Jacob Lawrence, Bar and Grill, 1941 from the new exhibit "African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond." Image Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Friday April 27 Insight and Inspiration for 20^th-Century African American Art

Starting this weekend, the new exhibit “African American Art : Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era and Beyond” presents a selection of works by 43 black artists who lived through the tremendous changes of the 20th century. The exhibit, which will be on view until September 3, embraces themes both universal and specific to the African American experience: identity, the struggle for equality, the power of music and life in rural and urban America.

This Friday at the event, Insight and Inspiration for 20^th-Century African American Art,  join Renee Ater, University of Maryland associate professor of art history and author of the book Remaking Race and History: The Sculpture of Meta Warrick Fuller, in a discussion that will explore the motivation for a number of artists and their works on display in the exhibition. Free. 7:00 p.m.McEvoy Auditorium, American Art Museum.

Saturday, April 28 Anacostia River & Jazz Fest

April is Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) and what better way to end the festival than to celebrate? This Saturday, reclaim the river with dancing, music and activities during this National Capital Parks-East and JAM event. The afternoon of live jazz takes place on two stages and includes environmental exhibits and workshops and will feature performances by Brazilian artists Origem, urban jazz harmonicist Frédéric Yonnet, pianist Marcus Johnson, and National Meet The Award Composer Recipients and Performers Tony Small (Pianist and Composer) and Victor Provost (Award winning steel pan artist and composer). Small an d Provost’s performances are funded in part through New Music USA’s MetLife Creative Connections program. Free. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Location: Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion, 1900 Anacostia Drive SE.

Sunday April 29 Gamer Symphony Orchestra

There are certain video game theme songs that stick around. The Super Mario tune, for example. They’re catchy and live on in the classics in the gaming world. But what if that music left your television screen and came to life? This Sunday, the University of Maryland’s Gamer Symphony Orchestra will make this happen. As the first collegiate ensemble of more than 120 instrumentalists and singers exclusively devoted to performing orchestral arrangements of video game music, gamers and music-lovers alike are sure to enjoy. Arrive early to listen to a pre-concert discussion with composer Austin Wintory at 2:30 p.m.Free. 3:00 p.m. Kogod Courtyard, American Art Museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

The Space Shuttle Discovery arrives at Dulles International Airport. Photo by Aviva Shen.

Friday, April 20 Draw and Discover at Dusk

Drawing can be a relaxing activity and the best part is that you don’t have to be Vincent van Gogh to enjoy it. This Friday night, wind down with a mini drawing lesson with guest instructor Sheena Custer. Then take what you’ve learned and spend some time sketching on your own.  Basic drawing materials are provided and a cash bar will be available for the duration of the program. Open to all ages and all levels of artistic ability. Free. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. American Art Museum.

Saturday, April 21 Welcome Discovery family weekend

Tuesday, the Space Shuttle Discovery was dramatically transported to the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Museum near Dulles International Airport. This Saturday, welcome the famous vehicle as it starts its new career as an American icon of the space program. Enjoy special exhibitions, programs and activities designed for all ages that showcase the history and achievements of the 30-year space shuttle program (1981-2011) and the future of space exploration. Programs address continuing activities on the International Space Station, how we are learning to live and work in space and preparation for exploring farther into the solar system. Watch specialists from the museum and NASA as they perform work on Discovery—they’ll also be answering questions from the public. Free. $15 parking fee per vehicle at Udvar-Hazy. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Continues Sunday April 22. Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center.

Sunday, April 22 Earth Day Party for the Planet

This Sunday, more than 100 of the top zoos and aquariums across North America are throwing the 6th Annual Party for the Planet™—the largest combined Earth Day celebration in North America. Meet environmental leaders from local organizations, participate in hands on activities like seed planting and enjoy original music played by The Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra, on instruments made from locally grown gourds. Free. 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. National Zoo.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

A scene from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, designed for PlayStation 3 in 2009. Sony Computer Entertainment America / SAAM

On March 17, Ollie Cantos took his 12-year-old triplet sons, Leo, Nic and Steven—not otherwise big fans of art—for a visit to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. But what Cantos hadn’t told the boys was that the museum was debuting its new exhibition “The Art of Video Games.”

