Richmond 2010 by Molly Roberts

I went over to visit the new exhibition, “Artists at Work” while the Smithsonian Summer Camp was in session. The sound of kid’s voices rang through the gallery in the S. Dillon Ripley Center, and when I peeked into one of the rooms, the children were creating art of their own. It was the perfect backdrop for a show that features art handcrafted by the staff who work at the Smithsonian Institution—research fellows, curators, interns, security guards and docents.

The exhibition of paintings, sculpture, wearable art, photographs and prints made by 63 staffers was selected from 186 entries put before a team of jurors: Barbara Johnson, the founder and artistic director of the Art Works studio School in Mount Rainier, Maryland; Dennis B. O’Neil, a professor and head of the fine arts department at the Corcoran College of Art + Design and Walter Kravitz, a gallery director and professor of painting and drawing at George Mason University.

Much of the work is inspired by current events, like the painting Blu by intern Fulvia Ciarla, which recalls the devastation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Others reflect on the work that is done at the Smithsonian, like Jody Mussoff, who works in the Smithsonian Libraries and whose ceramic piece entitled Woman with Bird is inspired by the “vast array of images I come across in my work.” And there are some wonderful surprises: a quilted “Homage to the Hubble: 1″ by Joan Stogis, a volunteer for the Smithsonian Associates; a diptych, “Celestial Speculations” by intern Jenna Swift, for the Folklife and Cultural Heritage Center; and an elegantly crafted cigar box guitar by volunteer Steven Noel for the Natural History Museum.

We’re please to note that an image by Smithsonian magazine photo editor Molly Roberts is among the 63 works in the exhibition.

Roberts, a photographer at the Washington Post before she joined Smithsonian, recalls that she shot the picture entitled Richmond 2010 while strolling, camera at the ready, through the Virginia capital one fall afternoon. As she rounded a corner in the arts district near Carytown, Roberts says,  ”I happened upon these metallic arms akimbo, apparently drying for future use in an assemblage or art project and it made me smile. That’s the moment I’m sharing by making and exhibiting this image.”

Roberts spends her days making assignments to Smithsonian‘s award-winning team of freelance photojournalists, who travel the world for the magazine. Each year, she edits thousands of images to select the visuals that illustrate the magazine. Yet Roberts still finds time to pursue her own art. “My goal is to photograph daily. I carry a purse camera just to be prepared. My photography is an essential part of my life.”

“Artists at Work: The Smithsonian Community Art Exhibition,” is on view in the S. Dillon Ripley Center through October 2.

On Wednesday, June 8, at 6:30, meet ocean explorer Enric Sala at the Natural Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum

Monday, June 13 Book Signing: How To Build a Spacesuit

Tuesday, June 7 Quilting is year round

Escape Washington D.C.’s heat by learning about quilt making. At American History, quilters from the Annapolis Quilt Guild will help you stitch your way through appliqué, piecing and other techniques. Quilts and quilter’s tools from the museum’s collection will be on display. If you’re loving the scene, this is a reoccurring event that is held on the first and third Tuesdays through November, so come often. Free. 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. American History Museum

Wednesday, June 8 Last Wild Places in the Ocean

In the remote areas of the ocean, there remain a few places untouched or unaffected by human activity, these tiny oases are brimming with of life, where sharks reign as top predators of the underwater world. These wild places help researchers understand what we have lost, but also help us understand how the ocean works and how to preserve it. Dr. Enric Sala, National Geographic’s Ocean Fellow, is leading expeditions to some of these last wild places, with the ultimate goal of helping to save them. At Natural History, Sala will give an evening lecture about his exploring these places, his research, and his ultimate goal to raise awareness of the plight of the sea. Free. 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Natural History Museum

Thursday, June 9 Ikebana

Try your hand at Japanese flower-arranging. No experience necessary. Refreshments will be served after the workshop. $15 materials fee cash or by check. E-mail asiaworkshops@si.edu to reserve your place. Freer Gallery of Art

Friday, June 10 Art + Coffee

Come for some caffeine and learn about the more than 3,300 treasures held at the Luce Foundation Center for American Art during this tour. Afterwards, enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee or tea. 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. American Art Museum

