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Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler (1893) by John Singer Sargent. Image courtesy of the American Art Museum.

Monday, November 2: National Family Literacy Day

Knowledge is power (I know, it’s an overused phrase—but it’s true) and today is a great day to encourage the people in your family to pursue a lifetime full of reading. Enjoy storytelling sessions as well as theatrical performances that tie in to permanent museum exhibits like the Star Spangled Banner and the Greensboro lunch counter. Hopefully the day will inspire you to go home and do some reading on your own—and encourage you to talk about the things that grab your interest with those near and dear to you. Even if you aren’t in the DC area for this event, visit the website of the National Center for Family Literacy—who is co-sponsoring this event—to find programs in your area. Free. American History Museum, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM

Tuesday, November 3: FONZ Photo Club

If you’re a shutterbug with a penchant for snapping shots of critters, come on out to the National Zoo and participate in the FONZ (that’s Friends Of the National Zoo for those of you who think Henry Winkler when they see the word, FONZ) photo club’s monthly meeting. Share your photos, hear from speakers and learn about new techniques that may help you capture that picture perfect moment. You must already be a FONZ member to participate. For more information on the FONZ photo club and how to participate, check out their website. National Zoo, 7:00 PM

Wednesday, November 4: Portrait of Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler

John Singer Sargent had a knack for painting socialites and caused a perfectly marvelous scandal when he unveiled his Madame X in 1884. (The uproar over the painting was so great that it prompted him to move from Paris to London.) In tonight’s gallery talk led by deputy director emeritus Charles Robertson, come take a look at another work of Sargent’s: an 1893 portrait of Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler, heiress to the Astor fortune. Free. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 6:00 PM

Thursday, November 5: Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits

Photographer Dorothea Lange will perhaps be forever known for one photograph—a portrait of Florence Owens Thompson popularly known as Migrant Mother, which has become an iconic image of the Great Depression. Come listen to Linda Gordon, author of Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits, discuss the life and times of this famous photographer. A book signing will follow the lecture. Free. American Art Museum, 7:00 PM

Friday, November 6: Sounds of Africa

Modern music has a fair share of roots firmly planted in Africa, and today, Ugandan musician Daniel Ssuuna will teach you about African instruments as well as polyrhythms and syncopation. Visitors will also have the opportunity to play instruments. Ideal for visitors aged 6 and older. Free. African Art Museum, 10:30 AM. This event will repeat on November 20 at the same time and venue.

For more information on events and exhibitions at the Smithsonian museums, check our companion website, goSmithsonian.com, the official visitor’s guide to the Smithsonian.

Tortoise (1932) by Paul Manship. Take a cue from this creature and don't rush through the American Art Museum. Image courtesy of the American Art Museum.

I think most of us are familiar with the adage, “steady and slow wins the race.” So why is it that art museum visitors spend their time observing artwork as if they were at the supermarket? Given that they like what they’re looking at (why else would they blow all of eight seconds?) that really only allows enough time for the following train of thought: “Oh, that’s pretty… I rather like that… I wonder if they have this on a postcard at the gift shop… Crap, I don’t have any cash on me. Do they accept credit here?… Ooo! What’s that over there?”

Believe me, I’ve been on enough class field trips to art museums where, unfortunately, this is the position I’ve been in. When you’re touring any place, there are a million and one demands on your time—it’s not always easy picking out which nifty bits deserve the bulk of your attention.

So please, break the breakneck habits by coming out to the American Art Museum for a Slow Art session. Spend some quality time with a piece—or a few—and study each for a period of ten to 60 minutes and broaden critical thinking skills. Afterwards, meet in the Kogod Courtyard for a lunchtime discussion with other participants.  You can purchase nibbles on-site or bring a bagged lunch of your own. (The gift shop is nearby if you’re in the market for postcards. Oh, and they take credit cards.)

This event is free, but registration is required. Please see this site to reserve your spot. The relaxed festivities begin at 11:30 tomorrow with the lunchtime discussion beginning at 1:15. Also, be sure to check in at the Luce Foundation Center’s Information Desk if you would like to borrow a folding stool.