“They absolutely live for video games,” says Cantos, an attorney that works for the federal government. The boys have a Nintendo GameCube and a Wii, also a broken PlayStation 2. They are aficionados of combat games, such as Dragon Ball Z and Marvel vs. Capcom, and play them in a room in their home equipped with a booming surround sound system.

“When we finally got there, we walked in, and they had no idea still. We went to the front desk, and I said, ‘Hi, we are here for ‘The Art of Video Games?’” says Cantos. “Suddenly, the three of them lit up. ‘Video games!’”

To a lot of folks, Cantos says, our interest in gaming seems counterintuitive. “Because none of us can see at all,” he says. “We are totally blind.” Cantos has been blind his entire life. “I have light perception, but they don’t,” he says, of his three sons.

Cantos and his sons spent more than three hours touring the exhibition. Leo, Nic and Steven played Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst and Flower in one room, where the games are projected on backdrops 12 feet high. Another room contains an interactive timeline of the 40-year history of video games, with 20 kiosks featuring systems from the Atari 2600, released in 1977, to Wii and PlayStation 3. Each kiosk has the actual gaming device in a display case, and visitors can press buttons to hear about four games that were popular on the system. “They listened to every word on the headsets at every kiosk,” says LeeAnn Lawch, a docent at the museum.

Video games are just as addictive to the visually-impaired, explains Cantos, a former owner of an Atari 2600 and a fan of classic games including Space Invaders and Ms. Pac-Man. (He also plays Ms. Pac-Man, Angry Birds and Temple Run on his iPhone.) As for his sons, he adds, “They are making their way through the levels somehow.”

Leo, Nic and Steven prefer combat games, because they can compete head-to-head and stay within one virtual space. “I thought maybe driving games aren’t their thing, but they love Mario Kart 7,” says Cantos. “I don’t really know how they do it, but they keep doing really well.” Adventure games that require maneuvering through a three-dimensional space, jumping over and through things, are, naturally, more difficult for them. But Cantos has coached some of his sons’ friends to provide verbal cues as they navigate their way through different scenes. “Their friends feel like they get to help. They don’t want my boys to die in the game, so they are like, ‘No, no, no. Go left! Right!’ There is a lot of yelling that tends to take place. In the meantime, my boys are in suspense too. Their adrenaline is going because they are trying to do exactly what their friends tell them,” says Cantos. “When they succeed, they all feel victorious.”

As the Cantos family toured “The Art of Video Games,” Lawch read panels and described the graphics and actions of the games. A retired registered nurse, she has experience working with visually-impaired individuals. “Mostly, I tried to translate the visuals to descriptions utilizing additional senses. ‘The air appears hot. There don’t appear to be any nature sounds like birds or waterfalls—just hot, dusty and dry wind. It might smell like hot metal or burning tires,’” says Lawch. Keeping up with the action was a challenge. “He’s running through fire, jumping over a cliff. He’s going to fall. Things are exploding,” says Lawch. “I have never talked and read so fast in my life!”

Cantos and his sons visited the exhibition during the opening weekend in hopes that they would cross paths with some of the movers and shakers within the video game industry. They met Billy Mitchell, a former record holder for Kong and Pac-Man and star of the 2007 documentary “King of Kong,” as well as Chris Melissinos, the exhibition’s curator and self-admitted game addict. Now, they are eager to connect with video game designers. “The big thing that we want programmers to know is to just factor us in,” says Cantos. “We would like to not be an afterthought. We are just another part of the video game market.”

At this point, text-adventure games accommodate the visually-impaired, but many graphics-based games, popular today, could use some accessibility features. Cantos suggests that designers program the games so that menu options and any other text or narrative that appears on the screen is read aloud. Like subtitles for the deaf, maybe an option for verbal descriptions could be offered at the beginning of a game.

“My boys are willing to market test it,” says Cantos. His sons, he adds, have spread the Gospel of video gaming to others who otherwise may not have considered it much. “They are very, very passionate about this stuff,” says Cantos.