For updates on all exhibitions and events, visit goSmithsonian.com

Shango’s most popular symbol, the double ax staff signifies the diety’s ability to reward the good and punish the bad. Photo courtesy of African Art; gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company

Friday, June 3 Meet Shango, the Yoruba Diety of Lightning and Thunder

According to oral tradition, Shango, the 16th-century Yoruba warrior-king of Nigeria acquired a special “medicine.” He could bring forth lightning and rout his enemies on the battlefield. His powers enabled him to control much of southwestern Nigeria between the 17th and 19th centuries. Upon his death, Shango was deified and thereafter identified with thunderstorms, forces of nature that the Yoruba peoples  interpreted as a sign of supernatural justice. Shango worship, which spread beyond Nigeria to the Americas via the transatlantic slave trade, promotes the material and spiritual well-being of humanity and protects the powerless. Join Nigerian art historian Babatunde Lawal from Virginia Commonwealth University as he explores the changing interpretations of Shango symbols in Africa and the Americas. Free. 12 PM. Lecture Hall. African Art

Saturday June 4 Renwick Craft Invitational Family Day

Like to cut and paste the old fashion way? Gather at the Renwick for a family activity day making arts and crafts inspired by the work of the four artists on view. Docents will be on had to lead family-oriented tours through the exhibition History in the Making, featuring the work of stain glass artist Judith Schaechter, ceramicist Cliff Lee, silversmith Ubaldo Vitali and furniture maker Matthias Pliessnig. There will also be live music and a scavenger hunt.  Free. 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Renwick Gallery

Sunday, June 5 DC Jazz Festival at American Art Museum

The award-winning drummer and composer Nasar Abadey is the founder and leader of the band SUPERNOVA. Come out to here the group’s performance as part of DC Jazz Festival.  Abadey defines his music as “mult-D,” which he calls multi-dimensional and multi-directional—a broad eclectic mix of Classical African American music, that includes everything from traditional to bebop to free form.  Free. 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. American Art Museum

For updates on all exhibitions and events, visit goSmithsonian.com

Buzz Aldrin on the moon. Image courtesy of NASA Images

Tuesday, May 31 To the Moon!

A decade ago, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced his decision to send Americans to the moon. John Logsdon, author of John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon, is on hand to explain the behind-the-scenes scientific endeavors and the historical legacies of NASA’s Apollo program. Free. 1:00 PM. Air and Space Museum. If you can’t make it, check out this webcast of the event.

Wednesday, June 1 Behind the Scenes of the Ocean Hall

Meet a Smithsonian scientist in the Sant Ocean Hall to see specimens up close, learn about science underway in the field, new discoveries, specimen collection and the highlights and rigors of pursuing a quest for knowledge working as a Smithsonian scientist. Free. 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Natural History Museum

Thursday, June 2 Ault’s Disquieting World

During the 1940s, a troubled and anxious artist named George Ault painted some of the most original works of art in America. Little was known at the time of Ault’s haunting rural landscape paintings, but they seem to reflect the trying times of a nation at the cusp of war. Perhaps his works were “a desperate attempt to control the muddled chaos not only in his personal life, but also in the world at large.” View the exhibition, To Make a World: George Ault and 1940s America and then come hear historian and writer Stephen May discuss Ault’s work and psyche in this lecture. Free. 7:00 PM. American Art Museum.

Friday, June 3 Mummies Sneak Peek

Explore Egyptian cosmology, learn about burial rituals, see a step-by-step tutorial on the mummification process and view a display of mummy masks in the sneak peek of the Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt exhibition. Full exhibition will go on display November 17. Natural History Museum

For updates on all exhibitions and events, visit our companion website goSmithsonian.com

Abraham Lincoln's top hat (Courtesy of American History Museum

Friday, May 27 Lincoln Exhibit Closes Sunday

You mustn’t miss this show, Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life, which closes Monday, May 30. This is your last chance to see the American History museum’s unparalleled collection of artifacts from the life and times of the 16th president. See the gold pocket watch that carries a secret message inside, a patent model of Lincoln’s own invention, the top hat he wore the night he was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre and so much more. Exhibition photos are also online. Special guided tours offered daily at 2:00 PM. The museum will be open until 7:30 PM today and Saturday. American History Museum

Saturday, May 28 Spark!Lab

The Lemelson Center’s Spark!Lab offers young visitors hands-on experiments that teach about science, the invention process and the role of technology in American history. Activities rotate on a regular basis to provide visitors with new learning experiences. Staff-led experiments are offered most days at 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. Confirm schedule at either information desk. Free. American History Museum. 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Please note: Roads around the National Mall will be closed Sunday for Rolling Thunder and Monday for a Memorial Day parade. Please see DC’s Department of Transportation web site for more information .