Learn about the dangers faced by cheetahs in the wild in a lecture this Wednesday. Photograph by Jessie Cohen, courtesy of the National Zoo.

Monday, September 28:

Sorry kids, no special events happening at the Smithsonian today. But be sure to check out this site for a listing of regularly-scheduled happenings around the Institution.

Tuesday, September 29: Smithsonian Education 3-Day Online Conference: Climate Change

Come participate in this online conference wherein Smithsonian scientists and curators address the global problem of climate change from scientific, historical and artistic perspectives. Learn about Smithsonian research and the parts of its collections that speak to the evidence for and impact of climate change. Free, but online registration is required. You may register here. Event continues September 30 through October 1. This special event is courtesy of Smithsonian Education.

Wednesday, September 30: Cheetahs in Crisis

Unfortunately, cheetahs are more abundant on bags of cheese-flavored snacks than they are in the wild. Between Africa, the Middle East and India, there were about 100,000 of these creatures roaming around in 1900; however, there are fewer than 12,000 in the wild today. (That’s an 85 percent decline in numbers.) In this evening lecture, come listen to a discussion moderated by Zoo director Steve Monfort and gain a deeper understanding of cheetah biology and the dangers these animals face. Arrive at 6:00 and you will be able to partake of the cash bar and mingle with the speakers before the lecture begins. Free. National Zoo, 7:00-8:00 PM

Thursday, October 1: Meet Our Museum: Tito Puente’s Timbales

Hailed as the King of Latin Music, Tito Puente—a Grammy Award-winning composer, bandleader and percussionist—left an indelible mark on Afro-Cuban jazz. In this lunchtime lecture, come listen to curator Marvette Pérez discuss Puente’s place in American popular culture. A question and answer session will follow. Free. American History Museum, 12:00-12:30 PM

Friday, October 2: Let’s Read About Africa

For the smaller members of your family, African Art’s story time program introduces young minds to the continent by way of children’s literature penned by award-winning authors. This series will continue most Fridays in October. Free. African Art Museum, 10:30-11:30 AM

Sweden's Royal Palace. Image courtesy of the Rochester Institute of Technology Big Shot.

Friday, September 25: Staged Stories Artists’ Roundtable

Artists Christyl Boger, Mark Newport, Mary Van Cline, and SunKoo Yuh work in the traditional mediums of ceramics, fiber, and glass—but they take their art in very nontraditional directions. Their work is currently on display in the exhibit Staged Stories: Renwick Craft Invitational 2009. The artists will take part in a roundtable discussion moderated by exhibition curator Kate Bonansinga. Free. American Art Museum, 6:00 PM

Saturday, September 26: RIT Big Shot 2009

Come help the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) celebrate the 25th anniversary of its “Big Shot” event! Each year, RIT selects a building for a dramatic nighttime photo shoot—and this go-round, it has selected the National Museum of the American Indian. RIT invites you to bring a flashlight to help illuminate the exterior of the building and contribute to an eye-catching piece of photography. Free. American Indian Museum, 7:45 PM.

Sunday, September 27: Poetics of Labor: A Reading Series for Bittersweet Harvest

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, come hear readings from poets Diana Garcia and Quique Aviles that deal with the issues of migration, labor and community. And don’t forget to tour the companion exhibition, Bittersweet Harvest. Free. American History Museum, 12:00 PM

For more information on events and exhibitions at the Smithsonian museums, check our companion website, goSmithsonian.com, the official visitor’s guide to the Smithsonian.

Jason Reynolds collaborated with his friend Jason Griffin on this artistic memoir that was published this past spring. Photo courtesy of Jason Reynolds.

Jason Reynolds, an author from Rockville, Maryland, will perform spoken word poems Saturday as part of the Africa Alive! Community Day 2009 sponsored by the National Museum of African Art. ATM talked with Reynolds about his current projects and what he has in mind for the future.

How did you get involved in spoken word and poetry?
I got started around the age of 14. They used to let me into Bar Nun on U Street [in Washington, D.C.], and I would just wait until the end of the night and perform my little poems and things of that nature. The original reason I started writing poems was because my grandmother died, and I wrote this poem, and the poem was shared at the funeral. From there it kind of just spun out of control.