As a father, Cantos is grateful to the video game industry for providing an incentive for his sons to do well in school. “If they don’t do well with their grades, then they don’t get to play,” says Cantos. “They are just like any other kids. They like to have fun.”

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, travel writer and historian Tony Horwitz is telling tales about his new book on John Brown at the American Art Museum. Image courtesy of the museum.

Friday, April 6 Kyoto Kimono: Spring Trunk Show

Vintage clothes are in and this Friday, the Sackler shop will put a different spin on thrift-store shopping. Come out for a holiday trunk show of vintage Japanese kimono robes and jackets from Kyoto Kimono, an online Japanese garment boutique based in upstate New York. Included in the collection is a full range of authentic kimono robes, haori jackets and obi sashes collected from the auction houses and temple markets of Kyoto, Japan. Owner Nancy McDonough, who lived in Kyoto for several years, will be on hand each day to discuss the garments, textile techniques and the interplay between kimono and Japanese culture. Noon to 5:30 p.m. Freer and Sackler Galleries.

Saturday, April 7 American Pictures: Tony Horwitz

Abolitionist John Brown’s fight for freedom was a catalyst for the secessionist movement leading up to the Civil War. This Saturday, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, travel writer, and historian Tony Horwitz will talk about his book, Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War and the portrait of John Brown in captivity—a painting that hides as much as it reveals. 2:00 p.m. Free, tickets available at 1:30. McEvoy Auditorium, American Art Museum.

Sunday, April 8 Castle Highlights Tour

There are quite a few myths and urban legends about the Smithsonian. Is the Hope Diamond cursed? Did Betsy Ross stitch the Star Spangled Banner? What mysteries lie within the walls of the Castle, the Institution’s first and oldest building. This Sunday, learn the real history of the founding and early days of the Smithsonian, its original benefactor James Smithson, and the history and architecture of the Castle. The tour will take you from the West Wing to the Great Hall—as well as to the crypt where the founder’s remains remain. Free. 10:30 a.m., meet at the information desk, Smithsonian Castle.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

As part of the Google Art Project, you can now virtually wander the halls of the American Art Museum and see remarkably detailed reproductions of hundreds of works

Have you ever wanted to wander the halls of the Portrait Gallery or Smithsonian American Art Museum—or see some of their works, such as Andrew Wyeth’s ‘Dodges Ridge,’ in exquisite detail—but can’t make it to DC at the drop of a hat? Now, thanks to the museums’ collaboration with the Google Art Project, you’ll have the opportunity to virtually experience all they have to offer from the comfort of your own home.

On Tuesday, as part of a major expansion of the project, the museums officially became participants, joining 150 other museums and institutions from around the world. As part of the collaboration, Google has created ultra high-resolution scans of 149 of the Art Museum’s pieces and 192 of the Portrait Gallery’s are now freely available for anyone to see online. For some museums, Google has selected a signature image to present at a size over 1 billion pixels (1 gigapixel), allowing viewers to examine the paintings down to remarkably minute details. By comparison, a typical digital camera produces photographs around 10 megapixels in size, or 1000 times smaller than a gigapixel.

Additionally, Google has used its Street View technology to provide remote viewers the chance to virtually tour the halls and galleries of the museums. The company’s special panoramic camera was brought in this past December to capture the interiors, and users can navigate it much as they might tour the streets of the city outside using Street View.

A panoramic camera is used to capture the museum's Kogod Courtyard. Photo courtesy of the American Art Museum

The project was started in February 2011 by Google, and now encompasses more than 32,000 works in total, including paintings, sculptures and drawings. The Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York also became an official participant today, with more than 1500 pieces represented online. The Smithsonian Institution’s involvement started last year, when more than 200 works from the Freer Gallery were captured and made available as part of the first phase of the project. At the time, Julian Raby, the Freer and Sackler Gallery’s director, commended the level of detail made available in the online reproductions and felt the project would only increase interest in the museum’s offerings.