Sunday, May 29 Friendship Dance

The Children of the Four Directions sing, drum and tell of the ways of their tribe. Gifts from each tribe will be presented to the museum and a Friendship Round Dance ends the event. Free. 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Museum of the American Indian

Monday, May 30 Dinosaurs on the Big Screen

Dinosaurs 3D will take you into the world of the largest known dinosaurs, Argentinosaurus and Gigantosaurus. Experience their lives in the Early Cretaceous period as they struggle to survive in a brutal environment. Paleontologist Rodolfo Coria is your guide for a archeological dig in Argentina. The film is shown at 2:25, 4:25 and 6:25 daily, in the Johnson IMAX Theater at the Natural History museum. Tickets are $9 adults, $8 seniors, $6.50 members and $7.50 children ages 2 to 12. Toll free phone 866-868-7774 or online. Natural History Museum

For updates on all exhibitions and events, visit goSmithsonian.com

Film still courtesy of Macgillivray Freeman Films

Monday, May 23

Grand Canyon 3D: River at Risk

Take a virtual white water raft ride through the Grand Canyon in this exhilarating new 3D IMAX adventure. Experience the beauty of the Canyon while learning about the future of the Colorado River. Tickets are $6.50 members, $9 adults, $8 seniors and $7.50 children ages 2 to 12. Purchase tickets online or toll-free 866-868-7774. Natural History Museum

Tuesday, May 24 Memoirs of an Aviator

Rear Adm. Edward “Whitey” Feightner will deliver this year’s Charles A. Lindbergh memorial lecture entitled “Memoirs from an Aviator’s Notebook.” Feightner is a WWII ace who flew F4F Wildcats and F6F Hellcats. At the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River, Maryland, he test flew the cantankerous F7U Cutlass. Among his command positions, Feightner also directed the design of such future naval aircraft as the F-14 and Navy Strike Fighter and implemented fundamental changes for all naval aviation forces before retiring in 1974 after 33 years in the Navy. Free, but tickets are required.  Request tickets or call 202-633-2398. 8:00 PM lecture will be preceded by a  6:15 PM showing of the documentary Speed and Angels. Air & Space Museum

Wednesday, May 25 Across the Miles

Late last year, we wrote, “In 1930, Lorenzo Dow Turner, an English professor-turned linguist, began studying a language spoken by former slaves along the east coast of South Carolina. Words spoken there, like gambo, tabi and jiga, would reveal a complex web of linguistic and cultural convergences between the Gullah people and the African countries, former homelands to the 645,000 enslaved Africans transported to the United States between the 16th and 19th centuries.” The film The Language You Cry In bridges hundreds of years and thousands of miles between the Gullah people of present-day Georgia and the people of 18th-century Sierra Leone. Meet Mary Moran, a Georgia woman who still remembers the words to a Mende funeral song that her mother, one of Turner’s original interviewees, had taught her. 10:30 AM. Free, but reservations requested. Anacostia Community Museum. The exhibition, Word, Shout, Song: Lorenzo Dow Turner Connecting Communities through Language is on view through July 24th.

Thursday, May 26 Bird Watching is For Everyone

Ornithologist and author John C. Robinson has introduced thousands of people to birds and birdwatching. Robinson will discuss his mission to give all people a reason to protect the environment and offers new solutions for changing the face of conservation through birding. Free. 7:00 to 8:00 PM. National Zoo

Friday, May 27 Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life

Last chance to see the more than 60 artifacts from the unparalleled Abraham Lincoln collections at the National Museum of American History before it closes on May 30. See the top hat Lincoln wore to Ford’s Theater the night that he was assassinated, his gold pocket watch, a patent model of his own invention, as well as a black broadcloth suit, a coat, vest and trousers that Lincoln wore during his presidency. Exhibition photos are also online. Special tours daily at 2:00 PM. The museum will be open until 7:30 PM today and Saturday. American History Museum

For updates on all exhibitions and events, visit our companion website goSmithsonian.com

Celebrate Hawai'i Festival is at the American Indian museum. Photo courtesy of Katherine Fogden, NMAI.

