whoever said art and foreign policy don’t overlap? For the 54th season, the National Gallery of Art presents the world renowned A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, a series of six hour-long lectures taking place each Sunday beginning on April 10 going through May 15. This year’s lecturer will be Harvard professor Irene J. Winter, who will be presenting “Great Work”: Terms of Aesthetic Experience in Ancient Mesopotamia…

(From DCist contributor Seth Thomas Pietras) DCist ventured down to Hemphill Fine Arts on 14th Street NW to see the opening of the William Christenberry exhibit and was satisfied not only by the artwork but by an increasingly lively neighborhood for a Thursday night at seven o’clock. Amid the new construction and old tattered buildings, a vibrant, active crowd was wandering about the restaurants, bars and stores. Never mind this inconsistent and torturous weather, the…