“The gigapixel allows you to see elements that you would really never ever see, certainly in traditional means of reproduction. You might see the crackle in the oil of a painting, you can sense the brushstroke in the artist’s hand and energy, you can see narrative details you would never see otherwise,” he said. “The traditional thing has been to say that any form of surrogate photograph, video, film will mean that people won’t come to the museums; actually, the experience is quite the opposite. In this particular case, I think it will create a sense of fascination that will engage completely new audiences.”

Check out the project to tour museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Gallery in London in addition to the three four Smithsonian museums that have joined on. You can wander the halls, select your favorite pieces, and build your own virtual gallery that brings together works from around the world. Google encourages art students and teachers to use the content as educational material, and plans to continue expanding the project in future years to make as much art as possible available to anyone, anywhere—so long as they have access to a computer.

Young musicians from the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont come to the Freer Gallery this week. Image courtesy of Marlboro Music Festival's Facebook page.

Tuesday, March 27 ‘80s Night

Feeling nostalgic for the decade of Lycra and Madonna? Test your memory at the National Portrait Gallery’s pop quiz happy hour. Trivia is based on the NPG’s portraits of 80s icons in music, sports and news. Parachute pants optional. Free. 6:30 p.m. Kogod Courtyard, National Portrait Gallery.

Wednesday, March 28 Musicians from Marlboro II

Since its establishment in 1951, the Marlboro Chamber Music Festival has become internationally acclaimed for its immersive training of the brightest young talents of each generation. Now, several of those talents—violinists David Bowlin and Robin Scott, violists Kyle Armbrust and Emily Deans, cellist Peter Stumpf, clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois, and pianist Gabriele Carcano—leave the foothills of Vermont to perform Haydn’s String Quartet, op. 54, no. 1; Beethoven’s String Quintet, op. 29; and Brahms’ Clarinet Trio, op. 114. Come early for a pre-concert tour of Japanese art. Free tickets required. 7:30 p.m. Meyer Auditorium, Freer and Sackler Galleries.

Thursday, March 29 American Painting Techniques

What gives a painting that early American style? Art conservators Lance Mayer and Gay Myers explain certain techniques and materials used by early American painters. Their book, American Painters on Technique: The Colonial Period to 1860, is the first comprehensive study of this topic. Discover the innovations of these pioneering artists through first-person descriptions of American painters at work, letters, shopkeepers’ bills and more. Free. 7:00 p.m. McEvoy Auditorium, American Art Museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

This weekend kicks off "The Art of Video Games" with GameFest, a three day festival. Image courtesy of Electronic Arts, 2010/SAAM

Friday, March 16 Evolution of Video Games

The much anticipated “Art of Video Games” exhibition kicks off on Friday with Gamefest, a three-day festival dedicated to all things pixelated. Curator Chris Melissinos will host two speaker panels on the evolution of video games. Some of the original game designers and most cutting edge innovators will discuss the past, present and future of the gaming world. Free. 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. American Art Museum.

Saturday, March 17 Saint Paddy Party

The whole family can celebrate the luck of the Irish with rollicking performances by Bog Band and champion Irish dancer Shannon Dunne. After the show, learn how to count sheep in Gaelic, make an acid and base rainbow, or plant a grasshead leprechaun. Don’t forget to wear green! $12 for general admission, $10 for members, $10 for children, $3 for children under 2. 12:00 p.m. Discovery Theater.

Sunday, March 18 Masterworks of Three Centuries

Celebrate the 35th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society with the latest concert in the Masterworks of Three Centuries series. Baritone William Sharp, praised by the New York Times as a “sensitive and subtle singer,” performs two ambitious lyrical works by Robert Schumann. $28 for general admission, $22 for members, $20 for senior members. Pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. Concert 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. American History Museum.

Gamers, warm up your thumbs: “The Art of Video Games” exhibition opens this weekend at the American Art Museum with three days packed with films, live-action gaming, and panel discussions with video designers, game developers and composers. In between the scheduled events, squeeze in some play at the consoles set up all over the exhibition. The exhibition is one of the first major exhibitions to explore the evolution of video games as an art form. As curator Chris Melissinos told Smithsonian Magazine, “Video games are the only forms of artistic expression that allow the authoritative voice of the author to remain true while allowing the observer to explore and experiment.”