Friday, May 20 Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

Get a jump on the weekend’s cultural festival “Celebrate Hawai’i,” at the American Indian museum. The two-day event includes films, hula performances, weaving lessons, Hawaiian cooking and discussions. On Friday night, see the documentary Papa Mau: The Wayfinder, which follows a group of young Hawaiians  on a mission to revive the traditional Polynesian arts of canoe-building and wayfinding, or non-instrument celestial navigation. Follow the group as they journey to the island of Satawal in Micronesia and and learn form the master navigator Mau Piailug as he shares the ways of the ancestors aboard the voyaging canoe Hokule’a. Director Na’alehu Anthony will answer questions after the screening. A short film, Stones, will begin at 7:00 PM. Dinner is available at Mitsitam Cafe from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. The films are free, but reservations are required.

The festival takes place Saturday and Sunday throughout the musuem. Free. 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. National Museum of the American Indian

Saturday, May 21 Start with the Arts

The Very Special Arts (VSA), the international organization on arts and disability, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum team up for the sixth annual VSA Start with the Arts Festival. Artists and educators from around the world will be on hand for a multicultural celebration featuring music, dance, improv and hands-on activities for children of all abilities and ages. The festival features dance and musical performances, hands-on art activities, improvisation and movement sessions. Free. 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM both Saturday and Sunday. Kogod Courtyard of the American Art Museum

Sunday, May 22 Renwick Craft Invitational

Judith Schaechter is one of four featured artists in this year’s Renwick Craft Invitational. She employs a modern approach to making stained glass; sandblasting, layering and painting the glass, also called the “Tiffany Method.” She will discuss her artwork, themes and experience with the audience.  Free. 2:00 PM. Renwick Gallery “History in the Making: Renwick Craft Invitational” on exhibit through July 31.

What do zoo animals eat? Find out at the daily feedings, included in the Zoo’s daily calendar. Animal feedings take place every day, beginning at 10:15 AM with the fish feedings at the Kids’ Farm. Watch up to seven feedings a day, including the giant Pacific octopus at the Invertebrate House at 11:15 and 3; the sloth bears at 11:30 on the Asia Trail, and the small mammals at their house at 1:45. Don’t be late; the feedings last only 15 to 20 minutes. National Zoo

(By the way, the annual Zoofari fund-raising celebration takes place this Thursday May 19, from 6:30 to 9:30; beginning at noon, some areas of the Zoo will close for set up with the entire Zoo closing at 4 PM. Zoofari is sure to sell out. Buy your tickets today to avoid disappointment.)

Tuesday, May 17 — Civil War through the eyes of a child

Ever wonder what life was like for young African American girls during the Civil War? Addy Walker, of the popular American Girl doll series and heroine of the book, Meet Addy, is a nine-year old born into slavery. She escapes to freedom during the Civil War. Trace the events that underlie the story’s narrative using the museum’s downloadable guide, or pick one up free at the information desk. Claim a free gift at the gift shop when you complete the quest to have your guide stamped at each stop on the self-guided tour.  Find more here about Addy’s World, or find online activities, or stop by the museum’s store to pick up your copy of the book Meet Addy. American History Museum

Wednesday, May 18 SHOUT online discussion 

Can’t get to the museum today? Join three online discussions with four Smithsonian experts. Jonathan Thompson, a forest landscape ecologist from the Zoo’s Conservation Biology Institute updates us on the status of North American Forests. Senior conservation adviser Marshall Jones and program specialist Ana Tinsler, also with the Conservation Biology Institute discuss the Global Tiger Initiative, an alliance of governments and international organizations hoping to restore wild tigers and preserve their habitats. Lastly, researcher Sunshine Van Bael from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute will provide an overview of Tropical Biodiversity. Free, but pre-registration required. First discussion at 11:00 AM.