You just had a book published this past spring.
Yes, so the new book is called “My name is Jason. Mine Too.” It’s written with a co-author, a buddy of mine who’s an artist. We do what we call hybrid art. The book basically is a creative and artistic memoir of our lives in New York City. It’s a classic New York tale of packing their bags and heading off for the big city. When they get there, they go through tons of trials and tribulations trying to figure out how make their dreams come true. What’s different about our story is that instead of being a story, it’s written in poems and paintings. So you read the poems and look at the paintings, and you can experience the entire story. It’s a different way to approach literature.

Did you write it with a specific audience in mind?
It was written for the teenager, the 15-year-old who may not be into literature or who may not understand poetry or art. It’s a little more palatable. It’s creative; it’s exciting. There are tons of different stimuli going on. It’s not just words on a page like all books are for that age.

What’s next for you?
I’m developing a software that will create interactive books. Taking the concept of an e-book and meshing it with a concept like Google Earth or video games for that matter. It’s turning literature into something very interactive. The truth is that paperless books are the way of the future, unfortunately. As much as I like to fight it, the truth is that as the world gets greener and as the economy continues to suffer books are going to become paperless. My job is to figure out a way to make these paperless books creative and interactive because that’s the next wave. It’s not quite a video game and it’s not quite an e-book, but it’s somewhere in between.

What kind of stories would you tell this way?

Let’s say we were writing a story about a kid in New York City. The reader would be the kid. The reader would be experiencing the story. The story could be anywhere. The story could be written in graffiti on the wall. The next part of the story could be written on a menu at a restaurant, but he gets there as he experiences the story. The graffiti on the wall basically explains to you where you are, what you’re doing and what’s about to happen. As you move about the neighborhood you read the other parts of the story. So it’s more like choose your own adventure, but it’s incorporating technology into it. Like the old choose your own adventure books. It’s that same concept but its becoming more interactive, using technology to bridge the gap.

So what are you going to do on Saturday?
I’m going to take a different perspective. I know we’re doing Africa Alive, and everyone is going to be doing blatant African themes. I’m going to come at it from the angle that Africanisms are interwoven into our everyday lives, especially of African Americans. I think we forget that African Americans are just five generations removed from Africa. But the Africanisms and a lot of the African traditions are still a part of our everyday lives. We just aren’t aware of the things that we do that are very African. Some of my pieces are going to be tied into that. It’s going to be pointing out the Africanisms that we take part in without even knowing because they are so natural and so normal for us. It kind of proves that Africa is alive in Africa and in America.

The Knight of the Holy Grail (ca. 1912) by Frederick J. Waugh. See This and other stunning artworks in the American Art Museum's Grand Salon. Image courtesy of the American Art Museum.

Monday, August 17

Once again, nothing special going on today. Even the Smithsonian slows down a bit during those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. But be sure to check out this space for a listing of regularly-scheduled goings-on around the Smithsonian that are sure to enrich your experience. From animal feedings to museum tours, there’s lots of free fun to be had!

Tuesday, August 18: Quilting Demonstration

Learn about quilt making techniques from the Annapolis Quilt Guild. I know—we’re in the throes of 90 degree weather and the last thing you want to think about is bundling up—but hey, if you start on your quilt now, you may very well have one ready by the fall. Free. American History Museum, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM

Wednesday, August 19: The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington

A docent will take you on a tour of the photography exhibition, The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington. The show celebrates and document’s black Washington DC through almost a century’s worth of photographs. Free. American History Museum, 10:30 AM

Thursday, August 20: Ask Us: Conservation and Curatorial Clinics

Everyone has pieces in their homes that they hope to preserve for future generations—but making sure those prized possessions survive can sometimes be tricky. Come on over to the African Art Museum, which is providing conservation and curatorial clinics where you can ask Smithsonian experts about how to properly care for your collections. Free, but registration is required. Call 202-633-4640 to set up your appointment today. There is a limit of two objects per visit. African Art Museum, 1:00-4:00 PM

Friday, August 21: What’s New in the Grand Salon? A Few of The Ten Plus Some Others

Come out to the American Art Museum and listen to Robert Johnston of the museum’s External Affairs Department discuss the painting on display in the Grand Salon—a smorgasbord of seventy paintings created between 1840 and 1930. Johnston’s talk will highlight a few of the new pieces that have been recently installed in this space, highlighting themes and relationships among the works. Free. American Art Museum, 12:00 PM

This weekend is the last chance to see the many faces of Mami Wata, and if you choose, to leave an offering for her, as well. An exhibition about the water spirit (Mami Wata means “Mother Water” in pidgin English) is on view at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. The exhibition closes this Sunday, July 26.