Some highlights from the full Gamefest schedule:

Friday, March 16

3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Learn about the past, present and future of video games in two panels led by curator Chris Melissinos. Gaming pioneers RJ Mical, Mike Mika, Rand Miller, Don Daglow and Keith Robinson will discuss the roots of the gaming world. Then, Paul Barnett, Mark DeLoura, Ken Levine and Kellee Santiago will highlight some of the latest innovations of the field.

8:30 p.m. TRON screening.

Saturday, March 17

2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. While you play, enjoy live remixes of Gameboy and Commodore 64 tunes by 8 Bit Weapon and arrangements of familiar scores by Triforce Quartet.

5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Game designer Robin Hunicke of thatgamecompany will explain the world of video game design and the company’s highly anticipated PlayStation 3 game, Journey.

Sunday, March 18

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Meet the cast of Seth Gordon’s 2007 documentary film, The King of Kongs, which follows Steve Wiebe in his quest to beat the world high score of Donkey Kong.

“The Art of Video Games” is on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum from March 16 through September 30, 2012.

Karen Lovejoy and the Lovejoygroup perform at the Kogod Courtyard this week. Image courtesy of the Lovejoygroup Facebook page.

Tuesday, March 6 An Amazonian Odyssey

Take a virtual journey down the more than 4,000 miles of the Amazon River, from the high Andean headwaters to the Atlantic Ocean. On the way, National Zoo biologist Ed Smith will guide you through the wonders of the Amazon basin, including electric fish, mimetic frogs, elusive mammals, and other biological curiosities. $30 for members, $40 for general admission. 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. S. Dillon Ripley Center.

Wednesday, March 7 Conservation Clinic

Looking to keep a prized work of art or heirloom in good shape for the future? The Lunder Conservation Center, which treats and preserves collections at the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, will teach you their secrets for maintaining the conditions of any painting, print, frame, sculpture or object in your personal collection. Free, appointment required. Call 202-633-5821 or email DWRCLunder@si.edu and specify “CLINIC” in the subject line. Clinics take place year-round on the first Wednesday of each month. 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. American Art Museum.

Thursday, March 8 The Lovejoygroup

The Take 5! concert series continues with local jazz quartet The Lovejoygroup. Winners of the 2006 Jazz Jammie Award, the eclectic group mixes organ music, energetic jazz, funky blues and smooth Latin rhythms. Free. 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Kogod Courtyard, American Art Museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

Follow glass artist Ginny Ruffner through trial and triumph in the documentary "A Not So Still Life."

Tuesday, February 28 Paradox of Liberty Tour

If you haven’t yet seen the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s exhibition, “Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty,” take a guided tour through the history of the plantation and the men and women who kept it running. Free. 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. American History Museum.

Wednesday, February 29 A Not So Still Life

This documentary follows the riveting story of world-renowned glass artist Ginny Ruffner, whose new body of work springs from a near-fatal car accident that left her in a coma for several weeks. From pop-up books, to room-sized installation pieces, to public works, Ruffner’s art continues to blossom. After the film, meet the artist herself and hear her thoughts on the experience. Free. 12:00 p.m. Renwick Gallery.

Thursday, March 1 Perspectives on “Limits to Growth”

This symposium marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of the seminal 1972 report Limits to Growth, one of the earliest scholarly treatises to recognize the unsustainable nature of the planet’s growth. Even now, we face many of the same social, economic and environmental issues we did when the report was first published. Join scholars and experts in a day of debate and discussion on the sustainability challenges facing the world today. Free, RSVP at Consortia@si.edu. 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Rasmuson Theater, American Indian Museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

Jacob Lawrence is the subject of this week's Gallery Talk. The Cabinet Makers by Jacob Lawrence, 1946, courtesy of the Hirshhorn Museum.

Friday, February 17 Gallery Talk: Jacob Lawrence

Inspired by the shapes and colors of Harlem, painter Jacob Lawrence was, as the New York Times wrote, “among the most impassioned visual chroniclers of the African-American experience.” Find out why in this gallery tour led by Jacquelyn D. Serwer, curator at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Free. 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Hirshhorn Museum.