Photo courtesy of ILL-abilities crew

Thursday, May 19 ILL-Abilities Crew

A high-energy dance performance by a B-boy crew of dancers with physical “ill”abilities. The group defines the phrase as the “opposite of disability,” meaning that they create advantages from disadvantages. Two performances, 10:15 AM and 11:00 AM, for ages 4 and up. Tickets are required. Rates are $4 child member; $4 member; $5 child nonmember; $3 child under 2; $6 general admission. Tickets may be purchased online or at the Resident Associate Program box office located in the Ripley Center on the National Mall.

Friday, May 20 Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month at the Smithsonian

Friday’s events kickoff the weekend-long “Celebrate Hawai’i” festival at the Museum of the American Indian. The documentary Papa Mau: The Wayfinder follows a group of young Hawaiians  on a mission to revive the traditional Polynesian arts of canoe-building and wayfinding, or non-instrument celestial navigation. The group’s search leads them to the island of Satawal in Micronesia and the master navigator Mau Piailug, who shares the ways of their ancestors aboard the voyaging canoe Hokule’a. Director Na’alehu Anthony will answer questions after the screening. A short film, Stones, will begin at 7:00 PM. Dinner is available at Mitsitam Cafe from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Free, but reservations are required.

Free events during the “Celebrate Hawai’i” cultural festival continue Saturday and Sunday, include hula performances and lessons, Hawaiian cooking demonstrations, films and discussions. 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. National Museum of the American Indian

Cosmic Collisions, a planetarium show, is the story of a speeding comet that collides with Earth’s atmosphere. Zipping along at 40 million years per second, the film takes visitors on a journey through time and space that includes colossal impacts and exciting explosions. Scientific visualizations, images from NASA and advanced simulation and imaging technology enhance the experience. Seven shows daily, beginning at 11:00 AM. Tickets are $6.50 members, $9.00 adult (13-and up), $8.00 senior, $7.50 youth (2-12 years old). Albert Einstein Planetarium at the National Air & Space Museum

Saturday, May 14 “Metropolis” with live musical accompaniment

Silent Orchestra returns to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery to premiere an original score for the classic film Metropolis. This 1927 silent German film is set in a society divided into two classes: one of planners and managers who live in luxury, and one of workers who live and work underground. Check out the interview of these film score producers at the Eye Level. 3:00 PM. Free, but tickets required; available in the G Street lobby thirty minutes prior to the screening. American Art Museum

Stripmall Ballads

Sunday, May 15 Stripmall Ballads

The Smithsonian American Art Museum says that Edward Mitchell Bannister lived his entire life by the sea and probably made this painting, Untitled (moon over a harbor, wharf scene with full moon and masts of boats), while he was living in Boston in the late 1860s. Although he never traveled abroad, Bannister was influenced by late 19th-century French landscape painting, which shows in his thick brushstrokes, subdued colors and simple compositions. In the painting misty colors and bleak landscape create a mysterious scene, as if Bannister had painted it in the middle of the night. View Bannister’s work of the moonlit harbor and hear more about its creator at 1:30 PM, followed by  Stripmall Ballads, contemporary folk music at 2:00 PM. Free. American Art Museum

With new summer hours in place, you can stroll through this special butterfly exhibit with exotic plants and live butterflies from around the world until the last entry at 6 PM. Tickets are required, however and rates are as follows: $6 for adults; $5.50 for seniors (60+); $5 for children and members. Big tip for the frugal visitor: There is no charge on Tuesdays; however you still must get a ticket at the desk. Visit the Butterfly Pavilion’s Web site to purchase tickets and for more information about free entry on Tuesdays. Natural History Museum, 10:15-5:00 PM.

Tuesday, May 10 — Harry Potter pops up

The Houston-based paper engineer Bruce Foster talks about designing the 2010 Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book, the design process and paper engineering. “I will show the process from beginning to end, explain some of the math involved in creating this boo and share secrets of Harry Potter that did not make it into the final book,” Foster writes. Free. 12:00 PM. American History Museum. Sponsored by Smithsonian Libraries. Related exhibition: “Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop and Turn”

Photo courtesy of Smithsonian American Art Museum

Wednesday, May 11 Behind the Scenes at the Lunder Center

Learn how museum conservators use science, art history and skilled hands to preserve the art collections at the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. Free, but register before 3:00 PM at the Luce Foundation Center information desk. Tour begins at 3:00 PM at the same place. Repeats most Wednesdays. American Art Museum.

