The Freer Gallery of Art hosts an eclectic and sporadic series of free concerts, often in tandem with relevant exhibits. To cap off the fine exhibit of early Bible manuscripts at the Sackler Gallery (reviewed here last month), the museum hosted one of the best vocal groups in the world, the Hilliard Ensemble, last night. The all-male British quartet brought a program called Arkhangelos, modern and older pieces in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, to…

Let’s try an experiment. Have a look at Abbott Handerson Thayer’s oil painting, Head (1888-1889), pictured on the right. Free associate, writing down the first ten words that come to mind. Ready? Go! Let’s compare notes. I got: depressed, gloomy, cold, dark, sad, scared, shadowy, lurk, dreary, and black. If one or more of your ten words was beautiful, pretty, cheery, sunny, or ecstatic, it is probably worth applying for an internship at the Freer…

FRIDAY: >> The Freer Gallery kicks off it’s 10th annual Iranian Film Festival this weekend, and it’s well worth a look. We’d recommend Tahmineh Milani’s latest film The Unwanted Woman, a story about a married couple confronted with the devastating effects that sexual desire can have in their society. Milani is the same filmmaker who was jailed after her 2001 film The Hidden Half perturbed the fundamentalist Iranian government. As you might imagine, Milani has…

From DCist contributor Rebecca Walters: Mr. Smith came and left Washington on Monday as D.C.’s final Screen on the Green installment brought a bit of renewed idealism to top off a somewhat soggy summer outdoor film season. What is a D.C. movie buff to do now? DCist proffers an international suggestion that may not have blipped your radar screen. The Freer Gallery of Art is currently hosting its ninth annual Made in Hong Kong Film Festival, cosponsored…