Saturday, February 18 Presidential Family Fun Day

Get your patriotic spirit up at the Kogod Courtyard’s presidential family party. Enjoy fife and drum performances, learn about American history, and make presidential crafts to take home with you. You might even meet George Washington. Free. 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Kogod Courtyard, American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.

Sunday, February 19 Artuaré Tour

See Artuaré through the eyes of the artist himself with a special tour by Steven M. Cummings. Cummings will discuss the inspirations and stories behind this exhibition of his artistic evolution. Free, but make a reservation at 202-633-4844. 2:00 p.m. Anacostia Community Museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

Come to the Freer for a dinner of Taiwanese beef noodles and a movie, "Eat Drink Man Woman." Image courtesy of the Freer Gallery.

Tuesday, February 14 Handi-hour

Whether you come with a date or forgot it’s Valentine’s Day, the Renwick Gallery has a craft and a beer for you. Learn to knit while you enjoy live music and several seasonal brews. Then, join a scavenger hunt—no, they’re not just for kids—through the galleries. $20 includes 2 drink tickets, snacks and crafts. 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Renwick Gallery.

Wednesday, February 15 Noodles and a Movie

Get a taste of Taiwan at the Freer’s celebration of Chinese New Year. Chef Hou Chun-sheng, winner of the 2011 Taipei Beef Noodle Soup Competition will be ladling out his signature beef noodles. Stick around for a screening of the widely acclaimed 1994 film by Ang Lee, “Eat Drink Man Woman,” about an elderly chef and his daughters in modern Taiwan. Free. 6:00 p.m. Meyer Auditorium, Freer Gallery.

Thursday, February 16 Little Red and the Renegades’ Mardi Gras Special

The classic Louisiana stylings of Little Red (Tom Corradino) and the Renegades gets the party started in the Kogod Courtyard. Hailed as “exuberant” and “just flat-out fun” by music critic Lee Nichols, Little Red is sure to get you on your feet. Dance, play a board game, chow down on snacks and just relax at this latest performance in the Take 5! jazz series. Free. 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. American Art Museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

How much is the Hope Diamond worth? Ask Smithsonian.

Our inquisitive readers are rising to the challenge we gave them last month. The questions are pouring in and we’re ready for more. Do you have any questions for our curators? Submit your questions here.

How much is the Hope Diamond worth? — Marjorie Mathews, Silver Spring, Maryland

That’s the most popular question we get, but we don’t really satisfy people by giving them a number. There are a number of answers, but the best one is that we honestly don’t know. It’s a little bit like Liz Taylor’s jewels being sold in December—all kinds of people guessed at what they would sell for, but everybody I know was way off. Only when those pieces were opened up to bidding at a public auction could you find out what their values were. When they were sold, then at least for that day and that night you could say, well, they were worth that much. The Hope Diamond is kind of the same way, but more so. There’s simply nothing else like it. So how do you put a value on the history, on the fact it’s been here on display for over 50 years and a few hundred million people have seen it, and on that fact it’s a rare blue diamond on top of everything else? You don’t. – Jeffrey E. Post, mineralogist, National Museum of Natural History

What’s the worst impact of ocean acidification so far?- Nancy Schaefer, Virginia Beach, Virginia

The impacts of ocean acidification are really just starting to be felt, but two big reports that came out in 2011 show that it could have very serious effects on coral reefs. These studies did not measure the warming effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but rather its effect of making the ocean more acidic when it dissolves in the ocean. Places where large amounts of carbon dioxide seep into the water from the sea floor provide a natural experiment and show us how ocean waters might look, say, 50 or 100 years from now. Both studies showed branching, lacy, delicate coral forms are likely to disappear, and with them that kind of three-dimensional complexity so many species depend on. Also, other species that build a stony skeleton or shell, such as oysters or mussels, are likely to be affected. This happens because acidification makes carbonate ions, which these species need for their skeletons, less abundant.