Thursday, May 12 Pick a Flick just $10

“Film Forward: Advancing Cultural Dialogue” presents 10 films with a discussion following the screenings: Freedom Riders (already sold out); La Mission; Udaan and A Small Act at 6:00 PM; Boy at 6:15 PM and The Last Train Home; Afghan Star; Amreeka; Son of Babylon (free admission, but tickets required) and Winter’s Bone at 6:30 PM. $10 tickets for general admission are available online. Various National Mall locations.

Friday, May 13 Not Your Father’s Planetarium Show

Cosmic Collisions, a planetarium show, is the story of a speeding comet that collides with Earth’s atmosphere. Zipping along at 40 million years per second, the film takes visitors on a journey through time and space that includes colossal impacts and exciting explosions. Scientific visualizations, images from NASA and advanced simulation and imaging technology enhance the experience. Seven shows daily, beginning at 11:00 AM. Tickets are $6.50 members, $9.00 adult (13-and up), $8.00 senior, $7.50 youth (2-12 years old). Purchase tickets by phone (toll-free) 866-868-7774; online up to two weeks in advance or at the box office. Albert Einstein Planetarium at the National Air & Space Museum

Friday, May 6

Family-friendly celebration of plants, gardens and gardening. Add to a garden mural, build a puppet, make a miniature Japanese garden and take home seeds for your garden. Saturday will include live music and a stilt walker. Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, south of the Castle. In the event of rain, activities will move to the Ripley Center. Free. Friday, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM. Saturday, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. http://gardens.si.edu/gardenfest/

Saturday, May 7 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Make a family storybook or create fortune cookies in clay, play a game with chopsticks or participate in video interviews. Watch the film “The Killing of a Chinese Cookie,” which answers the question “Who really invented the fortune cookie?” at 1:00 PM, followed by a Q&A with director Derek Shimoda. Cedric Yeh, curator, will give a personal look at the exhibition, Sweet and Sour: A Look at the History of Chinese Food in America. Free. 11:00 AM to 4 PM. American History Museum, sponsored by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program.

Sunday, May 8 Celebrate Mother’s Day with the Mendelssohn Piano Trio

A musical performance sure to tickle the fancy of any mother. Pianist Ya-Ting Chang, violinist Peter Sirotin, and cellist Fiona Thompson will perform works by J. Haydn and C. Saint-Saëns, as well as the celebrated Dumky trio by A. Dvořák. Free. 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. American Art Museum.

Family-friendly and hands-on. Forensic anthropology is not just for scientists! Meet at Natural History in the exhibition, “Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake,” and learn to use human bones to solve mysteries. In no time at all, be an expert at identifying people from the past and drawing conclusions about how they live their lives. Free. Natural History Museum. 1:00 PM-5:00 PM.

The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly by James Hampton. Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Tuesday, May 3 Outsider Art

Smithsonian magazine contributor David Taylor talks about how outsider art inspires his writing. The author describes his first encounter with the intensely religious and visionary work, “Throne of Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly” by James Hampton, on view in the Folk Art section of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  Taylor ‘s contributions to Smithsonian magazine include articles on the WPA Project and ginseng Free. American Art Museum. 6:00 PM-7:00 PM.

Wednesday, May 4 Born to be Wild 3D

Featuring the conservation efforts of primatologist Birute Galdikas with orangutans in Borneo, along with that of Dame Daphne Sheldrick‘s work with elephants in Kenya. Both women live near the animals, rescuing them and returning them to live in the wild. The film is shown at 2:25, 4:25 and 6:25 daily, in the Johnson IMAX Theater at the Natural History museum. Tickets are $9 adults, $8 seniors and $7.50 children ages 2 to 12. Toll free phone 866-868-7774 or online.

Thursday, May 5 Zing! Went the Strings

Enjoy string quintets by Haydn and Dvořák and a quartet by Mozart, performed by stars of the Marlboro Music Festival: violinists Benjamin Beilman and Veronika Eberle, violists Beth Guterman and Yura Lee, and cellist Judith Serkin. Free, but tickets required. 7:30 PM. Freer Gallery of Art.