Be sure to see the Mami Wata exhibit before it closes this weekend. Image courtesy of the National Museum of African Art.

Over time, the diety Mami Wata has become a blend of cultures and religions, influenced by Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. At the museum, an altar glistens among the paintings and sculptures that depict her with a mermaid-like form, flowing hair and grasping a snake. Even though the altar has not been consecrated, or blessed, visitors have been moved to leave offerings.

Powder has been sprinkled across the bottom tier, while a hair brush, star-shaped swizzle stick and charms from a bracelet have been left behind on the altar. Coins have been rearranged and spread out on the lower tier. The only gift that was removed was a fresh plum, because food is not allowed in the galleries, explains chief curator Christine Kreamer, and would have attracted insects.

The altar is a recreation of a shrine owned by modern-day priestess Mamissi Pascaline Acrobessi Toyi in Ouidah, Benin (a country west of Nigeria). Traditionally, Toyi blesses all the offerings during a seven-day rite of singing, dancing, purifying, blessing and fasting. The items that were installed on the altar as part of the museum exhibit are examples of Toyi’s offerings. One that catches the eye is the miniature plastic guitar, which is explained in the signage with a quote from Toyi: “It is with music that Mami is content… If you play the guitar and sing she will be happy… She loves to go to nightclubs.”

Clearly, the visitor offerings, inspired by the power and lore of Mami Wata, are testament to the exhibition’s impact.

“Visitors have certainly interacted with the altar as if it were a functioning, dedicated altar, and there continues to be great interest in this water spirit and the arts dedicated to her,” Kreamer said.

Sylvia Soumah (front right) performs with the African Dance company, Coyaba, which she started in 1997. Photo courtesy of Coyaba Dance.

While teaching an African dance workshop with the “In Motion” program at the National Museum of African Art last Thursday, Sylvia Soumah saw a reluctant face in the crowd. Instead of verbally encouraging the girl, she marched over to offer a hug. Not a polite, reserved hug, but a full body embrace.

After that, the girl’s whole attitude changed. “It’s really about showing somebody love, and everybody needs that,” Soumah says.

She started dancing African for what she calls a crazy-but-true reason: her son. In 1990, a few years after his birth, she returned to her modern dance classes, but she had to bring her son with her. The baby’s restless noises interrupted the quiet focus that modern dance required. After class, the drummer approached her and said she should switch to the African class and bring her son because there, the drumming is so loud that if he made noise, no one would hear him. “So I did,” she says. “He was two then, and he’s 20 now.”

His acceptance into the African dance class embodies what Soumah loves most about African dance: the sense of community. “[Modern dance] really focuses on the techniques and the people who have created these techniques, but with African it’s about community,” she says. “It’s spiritual, it’s about family and it’s about culture. Modern ballet is a dance form. But African dance is a dance form and a culture. It’s a way of life.”

Soumah transfers the more-than-just-dance attitude to her educational programs. During the African Art Museum workshop, she introduced a courtship dance and used that as an opportunity to talk about dating with the kids. “If you really like a girl,” she told the boys, “you’ll introduce her to your family.”

In 2006, the National Performance Network and Dance Place in Washington, D.C., commissioned Soumah to create a piece. Destiny, which clocks in at two hours, follows her life from childhood in the projects of Cincinnati, to her first trip to Africa in 1994, to the creation of her dance company, Coyaba, in 1997, and even to the birth of her children—she gives birth on stage. In just two weeks, she’s heading to Texas to work with children to incorporate them into the piece.

To see Soumah and her company dance, check out one of her workshops tomorrow or Thursday at the African Art musuem.