Nancy Knowlton, marine biologist
National Museum of Natural History

Art and artifacts from ancient South Pacific and Pacific Northwest tribes have similarities in form and function. Is it possible that early Hawaiians caught part of the Kuroshio Current of the North Pacific Gyre to end up along the northwest coast of America from northern California to Alaska? — April Amy Croan, Maple Valley, Washington

Those similarities have given rise to various theories, including trans-Pacific navigation, independent drifts of floating artifacts, inadvertent crossings by ships that have lost their rudders or rigging, or whales harpooned in one area that died or were captured in a distant place. Some connections are well-known, like feather garment fragments found in an archaeological site in Southeast Alaska that appear to have been brought there by whaling ships that had stopped in the Hawaiian Islands, a regular route for 19th-century whalers. Before the period of European contact, the greatest similarities are with the southwest Pacific, not Hawaii. The Kushiro current would have facilitated Asian coastal contacts with northwestern North America, but would not have helped Hawaiians. The problem of identification is one of context, form and dating. Most of the reported similarities are either out of their original context (which can’t be reconstructed), or their form is not specific enough to relate to another area’s style, or the date of creation cannot be established. To date there is no acceptable proof for South Pacific-Northwest Coast historical connections that predates the European whaling era, except for links that follow the coastal region of the North Pacific into Alaska.

William Fitzhugh, archeologist
Natural History Museum

The African Art Museum's film festival takes place every Thursday this month.

Tuesday, February 7 Water Matters

Join Smithsonian experts in Water Matters, an online conference by Shout Learning of Smithsonian Education. Starting on Tuesday, the conference will grapple with all aspects of humanity’s relationships with our most vital resource. The first session, led by Nancy Knowlton, Sant Chair of Marine Science at the Natural History Museum, starts with the question: “What kinds of human interventions can help the health of marine life?” For the full schedule, see Shout Learning’s website. Free. Register to reserve a virtual spot. Sessions 11:00 a.m. to 7:50 p.m. Resumes Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 8 Multiplicity Curator Talk

If you haven’t yet gotten over to the “Multiplicity” exhibition at the American Art Museum, here’s a good opportunity to check it off your cultural bucket list. Take a walk through the gallery with curator Joann Moser, who will highlight each featured piece and explain how each artist questions the ideas of rarity and uniqueness in art through repetition, pairing, and variation. Free. 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. American Art Museum.

Thursday, February 9 Touki Bouki

Every Thursday through February, the African Art Museum‘s 2012 African Art House Film Festival showcases African films both classic and cutting edge, from all corners of the continent. This week is Touki Bouki, a Senegalese road movie following two young lovers through their schemes to pay their way to Paris. There will also be a Q & A with film historian Françoise Pfaff of Howard University. Free. 6:30 p.m. Landmark E Street Cinema.

Giants and patriots come in all forms, as seen in "Giant Demon Attacks a Ship," an Indian watercolor ca. 1775. Photo courtesy of the Freer and Sackler Galleries

Take a look at our photo gallery of giants and patriots in the Smithsonian Institution.

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, we’ve come up with our own contest of “giants” and “patriots.” A disclaimer, though: it has nothing to do with football. We’ve combed through archives and collections across the Smithsonian Institution to come up with a unique set of patriots and giants for you to check out to get ready for the game.

If you’re a Giants fan, we’ve got everything from giant pandas to giant sequoias to “Elaganeek: the Eskimo Giant.” “Giant’s Thumb,” a 1926 woodcut by Howard Cook in the American Art Museum, depicts one of the artist’s favorite natural spots in New Mexico, his adopted home.

For New England fans, though, the Smithsonian is filled with patriots both real and invented. Uncle Sam, of course, is the country’s iconic patriot, but real-life figures like George Washington and Samuel Adams were the original embodiments of patriotism during the birth of the country. The concept of patriotism is so powerful that the U.S. military has named missiles after it.

“Giant Demon Attacks a Ship,” an Indian watercolor painted by a Jain artist sometime around 1775, is the one piece that Giants fans might interpret as a good omen for the game. In the painting, a large blue demon seems poised to destroy a British ship, filled with sailors dressed not so differently from the Patriots original mascot, Pat Patriot. Watch on Sunday to see how the real life matchups turns out.