Friday, May  6 Smithsonian Garden Fest

This two-day Family-friendly celebration of plants, gardens and gardening explore this year’s theme of “Celebrating the American Garden Experience.” Add to a garden mural, build a puppet, make a miniature Japanese garden and take home seeds. Saturday will includes live music performances and a stilt walker. Location: Enid A. Haupt Garden, south of the Castle. In the event of rain, activities will move to the Ripley Center. Free. Friday, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM. Sunday, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM.

Celebrate National Poetry Month! Use the paintings at the museum to inspire your poetry. View the paintings and read poetry aloud, followed by a discussion of the artwork. Free. 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. American Art Gallery. Madeline Andre and Arcynta Ali-Childs blogged about poets in the Smithsonian collections.

Andrew Young by Ross R. Rossin, oil on canvas, 2009; National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Jack Watson; © Ross R. Rossin

Saturday, April 30 Meet Andrew Young

Civil rights leader Andrew Young will discuss his experience working with Martin Luther King Jr., and his own role in American history. Young will also sign copies of his book Walk in My Shoes: Conversations between a Civil Rights Legend and His Godson on the Journey. Free. 2 PM. National Portrait Gallery. Related exhibition: “The Struggle for Justice” National Portrait Gallery

Sunday, May 1 Restoring the Kabul Museum

Learn about the ongoing restoration of the Kabul Museum, as explored in Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. This internationally touring exhibition, though currently not on view at a Smithsonian museum in DC, presents more than 200 objects thought to have been destroyed or stolen from the museum before they were recovered in Afghanistan in 2004. Deborah Klimburg-Salter will give her presentation, “Twice Buried, Twice Found: Reinventing the National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul.” Free. 2 PM Freer Gallery of Art

Born to be Wild 3D features the conservation efforts of primatologist Birute Galdikas with orangutans in Borneo, along with that of Dame Daphne Sheldrick‘s work with elephants in Kenya. Both women live near the animals, rescuing them and returning them to live in the wild. Film is shown at 2:25, 4:25 and 6:25 daily. The Johnson IMAX Theater at the Natural History museum. Tickets are $9 adults, $8 seniors and $7.50 children ages 2 to 12. Toll free phone 866-868-7774 or online.

Tuesday, April 26 Star-Spangled Banner

Meet the seamstress who sewed the Star-Spangled Banner. Help her assemble a new flag and learn about its history. Free, repeats daily through Friday at 2 PM and 3:30 PM. Flag Hall, American History Museum.

Wednesday, April 27 DC Youth Creativity

Participate in a community forum on  youth and creativity in Southeast D.C. The Junk Yard Band, Facilitating Leadership in Youth (FLY), Life Pieces to Masterpieces art center and Multi Media Training Institute will be representing their programs. Free. 7 PM. Anacostia Community Museum

Thursday, April 28 My Dog Tulip

Paul and Sandra Fierlinger will introduce their film, My Dog Tulip. The Fierlingers  will discuss their films, show samples of their animation and talk about the future of animation. Free. 7 PM. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Friday, April 29 Poets & Painters

Does the art at the museum inspire you to write? View paintings and read poetry aloud, followed by a discussion of the artwork. Free. 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. American Art Gallery

Documentary producers Jack Kohler and Stephen Most will be on hand at the American Indian Museum to discuss the environmental issues raised in their award-winning film, River of Renewal. Based on Most’s book of the same title, the film explores the conflict between farmers, ranchers and local tribes over Oregon’s waterways through the eyes of Jack Kohler, a Yurok/Karuk Indian. Free. 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM with discussion following the showing. National Museum of the American Indian Film repeats daily (except Wednesdays) through Saturday, April 30.

Saturday, April 23 Make It and Take It workshop

Family event. Kids can make a Easter hat or bonnet, decorate an egg and take them home for your family celebration. Free, reservations requested. 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Anacostia Community Museum.

Prize-winning orchid (Embreea rodigasiana) from the collection of Tom Mirenda. Photo courtesy of Tom Mirenda.

Sunday, April 24 Orchids: A View from the East

Last Chance. The annual display of more than 200 live orchids closes today. On view at the Natural History Museum, the exhibition Orchids: a View From the East transports visitors to a Chinese scholar’s garden and discusses how the plants were used in Chinese medicines. Free. Natural History Museum. A companion exhibition, The Orchid in Chinese Painting is on view at the Sackler Gallery through July 17. For more information check out our post on the exhibit.